Norway to add gender-neutral pronoun to official Norwegian language
The gender-neutral third-person singular counterpart to the feminine “hun” and the masculine “han” will be “hen.”
Europe
This archive covers progress stories from across Europe, spanning the U.K., Scandinavia, the E.U. and beyond. Readers will find reporting on health, climate policy, social welfare, science and more — drawn from nearly 1,200 articles tracking real gains made by communities, governments and researchers throughout the region.
Scotland to plan millions of trees next to rivers in bid to protect wild salmon
Fisheries scientists have found rivers and burns in the Highlands and uplands are already too warm in summer for wild Atlantic salmon as they head upstream to spawn, increasing the threat to the species’ survival.
Iceland to end whale hunting from 2024
Iceland’s current quotas for 2019-2023 allow for the hunting of 209 fin whales and 217 minke whales every year.
Li-Cycle to build Europe’s first battery recycling facility in Norway
Li-Cycle expects to have the capacity to process up to 10,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries annually, including battery manufacturing scrap, full EV packs, and energy storage systems.
Dolce&Gabbana announces it will drop use of animal fur starting this year
The Milan fashion house joins other luxury brands, including Armani, Gucci, Prada and Moncler, in adhering to guidelines set by the Fur Free Alliance.
Master violin luthier invents world’s first vegan violin
Currently, most violins contain glues made from animal hooves and hides. Violin bows are often also not vegan since they’re made from horsehair.
New artificial pancreas proves “life-changing” for young diabetics
The new study from the University of Cambridge involved 74 children with type 1 diabetes, aged one to seven, with subjects using the CamAPS FX artificial pancreas system for 16 weeks and showing promising results.
France ends ban on gay and bisexual male blood donors
France passed its first ban on men who have sex with men donating blood in 1983, in the early years of the AIDS crisis.
California becomes first U.S. state to require insurance to cover the cost of at-home STD tests
In addition to requiring coverage of costs for at-home test kits, the new legislation calls for increasing the number of health care providers that can offer STI tests.
Germany to dedicate 2% of its land to wind power development
If successful, the plan will add up to 10 gigawatts of new onshore wind capacity every year for the rest of the decade.