what's right

Brazil has voted to give millions of workers more time away from the job, approving a constitutional amendment that ends the common six-day working week and guarantees two days of paid rest. The Senate approved the reform on October 14 by an overwhelming 75 votes to one. It reduces the maximum working week from 44 hours to 40, without cutting workers’ pay. The proposal had already passed the lower house of Congress in May. The change targets the “6×1” schedule, under which employees work six days and get just one day off. It is common in sectors such as retail

Ethiopia is attempting one of the world’s largest landscape restoration projects, with a goal of planting 50 billion tree seedlings by 2030. Since 2019, millions of people have taken part in the country’s Green Legacy Initiative, helping restore land damaged by decades of deforestation. The stakes are high. Forests that once covered much of Ethiopia have been cleared for farming, livestock and fuel. Without tree roots to hold the soil together, heavy rainfall washes away fertile topsoil, while droughts leave farmland increasingly vulnerable. The resulting land degradation costs the country an estimated $4.3 billion a year. The campaign is about

Norway wants to make it harder for people to record others without their knowledge, proposing a temporary ban on AI-powered smart glasses in a range of public spaces. The devices, including camera-equipped glasses sold by Meta with Ray-Ban and Oakley, can take photographs, record audio and stream video while looking much like ordinary eyewear. That raises concerns about people being filmed without consent, particularly in places where they expect a degree of privacy. The proposed restrictions could cover schools, playgrounds, healthcare facilities, gyms, parks, beaches, museums, shopping centres and public events. The government says it is not seeking a blanket

Germany is moving to strengthen protections against digital sexual abuse, with a new bill targeting AI-generated intimate images and other forms of online violence. Approved by the federal cabinet on October 7, the proposed legislation would make it a criminal offence to create or distribute sexualised deepfakes without consent. These manipulated images and videos can make it appear that a real person is naked or engaged in sexual activity, even when the material is entirely fabricated. The rules would apply whether the content is shared publicly or privately. The proposed measures go further. They would also strengthen protections against secretly

New York City has introduced a simple rule for subscriptions: if a company makes it easy to sign up, it must make it just as easy to cancel. The city’s new “Click-to-Cancel” regulation took effect on October 1 and applies to services including streaming platforms, gyms, subscription boxes and free trials that automatically become paid plans. Businesses must clearly explain prices, renewal terms and cancellation options. They must also provide a straightforward way to cancel using the same method customers used to sign up. So if you joined online, a company cannot force you to spend 45 minutes on the

Scientists at Stanford have found a promising way to make damaged knee cartilage regenerate — potentially opening the door to treatments that could reduce the need for joint-replacement surgery. The researchers focused on a protein called 15-PGDH, which becomes more abundant as we age and appears to contribute to the deterioration of cartilage. Blocking it with a small-molecule drug caused old mice to regrow significant amounts of healthy articular cartilage. The treatment also protected mice from developing osteoarthritis after knee injuries similar to ACL tears. The really interesting part is that the researchers also tested human cartilage taken from patients

Switzerland is moving toward a major crackdown on the fur trade, with parliament backing a ban on the import and sale of fur produced using methods considered cruel to animals. The measure has been approved by both chambers of parliament, although a few technical differences still need to be settled before it becomes final. Switzerland had already introduced an import ban at regulatory level in 2025, but the new legislation would put the restriction directly into the country’s Animal Welfare Act and extend it to commercial sales. Under the new rules, retailers and online sellers would have to prove that

Norway has protected a further 1,850 square kilometres of ocean, bringing around 6% of its mainland territorial waters under marine protection.

The EU is releasing additional funding for migration and humanitarian crises, with support focused on Africa, the Middle East and Ukraine.

The government has dropped plans to charge overseas visitors for entry to England’s national museums.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is expanding across London, giving thousands more young children access to free books.

Hungary plans to tax large fortunes from next year, marking a significant shift from the tax policies of the Orbán era.

After nearly three decades of clearance work, all known and suspected minefields in Kosovo have been cleared.

