What’s right with the world

Norway’s parliament has apologized to the Sami for decades of forced assimilation, marking a historic step. Alongside the apology, new measures will protect Sami culture, language, and land rights. While welcomed by the Sami, critics question economic impacts, and implementation remains under scrutiny. Get all the details on today’s “What’s right with the world”.

Paris is launching an inspiring initiative to support new parents and protect babies from pollution. Starting mid-2025, eco-friendly gift bags will be provided, including stainless steel baby cups, wooden toys, reusable cotton wipes, and non-toxic cleaning items. This effort aims to give infants a healthier start in life while promoting sustainable practices

A research team at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia has combined civil engineering and their wish to cut back on textile waste by using textile waste and carpet fibres to create sustainable concrete. Their approach not only diverts clothing and carpet waste from landfills — which is urgently needed when it’s estimated that the world produces 92 million tons of textile waste every year — but it also makes for stronger concrete, reducing early-age shrinkage cracking in concrete by up to 30%.

A fourteen-year-old has won the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Sirish Subash created a device called Pestiscand. It is a handheld device for at-home use to detect pesticide residue on produce without damaging the food. It measures the wavelength of light reflecting off of fruits and vegetables and uses a machine-learning model to analyse the data. Users download a phone app, point Pestiscand at the produce, tap the scan button and voilà, they see if their apple or spinach needs another rinse.

There is one far-right conspiracy platform less in the United States. The satirical media outlet The Onion has acquired the site Infowars.com. For years, the owner Alex Jones distributed lies and fake news to the public, earning millions of dollars by selling conspiracy theory merchandise like vitamins, diet pills, and gear for a supposed civil war.

Scientists have discovered the world's largest coral reef in the Solomon Islands, which holds centuries of ocean secrets. It measures 34 meters wide and five meters high, making it longer than the world's biggest mammal, the blue whale. It is made of nearly one billion little polyps, pulsing with life and color and it is so huge that it is visible from space.

Amazon, Ikea and about three dozen other companies that depend on ocean freight will invite shipping firms for the first time ever to bid on a contract in January to move their cargo on vessels powered by near-zero emissions e-fuels like e-methanol. The Alliance hopes to accelerate the ocean shipping industry's move toward net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

The chess world is in awe of a wonder child from India. Anish Sarkar is only three years old and the youngest player ever to receive an international ranking with the international chess federation FIDE.

A group of Danish pensioners have brought back mussels to a Danish fjord, bringing the mussels back from near-extinction. The retirees are self-taught and have become experts in the field of mussels. They are proud because they know what they do makes a difference as their work has improved the oxygen content of the water.

Young Philippine female entrepreneurs have started to preserve traditional crafts by working with local weavers and embroiderers from a small village to create beautiful traditionally hand-made garments, thus preserving the indigenous culture through fashion.

The Cop 16 biodiversity conference delegates have made the historic decision to establish a new body that will include Indigenous representatives in nature conservation decisions - a major acknowledgement of the critical role Indigenous communities play in protecting the environment and addressing climate change.

IKEA Germany has pledged €6 million to a new fund intended to support victims of forced labor under the former East German Communist regime. Get all the details on today's "What's right with the world".

A German study shows that exercising only on weekends is just as good as exercising daily. All the "Weekend Warriors" here can get rid of the bad conscience thanks to cardiologists of the centre for cardiovascular research in Hamburg. Get all the details on today's "What's right with the world".

In a historic event, important artefacts of the Australian Aborigine Warlpiri community were returned after more than 50 years in Germany. Get all the details on today's "What's right with the world".

A record number of at least 11 US states have enacted laws to restrict PFAS in consumer products like cookware and cosmetics as well as firefighting foam. These measures also include industry requirements for testing, cleanup, and the developments of PFAS alternatives.

Egypt has officially been certified malaria-free by the World Health Organisation - an historic milestone in public health - after three consecutive years of having had no transmission of the disease.