Miss South Africa pageant opens its doors to transgender women
For the first time in South Africa’s beauty pageant history, transgender women are allowed to compete.
Today (2017 C.E. - 2025 C.E.)
Alabama governor signs medical marijuana legalization bill
Late last month, the governor signed another bill that expands expungement eligibility for certain convictions, including misdemeanor marijuana possession.
New blood test detects tuberculosis bacteria in infants a year before disease
Each year, nearly a million children develop TB and 205,000 die of TB-related causes. More than 80% of childhood TB deaths occur in those under the age of 5.
Oakland to launch alternative response program for nonviolent 911 calls
Following successful alternative policing programs in Denver and Newark, Oakland, California is the latest city to adopt such a program with an initiative to redirect nonviolent, noncriminal calls to mobile teams of civilians.
Landmark asthma vaccine looks to human trials
In a recently study published in Nature Communications, researchers from France’s Institut Pasteur describe several successful preclinical tests of this asthma vaccine in mice.
‘Holy grail’ battery breakthrough sees scientists solve 40-year problem
The development, made by a team at Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, increases the lifetime of electric vehicles while simultaneously increasing their range and reducing their charge time.
Major firms sign ambitious deal to cut plastic waste in the Pacific
Called the ANZPAC Plastics Pact, the agreement aims to drastically reduce plastic waste from Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific by 2025. Among the signatories are big brands like Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Woolworths.
Instagram adds a new field for your gender identity pronoun preferences
If your preference isn’t an option yet, Instagram has a pronouns request page where you can suggest the pronouns you’d like them to add.
Massive blood sampling study identifies predictors of Alzheimer’s risk
The new study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University analyzed historical blood samples of more than 4,800 middle-aged and elderly subjects collected around a decade ago.
Chile becomes first country in the world to have a constitution drafted by an equal number of women and men
“This is a global milestone, and it’s the result of a struggle that shows that the feminist coalition is a successful example of political mobilisation,” comments Constanza Núñez Donald, a human rights lawyer based in capital city Santiago.