In today’s edition: Mexico begins the gradual introduction of universal healthcare, Thailand announces a new law criminalising sexual harassment, and a nonprofit organisation creates modular playgrounds for children in war zones.
Elizabeth Jacyshyn-Owen
Africa’s roads become safer, Ecuador’s solar boats, Brazilian inmates reduce sentences through reading
In today’s edition: the first-ever legally binding road safety charter in Africa aims to halve the number of deaths on roads across the continent, the solar-powered boats in Ecuador making rivers quieter, and a Brazilian prison scheme letting inmates shorten their sentences through reading.
Philippines cuts child labour by 40%, Isle of Man rainforest expands, the green spaces reducing crime
In today’s edition: the Philippines reports a nearly 40% drop in child labour over two years, an Isle of Man rainforest project sees 30,000 trees planted, and how Philadelphia’s approach to re-greening neglected lots led to a dramatic reduction in crime rates.
UN expands species conservation treaty, more women in African parliaments, how art makes us healthier
In today’s edition: the United Nations adds 40 migratory species to a list ensuring greater protections, a growing number of women are holding political office across Africa, and new data suggests that artistic expression might have physical as well as psychological benefits.
US adult smoking rate hits record low, British Parliament ends hereditary peerage, robots take on ocean pollution
In today’s edition: the adult smoking rate in the United States reaches a historic low, Britain’s Parliament moves to abolish hereditary nobles, and new robots are being deployed to help clean pollution from the world’s oceans.
19 cities cut air pollution, Oman halves maternal mortality rate, Indian state sees 84% drop in child marriages
In today’s edition: a growing number of major cities are seeing drops in air pollution across the globe, Oman halves its maternal mortality rate, and child marriages plummet in both India and Nigeria.
Paying villagers to protect the wild, Indigenous activists win fight against capitalism, Indiana’s microschools
In today’s edition: an unusual experiment sees residents of a west African island become stewards of its ecosystem, Indigenous campaigners put a stop to the privatisation of Amazonian waterways, and microschools emerge as a blueprint for accessible education in the US.
Chile is the second country globally to end leprosy, shootings in Sweden drop by 63%, voluntary wildlife corridors
In today’s edition: Chile becomes the first country in the Americas and only the second in the world to officially eliminate leprosy, Sweden sees its number of shooting incidents more than halve, and landowners in Costa Rica are creating the country’s first-ever voluntary biological corridor.
Croatia declared free of landmines, Denmark eliminates mother-to-child HIV transmission, former inmate buys prison
In today’s edition: Croatia is free of landmines after 31 years of demining efforts, Denmark becomes the first EU country to end mother-to-child HIV transmission, and a former inmate purchases an old jail with the intention of redeveloping it into housing and a job training centre for fellow ex-prisoners.
Greened desert becomes carbon sink, free HIV prevention shots in Kenya, pairing digital natives with seniors
In today’s edition: mammoth tree-planting projects are turning parts of the Taklamakan Desert into thriving carbon-absorbing landscapes, Kenya is offering eligible patients a free six-month HIV prevention injection, and Hungary is pairing high school volunteers with senior citizens to help them stay connected and navigate the online world.
Bolivia expands Andean protection, free moving for domestic violence survivors, Mexico approves 40-hour workweek
In today’s edition: Bolivia’s Amazon lowland protections grow to cover over 2.2 million acres of land, a coalition of companies are helping domestic abuse survivors relocate safely without the financial burden, and Mexico’s Senate has officially approved a bill implementing a 40-hour workweek by 2030.
Beijing cuts air pollution by 69%, theft in England and Wales drops by 80%, the secret Afghan women’s book club
We’re closing out the week at Squirrel News talking about how Beijing dramatically lowered air pollution, how England and Wales cut theft rates by over 80% since 1995, and the clandestine book club in Afghanistan giving women access to revolutionary texts.
