Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar previously possessed over 80 hippos, and they now have a unique distinction in US law: they are the first non-human creatures to be legally classified as persons.&nbsp;

These hippos have a lawyer, and a very good one, since the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recognised the late Escobar's renowned "Cocaine Hippos" as legal individuals for the first time in the United States.

The October 15 judgement came on the same day that the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed an application on behalf of the hippo plaintiffs in Colombia to prevent the country's authorities from slaughtering the animals.

The ALDF made the announcement in a news release on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The hippos are descended from four that Escobar illegally brought.

They were released following his death in 1993.

Since then, the hippos' population has grown to more than 80, and they are said to be wreaking havoc on the local ecology.

However, other experts believe they are "restoring ecological services" that have been lost for thousands of years owing to "human-driven extinctions."

According to Newsweek, in July, Colombian attorney Luis Domingo Gómez Maldonado filed a lawsuit on behalf of the animals to prevent them from being slaughtered, claiming that sterilisation was a preferable alternative.&nbsp;

Although Colombian law grants non-human species legal standing to sue to safeguard their interests, the Colombian judicial system cannot compel someone in the United States to submit papers supporting their case.

However, a US law permits interested individuals in Colombia to seek access to records and evidence in a U.S. federal court, so the ALDF petitioned for the hippos' rights to force two Ohio wildlife specialists who research nonsurgical sterilisation to testify on their side.

For the first time in US history, the District Court granted the application, recognising animals as legal people.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar previously possessed over 80 hippos, and they now have a unique distinction in US law: they are the first non-human creatures to be legally classified as persons.

Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar previously possessed over 80 hippos, and they now have a unique distinction in US law: they are the first non-human creatures to be legally classified as persons. These hippos have a lawyer, and a very good one, since the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio recognised the late Escobar's renowned "Cocaine Hippos" as legal individuals for the first time in the United States. The October 15 judgement came on the same day that the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed an application on behalf of the hippo plaintiffs in Colombia to prevent the country's authorities from slaughtering the animals. The ALDF made the announcement in a news release on Wednesday. The hippos are descended from four that Escobar illegally brought. They were released following his death in 1993. Since then, the hippos' population has grown to more than 80, and they are said to be wreaking havoc on the local ecology. However, other experts believe they are "restoring ecological services" that have been lost for thousands of years owing to "human-driven extinctions." According to Newsweek, in July, Colombian attorney Luis Domingo Gómez Maldonado filed a lawsuit on behalf of the animals to prevent them from being slaughtered, claiming that sterilisation was a preferable alternative. Although Colombian law grants non-human species legal standing to sue to safeguard their interests, the Colombian judicial system cannot compel someone in the United States to submit papers supporting their case. However, a US law permits interested individuals in Colombia to seek access to records and evidence in a U.S. federal court, so the ALDF petitioned for the hippos' rights to force two Ohio wildlife specialists who research nonsurgical sterilisation to testify on their side. For the first time in US history, the District Court granted the application, recognising animals as legal people. (With inputs from agencies)

Court rules Pablo Escobar's cocaine hippos are legally people

Activists in Afghanistan are speaking out against corruption and spreading messages of peace and social justice with murals, many painted on concrete blast walls that have risen to ward off militant bombs.

The activists call themselves the ArtLords, as opposed to the warlords and druglords who have brought so much strife and misery to Afghanistan, and say their art is a tool for social change.

&quot;We&#39;re painting against corruption, we&#39;re painting against the injustices that are happening in society, for women&#39;s rights,&quot; said the group&#39;s co-founder, Omaid Sharifi.

&quot;We&#39;re encouraging people to come and join us, let&#39;s raise our voices against all this nonsense.&quot;

Blast walls have gone up along Kabul&#39;s streets over the years, against a tide of violence as Taliban and other militants battle the government and US-led forces, nearly 17 years after Afghanistan&#39;s latest phase of war began.

Some city streets have been turned into concrete canyons, the walls shielding embassies, military camps, government offices and the homes of the rich.

On many of these grey slabs, the ArtLords have their say.

Watchful eyes peer from a wall protecting the headquarters of the main security agency.

&quot;I can&#39;t go to school because of your corruption. I can see you,&quot; is the message on a mural of a girl on blast walls near the interior ministry.

Another mural, of a black SUV with its windows tinted, takes a dig at the powerful and privileged.

&quot;What are you carrying, that your windows are black?&quot; reads the message. &quot;You don&#39;t have a license plate and don&#39;t stop for searches.&quot;

A painting of a shoeshine boy says: &quot;Don&#39;t set off an explosion here, innocent people get killed.&quot;

Other murals extol the city&#39;s street-sweeper &quot;heroes&quot;, encourage anti-polio efforts, and call for women&#39;s rights.

Sharifi says he always gets permission for his work, though it can be a struggle. The group gets commissions from Afghan and international groups for &quot;awareness raising and advocacy&quot; and sells smaller artworks.

Recently, on a cold, grey morning, the ArtLords were at the American University of Afghanistan, working on a mural on the tightly guarded campus to highlight resilience against violence.

A 2016 militant attack on the university killed 16 people and shattered its image as an island of liberalism and learning.

Students came to help paint a picture of a young man and woman picking up their books, with a phoenix rising and the words: &quot;I am back because education prevails&quot;.

&quot;Kabul has been surrounded with blast walls which infuriate people but this art has a message of hope,&quot; said student Faisal Imran, who took his turn with a brush.

The activists call themselves the ArtLords, as opposed to the warlords and druglords, and say their art is a tool for social change

Activists in Afghanistan are speaking out against corruption and spreading messages of peace and social justice with murals, many painted on concrete blast walls that have risen to ward off militant bombs. The activists call themselves the ArtLords, as opposed to the warlords and druglords who have brought so much strife and misery to Afghanistan, and say their art is a tool for social change. "We're painting against corruption, we're painting against the injustices that are happening in society, for women's rights," said the group's co-founder, Omaid Sharifi. "We're encouraging people to come and join us, let's raise our voices against all this nonsense." Blast walls have gone up along Kabul's streets over the years, against a tide of violence as Taliban and other militants battle the government and US-led forces, nearly 17 years after Afghanistan's latest phase of war began. Some city streets have been turned into concrete canyons, the walls shielding embassies, military camps, government offices and the homes of the rich. On many of these grey slabs, the ArtLords have their say. Watchful eyes peer from a wall protecting the headquarters of the main security agency. "I can't go to school because of your corruption. I can see you," is the message on a mural of a girl on blast walls near the interior ministry. Another mural, of a black SUV with its windows tinted, takes a dig at the powerful and privileged. "What are you carrying, that your windows are black?" reads the message. "You don't have a license plate and don't stop for searches." A painting of a shoeshine boy says: "Don't set off an explosion here, innocent people get killed." Other murals extol the city's street-sweeper "heroes", encourage anti-polio efforts, and call for women's rights. Sharifi says he always gets permission for his work, though it can be a struggle. The group gets commissions from Afghan and international groups for "awareness raising and advocacy" and sells smaller artworks. Recently, on a cold, grey morning, the ArtLords were at the American University of Afghanistan, working on a mural on the tightly guarded campus to highlight resilience against violence. A 2016 militant attack on the university killed 16 people and shattered its image as an island of liberalism and learning. Students came to help paint a picture of a young man and woman picking up their books, with a phoenix rising and the words: "I am back because education prevails". "Kabul has been surrounded with blast walls which infuriate people but this art has a message of hope," said student Faisal Imran, who took his turn with a brush.

Afghanistan's ArtLords daub walls with messages of defiance, hope

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