Photo: Jan Suchánek/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s edition: residents of Portugal’s second-largest city can now enjoy free travel across Porto’s metropolitan public transport network, the first patients have been enrolled in a groundbreaking Ebola experimental trial, and solar-powered tricycles are helping Cubans navigate fuel shortages and blackouts.
Residents of Portugal’s second-largest city can now use metro, bus, suburban rail, tram and river services across the wider metropolitan area, with the scheme encouraging people to leave their cars at home in favour of green alternatives.
Source: EU Today
There is no approved drug to help the medical teams scrabbling to save lives in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – but there are hopes that could change within months as the first patients are enrolled in a treatment trial. Two drugs are being trialled in the Ituri region in a programme set up just six weeks after the outbreak was declared.
Source: The Guardian
A renewed focus on technical training and career readiness is helping more students stay in school and graduate on time at federally funded Native American schools. Thanks to these improvements, the four-year graduation rate has risen from just over 50% in 2015 to a record 79% in 2025.
Source: AP News
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a first-of-its-kind “Click to Cancel” rule requiring businesses to make cancelling a subscription as simple as signing up. The regulations, which take effect in October 2026, are designed to protect consumers from automatic renewals, difficult cancellation processes and hidden junk fees for services such as gyms and hotels.
Source: ABC7NY
The European Commission’s Tech Sovereignty Package aims to promote European digital technologies, support open-source startups and expand the use of open-source software in public administration.
Source: Reset
Grenoble is replacing advertising displays with trees, cycle lanes and public spaces in a campaign against what officials call “visual pollution”. Along Cours Lafontaine, billboards and advertising columns have been removed as part of a wider redesign that has created greener, more attractive streets while prioritising pedestrians and cyclists.
Source: Reasons To Be Cheerful
Solar-powered electric tricycles are becoming an increasingly common sight in Cuba as residents adapt to chronic fuel shortages and frequent power cuts. Many of the Chinese-made vehicles have been fitted with solar panels, letting owners recharge them without relying on the country’s overstretched electricity grid.
Source: AP News
Vermont Green Football Club has become one of the most talked-about teams in US lower-league football by mixing on-field success with pledges on climate action and community engagement. The USL League Two champions are working to become a net-zero club by cutting emissions, encouraging fans to cycle or use public transport to matches, and partnering with local non-profits.
Source: Good Good Good
Farmers in Zimbabwe are using community seed banks to restore drought-resistant indigenous crops as they adapt to increasingly unpredictable weather. Rooted in traditional knowledge, the scheme improves food security whilst also preserving crop diversity and helping communities become more resilient to future droughts and floods.
Source: Radio France Internationale
A Singaporean bee rescuer is helping protect vital pollinators by relocating, rather than exterminating, bee colonies found in homes and neighbourhoods. Clarence Chua has rescued and rehomed millions of bees, offering residents an alternative to traditional pest control while promoting greater awareness of the insects’ importance to biodiversity and the environment.
Source: Reuters
