Nations

This archive collects stories from Good News for Humankind involving nations — countries and their governments — as key actors in progress. Across 1,807 articles, you’ll find reporting on policy wins, international cooperation, and measurable improvements in health, climate, rights, and more.

Trinidad & Tobago's Kamla Persad-Bissessar

For the first time, an entire country’s top political roles are held by women after Trinidad & Tobago’s recent elections

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Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s election victory means that she will become prime minister for the second time since 2010. Pennelope Beckles-Robinson will be sworn in as the opposition leader. Once they are sworn in by President Christine Kangaloo, the Caribbean island will, for the first time in history, have three women occupying the top constitutional offices simultaneously, making it the first country in modern history to have all top political positions filled by women.

Residential apartment buildings in Helsinki for an article about Finland Housing First

Finland cut homelessness by 75% — and the rest of the world is watching

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Finland Housing First policy stands as one of the most remarkable social policy achievements of the modern era, reducing the country’s homeless population by roughly 75% since 2008. Rather than requiring sobriety or employment before offering shelter, Finland gives people housing unconditionally, letting support services follow once residents have a stable foundation. The results are concrete: long-term homelessness fell 68% between 2008 and 2022, and housing a formerly homeless person saves Finnish society approximately 15,000 euros annually in emergency costs. The program proves chronic homelessness is solvable, not inevitable, though recent government cuts offer a sobering reminder that even exceptional systems depend on sustained political will.

Powerlines

Kenya has more than doubled access to electricity since 2013

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Kenya is progressing toward universal electricity access by 2030, bolstered by strong policy implementation and clean energy technologies, according to the International Energy Agency. Kenya has seen an increase in access, from 37% in 2013 to 79% in 2023, supporting poverty reduction, education, healthcare, and economic development. The Last Mile Connectivity Project has been instrumental in connecting nine million rural inhabitants to the grid. By the end of this year, the project aims to connect an additional 280,000 households nationwide.

Ukraine flag

Ukraine allies pledge €21 billion in fresh military aid

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The announcement came as members of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group met at Nato’s headquarters in Brussels to pledge air defences, missiles, and other gear as Europe sought to fill the gap left by the changed priorities of the U.S. under Donald Trump. More than half of the aid – €11 billion over four years – is coming from Germany. Support also includes a $590m package from the U.K. and Norway to fund radar systems, anti-tank mines, vehicle repairs, and hundreds of thousands of drones as the nation faces a brutal, unlawful invasion from Russia.

Pangolin

Nigerian officials arrest Chinese pangolin trafficking ‘kingpin’

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Nigerian officials have arrested a Chinese national suspected of masterminding a transnational smuggling operation of pangolin scales, according to Dutch nonprofit Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC). The arrest is linked to the seizure of more than 7 tons of pangolin scales in August 2024. The investigation is part of wider efforts to disrupt wildlife trafficking networks in Nigeria, the main illegal wildlife trade hub in West Africa. WJC says the collaboration has enabled 37 arrests, seizures of more than 21.5 metric tons of pangolin scales, and 12 convictions since July 2021.

Solar panels and wind turbines generating power on open land for an article about U.S. clean electricity

Fossil fuels fall below half of U.S. electricity for the first time on record

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U.S. clean electricity reached a historic milestone in April 2025, when fossil fuels dropped below 50% of American electricity generation for the first time since the coal-powered grid emerged in the 1800s. According to energy research firm Ember, coal, oil, and natural gas fell to roughly 47% of total generation, with wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear powering the rest. This shift was driven by a 90% drop in wind and solar costs since 2010, triggering sustained investment now visible in real grid output. The milestone matters because it breaks the long-held assumption that fossil fuels are the inevitable backbone of modern electricity.

Finnish flags

Finland has effectively phased out coal as a source of electricity generation

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The closure of a coal power plant in Finland today brings the country to the brink of a full coal phase-out – four years ahead of schedule. Power utility company Helen officially decommissioned its Salmisaari plant in Helsinki on 1 April, dropping coal to a less than 1% share of the country’s energy mix. Since 2020, coal generation has dropped by 73% from 2.44 terawatt hours to 0.67. Over the same span, wind power has more than doubled since 2020 to supply a quarter of the country’s energy.

Pharmacy

England to make the morning-after pill free over the counter in pharmacies

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Currently, women can get the emergency contraception pill for free from sexual health clinics run by the National Health Service (NHS). However, the pill can cost up to £30 ($62) at pharmacies in the UK. Starting this year, the pill will be available for free at pharmacies, aiming to “reduce inequalities”, according to a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) statement. The move will also help free up general practitioners by reducing the need for women to make appointments to access the pill, the DHSC said.

Thai man and children on motorbike

Thailand bans corporal punishment of minors

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Thailand has become the world’s 68th country to ban corporal punishment of minors. With this step, the Southeast Asian country is aligning with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in force since 1990. According to the latest survey by the National Statistical Office, published in 2022, 54% of Thais under the age of 14 have received some form of physical or psychological punishment at home, down from 75% in 2005. UNICEF is promoting the total ban of the practice worldwide.

Morning fog over the brazilian rainforest in Brazil

Colombia creates landmark territory to protect uncontacted Indigenous groups

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Colombia has created a first-of-its-kind territory meant to protect a group of Indigenous people living between the Caquetá and Putumayo Rivers in the Amazon Rainforest. The 2.7-million-acre territory is the first in the country specifically designed for people living in isolation. The Yuri-Passé people have faced increasing pressure from illegal mining and organized crime groups, forcing neighboring Indigenous communities to reach out to the government on their behalf. The creation of the territory follows years of advocacy by human rights and conservation groups.