Hungary’s new government is beginning to reverse several restrictions on LGBTQ rights introduced under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Prime Minister Péter Magyar has announced plans to change rules that have effectively prevented same-sex couples from adopting children since 2020. Under the previous system, single applicants needed approval from the family affairs minister, making adoption by gay and lesbian couples extremely difficult in practice. Magyar says adoption decisions should instead be made by qualified professionals based on the needs of the child. The government has also submitted legislation to parliament that would remove several provisions of Hungary’s 2021 child-protection law

California has introduced tougher enforcement rules for influencers who are paid to post political content without telling their audiences. Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1130, which strengthens existing disclosure requirements for paid political posts. California already required influencers to disclose when a political committee paid them to publish content, but the previous rules did not allow regulators to impose administrative, civil or criminal penalties directly on the person who failed to disclose it. Under the new law, influencers can face fines of up to $5,000 for each violation, and cases can also be referred for possible misdemeanor enforcement.

For decades, an Alzheimer’s diagnosis was largely seen as a one-way process: doctors could manage symptoms, but there was little they could do to alter the underlying disease. That picture is beginning to change. Researchers and clinicians are increasingly treating Alzheimer’s as a condition that can be targeted biologically, rather than simply managed once symptoms appear. Two antibody treatments, lecanemab and donanemab, can now slow cognitive decline in some people with early Alzheimer’s by targeting amyloid proteins associated with the disease. And the research is moving even earlier. An international trial now aims to test whether an Alzheimer’s drug can

Community clinics continue providing essential care to women despite growing restrictions under Taliban rule.

France has become the first country to introduce a specific law targeting ultra-fast fashion, with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of a business model built around producing huge numbers of cheap clothes at extraordinary speed.   The law was officially published in July, and its first major measure came into force on September 1: an environmental malus on products from ultra-fast-fashion brands. In 2026, the charge can reach €12 per item, capped at 50% of its pre-tax price. By 2030, it can rise to €20.   The system is designed to target products from companies that put enormous

Around the year 2000, solar panels cost roughly five to six dollars per watt of generating capacity. Today, the price is around 12 cents per watt — a drop of roughly 98 percent. The biggest driver has been the enormous expansion of manufacturing, particularly in China, where large-scale production and intense competition have pushed prices down. The International Energy Agency says solar-module prices fell by more than 60 percent between 2019 and 2024 alone. Those falling prices are helping solar spread far beyond wealthy countries. Businesses and households in countries including Pakistan, India, the Philippines and across Africa are increasingly

An ancient woodland in Sheffield has been left largely untouched for the past 100 years, allowing nature to flourish on its own. Home to diverse wildlife and centuries-old ecosystems, the woodland demonstrates the value of long-term conservation and patience. At a time when many natural habitats around the world face growing pressures, its success offers a hopeful example of how protecting existing landscapes can help preserve biodiversity, strengthen communities’ connections with nature, and create a healthier future for generations to come.

The energy transition is not only beneficial for the environment; it can also help countries save money and improve energy security. Over the past five years, oil and gas prices have been highly unpredictable due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and more recent geopolitical tensions. This volatility has highlighted the risks of depending heavily on imported fossil fuels. A new report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examined Germany, Türkiye, China, and India, which together account for a large share of global oil and gas imports. The analysis found that public investment in renewable energy

A new international fund aims to strengthen local efforts to end female genital mutilation as global funding for anti-FGM programmes declines.

Iceland is preparing to permanently ban commercial whaling, potentially leaving Norway and Japan as the only countries in the world still allowing the practice. The Icelandic government says it will submit a bill to parliament in February 2027. The proposal comes after years of controversy over the country’s whaling industry and growing public and political opposition to the hunts. Iceland is currently the only remaining commercial whaling country in Europe. Its last active whaling company was given a five-year licence in 2024, but the government now says the existing legislation is outdated. The change could come at an important moment

In Ukraine’s Donetsk region, volunteers are continuing to rescue animals from communities under Russian attack, even as the work becomes increasingly dangerous. Teams from the Ukrainian animal-rights organisation UAnimals travel into cities and villages close to the front line to find pets whose owners have been forced to flee or animals that have simply been left behind. Volunteers have rescued hundreds of animals, including dogs, cats, goats and even raccoons, and transported them to safer parts of Ukraine where they can find new homes. The missions are carried out under the threat of Russian drones and shelling. Volunteers often have

Bhutan becomes the first country in WHO’s South-East Asia Region to eliminate dog-transmitted human rabies as a public-health problem.

