🌳 Mangrove forests declined until 2010, but have grown substantially since
The regrowth in recent years has almost entirely offset the earlier losses. The total area is now only 0.5 percent smaller than in the 1980s. After decades of decline, the area of mangrove forests shifted from net loss to net gain around 2010.
🛫 More and more Africans are traveling within Africa - the fastest tourism growth in the world
Economic growth and rising prosperity in Africa are enabling more and more Africans to travel within their own continent. The number of tourists visiting African countries grew by almost 8 percent last year, the fastest growth in the world.
📉 Australia's power prices fall after record battery rollout
Batteries' share of the electricity grid on Australia's east coast rose from around 3 percent to nearly 10% in one year. From July 2026, power prices will fall, and households could save up to 10%.
🌏 Globally a record number of people are satisfied with the freedom to shape their lives
82% of adults across 138 countries are satisfied with their freedom to choose what they do with their lives, up from 71% two decades ago. The largest gains are in the Balkans, the Caucasus, and Eastern and Central Europe, where the share of satisfied adults has risen from 49% in 2009 to 82% in 2025.
☀️ Solar overtakes coal in US electricity production for the first time
Solar power supplied 12.8 percent of US electricity in May 2026, while coal fell to 12.2 percent. Solar produced 45.5 TWh during the month, 17 percent more than in May 2025. Over five years, solar's share has more than doubled.
🧫 First human treated with method designed to make aged cells behave young again
A treatment that switches on three genes is designed to make old cells behave like young ones. The aim is to regenerate damaged nerve cells in the optic nerve and treat a form of glaucoma. In animal studies, the method has restored vision in mice, with no serious side effects.
👕 Filter captures 97% of microfibres from the wash
Washing machines release large amounts of microfibres that end up in waterways and oceans. A filter fitted to the washing machine collects the fibres before they reach the drain. The filter captures 97 percent of microfibres and is now sold in more than 30 European markets and the UK.
☢️ Microreactor went from idea to chain reaction in under a year
American nuclear power has long been marked by delays, where a single reactor design could take a decade to test. Antares' microreactor Mark-0 started a stable nuclear reaction in under twelve months. That made them the first private company to take an advanced reactor there within the program.
🦾 AI has designed an entirely new kind of vaccine for the first time
Ordinary vaccines target a current strain of a virus and quickly become outdated when it mutates. The new method instead makes it possible to design a vaccine that protects against an entire virus family at once.This means the vaccine can provide protection even against future mutations.