Photo: Molly Blackbird/Unsplash (CC0)
Today in Squirrel News: Ireland is officially launching a basic income for artists, Belgium rolls out a major programme to support young people with eating disorders, and Chile’s first officially recognised prison rugby team shows how sport can aid rehabilitation.
After a successful pilot that recouped more than its net cost, Ireland is creating a scheme that will give artists a weekly income in the hope of reducing their need for alternative work and boosting their creativity. The Basic Income for the Arts initiative will provide €325 (£283) a week to 2,000 eligible artists based in the Republic of Ireland in three-year cycles.
Source: The Guardian
Starting April 1st, young people in Belgium struggling with eating disorders will be eligible for 38 free consultations with a dietitian or up to 20 hours of treatment each year. Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke expects approximately 2,000 people up to the age of 23 to benefit from the scheme, which forms part of a specialised care pathway aimed at preventing hospital admissions.
Source: Brussels Times
Currently, preschool in Costa Rica generally begins at age four, but this new programme will extend access to younger children. The scheme is intended to strengthen cognitive and social development from an earlier age, with a growing body research indicating that early intervention can lead to improved reading, mathematics and behavioural outcomes later in life.
Source: Tico Times
Once declared biologically dead in 1969, the river is now drawing fish and other aquatic species back to its waters. This month, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority released its 2025 findings, documenting the presence of more than 20 different fish species in the river.
Source: National Observer
With the help of artificial intelligence, authorities in Australia are using X-ray scanners similar to airport security systems but adapted for cargo alongside intelligent software that flags unusual shapes and materials hidden inside shipments. Using these tools, Interpol recently led a coordinated operation spanning 134 countries, resulting in the seizure of around 30,000 live animals.
Source: Good Good Good
A new pilot facility is producing 100 kilograms of sustainable aviation fuel per day using gas captured from landfill sites as a greener alternative to traditional feedstocks.
Source: Techxplore
Employers from Manchester to Milton Keynes are working with professional beekeepers to install hives on rooftops, in courtyards and car parks, positioning beekeeping not as a novelty but as a way to ease stress, build community and reconnect workers with nature in an era of hybrid work and burnout.
Source: The Guardian
Across the UK, community ownership is gaining momentum as a way to protect vital infrastructure and reinvest profits locally. As major retailers pull back and public services shrink, local residents are increasingly stepping in to rescue and run the assets their areas depend on: from ferry services to shopping centres.
Source: Positive News
Long seen as a threat for preying on livestock, the animal’s image is beginning to change in Kibber and nearby villages, where residents are increasingly recognising its role in the fragile mountain ecosystem. Now, nearly a dozen local women are now working with the Himachal Pradesh forest department and conservation groups to monitor the species.
Source: BBC News
Inside the Valparaíso Penitentiary Complex, a workshop held behind barbed wire has grown into Chile’s first officially recognised rugby team formed within a prison. Rugby Unión Libertad, formally registered in mid-January, is driven by a purpose that extends far beyond competition.
Source: AP News