Nigerian engineer and entrepreneur Derick Nwasor has developed a technology designed to tackle two major problems facing hospitals: unreliable electricity and inconsistent supplies of medical oxygen. His invention, called Just Add Water, uses solar energy and a regenerative hydrogen fuel-cell system. Electricity is used to split ordinary water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be used to generate electricity, while the oxygen is captured as medical-grade oxygen for patients. The idea was born from Nwasor’s own experience. When he was admitted to hospital, he nearly lost his life because power and oxygen supplies failed. That experience convinced him

France introduces a new levy on ultra-fast fashion platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress to reduce the environmental and economic harm linked to cheap, high-volume clothing.

Offshore wind farms are changing more than just the way we produce electricity. Researchers are finding that the enormous steel foundations installed on the seabed can also create new habitats for marine life. The effect comes from a simple transformation: a flat, sandy seabed suddenly gets a large, permanent hard surface. Mussels, barnacles, sponges and anemones can attach themselves to the foundations and the rocks placed around them. Those organisms then provide food and shelter for crabs, smaller fish and eventually larger predators. A new study from Taiwan provides striking evidence of this “artificial reef” effect. Researchers studying the Formosa

A teacher in Nepal is being hailed as a hero after leading more than 1,600 children to safety before flash floods reached their school.

Forty years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, one of the world’s most contaminated areas has become an unlikely refuge for wildlife. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, covering roughly 2,600 square kilometres across Ukraine and Belarus, has been largely free of permanent human settlement since the 1986 disaster. With farming, logging, hunting and other human pressures dramatically reduced, nature has been reclaiming the landscape. Today, the zone is home to wolves, lynx, wild boar, deer, elk and Przewalski’s horses, among many other species. Camera-trap studies have found that some large mammals can reach densities several times higher than in surrounding areas where

Florida has ordered the removal of automated license-plate reader cameras from state highways, giving local law-enforcement agencies 30 days to take them down. The Florida Department of Transportation also says it will stop issuing new permits for the systems. The cameras, including those made by Flock Safety, photograph passing vehicles and record licence plates, vehicle details and timestamps. Police argue that the technology can be extremely useful for finding stolen cars, locating missing people and solving crimes. But critics have increasingly raised concerns about privacy, data sharing and the possibility of the technology becoming a tool for mass surveillance. Florida

NASA’s new Roman Space Telescope honours a pioneering woman in astronomy while opening a new window on billions of galaxies, planets and some of the universe’s biggest mysteries.

There is some genuinely encouraging news in the fight against one of the world’s most devastating diseases. Five African countries — Burundi, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Congo and Uganda — have officially stopped outbreaks of poliovirus type 2. Following technical assessments carried out between January and June 2026, the WHO confirmed that transmission had been interrupted in all five countries. It’s an important achievement because polio can cause lifelong paralysis, and stopping an outbreak requires much more than simply vaccinating people once. The five countries strengthened vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance, laboratory capacity and cooperation with local communities. In Guinea-Bissau,

For years, poaching pushed Rwanda’s Akagera National Park towards a dangerous tipping point. But after 15 years of sustained conservation work, the park has achieved something remarkable: not a single elephant, lion or rhino has been poached there for more than a decade. The results go far beyond stopping poaching. Between 2010 and 2023, Akagera’s large-mammal population more than doubled, from 4,476 to 11,338 animals. Species that had disappeared from the park have also returned: lions were reintroduced in 2015 and 2017, black rhinos in 2017 and 2019, and white rhinos in 2021 and 2025. With those animals back, Akagera

