Myanmar and U.N. announce deal for safe return of Rohingya
United Nations says staff will visit Rakhine state in first step towards repatriation of 700,000 refugees camped in Bangladesh
2018 C.E.
Rhode Island becomes latest state to pass new gun laws after Parkland
The governor has signed a bill to ban bump stocks and another to implement a “red flag” law.
Stockton, CA becomes first U.S. city to test universal basic income
Stockton, Calif., hopes to become an exhibition ground for fighting poverty with a simple yet unorthodox experiment: giving $500 a month in donated cash to perhaps 100 local families, no strings attached.
Chile set to become first American country to ban plastic bags
In a historic decision, Chile’s House of Representatives voted this Wednesday to ban the usage of plastic bags in all types of shops across the entire territory, making it the only country to prohibit them in the American continent.
Nine African cities commit to reaching zero carbon by 2050
Accra, Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, Lagos, Dakar, Durban, Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Cape Town have pledged to reach zero carbon in 30 years.
India approves massive new 5,000 megawatt solar farm
India’s federal government recently gave the go-ahead for development of the country’s largest solar power park in the state of Gujarat.
Royal Bank of Scotland to stop financing new coal plants, oil sands or arctic oil projects
RBS said it would no longer directly finance new coal-fired power stations or thermal coal mines, oil sands or Arctic oil projects and unsustainable vegetation or peatland clearance projects.
South African parliament approves national minimum wage bill
South Africa’s parliament passed a national minimum wage bill by an overwhelming majority to tackle strikes and wage inequality.
Ireland votes to end abortion ban
Ireland voted decisively to repeal one of the world’s more restrictive abortion bans, dealing the latest in a series of stinging rebukes to the Roman Catholic Church.
New facial recognition software tracks and protects endangered primates
Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) developed a facial recognition software program that could help save the lives of endangered primates.