UK: Student creates app to help universities go green
26 December 2025 - Carolina Furtado, who is studying at the University of Worcester, in the UK, has created a new sustainability app with the aim of helping universities to go green. ''This data will help leaders understand where their students are in terms of their knowledge and understanding of sustainability, which will help them make informed decisions'' Ms Furtado said. (more)

''A potential treasure trove'': World Health Organization to explore benefits of traditional medicines
24 December 2025 - From herbalists in Africa gathering plants to use as poultices to acupuncturists in China using needles to cure migraines, or Indian yogis practising meditation, traditional remedies have increasingly been shown to work, and deserve more attention and research, according to a World Health Organization official. (more)

British visual artist, Nnena Kalu, wins Turner Prize 2025
24 December 2025 - One of the best-known visual arts prizes in the world, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. Established in 1984, the prize is awarded each year to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work. The jury awarded the prize to Nnena Kalu, who creates hanging sculptures from wrappings of different materials making cocoon-like shapes, as well as large-scale drawings made with vigorous, rhythmic lines. (more)

UK scientists find a massive hidden CO2 sponge beneath the ocean floor
22 December 2025 - Researchers found that eroded lava rubble beneath the South Atlantic can trap enormous amounts of CO2 for tens of millions of years. These porous breccia deposits store far more carbon than previously sampled ocean crust. The discovery reshapes how scientists view the long-term balance of carbon between the ocean, rocks, and atmosphere. It also reveals a hidden mechanism that helps stabilize Earth's climate over geological timescales. (more)

US: Nonprofit ''farm-to-vase'' flower shop that employs at-risk youth, is CNN's Hero of the Year
22 December 2025 - Quilen Blackwell, whose nonprofit transforms vacant lots on Chicago's South Side into flower farms that employ at-risk young people to grow, arrange, and sell the flowers, is the 2025 CNN Hero of the Year. Online voters selected him from this year's Top 5 CNN Heroes, everyday people who are recognized for taking action to solve problems in their communities. (more)

United Nations designates 21 December as World Meditation Day, citing evidence for meditation in addressing stress, trauma, social strain: TM organizations host 33-hour synchronized worldwide meditation
21 December 2025 - As global levels of stress, trauma, and fatigue continue to rise amid conflict, economic uncertainty, and climate-related pressures, the United Nations designated 21 December as World Meditation Day, establishing an annual international event to promote peace, mental well-being, and social cohesion. In recognition, the global Transcendental Meditation (TM) organization is hosting a 33-hour synchronized worldwide meditation, spanning more than 100 countries - starting 8:00 a.m. in New Zealand, concluding at 5:00 p.m. in Hawai'i, following the sun across time zones. A total of 33 coordinated meditation sessions, each 20 minutes long, will take place at 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time in participating regions worldwide. (more)

India: Ramanujan's 100-year-old pi formula is still revealing the Universe
19 December 2025 - Physicists at the Centre for High Energy Physics (CHEP), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), report that mathematical formulas developed a century ago to compute pi are closely linked to some of today's most important ideas in fundamental physics. These connections appear in theoretical descriptions of percolation, fluid turbulence, and even certain features of black holes. (more)

More than sixty Indigenous artifacts have now been returned to Canada from the Vatican
19 December 2025 - After many years of advocacy and under the guidance of Knowledge Keepers and Elders, sacred First Nations items have now returned to Canada. They will be repatriated to their rightful communities of origin. The items included embroidered gloves, a kayak, and a sling for carrying a baby. Some Indigenous leaders say it's not about bringing home objects or artifacts, but about bringing home memories, bringing home the dignity and power that was taken from their ancestors. (more)

These simple habits could make your brain 8 years younger, study finds
17 December 2025 - New research shows that your brain's ''true age'' can shift dramatically depending on how you live, with optimism, restorative sleep, stress management, and strong social support acting like powerful anti-aging tools. Using advanced MRI-based brain-age estimates, scientists found that people with multiple healthy lifestyle factors had brains up to eight years younger than expected -- even among those living with chronic pain. (more)

China achieves incredible feat by transforming barren desert into entirely new landscape
15 December 2025 - It takes a lot of time and effort, but ecosystems can be transformed significantly. You have to think outside the box and be patient. This has been the case in Awati County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region over the last five years. It was formerly a largely arid region that suffered from desertification. However, local officials and scientists have turned it into a thriving wetland teeming with life and color. (more)

US: Agrivoltaic systems boost crop yields by combining solar panels with farming
15 December 2025 - At Jack's Solar Garden in Longmont, Colorado, more than 3,000 solar panels glint in the sun, powering some 300 homes in the community and providing shade to the fruits, vegetables, and herbs growing below. The practice is known as ''agrivoltaics,'' combining agriculture and solar power generation on the same land. (more)