Artificial intelligence can now write songs, generate vocals and produce entire tracks in seconds. But Australia’s music industry has decided that there should still be a place where human creativity matters most: the official charts. From next week, songs that are entirely generated by AI will be excluded from Australia’s official ARIA charts, following a decision by the Australian Recording Industry Association. AI-assisted music will still be allowed, but only when humans have played a substantial creative role. To qualify, artists must have written the song and performed the lead vocal and primary instruments, among other requirements. Fully AI-generated music

Sometimes a technological breakthrough isn’t about robots, space travel or artificial intelligence. Sometimes it’s about helping someone look in the mirror and smile again. That’s what Connor Gibson, a 22-year-old engineering student from Tennessee, is doing. While volunteering with Remote Area Medical, a nonprofit providing free healthcare to underserved Americans, Gibson noticed how many patients needed dentures but couldn’t afford them. Traditional dentures can take weeks or even months to produce. So he wondered whether his engineering skills could provide a faster solution. Despite having no background in dentistry or 3D printing, Gibson taught himself how to use digital design

For centuries, the wildlife of the eastern United States was pushed into decline by hunting, deforestation, wetland destruction and the conversion of natural habitats into farmland and cities. But today, some of those animals are returning—and conservationists are showing that wildlife can recover even in heavily populated regions. A new overview from Mongabay highlights a series of remarkable recoveries across the eastern U.S. In Kentucky, for example, around 10,000 elk now live across a 16-county restoration zone—the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi River. In Illinois, conservationists have restored tallgrass prairie on former farmland and reintroduced bison. And as

Sometimes science funding comes from universities and governments. And sometimes, apparently, it comes from OnlyFans and cryptocurrency. A 60-year-old scientific project studying yellow-bellied marmots in Colorado was facing closure after major cuts to research funding. The project is one of the world’s longest-running wildlife studies, having followed generations of marmots since 1962. Its research has become increasingly important for understanding how climate change is affecting wildlife and ecosystems. So the scientists got creative. In June, they launched an OnlyFans account called OnlyMarms, posting completely non-sexual photographs and videos of marmots running around the Rocky Mountains and disappearing into their burrows.

Artificial intelligence is often presented as an unstoppable technological revolution. But across the United States, communities are showing that technological progress doesn’t have to mean accepting everything that comes with it. On 18 July, opponents of the rapid expansion of AI data centres organised 142 protests across 42 states in what organisers described as the first nationwide mobilisation against the build-out of AI infrastructure. Their concerns are very concrete. AI data centres can consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, generate noise and pollution, and potentially push up energy costs for local residents. Communities are increasingly asking who pays for

Florence is extending restrictions on short-term tourist rentals to more neighbourhoods in an effort to protect housing and improve residents’ quality of life.

For millions of Americans, student loans can follow them for decades, delaying home ownership, family plans and financial security. So when a large group of borrowers finally sees that debt disappear, it can make a very real difference. According to the USA Today report, the U.S. government is providing student-loan forgiveness to around 170,000 borrowers, wiping out billions of dollars in outstanding debt. The relief comes through existing federal forgiveness programmes rather than a single new cancellation scheme. One important route is Income-Driven Repayment forgiveness, which allows remaining balances to be cancelled after borrowers make the required payments over 20

The world still loses far too many children to preventable causes—but the long-term trend is one of the clearest pieces of good news in global health. According to the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, 4.9 million children under the age of five died in 2022. That number is devastating, but it represents extraordinary progress: in 2000, almost 9.9 million children under five died. Since 1990, the annual number of deaths has fallen by 62%. This progress has been driven by interventions that already exist: vaccines, better maternal and newborn care, access to antibiotics and other medicines, improved nutrition,

Italian authorities are reclaiming parts of the coastline for public use as decades-old private beach concessions face reform.

A Swedish programme offers young people free, supervised football on weekend nights, helping reduce crime and gang recruitment in vulnerable neighbourhoods.

England is introducing new school food standards from September 2027, with less fried and sugary food and more vegetables, grains and pulses.

Global hunger declined again in 2025, but around 645 million people still lack enough food and Africa remains the worst-affected region.

Great Britain generated a record 14.4% of its electricity from solar power, while several countries achieved even higher shares.

