In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we’re talking about rhino conservation success in Kenya, the Cuban government’s decision to relax laws surrounding private business ownership, and the World Trade Organization’s first African and first female leader.
Kenya has recorded zero rhino deaths from poaching in 2020
The milestone had not been reached in over 20 years, and comes as a result of improved conservation strategies in the region.
Source: Tuko
Cuba will allow small private businesses to operate in most fields
The measure will expand to include over 2,000 new activities, signalling economic reform on the Caribbean island.
Source: Thomson Reuters News Foundation
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will be the first African and first woman to lead the WTO
The move means a Black woman will be one of the most powerful figures in the post-pandemic global economic recovery.
Source: CNN
Pope Francis appoints first woman to senior synod post
France’s Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of synod of bishops, is the first woman to hold the rank which gives voting rights.
Source: The Guardian
Virginia all but certain to become first southern state to abolish death penalty
State house’s vote makes abolition assured, a historically important step since capital punishment emerged from the south as a legal alternative to lynching.
Source: The Guardian
A Delhi-based artist-led newspaper is helping to organise the world’s biggest protest
The Trolley Times is fighting government censorship by spreading crucial information surrounding the Indian farmers’ protests.
Source: The Art Newspaper
Swede dreams: can Malmö’s green points system help rewild London?
The transformation of a Swedish shipyard into a leafy haven inspired the UK capital’s “urban greening factor” plan.
Source: The Guardian
Minneapolis is redirecting police dollars to fund community healing projects
Last year, the Minneapolis City Council voted to repurpose over $8 million of police funding in George Floyd’s hometown, with a large amount specifically intended for artist-led initiatives.
Source: Next City
The USA’s first human-composting funeral home has opened in Seattle
Recompose converts the bodies of loved ones into soil, offering a green solution to traditional burial and cremation methods.
Source: Seattle Times
A sustainable alternative to cemeteries is gaining momentum in California
Better Places Forest mixed the ashes of the deceased with soil before using this material as a base in which to plant trees, creating a leafy memorial forest instead of a traditional graveyard.