Things aren't as bad as they seem.

After a 13-year community campaign, New South Wales in southeastern Australia announced the Great Koala National Park — nearly 5,000 km² of connected forests protecting 20% of the state's wild koala population and 66 other threatened species. Volunteers are already planting eucalyptus corridors, and

Australia creates nearly 5,000 km² Great Koala National Park in New South Wales

Australia creates nearly 5,000 km² Great Koala National Park in New South Wales

11.05.2026

Heading layer

Australia creates nearly 5,000 km² Great Koala National Park in New South Wales

07.05.2026

Washington state records highest gray wolf numbers yet

Gray wolf populations in Washington state, US, reached a new record in 2025, with at least 230 wolves across 43 packs. Wildlife officials also confirmed successful breeding pairs in more regions, showing the species is steadily reclaiming habitat. Conservation work with ranchers and tribal nations has helped support coexistence as recovery expands.

07.05.2026

Europe’s first elephant sanctuary opens in Portugal

Europe’s first large-scale elephant sanctuary is opening in Portugal’s Alentejo region, where former circus and zoo elephants will live in wide natural habitats instead of enclosures. The first residents, Julie from Portugal and Kariba from Belgium, will roam, bathe and socialise across protected land designed entirely around animal welfare.

07.05.2026

FIFA clears Afghan women’s team for global football

After years in exile following the Taliban’s return to power, Afghan women footballers will again compete officially under their country’s name. FIFA changed its rules to recognize Afghan Women United, opening a path to future Olympic qualifiers and restoring an international stage for displaced players.

07.05.2026

In Central Africa, NGO gives former child soldiers a new life

In Bria, eastern Central African Republic, the NGO Espérance runs vocational training for former child soldiers aged 14 to 17 — teaching sewing, baking, and other trades alongside psychological support. One student described sewing as something that "relaxes my mind." Another, Amadou, 16, now makes bread every morning in his village.

07.05.2026

Electric buses set to transform daily travel across Dubai

Dubai will add 735 electric buses to its public transport network in 2026, creating the UAE’s largest clean bus fleet to date. The rollout supports quieter streets, lower emissions and cleaner air, while making electric mobility more practical across the city. Charging an EV or powering new data centres with cleaner electricity also becomes easier as the network expands.

07.05.2026

Europe moves closer to ending conversion therapy

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05.05.2026

First-ever maternal hospital opens inside the world’s largest refugee camp

Save the Children has opened the first hospital in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, dedicated entirely to maternal and newborn care. The 59-bed facility offers round-the-clock emergency obstetric care, C-sections, antenatal support, and services for gender-based violence survivors — for over one million refugees and host community women alike.

05.05.2026

Science confirms it: dancing together literally syncs your brains

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder measured the brainwaves of tango dancers using EEG caps and found that when partners moved in step within 200 milliseconds of each other, their brain activity mirrored each other — a phenomenon called interbrain coupling, never before documented in dance.

05.05.2026

The Oscars formally draw the line: human artistry wins, AI can’t

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has updated its rules: AI-generated performances and screenplays are ineligible for Academy Awards, effective from the March 2027 ceremony. Filmmakers may still use AI tools, but winning work must be human-performed and human-written — a clear formal standard as AI-generated film content goes mainstream.

05.05.2026

France now serves three-course university meals to all students for €1

French university canteens began offering one-euro three-course meals — starter, main, and dessert — to all students regardless of income, down from the usual €3.30. A January survey found 48% of students in France had skipped meals for financial reasons. The government has committed €120 million in 2027 to sustain and expand the programme.

05.05.2026

Your vote counts more than you think, says Cornell study

A Cornell University political scientist has statistically debunked two decades of influential U.S. research claiming politicians ignore ordinary voters. The flawed studies used selective data and triggered Simpson's paradox. The real gap in political influence, the new analysis finds, lies between the general public and the ultra-wealthy — not between middle- and upper-income groups.

05.05.2026

AI locates sperm cells in men told they’d never have biological children

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01.05.2026

56 nations form fossil fuel phaseout coalition with real commitment

Representatives of 56 countries gathered in Colombia for the first international conference dedicated to phasing out coal, oil, and gas — open only to countries willing to make a real commitment. The coalition represents more than half of global GDP, nearly a third of global energy demand, and a fifth of fossil fuel supply.

01.05.2026

Florida celebrates return of wild flamingos after almost a century

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01.05.2026

Weight loss jab cuts heavy drinking days by 41% in landmark trial

A randomized trial has found that weekly semaglutide injections — the active ingredient in weight loss jabs— result in a significant reduction in heavy drinking days, decreasing from an average of 17 to five per month, and a substantial drop in overall alcohol consumption in adults with alcohol use disorder and obesity.

01.05.2026

Lab-grown mini-organs replace live animal testing

Scientists developed a single standardized method to grow 3D airway organoids — miniature respiratory organs — from tissue samples of 10 different wildlife species, including red pandas and Goeldi's monkeys. The results accurately matched known real-world influenza infection patterns, with no live animals harmed.

01.05.2026

Long-awaited rain revives Iraq’s ancient Huwaizah Marshes

After years of drought worsened by upstream dams and climate change, winter rains have returned water to 85% of Iraq's Huwaizah Marshes — millennia-old Mesopotamian wetlands fed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Fish, buffaloes, and migratory birds are back, and Iraq's Water Ministry reports the Tigris reservoirs are nearly full.

01.05.2026

Toyota’s largest plant becomes first to reach carbon neutrality

Toyota's Tahara Plant in Aichi, Japan, employing around 9,000 people across 4.03 million square meters, has become the first to achieve carbon neutrality. The plant runs wind turbines standing approximately 145 meters tall and has around 1,200 solar panels installed along its test course.