Photo: Michael Lin/Unsplash (CC0)
In today’s edition: the EU sees a record 25% of its power generated by solar, a programme in Mississippi gives Black single mothers $1,000 per month for 12 months with no strings attached, and the global music industry creates labels to distinguish AI content from that made by humans.
Solar generated a record 52 TWh of EU electricity in June 2026, making up 25% of monthly generation for the bloc. This beat solar’s previous monthly high of 47 TWh (23%) in May 2026. Solar power was far ahead of other power sources including coal, gas, nuclear, wind and hydropower, with Germany, Poland and Spain leading the race.
Source: Euronews
Launched in 2018, the Magnolia Mother’s Trust is the longest-running guaranteed income scheme in the US, and the first to target extremely low-income families headed by Black mothers in Jackson, Mississippi. With no strings attached, the programme provides mothers with $1,000 a month for 12 months, providing financial relief and a greater sense of freedom for those involved.
Source: The Guardian
In Bogotá, the capital and largest city in Colombia, a public school is seeing the tangible benefits of implementing a student wellbeing model that cut serious coexistence incidence by more than 85%. The Socio-Emotional Refuge model teaches students to spot emotions, resolve disagreements via mediation, and build healthy relationships before conflicts escalate rather than relying on disciplinary sanctions.
Source: Colombia One
As concerns grow that the facilities driving the artificial-intelligence boom are raising power costs, straining water supplies and burdening local communities, New York became the first U.S. state on Tuesday to halt construction of large new data centres for the next year.
Source: Reuters
Led by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and the Recording Industry Association of America, major music industry bodies have unveiled two labels for generative AI-created music and want streaming platforms to adopt them widely.
Source: Brussels Times
The minimally invasive treatment involves blocking inflammation-driving blood vessels in the knee improved function for osteoarthritis patients and provided significant pain relief for over a year, new data suggest. The procedure could act as an alternative for those seeking relief before considering a full knee replacement.
Source: Science Daily
After 159 battery-electric buses entered service in the English city, researchers reported a 10% drop in citywide nitrogen dioxide, as well as a reduction of up to 24% of central roads with the highest levels of bus traffic. Additionally, the study recorded noise cuts of up to 5.1 decibels on key central streets.
Source: The Planet Brief
With summers across the continent getting hotter, rivers once written off as polluted waterways are now being reopened to the public, from Paris to Copenhagen. Authorities are investing in cleanup projects in order to help citizens adapt to rising temperatures.
Source: Euronews
The early-warning system hopes to help mitigate human-bear encounters in the arctic, where melting sea ice due to climate change causes the threatened species to rapidly lose their habitats. As a result, they move on to land in search of food, where they risk coming into close contact with humans.
Source: Mongabay
With many older people in Finland no longer able to live independently, a growing number are moving into their caregiver’s home rather than standard senior residences. Finland already has around 300 such shared homes, and the number is rising.
Source: Deutsche Welle
