In a landmark move bringing Italy in step with many of its European peers, the Constitutional Court has ruled that both women in a same-sex couple who conceive a child abroad via medically assisted reproduction must be legally recognized as parents. This decision marks a significant stride toward legal parity and stability for LGBTQ+ families across the country.
Indian Railways operates roughly 12,000 trains daily, carrying over one billion tons of goods and more than 8.5 billion passengers annually. Now, over 90% of the nationwide railways’ traction energy comes from electric rather than fossil sources, with plans to increase this to 95% by 2030. This shift has led to a substantial decrease in operational costs and direct greenhouse gas emissions, with a reduction of 2.2 million tons of CO2 expected by the end of 2025.
Though native to California, after 1924, a gray wolf was not documented in California until 2011, when a wolf known as OR-7 famously crossed the state line from Oregon. Since then, wolves have steadily reclaimed a presence in the state. In 2015, wildlife officials documented the first pack in California in nearly 100 years. Now, three new packs have been discovered in a remote region where the Sierra Nevada meets the Cascades.
The Kyrgyz Republic has announced the creation of a vast ecological corridor covering over 3,000 square miles, marking a major step forward in the Central Asian nation’s conservation efforts. This new corridor is said to connect existing protected areas, including Khan-Tengri National Park and Naryn Nature Reserve, expanding the total protected landscape to over 4,600 square miles. Among the species benefiting are the snow leopard – classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN – and its prey, such as the Asiatic ibex and argali sheep.
When the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, South America had eighteen coal-fired plants on the drawing board, reflecting global uncertainty about the role coal would play in powering emerging economies. Today, that uncertainty has vanished. Coal, once perceived as a staple of industrialization and economic stability, has essentially vanished from the continent’s energy future.
For decades, a shrinking population and an aging society in Japan have led to fewer blood donors. This situation is especially dire during disasters or in remote regions, where matching blood types and storing donated blood are logistical nightmares. Recognizing this, researchers at Nara Medical University are developing a safe, effective artificial blood that could be administered to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Clinical trials begin this year, with practical use expected by 2030.
Patients who have their bladder removed most often have a portion of intestine repurposed to pass urine, often resulting in a host of new complications, including infections and digestive issues. Those complications have led doctors around the world to seek bladder transplant techniques for years. The transplant performed in early May has so far succeeded, and doctors said they are “satisfied” with the patient’s recovery, though many unknowns remain.
The legislation stipulates that responsible parties provide financial assurance to cover spills, conduct regular inspections and audits, and address any issues found.
The legislation stipulates that responsible parties provide financial assurance to cover spills, conduct regular inspections and audits, and address any issues found. It also includes penalties for companies that fail to comply with regulations, including the suspension of licenses to explore and produce oil for those that do not provide the financial assurance required. The bill, which passed with a majority of votes cast in a simple voice vote, is expected to be signed into law by President Irfaan Ali soon.
The world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide has seen a slight decline in those emissions over the past 12 months, even as demand for power has increased. This is an encouraging sign that the country’s massive investment in clean energy has begun to displace fossil fuels. A new report, published in Carbon Brief, finds that the country’s CO2 emissions have declined by 1% over the past 12 months. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, emissions declined by 1.6% relative to last year.
According to a report by Forum Energii, an energy think tank, electricity produced from coal in April 2025 amounted to 6.5 terawatt-hours (TWh), accounting for 49.4% of the total energy mix. This represents an 18.9% decrease from March and a 9.6% drop compared to the same month in 2024. Forum Energii described recent changes in the electricity mix as “unprecedented”, noting that the use of coal had fallen by 29.9 percentage points between April 2015 and April 2025.
