Colombia elects first Black woman vice president, Francia Marquez
Marquez is a celebrated environmental activist whose opposition to gold mining in her home municipality of Suarez saw her receive the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018.
Nations
U.S. FDA approves first alopecia drug that restores hair growth in many patients
It is the first approved treatment for alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that affects about 7 million people in the United States.
Australia reduces plastic litter on its beaches by 30 percent in less than a decade
The study by Australia’s CSIRO involved 563 on-the-ground inspections and multiple interviews with waste managers in 32 municipalities.
China builds world-first full-function space solar verification tower
Xidian University in Xi’an has built a 75 meter-tall ground verification system to perform and test all phases of space-based solar power generation and transmission.
Joe Biden issues executive order to fight conversion therapy & LGBTQ fostering discrimination
The executive order tells the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue rules that ban the use of federal funds for programs that offer conversion therapy.
Indonesia issues long-delayed rules to protect migrant fishing workers
Marine activists have welcomed the decree, which they say should help improve the global fisheries sector, given that vessels where worker abuse is rife also tend to be engaged in illegal fishing activities.
England is turning 99,000 hectares of land into nature recovery projects
The initiative consists of five large-scale projects to boost biodiversity, tackle the climate crisis, and expand public access to nature.
Malaysia abolishes mandatory use of the death penalty
Malaysia will now allow judges discretion in sentencing and offering a range of substitute sentences for crimes that carry a mandatory death sentence.
Thailand officially removes cannabis from narcotics list and decriminalizes growing plants at home
Some 4,000 prisoners serving jail time for cannabis-related crimes will soon be released and their criminal records for those offenses will be deleted.
The Ivory Coast is building a wall to protect nature reserve from pollution
Though the Banco National Park provides valuable ecosystem services to the city, the park has been suffering from pollution and illegal tree felling in recent years.