The latest positive milestones for climate, justice, peace, health, freedom, and more from around the world to inspire you to create your own good news for the world.
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The Latest
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Ethiopia to plant 700 million trees in one day
Ethiopia has launched a record-breaking push to plant 700 million trees in a single day, part of a plan to grow 50 billion by 2026 to fight deforestation, boost livelihoods, and tackle climate change. By early morning, 14.9 million people had already planted 355 million seedlings. The nationwide effort has been championed by Prime Minister…
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Vatican strikes solar farm deal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral state
Italy has agreed to a Vatican plan to build a solar farm on 1,000 acres near Rome, aiming to make Vatican City the world’s first carbon-neutral state. The Santa Maria Galeria project will generate enough clean energy for the micronation while preserving the land’s agricultural use and minimizing environmental impact. This step marks a significant…
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Benin grants citizenship to descendants of enslaved people
Citizenship of the West African nation is now open to anyone above 18 who doesn’t already hold other African citizenship and can provide proof that an ancestor was deported via the slave trade from anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Beninese kings actively participated in capturing and selling enslaved people to Portuguese, French, and British merchants. Benin…
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New York becomes first U.S. state to require all-electric new buildings
Buildings are one of New York’s biggest climate polluters, responsible for nearly a third of the state’s emissions. In 2025, the state finalized the nation’s first statewide gas ban, requiring most new buildings to run on electric systems, with larger ones following in 2029. A federal court upheld the law, clearing the way for implementation.…
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Australia cuts student debt by 20%, easing pressure on millions
Australia will cut student loan balances by 20%, delivering over A$16 billion in relief to three million people. A graduate with an average loan of A$27,600 will see about A$5,520 erased, with changes backdated to June 1, 2025, before a 3.2% inflation adjustment. The law also lifts the repayment threshold to A$67,000 in annual income,…
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Court strikes down nation of Saint Lucia’s homosexuality ban
For years, the Caribbean island nation’s gross indecency and buggery laws have criminalized same-sex relations, even in private. Under those laws, consensual male homosexuality could be punished with up to ten years’ imprisonment. Even attempting to “commit buggery” could be met with a sentence of five years. Now, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has ruled…
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Cuba now allows trans people to change ID gender markers without requiring surgery
Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power has passed a landmark law granting people the right to change their gender markers without first proving they’ve undergone genital-affirming surgery—a breakthrough victory years in the making for the nation’s trans and nonbinary communities. The new Civil Registry code also expands recognition of love and partnership, formally acknowledging unmarried…
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U.S. Food & Drug Administration approves world’s first 100% effective HIV prevention drug
The U.S. FDA has approved lenacapavir (Yeztugo), the first HIV prevention shot that’s given just twice a year. In large studies, it was virtually 100% effective—no HIV cases were seen in one trial, and only two cases occurred in another with more than 2,000 people. This long-lasting protection could make it much easier for people…
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World Health Organization certifies Timor-Leste as malaria-free
The World Health Organization certifies malaria elimination when a country has zero indigenous cases for three consecutive years. So far, 47 countries and one territory have earned this status. A Southeast Asian nation, committed to fighting malaria since gaining independence in 2002, has now joined them—demonstrating the impact of sustained, focused efforts to defeat this…
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World Court says countries are legally obligated to curb emissions and protect climate
A landmark decision by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands has cleared the way for countries to sue each other over climate change. Campaigners and climate lawyers have called this a “watershed legal moment” and hope the decision will pave the way for compensation from countries that have historically burned the most…