Uganda has ended its latest Ebola outbreak after the final patient left hospital and all identified contacts completed monitoring without further infections.

More than 80 percent of India’s rural households now have tap water connections, up from less than 17 percent when the Jal Jeevan Mission began in 2019.

Sweden plans wide restrictions on PFAS chemicals in consumer products from January 2028, going beyond current European Union rules.

For decades, the African Sahel was synonymous with drought, famine and desertification. But today, one of the world’s driest regions is experiencing a remarkable turnaround that is bringing new hope to millions of people. Scientists have found that groundwater levels are rising across large parts of the Sahel, the vast semi-arid region stretching from Senegal to Ethiopia. Wells that had run dry are filling again, rivers are flowing more regularly, and even Lake Chad, which famously shrank during the devastating droughts of the 1970s and 1980s, is recovering. In some areas, groundwater levels have risen by more than four metres,

Czech researchers are testing custom 3D-printed titanium implants that encourage bone growth and release medication directly around a recovering joint.

Rome is opening 11 air-conditioned cinemas for free afternoon screenings, giving residents a cool and welcoming place to escape the summer heat.

Most bus fares in England will be capped at £2 from January 2027, restoring an earlier policy to help passengers with living costs and encourage public transport use.

Every year, millions of brand-new clothes and shoes are never worn. Instead, many are burned, shredded or sent to landfill simply because they couldn’t be sold. That practice has now come to an end for many of Europe’s largest retailers. From 19 July, the European Union has officially banned large companies from destroying unsold clothing, clothing accessories and footwear. Instead of treating perfectly usable products as waste, businesses are now expected to keep them in circulation through resale, donation, repair, remanufacturing or recycling. The measure is one of the first major actions under the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation,

Major music organisations want streaming platforms to identify whether songs were generated by artificial intelligence or created with AI assistance.

For millions of people around the world, the end of a war doesn’t mean the end of danger. Long after conflicts are over, landmines continue to threaten farmers, children and entire communities. But one remarkable organisation is proving that an unlikely hero can help change that—a rat. The humanitarian organisation APOPO has reached an extraordinary milestone: its teams have helped clear and release 100 million square metres of land contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance. That’s an area roughly the size of the city of Paris, transformed from dangerous ground into land that families can safely farm, build on and

Italy has approved a law offering children and relatives of mafia bosses relocation, education, psychological support and, when necessary, a new identity.

Air pollution has long been one of Europe’s biggest environmental and public health challenges. But after decades of stricter regulations, cleaner technologies and coordinated action, the continent is seeing measurable progress. A new report from the European Environment Agency shows that emissions of major air pollutants continue to decline across Europe. Since 2015, emissions of harmful pollutants such as sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides have fallen by around 3% to 5% each year, thanks largely to cleaner vehicles, tighter industrial standards and a gradual transition towards cleaner energy. The improvements are having real benefits. Cleaner air means fewer cases of asthma

Great schools don’t always have the biggest budgets or the newest buildings. Sometimes, they simply have the biggest impact on their communities. That’s why the Institución Educativa Distrital Gerardo Paredes, a public school in Bogotá, has been named one of the Top 10 finalists in the World’s Best School Prizes 2026, in the category of Supporting Healthy Lives. Chosen from thousands of applications around the globe, the school is now competing alongside institutions from countries including India, Brazil, Australia and the United Kingdom. The recognition reflects an educational model that goes far beyond academic results. Located in a community facing

For much of the 20th century, humpback whales were hunted to the brink of extinction. Today, thanks to decades of conservation, one of nature’s most spectacular recovery stories is unfolding just off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Sightings of humpback whales in Rio have surged in recent years as the South Atlantic population continues its remarkable recovery. Scientists estimate that the population has grown from around 2,000 whales in the early 1980s to approximately 35,000 today—bringing it close to its pre-whaling numbers. It’s a dramatic turnaround made possible by international protections introduced after commercial whaling was halted in the

