Quick summary of all the top good news stories from last week.
In a week when the cast of Agatha Christie's thriller The Mousetrap celebrated its 30,000th performance in London's West End (extending its record for the longest theatrical run), and the International Olympic Committee elected its first female president (also the youngest ever, and the first from Africa), and a landmark ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered the Ecuadorian government stop oil operations inside Yasuni National Park to protect the rights of the uncontacted Indigenous groups who live there (it’s the first time an international court has ruled on the rights of people living in voluntary isolation), there was much else to celebrate too.
Health & Wellbeing
Parkinson's Treatment: Scientists have finally pinned down a protein that’s largely responsible for Parkinson’s disease, moving treatment an important step closer.
Life Changing: Thousands of NHS patients in England with multiple sclerosis (MS) are set to benefit from a life changing ‘take at home’ tablet, as the NHS becomes the first healthcare system in Europe to roll it out widely to patients with active disease. The tablet, cladribine, requires just 20 days of treatment spread over four years, providing a convenient alternative to existing therapies that involve regular hospital infusions, frequent self-injections, and extensive monitoring.
Titanium Heart: In February, an Australian man with heart failure became the first person to walk out of a hospital with an artificial heart implant. And this month, the same man made history again after surviving for more than 100 days with the titanium implant until a heart donor was available. Although it’s primarily designed to keep patients alive only until a donor heart becomes available, the goal is to eventually be able to use the device as a long-term option as well.
Long Covid: Doctors in London have found a way to restore a sense of smell and taste in patients with long Covid by using a surgery that expands the nasal passageways, reports The Guardian.
Wildlife & Conservation
Amazing Numbers: On the heights of a mountain range just 30 miles west of Sydney, the population of a charismatic marsupial was found to be ballooning despite recent fires. Recorded at 45 percent higher than before Australia’s drought-wildfire combo of 2019, it was described as “nothing short of remarkable.” The greater glider is an arboreal marsupial that can glide the distance of a football field using a long skin membrane that stretches between its arms and legs.
"Pleasantly Surprised": Things are looking up for Asian elephants: A recently published study shows the population of the megafauna is larger and more robust in northern Cambodia than previously believed. The good news comes from researchers at the Fauna & Flora conservation group. Their discoveries raise hopes that the Asian elephant, which has been classified as endangered for nearly four decades, could make a comeback with sufficient protections in place. “We were very pleasantly surprised by the results of the project.”
African Penguins: Conservationists and fishing industry groups in South Africa just agreed to implement no-fishing zones around six major breeding colonies of critically endangered African penguins.
Bull Fights Evolve: Mexico City has passed a measure aiming to make bullfights much less harmful to bulls and matadors, a move applauded by animal rights activists. The measure will not allow bullfighters to use spades and swords to attack the animal, which in turn will have its horns covered to prevent injuries to humans. “The aim is not to make bullfighting disappear, but evolve.”
Climate & Renewables
Montreal Protocol: More evidence that the ozone layer is healing due to the global effort to reduce the use of ozone-eating chemicals, once common in household appliances, has emerged from MIT. We may see a year when the ozone layer stays entirely intact as early as the next decade, and eventually the ozone hole will disappear for good. All thanks to the Montreal Protocol of 1987 - an international treaty that aimed to phase out the production of CFCs and other ozone depleting substances.
UK Carbon Emissions: According to a new analysis by Carbon Brief, the UK’s 2024 emissions fell by 3.6 percent and are now at the lowest level since 1872, when Queen Victoria was on the throne. If you think that date is impressive, try this: The country’s coal use in 2024 was the lowest it’s been since 1666.
Germany on Track: Germany’s Ministry for the Environment has announced that the target of reducing emissions to 65 percent of 1990 levels by 2030 was already within reach with existing climate policy instruments.
Zero Carbon Cement: The world’s first full-scale, carbon-neutral cement plant is a go: and it could be operational within three years. The new cement manufacturing facility in Canada will be fitted with a carbon capture, utilization, and storage system that will absorb 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year - the equivalent of taking 300,000 cars off the road. It will boast a 95 percent capture rate. This new plant is very good news as cement is an incredibly carbon-intensive component of concrete, which is responsible for an estimated 7 percent of emissions globally.
Interesting Precedents: A farmer in Peru has taken a German energy company to court in Germany, claiming that global heating fuelled by the firm’s greenhouse gas emissions poses a risk to the farmer’s home in Peru, and seeking damages equivalent to the company's contribution to global heating, namely 0.5 percent.
And Finally...
Historical Saga: In colourful detail, the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the epic story of how William, Duke of Normandy, better known as William the Conqueror, became king of England in 1066, after defeating King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings on England's south coast. Now, a long lost fragment of the epic 230-foot-long tapestry has been rediscovered in Germany. It was found in the state archives more than 80 years after Nazi researchers stole it from occupied France during World War II. German authorities are working to repatriate the stolen section back to France later this year, just in time for the start of the Bayeux Tapestry’s next chapter. In August, the tapestry will leave public view for two years as it undergoes restoration work.
Today's Articles
Engineering Marvel: A remarkable new tunnel under construction will redraw the road and rail map of Europe.
Olfactory Charms: New research reveals that ancient Greek and Roman statues weren't just beautiful, they smelled good too.
Unforeseen Benefits: Groundbreaking study at a massive desert solar park shows that solar panels don’t just generate power - they improve entire ecosystems.