Zero rhino poaching deaths in Kenya, Cuba expands private business permits, first Black woman to lead the WTO

Photo: Joachim Huber/ Wikimedia (CC0)

In today’s edition of Squirrel News, we’re talking about rhino conservation success in Kenya, the Cuban government’s decision to relax laws surrounding private business ownership, and the World Trade Organization’s first African and first female leader.

Kenya has recorded zero rhino deaths from poaching in 2020

The milestone had not been reached in over 20 years, and comes as a result of improved conservation strategies in the region.

Source: Tuko

Cuba will allow small private businesses to operate in most fields

The measure will expand to include over 2,000 new activities, signalling economic reform on the Caribbean island.

Source: Thomson Reuters News Foundation

Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will be the first African and first woman to lead the WTO

The move means a Black woman will be one of the most powerful figures in the post-pandemic global economic recovery.

Source: CNN

Pope Francis appoints first woman to senior synod post

France’s Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of synod of bishops, is the first woman to hold the rank which gives voting rights.

Source: The Guardian

Virginia all but certain to become first southern state to abolish death penalty

State house’s vote makes abolition assured, a historically important step since capital punishment emerged from the south as a legal alternative to lynching.

Source: The Guardian

A Delhi-based artist-led newspaper is helping to organise the world’s biggest protest

The Trolley Times is fighting government censorship by spreading crucial information surrounding the Indian farmers’ protests.

Source: The Art Newspaper

Swede dreams: can Malmö’s green points system help rewild London?

The transformation of a Swedish shipyard into a leafy haven inspired the UK capital’s “urban greening factor” plan.

Source: The Guardian

Minneapolis is redirecting police dollars to fund community healing projects

Last year, the Minneapolis City Council voted to repurpose over $8 million of police funding in George Floyd’s hometown, with a large amount specifically intended for artist-led initiatives.

Source: Next City

The USA’s first human-composting funeral home has opened in Seattle

Recompose converts the bodies of loved ones into soil, offering a green solution to traditional burial and cremation methods.

Source: Seattle Times

A sustainable alternative to cemeteries is gaining momentum in California

Better Places Forest mixed the ashes of the deceased with soil before using this material as a base in which to plant trees, creating a leafy memorial forest instead of a traditional graveyard.

Source: Treehugger

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