Sometimes, progress is measured not by grand technological breakthroughs, but by how we choose to treat the most vulnerable living creatures. Scotland has become the first nation in the United Kingdom to bring into force a near-total ban on glue traps, one of the most controversial methods of rodent control. The new law makes it illegal for members of the public, businesses and pest controllers to use glue traps except under very limited licence exemptions, reserved for situations where there is a serious threat to public health or safety and no humane alternative is available. Glue traps work by immobilising

Sometimes, protecting the future begins by restoring the past. California has approved the return of 136 acres of rugged coastline in Mendocino County to the Indigenous nations whose ancestors cared for the land for thousands of years. The transfer of Blues Beach and the surrounding coastal bluffs marks the first time land managed by the California Department of Transportation has been returned to Indigenous tribes, representing a historic milestone in the state’s growing “Land Back” movement. The land will be transferred to Kai Poma, a nonprofit created by representatives of the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Round Valley

Some of the best ideas don’t come from governments or global organisations. Sometimes, they begin as a university assignment. That’s exactly what happened in Nevada, where occupational therapy student Sara Gudiel created a six-week life skills programme to help teenagers and adults with Down syndrome navigate the transition to independent adult life. What started as a class project has now become a national programme that will be rolled out at all 62 Gigi’s Playhouse centres across the United States and Mexico. The programme focuses on practical everyday skills that many people take for granted: preparing healthy meals, personal care, communication,

Some acts of kindness last for a day. Others last for decades. For the past 30 years, teams of Japanese volunteer doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists have travelled regularly to rural communities in Vietnam, providing free medical care to people who would otherwise struggle to access it. What began as a small humanitarian initiative has grown into one of the longest-running international volunteer medical missions in the region. Since the programme began in 1995, more than 17,000 Japanese medical professionals and volunteers have participated in the missions. Together, they have provided free consultations, surgeries, dental care, medication and health education

For billions of people around the world, access to clean drinking water is becoming one of the defining challenges of our time. Climate change, population growth, and prolonged droughts are placing enormous pressure on freshwater supplies. But a new breakthrough from China offers hope that one of the world’s most abundant resources—seawater—could become far more accessible. Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shenzhen University have developed a new solar-powered desalination technology that converts seawater into safe drinking water using only sunlight. The system requires no electricity from the grid and successfully operated outdoors for an entire year, demonstrating

When we think of the shift to renewable energy, we often picture governments launching billion-dollar programmes or introducing generous subsidies. But one of the world’s fastest solar revolutions happened in a completely different way. Over the past three years, Pakistan has quietly become one of the world’s biggest importers of solar panels. In 2025 alone, it imported more Chinese solar panels than almost any other country, despite having no major national subsidy programme, no nationwide rooftop initiative, and no generous feed-in tariffs. Millions of households, farmers and businesses simply decided that installing solar panels made economic sense. The numbers are

As countries search for smarter ways to accelerate the clean energy transition, Australia has come up with an idea that’s both simple and practical: give people free electricity when there’s an abundance of solar power. EnergyAustralia has launched a new initiative called Solar Sharer, offering eligible households three hours of free electricity every day between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. That’s the time when rooftop solar panels and large solar farms are producing more electricity than the grid often needs. Rather than letting that surplus go to waste, the programme encourages people to shift energy-intensive activities to the middle of

When people think about environmental news, it’s often stories of deforestation and habitat loss. But in Italy, the trend is moving in the opposite direction. For the first time since the Middle Ages, forests now cover more than one-third of Italy’s land, surpassing 100,000 square kilometres. Even more remarkably, since 2020, forests have overtaken agricultural land in total area, making Italy more forested than it has been in centuries. The expansion brings important environmental benefits. Forests absorb carbon dioxide, help regulate water supplies, protect soils from erosion, reduce the risk of landslides, and provide habitat for countless species of plants

At a time when schools around the world are racing to integrate artificial intelligence into classrooms, Norway is taking a different approach. The country has announced a near-total ban on the use of generative AI tools in elementary schools, arguing that young children need to master the basics before relying on powerful digital assistants. Under the new rules, children aged six to thirteen will generally not be allowed to use AI tools in school. Students aged fourteen to sixteen may use them only under teacher supervision, while older teenagers will be taught how to use AI responsibly as preparation for

