NEWS ROUND-UP: bringing you a digest of headlines you might have missed from the past week, covering animal agriculture, animal protection and environmental justice.

OPINION: Starbucks today made the staggering announcement to remove its plant-based milk surcharge and instead apply it to cows’ milk to combat what it called “dietary racism"…or did it? The news turned out to be fake, but did it highlight discrimination against those who cannot stomach dairy?

The Northern Ireland Assembly has voted against a bill that would have made hunting with dogs illegal in line with the rest of the UK, leaving animal protection campaigners “staggered”.

OPINION: The price of chickens in supermarkets has been steadily declining to the point where life is worth just a few pounds. But can there ever be an appropriate price, and is there a problem with our regard for life as reflected in recent media coverage? Claire Hamlett discusses.

GUEST ARTICLE: With millions of salmon and other marine species farmed and slaughtered every year in the UK and with relatively few protections as revealed by recent ground-breaking investigations, Abigail Penny, executive director of Animal Equality UK, talks us through their latest campaign to keep a closer eye on the industry.

Spain is the latest European country to pass new legislation recognising the sentience of ‘pets’ and wild animals, paving the way for welfare reforms, but with no mention of bullfighting or changes to its status as a protected cultural asset.

Luxury and high street fashion brands are at risk of funding Amazon deforestation because of their links to the leather industry, new research published this week has revealed.

A new report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics has warned that gene editing could exacerbate “some unethical breeding practices”.

Defra and Crufts organisers The Kennel Club have warned people to be on the lookout for unscrupulous cat and dog sellers this Christmas. So-called ‘petfishing’ might be on the rise, but why shop when you can adopt?

For many vegans, our love affair with the humble chickpea knows no bounds. Where would we be without our hummus, fresh falafel or chana masala? Chickpeas are an important and more sustainable source of protein for those who refuse to eat animals, but now a new study aims to show they could in fact feed the world and eliminate hunger completely.

ANALYSIS: According to researchers, attempting to convince people not to eat meat too judgmentally could be counterproductive because they actually ‘care too much’ about animals, forcing them to use various methods to escape the uncomfortable truth. Can knowing this make us better activists?

The UK government and authorities responsible for monitoring animal welfare are allowing fish slaughter cruelty to go unnoticed and “without proper oversight”, according to The Humane League UK.