Nations

Finnish flags

Finland has effectively phased out coal as a source of electricity generation

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The closure of a coal power plant in Finland today brings the country to the brink of a full coal phase-out – four years ahead of schedule. Power utility company Helen officially decommissioned its Salmisaari plant in Helsinki on 1 April, dropping coal to a less than 1% share of the country’s energy mix. Since 2020, coal generation has dropped by 73% from 2.44 terawatt hours to 0.67. Over the same span, wind power has more than doubled since 2020 to supply a quarter of the country’s energy.

Pharmacy

England to make the morning-after pill free over the counter in pharmacies

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Currently, women can get the emergency contraception pill for free from sexual health clinics run by the National Health Service (NHS). However, the pill can cost up to £30 ($62) at pharmacies in the UK. Starting this year, the pill will be available for free at pharmacies, aiming to “reduce inequalities”, according to a Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) statement. The move will also help free up general practitioners by reducing the need for women to make appointments to access the pill, the DHSC said.

Thai man and children on motorbike

Thailand bans corporal punishment of minors

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Thailand has become the world’s 68th country to ban corporal punishment of minors. With this step, the Southeast Asian country is aligning with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in force since 1990. According to the latest survey by the National Statistical Office, published in 2022, 54% of Thais under the age of 14 have received some form of physical or psychological punishment at home, down from 75% in 2005. UNICEF is promoting the total ban of the practice worldwide.

Morning fog over the brazilian rainforest in Brazil

Colombia creates landmark territory to protect uncontacted Indigenous groups

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Colombia has created a first-of-its-kind territory meant to protect a group of Indigenous people living between the Caquetá and Putumayo Rivers in the Amazon Rainforest. The 2.7-million-acre territory is the first in the country specifically designed for people living in isolation. The Yuri-Passé people have faced increasing pressure from illegal mining and organized crime groups, forcing neighboring Indigenous communities to reach out to the government on their behalf. The creation of the territory follows years of advocacy by human rights and conservation groups.

Indian young woman at computer

Women’s participation in India’s tech sector triples in last four years

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India’s tech workforce has seen a significant shift over the past four years, with female participation increasing from 10% in 2020 to 28% in 2024, according to a new report. This growth is driven by advancements in digital infrastructure, increased access to remote work opportunities, and the expansion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. However, despite improvements at the entry level, women’s representation in senior leadership positions remains low, growing only marginally from 11% in 2020 to nearly 14% in 2024.

Indian flag

India has treated 6.8 million cancer patients for free in seven years

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India’s Health Minister just reported that a national insurance program has treated an astonishing 6.8 million people for cancer, three-quarters of whom live in rural areas. The cost of the work amounted to $1.5 billion USD. Managed and paid for by the country’s flagship health insurance program called Ayushman Bharat, patients could get financial assistance to fight breast, oral, cervical, and lung cancers, as well as metastatic melanoma, chronic myeloid leukemia, and Burkitt’s lymphoma.

Big Ben

U.K. emissions fall to lowest level since 1872

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In a major win for climate action, a new analysis from Carbon Brief has found that the country’s planet-warming emissions fell by 3.6% to 371 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, the lowest since Queen Victoria’s reign. Last year’s decrease was largely driven by a drop in coal use, led by the closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power station and one of its last blast furnaces. Other contributors included a drop in demand for oil and gas and a nearly 40% rise in electric vehicles on the road.

Amazon

Brazil’s crackdown on illegal mining in Munduruku Indigenous land sees success

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Since November 2024, government agents have carried out 523 actions, destroying 90 camps, 15 vessels, 27 heavy machinery, and 224 engines. The coordinated government effort caused losses of $1.9 million USD to criminals. The 5.9-million-acre Munduruku Indigenous Territory, home to 6,500 people, is one of the lands that has been hardest hit by illegal mining in the country. During Bolsonaro’s administration, there was a 363% increase in the area degraded by mining which brought diseases, mercury contamination, attacks, and deaths to communities.

Ukraine flag

Norway boosts financial support to Ukraine with €4.3 billion

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The Norwegian Parliament has agreed to more than double the financial support to Ukraine for 2025 as the United States continues to withdraw its support under the Trump administration. Norway’s state budget for 2025 initially granted €2.98 billion to Ukraine. Today’s increase by 50 billion kroner boosts the total sum for this year €7.24 billion, more than doubling Norway’s contribution. None of the politicians were against helping Ukraine in its defense against aggressor Russia, from the far right to the far left.

Marshall Islands flag

Marshall Islands signs treaty banning nuclear weapons in the South Pacific

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The Marshall Islands has become the 14th Pacific Islands Forum member state to join the South Pacific’s nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament treaty. The agreement, known as the Treaty of Rarotonga, was opened for signature on 6 August 1985 and entered into force on 11 December 1986. The current member states of the treaty are Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

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