Culture news Germany returns stolen colonial treasures to Namibia The decision to give back the Namibian jewellery coincides with last year's recognition of the German Empire's genocide in the early 20th century. 25/05/2022
France Protesters interrupt €4.2 million auction of "stolen" 19th-century Gabonese mask Protesters demanded the return of a ‘stolen’ 19th-century Gabonese mask sold at auction for €4.2 million. 27/03/2022
Denmark Danish PM apologises to six children over 1950s social experiment 22 Greenlandic children were brought to Denmark in 1951 for a "better life" but instead suffered away from their families. 09/03/2022
Travel News Australia finally embraces its Indigenous place names As Australia's borders finally reopen, is the country ready to embrace its Indigenous place names? 07/03/2022
Netherlands Utrecht mayor apologises for Dutch city's past role in slave trade Mayor Sharon Dijksma said she was acknowledging the "dark side of our city's history". 23/02/2022
Netherlands Dutch leader apologises for 'extreme violence' in Indonesia A report found that Dutch troops had committed atrocities between 1945 and 1949. 17/02/2022
USA Germany and Austria repatriate 19th-century human remains to Hawaii The bones were originally collected by a German naturalist around 1880 but will now be transported to Hawaii for burial. 11/02/2022
See Indonesian war of independence explored in new Amsterdam exhibition The exhibit is jointly curated by Dutch and Indonesian curators but has already courted controversy over some language used. 10/02/2022
See Statue of colonial governor toppled in Puerto Rico Juan Ponce de León was the first colonial governor of Puerto Rico and is known for putting down a rebellion of indigenous people forced into labour. 25/01/2022
Netherlands Dutch king to stop using royal carriage over colonial criticism The carriage features images of black and Asian people offering gifts to a seated young white woman. 13/01/2022
France New Caledonia votes to remain French after pro-independence boycott The South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia voted to remain French in a referendum on Sunday. 11/12/2021
Barbados Barbados drops Queen Elizabeth II and becomes world's newest republic Barbados became independent in 1966 but retained Queen Elizabeth II as sovereign. 29/11/2021
Greenland Greenlanders seek compensation from Denmark over colonial experiment Seven decades after a traumatic social experiment, indigenous Greenlanders who were removed from their families and taken to Denmark as children are demanding compensation. 23/11/2021
Culture news 129-year journey nears end as France returns Benin treasures France is displaying 26 looted colonial-era artefacts for one last time before returning them to Benin. 25/10/2021
Belgium Women taken from African mums sue Belgium for crimes against humanity The five women, all born between 1945 and 1950, filed their lawsuit last year amid growing demands that Belgium reassesses its colonial past. 14/10/2021
Mexico Statue swap in Mexico City as indigenous woman replaces Colombus It comes as Mexico moves to erase symbols of the Spanish colonial era. 13/10/2021
Algeria Algeria recalls ambassador to France in fury at Macron criticism The French president reportedly accused Algeria's ruling elite of perpetuating a discourse based on "untruths" and a "hatred of France". 03/10/2021
Climate Views from the Global South: How to decolonise the climate crisis The Global North has a ‘moral obligation’ to listen to those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. 29/09/2021
France Macron apologises to Algerians who fought with French colonisers Thousands were seen as traitors and killed after the French withdrawal in 1962. 20/09/2021
Hungary Viktor Orbán hits back at European leaders over controversial LGBT law Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accused European leaders of acting like "colonialists" in their criticism of a controversial new law banning the portrayal of homosexuality. 02/07/2021
Germany Germany agrees to recognise colonial killings in Namibia as genocide As well as recognising the killings and asking descendants of victims for forgiveness, Germany has committed to spend 1.1 billion euros on mostly development projects over the next 30 years. 28/05/2021
Destinations Power of a placename: Ireland’s many Yr Wyddfas Towns with names like Youghal and Dún Laoghaire have confused tourists in Ireland for years. Why are Ireland's placenames so confusing for English speakers? 24/05/2021
People The Welsh mountain battle: Why Snowdon should switch to Yr Wyddfa Wales is trying to reclaim its tallest mountain’s Indigenous name, but colonial attitudes run deep. 21/05/2021
United Kingdom Oxford University to keep statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes Oriel College said removing the statue of Cecil Rhodes, one of the architects of segregation in southern Africa, would be too costly. 20/05/2021
Germany Gemany agrees to repatriate Nigerian bronzes looted in colonial times In an historic move Germany has agreed to repatriate hundreds of Benin Bronzes in the Humboldt-Forum museum in Berlin to Nigeria next year. 01/05/2021
Germany Germany to return Benin Bronzes looted during colonial era Germany’s minister for culture, Monika Gruetters, said the Benin Bronzes were a key test for the way the country deals with its colonial past. 30/04/2021
