Weekly Good News Round-Up
With the US/Israeli - Iran war still raging on, one finds it hard to see the good in the world. Hopefully this text may convince you otherwise…
Croatia has finished clearing all known landmines on its territory, making the country officially mine‑free after decades and even donating de‑mining robots to help Ukraine do the same. Environmental scientists highlighted new fungi that can “suck” carbon from the atmosphere more efficiently, one of several positive climate and conservation stories gathered this week. A war‑damaged wetland highlighted in a recent March good‑news roundup has begun recovering, with wildlife gradually returning as restoration work takes hold. And all of this is just in nature and planet news!
In the medical world, a new drug called zorevunersen has given children with a rare epilepsy (Dravet syndrome) up to 91% fewer seizures in trials, letting many live safer, more normal lives. Surgeons and researchers successfully tested the world’s first in‑utero stem cell therapy for spina bifida repair, improving babies’ mobility and quality of life after birth. Chile has just been verified as having eliminated leprosy, the first country in the Americas to do so, which the WHO called a major public health milestone.
Harry Styles insisted on paying for a small mental‑health merch brand’s tote bag instead of taking it for free; after he was photographed carrying it, the brand’s sales surge funded therapy for hundreds of people. A March collection of “beautiful stories nobody told you” included a stranger anonymously leaving gold bars to help others and a father‑son duo treated to free oysters, just for the joy of it. A new study of films and TV found a clear shift toward more respectful, accurate portrayals of mental health and a notable drop in derogatory language on screen.
Para cross‑country skier Jake Adicoff became the first openly gay man to win an individual Paralympic gold, then followed it with a second gold in his next race. A recent study on aging showed that over half of older adults in its sample either maintained or improved their cognitive performance over time, challenging the stereotype that decline is inevitable.