🌾 Indian scientists have bred rice that handles both flood and drought
India has bred two rice varieties for opposite water problems. One yields nearly 50 percent more in flood years with no penalty in normal years. The other yields up to 35 percent more in dry conditions and grows in dry soil, without flooded paddies. The poorest farmers gain the most.
🪪 Millions in Benin now have an official identity, opening access to school and banking
In 2017, about 20% of Benin's population had no official papers. Now, nearly 99% of Benin's population is registered in a biometric ID system. An official identity provides access to school, a bank account, credit, and a business of one's own.
💵 Labor poverty in Mexico falls to 30.7 percent
The share of Mexico's population whose labor income is not enough to cover the food fell to 30.7 percent in the first quarter of 2026. The decline was 3.2 percentage points compared with the same period in 2025. The drop is seen both in rural areas and in cities.
🏍️ Electric motorcycles accelerate in Africa
Industry leader Spiro has delivered more than 100,000 electric motorcycles and built over 2,500 battery swapping stations. In Kenya, electric motorcycles now account for at least 16 percent of all motorcycle sales.
📉 Child marriage and intimate partner violence continue to decline in India
The share of girls married off as children has fallen to 20.1 percent. The share of women subjected to violence by their partner has dropped to 22.3 percent. Intimate partner violence has decreased by nearly seven percentage points since the previous survey.
🔬 Most of what's inside the cell is invisible, a new laser method could change that
Today's cryo-electron microscopes reveal only about 10% of human proteins, and less than 1% inside living cells. A new technique sharply improves image contrast using a laser 100 million times brighter than the Sun's surface. Researchers estimate over 50% of the cell's proteins could become visible.
🛰️ A satellite read its own images, could keep watch on Earth in real time
A satellite identified what it was looking for on its own, without analysts on the ground. It was the first time an AI that both understands language and reads images was used in space. The technology can reduce the amount of raw data that analysts have to sift through today.
📉 Deaths from intestinal infections have fallen by two-thirds since 1990, from 3.7 to 1.3 million
The rotavirus vaccine, introduced globally in 2006, is up to 98 percent effective against severe illness in infants in high-income countries. The share of deaths affecting children under five fell from 53 percent in 1990 to 30 percent in 2023.
🤑 New research: Freer economies grew without harming the environment
A study of 49 economic liberalizations shows that GDP per person rose 16 percent within ten years. Total greenhouse gas emissions did not increase, and deaths from air pollution declined. After the year 2000, emissions fell both per person and per dollar of economic output.