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Lagos, Nigeria

Lagos bans single-use plastics

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On July 1, 2025, Lagos introduced a ban on single-use plastics like Styrofoam plates, straws, and cutlery. The city—home to 20 million people—has long battled severe plastic pollution, with clogged waterways worsening floods and harming health. The ban is already driving grassroots recycling, sparking innovation in sustainable packaging, and raising public awareness about waste reduction. If supported by stronger enforcement, better waste systems, and affordable alternatives, this move could slash hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic waste annually—positioning Lagos as a model for African cities aiming to protect their environment and build a cleaner, more resilient future.

Plant sprouting from the soil

Ethiopia to plant 700 million trees in one day

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Ethiopia has launched a record-breaking push to plant 700 million trees in a single day, part of a plan to grow 50 billion by 2026 to fight deforestation, boost livelihoods, and tackle climate change. By early morning, 14.9 million people had already planted 355 million seedlings. The nationwide effort has been championed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since 2019 as a personal and national priority.

Inside Vatican dome

Vatican strikes solar farm deal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral state

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Italy has agreed to a Vatican plan to build a solar farm on 1,000 acres near Rome, aiming to make Vatican City the world’s first carbon-neutral state. The Santa Maria Galeria project will generate enough clean energy for the micronation while preserving the land’s agricultural use and minimizing environmental impact. This step marks a significant commitment by the Vatican toward sustainability and climate leadership.

Porto-Novo, Benin

Benin grants citizenship to descendants of enslaved people

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Citizenship of the West African nation is now open to anyone above 18 who doesn’t already hold other African citizenship and can provide proof that an ancestor was deported via the slave trade from anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Beninese kings actively participated in capturing and selling enslaved people to Portuguese, French, and British merchants. Benin has long been working to reconcile with its legacy of complicity. It has openly acknowledged its role in the slave trade, a stance not shared by many other African nations that participated.

Aerial view of South Manhattan

New York becomes first U.S. state to require all-electric new buildings

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Buildings are one of New York’s biggest climate polluters, responsible for nearly a third of the state’s emissions. In 2025, the state finalized the nation’s first statewide gas ban, requiring most new buildings to run on electric systems, with larger ones following in 2029. A federal court upheld the law, clearing the way for implementation. By ending fossil fuel hookups in new construction, New York is cutting a major source of greenhouse gases, improving air quality, and creating a model for other states—pushing the country closer to a future where all buildings help solve the climate crisis, not fuel it.

Australian money

Australia cuts student debt by 20%, easing pressure on millions

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Australia will cut student loan balances by 20%, delivering over A$16 billion in relief to three million people. A graduate with an average loan of A$27,600 will see about A$5,520 erased, with changes backdated to June 1, 2025, before a 3.2% inflation adjustment. The law also lifts the repayment threshold to A$67,000 in annual income, easing the burden on lower earners and delaying repayments for many.

St. Lucia landscape and coastline

Court strikes down nation of Saint Lucia’s homosexuality ban

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For years, the Caribbean island nation’s gross indecency and buggery laws have criminalized same-sex relations, even in private. Under those laws, consensual male homosexuality could be punished with up to ten years’ imprisonment. Even attempting to “commit buggery” could be met with a sentence of five years. Now, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court has ruled that the law violates the rights to privacy, life, liberty, security of the person, freedom of expression, protection from discrimination on the basis of sex, and protection of the law.

Cuban flag

Cuba now allows trans people to change ID gender markers without requiring surgery

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Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power has passed a landmark law granting people the right to change their gender markers without first proving they’ve undergone genital-affirming surgery—a breakthrough victory years in the making for the nation’s trans and nonbinary communities. The new Civil Registry code also expands recognition of love and partnership, formally acknowledging unmarried couples through emotional unions and cohabitation agreements. Together, these reforms mark a major step toward greater dignity, equality, and legal inclusion for all Cubans.

Good news for public health

U.S. Food & Drug Administration approves world’s first 100% effective HIV prevention drug

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The U.S. FDA has approved lenacapavir (Yeztugo), the first HIV prevention shot that’s given just twice a year. In large studies, it was virtually 100% effective—no HIV cases were seen in one trial, and only two cases occurred in another with more than 2,000 people. This long-lasting protection could make it much easier for people to stay protected, especially for those who find taking a daily pill difficult. By reducing the need for frequent dosing, the new treatment has the potential to greatly expand access to HIV prevention and help move the world closer to ending the deadly epidemic that has killed more than 44 million people worldwide since 1981.

Timor-Leste coastline

World Health Organization certifies Timor-Leste as malaria-free

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The World Health Organization certifies malaria elimination when a country has zero indigenous cases for three consecutive years. So far, 47 countries and one territory have earned this status. A Southeast Asian nation, committed to fighting malaria since gaining independence in 2002, has now joined them—demonstrating the impact of sustained, focused efforts to defeat this devastating disease.

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