Colombia is on the verge of making history. The country’s Congress has unanimously approved Latin America’s first nationwide law banning female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice recognized internationally as a violation of human rights. The bill now awaits the signature of President Gustavo Petro. The significance of this moment extends far beyond Colombia’s borders. For many people, FGM is often associated with parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. But the new legislation formally acknowledges that the practice also exists in Latin America, particularly within some remote Indigenous Embera communities in western Colombia. By addressing the issue openly, Colombia

Progress doesn’t always happen overnight. Sometimes it arrives through years of advocacy, court cases, and citizens refusing to give up on equal treatment under the law. That’s why a recent decision by Nepal’s Supreme Court is being celebrated by LGBTQ+ advocates across Asia and beyond. The court has ruled in favour of marriage equality, strengthening legal recognition for same-sex couples and reinforcing the principle that all citizens deserve equal protection and dignity. The ruling builds on nearly two decades of progress in Nepal. In 2007, the country’s Supreme Court became one of the first in South Asia to recognize the

Some of the most powerful good news stories don’t involve a new breakthrough — they show a breakthrough delivering real-world results. This week, researchers reported that young women in England who received the HPV vaccine now have a risk of dying from cervical cancer that is described as “close to zero.” In fact, among women who were offered the vaccine at ages 12 to 13, researchers found no recorded deaths from cervical cancer during the study period. The HPV vaccine was introduced to protect against the human papillomavirus, a common infection that causes the vast majority of cervical cancer cases.

In an age of smartphones, streaming platforms, and endless digital distractions, there is some encouraging news from the world of education: more children and teenagers are enjoying reading again. New research in the United Kingdom has found the first significant increase in reading enjoyment among young people in five years. After a prolonged decline, the number of children who say they enjoy reading in their free time has started to rise, offering a hopeful sign for educators, parents, and literacy advocates. Why does this matter? Because reading for pleasure is one of the strongest predictors of educational success, vocabulary development,

For decades, Mexican workers have put in some of the longest working hours in the developed world. Now, the country is undertaking one of the most ambitious labor reforms in its modern history — a change that aims to improve quality of life for millions of people without reducing their pay. The reform gradually reduces the standard workweek from 48 hours to 40 hours between 2027 and 2030. Importantly, the new constitutional and labor law changes explicitly prohibit employers from reducing wages or benefits as working hours decrease. In other words, workers will gain more free time while keeping the

One of the most encouraging stories from Europe this month isn’t about a new law or a scientific breakthrough. It’s about something equally important: institutions responding when citizens raise concerns about transparency, environmental protection, and the public interest. In Albania, anti-corruption prosecutors have frozen assets linked to a company involved in a controversial luxury resort project on a protected stretch of coastline. The action comes as authorities investigate allegations related to property titles connected to the development and follows weeks of growing public scrutiny. What makes this story noteworthy is not the controversy itself, but the way democratic checks and

One of the biggest public health success stories of the past half-century just reached a remarkable milestone. According to new survey data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 9% of American adults now smoke cigarettes. That’s roughly one in eleven adults and marks the lowest smoking rate ever recorded in the country. It’s also the first time the adult smoking rate has fallen so far into the single digits. To understand how dramatic that change is, consider this: in the mid-1960s, around 42% of American adults smoked. Nearly half the population regularly used cigarettes. Today, that

As artificial intelligence and cloud computing continue to expand, communities across the world are facing a growing question: who should pay for the massive infrastructure needed to power huge data centers? This week, Tennessee offered a clear answer. A newly enacted law requires data center owners to cover the full cost of the electrical infrastructure and grid upgrades needed to support their facilities, rather than passing those expenses on to ordinary households and businesses. The legislation also prevents utilities and local governments from absorbing those costs on behalf of data center operators. The issue has become increasingly important as modern

