Photo: Dmitry P via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
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.
Massive tree-planting projects along the edges of China’s Taklamakan Desert have turned parts of the once-barren landscape into thriving green belts. Researchers say these engineered forests now absorb more carbon dioxide than they release, effectively turning sections of one of the world’s largest deserts into a net carbon sink while also helping to curb sandstorms and stabilise the soil.
Source: Live Science
Health authorities in Kenya have begun offering lenacapavir, a breakthrough long-acting HIV prevention drug delivered by injection and designed to provide protection for up to six months. The jab will be available free to eligible patients, putting Kenya among the first countries in the world to introduce the new prevention therapy as part of its national HIV response.
Source: Radio France International
Grace Bell is the second woman in the UK to give birth after receiving a womb transplant, but the first to do so with a uterus donated after death. The medical team say Hugo is also believed to be only the third baby born in Europe following a deceased-donor womb transplant.
Source: Euronews
The Commission confirmed that governments can draw on the European Social Fund Plus to help women who are unable to obtain abortion services in their home country. The funding can be used to cover practical barriers such as travel, accommodation and medical costs, effectively enabling cross-border access within the bloc.
Source: Euronews
Jersey’s parliament has given final approval to a bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults who live on the island. The bill, introduced by the Labour MP Kim Leadbeater in October 2024, would allow adults with a prognosis of six months or fewer to live to have the option of an assisted death.
Source: The Guardian
Falling volcanic ash has for years been viewed as a nuisance, but a Sicilian project has discovered its agricultural potential and wants to spread the word. The study by the University of Catania is raising awareness of the potential for ash to become a resource in the production cycle of many different sectors, including agriculture.
Source: The Guardian
A grassroots regenerative agriculture scheme is improving farming for smallholders in Kenya, helping reduce crop failures and simultaneously cut dependence on chemical inputs. Adopting practices such as cover cropping, composting and soil restoration means that farmers are increasing overall soil health while protecting their farms against droughts and other climate challenges.
Source: Positive News
When municipal garbage collection collapsed in South Sudan’s capital in March 2023, the city’s streets quickly became clogged with waste, much of it spilling into the White Nile. Using social media to coordinate efforts, training students in environmental policy and pressuring local officials, volunteers are slowly building the foundations of a informal waste management system.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
Across Hungary, a volunteer programme is connecting high schoolers with older adults to help close the digital gap and address the issue of elder loneliness. At the Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library, seniors meet with students for two-hour sessions once a month, receiving guidance on everything from social media and internet safety to e-book downloads, online ticketing, and even AI tools.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
Once on the brink of extinction, Sardinia’s Eurasian griffon vulture population has jumped from around 60 in 2014 to more than 500 today. The birds’ numbers had been devastated by indirect poisoning, including pesticides and chemicals absorbed from the carcasses they fed on. Thanks to targeted conservation efforts, including habitat protection and careful monitoring, Sardinia now plays host to a growing population.
Source: Euronews
