Gates Foundation pledges $1.2B to eradicate polio globally
The money will be used to help implement the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s strategy through 2026 and will be focused particularly on Pakistan and Afghanistan.
South Asia
South Asia spans countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and their neighbors. This archive gathers progress stories from the region — covering public health, education, climate adaptation, economic inclusion, and more.
Germany to take in 1,000 at-risk Afghans every month
Germany’s new program will support Afghans suffering persecution at the hands of the Taliban, including women’s and human rights advocates and people who have persecuted because of their religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
World’s largest shipping line reroutes its ships to avoid hitting blue whales
Blue whales off Sri Lanka finally have a powerful ally in their corner. The world’s largest container shipping company voluntarily rerouted its vessels away from waters where pygmy blue whales live and feed — without any regulatory requirement to do so. Scientists estimate a 15-nautical-mile route adjustment could reduce fatal collisions by up to 95% for this resident population. The hope now is that MSC’s move pressures international maritime authorities to make the change binding for all ships. When industry leaders act ahead of regulation, it shows that targeted, science-based advocacy can protect wildlife at a genuinely global scale.
Droupadi Murmu becomes India’s first tribal president
Droupadi Murmu became India’s first president from a Scheduled Tribe community when she took office in July 2022, representing roughly 104 million people whose voices have rarely reached the country’s highest institutions. Born in a small Santali village in Odisha, she was the first girl from her village to attend college and began her career as a schoolteacher and government clerk before entering politics in 1997. She later served two terms in the state legislature and as Governor of Jharkhand. While the presidency is largely ceremonial, who holds it shapes how India tells its own story — and her rise sends a powerful signal about belonging in public life, echoing far beyond India for every community still waiting to see itself reflected at the top.
India single-use plastics ban goes into effect
The country generates around four million tons of plastic waste per year, about a third of which is not recycled and ends up in waterways and landfills that regularly catch fire and exacerbate air pollution.
Japan withdraws funding for major coal projects in Indonesia and Bangladesh, effectively canceling them
Two planned coal-fired power plants, one in Indonesia and the other in Bangladesh, have had their funding withdrawn by the Japanese government, as part of Tokyo’s decision to no longer bankroll coal projects in either country.
Global population of one-horned rhino soars due to conservation efforts in India
The International Rhino Foundation announced the milestone, reporting that the population now numbers 4,014 individuals—up from just 100 individuals 50 years ago.
Bangladesh successfully staves off declines in vulture populations through conservation efforts
The Bangladeshi government has implemented several timely initiatives to ban the use of harmful veterinary drugs and declare several “vulture safe zones” across the country.
India’s Madras High Court rules that nature has legal status on par with humans
The highest court in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu has ruled that “Mother Nature” has the same legal status as a human being.
India’s extreme poverty down by 12% in last decade, according to World Bank
The global bank’s policy research team said the poverty headcount in the country has dropped from 22.5% in 2011 to 10.2% in 2019 with rural areas showing better results.