One of the most encouraging medical stories of the year comes from an international cancer trial that is giving new hope to patients who had run out of treatment options. Researchers have been testing a cancer injection called amivantamab on patients with advanced head and neck cancers that had either returned or stopped responding to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. These are among the most difficult cases doctors face, where treatment options are often extremely limited. Yet the results have exceeded expectations. In a trial involving 102 patients across 11 countries, tumours shrank or disappeared completely in 43 patients. Most remarkably,

Thousands of people in Hungary are preparing to celebrate a moment that many thought would take years to achieve. Hungarian police have officially approved the 2026 Budapest Pride parade, allowing the event to proceed legally after a period of intense political and legal battles over freedom of assembly and LGBTQ+ rights. The decision marks a significant shift from the previous year, when authorities attempted to prevent the event from taking place. Rather than disappearing, however, the movement grew stronger. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Budapest in a remarkable display of solidarity, attracting support from civil

Australia has established a major national park to protect endangered koalas, linking forest habitats and supporting wildlife conservation efforts along the New South Wales coast.

A local tax on large corporations has generated nearly €880 million for climate projects in Portland.

A new Australian study is adding serious weight to the growing global movement for the four-day work week. Researchers followed dozens of companies that reduced working hours without cutting salaries, and the results were striking: employees reported lower stress levels, better sleep, improved mental health, and a stronger sense of balance between work and personal life. But the benefits did not stop there. Businesses also saw positive outcomes, including improved productivity, higher employee engagement, and reduced burnout. Rather than harming performance, shorter work weeks appeared to help workers stay more focused and motivated during their time on the job. The

In a significant pushback against the expansion of surveillance technology, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has intervened to stop the city’s police force from moving forward with a controversial data deal involving Palantir Technologies. The proposed agreement would have allowed the Metropolitan Police to expand its use of Palantir’s powerful data-analysis systems — technology often associated with predictive policing, mass data integration, and large-scale surveillance operations. Critics, including civil liberties groups and privacy advocates, warned that the deal raised major concerns about transparency, accountability, and the growing role of private tech companies in policing. Why is Palantir controversial? The company has

For years, PFAS chemicals — often called “forever chemicals” — have been one of the most worrying forms of pollution on Earth. They’re used in everything from non-stick cookware to waterproof clothing and industrial products, and they’re notorious because they don’t naturally break down in the environment. These chemicals have now been detected in rivers, drinking water, wildlife, and even human blood across the planet. Researchers have linked some PFAS compounds to cancers, immune system problems, fertility issues, and developmental disorders. But now scientists are making real progress toward solving the problem rather than simply monitoring it. Researchers studying contamination

In a first-of-its-kind move, the state of Minnesota has passed a law banning online prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket — platforms where people can wager money on everything from elections to sports and political events. Supporters of the ban argue that these platforms are essentially gambling disguised as financial markets, and that they create serious ethical and social risks. Critics have warned that allowing people to profit from wars, elections, disasters, or political instability can incentivize manipulation and normalize speculative betting on public life. The law, signed by Governor Tim Walz, would make operating or promoting prediction markets

Research suggests singing, painting, and museum visits may help slow biological ageing.

A study finds Chile’s extended maternity leave helped mothers remain in formal employment after childbirth.

The European Union is preparing a major new policy initiative that could significantly reduce the role of American tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google in handling sensitive government data across Europe. The proposed plan — known as the “Tech Sovereignty Package” — would limit foreign cloud providers from processing highly sensitive public-sector information such as health records, legal documents, and financial data. At the heart of the debate is a growing concern about digital sovereignty: the idea that countries should maintain control over critical infrastructure and sensitive information rather than depending heavily on a handful of foreign corporations. European

A new artificial placenta may help scientists test medication safety during pregnancy more accurately.

Scientists used AI to uncover Parkinson’s subtypes, paving the way for more personalised treatments.

Afghan women footballers regain the right to compete internationally, becoming a symbol of resilience and hope.

Etsy bans real animal fur, signaling a major shift toward more ethical fashion practices.

A 24-minute music session could help reduce anxiety, offering a simple and accessible mental health boost.

New EU rules force companies to prove eco claims, making sustainability labels more honest and trustworthy.