Photo: Believer's Church/flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)
In today’s edition: over 81% of India’s rural households now have a steady supply of tap water, US life expectancy reaches its highest level on record amid falling death rates, and new research shows pancreatic tumours shrinking in mice with a breakthrough combination therapy.
More than 158 million of India’s 193.6 million rural households – roughly 81.56% – had access to tap water as of 26th January. Rural tap water coverage has increased dramatically since August 2019, when only 32.3 million households (16.72%) had connections. Since then, an additional 125.5 million rural households have been connected.
Source: The Print India
Life expectancy in the United States rose to 79 years in 2024 – the highest level ever recorded. The increase reflects the fading impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and declining death rates from major causes such as heart disease, cancer and drug overdoses. Preliminary data also point to further improvement in 2025.
Source: Science Alert
Pancreatic cancer is among the most aggressive cancers and has one of the poorest prognoses, in part because tumours rapidly develop resistance to treatment. A new study by the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre shows that pancreatic tumours can be eliminated in mice and prevented from recurring using a triple-combination therapy.
Source: Euronews
Scientists worldwide are using advanced molecular scanning tools to identify changes in the parasite’s DNA that let it develop resistance to antimalarial drugs.Tracking the parasite’s genetic code as it evolves means researchers can detect dangerous mutations while they’re still rare, giving health authorities time to launch alternative treatments.
Source: The Conversation
The move comes after years of complaints about illegal e-waste shipments from abroad, which have caused environmental pollution and health risks in local communities. Authorities said they will step up monitoring and enforcement to prevent illegal dumping and encourage proper recycling within the country.
Source: AP News
The method involves heating sand to high temperatures and then transferring that stored heat to water, producing steam without burning fossil fuels. This could theoretically cut carbon emissions in energy-intensive industries such as metal, chemical, and pulp production. Researchers hope the approach can be scaled up and exported globally.
Source: Euronews
Dr. Cos-Terrer and his team are developing fruit tree and vegetable varieties that can tolerate drought, poor soil quality and disease. Their approach mixes existing public infrastructure and advanced sensor technology to monitor and improve growing conditions, and could be used as a potential blueprint for farming in other water-stressed regions.
Source: CS Monitor
Rouble Nagi has established over 800 learning centres across India thanks to her Rouble Nagi Art Foundation, giving structured education for children who have never attended school. She also creates large-scale murals that teach literacy, science, maths, history, and other subjects.
Source: AP News
Short on space and keen to hit its climate goals, Vienna is converting streets and parking spaces into parks, gardens and tree-lined areas. The move is intended to create more room for people to enjoy the city while also cooling neighbourhoods and improving overall air quality.
Source: Deutsche Welle
Once defined by coal mining, Loos-en-Gohelle in northern France has become a model for a sustainable post-fossil-fuel future. The town now boasts projects in sustainable agriculture, water and land management as well as biodiversity protection.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