India: Deepavali inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
12 December 2025 - Deepavali has been officially inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, at the twentieth session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. It has been inscribed under the ''Social practices, rituals and festive events'' domain and marks the sixteenth element on UNESCO's Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Republic of India. (more)

The World Health Organization and India's Health Ministry roll out campaign on women and girl's health and well-being
12 December 2025 - On Wednesday, the World Health Organization rolled out a month-long campaign on women's and girl's health and well-being in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Government of India. ''Healthy women are the pillars of a healthy family, community, and a healthy nation. Health of women and girls, including their mental health, is hence important not just for their well-being, but most importantly for our well-being,'' said Dr. Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia. (more)

US: Local climate actions pay off immediately, delivering cleaner air, new jobs, and better public health
12 December 2025 - Local action to address the global threat of climate change can lead to many improvements for the local population, according to a new report by researchers at the George Washington University. To address barriers to implementing climate strategies at the local level, researchers identified actions that provide a net positive return on investment and offer other benefits such as job creation and cleaner air. (more)

UNESCO's Heritage Talanoa Celebrates Samoa's Living Heritage and Cultural Rights
11 December 2025 - On Human Rights Day, the ''Upu Ma Tala -- Fa'asao lou Fa'asinomaga Fa'aleaganu'u'' (Safeguarding Your Cultural Heritage) initiative concluded in Samoa, successfully focusing on revitalizing six elements of intangible cultural heritage at risk, such as fagufagu (nose-flute playing) and siapo-making (tapa cloth). This effort highlights the resilience and commitment to passing on cultural knowledge across generations. (more)

Singapore: Scientists invent new sunscreen made from pollen
10 December 2025 - Traditional chemical sunscreens can damage coral reefs. Scientists say there's a fix using one derived from tea plant pollen. Researchers found that a gel made from the pollen of camellia flowers (Camellia sinensis) blocked ultraviolet (UV) light about as well as existing commercial sunscreens, such as those made with oxybenzone or octinoxate. But unlike these conventional options, the pollen-based gel didn't cause coral bleaching in a laboratory experiment. (more)

Australia: These chefs left prestigious culinary jobs to cook at nursing homes: ''We want to make this industry better''
9 December 2025 - Facing burnout from his time as a fine dining chef, David Martin's parents suggested he pivot to working in the kitchen of a nursing home. He is now executive chef manager at St. Vincent's Care, a nursing home facility in Melbourne, Australia. Teaming up with another chef with a similar background, Harry Shen, the pair have a vision to elevate the standard of food in these facilities. Martin stated that it's been fulfilling for a whole team of chefs, who now cook for St. Vincent's Care's 10 properties, collectively producing 20,000 meals a day. (more)

Denmark: Small root mutation could make crops fertilize themselves, promising a major leap in Sustainable Agriculture
9 December 2025 - Denmark's Aarhus University researchers found a molecular switch that allows plants to partner with nitrogen-fixing bacteria rather than fight them. This discovery could pave the way for self-fertilizing cereal crops. Such crops could dramatically reduce synthetic fertilizer use and emissions. (more)

US: Scientists witness unexpected changes in rivers after knocking down dams: ''We didn't even know there was [one] there''
9 December 2025 - Across the northeastern United States, a quiet but powerful transformation is underway. Rivers that were once blocked by outdated dams are now running freely again, and the results are nothing short of astonishing -- long-lost ecosystems are returning, fish are migrating in record numbers, and local residents are reconnecting with revitalized waterways in ways they never imagined. (more)

MrBeast and the Rockefeller Foundation are teaming up to spark youth philanthropy
24 November 2025 - One of the most storied American philanthropies is teaming up with the internet's biggest creator to instill young people with a concern for what they call the world's 'most vulnerable' populations. (more)

US: Wisconsin archaeologists identify 16 ancient canoes in a prehistoric lake 'parking lot'
19 November 2025 - Archaeologists have identified more than a dozen ancient canoes that Indigenous people apparently left behind in a sort of prehistoric parking lot along a Wisconsin lakeshore. ...Tamara Thomsen, the state's maritime archaeologist, said that the site lies near a network of what were once indigenous trails, suggesting ancient people left the canoes there for anyone to use as they traveled, much like a modern-day e-bike rack. (more)

France's birds start to show signs of recovery after bee-harming pesticide ban
18 November 2025 - Insect-eating bird populations in France appear to be making a tentative recovery after a ban on bee-harming pesticides, according to the first study to examine how wildlife is returning in Europe. (more)

Experts lead tours uncovering Mexico's hidden ancient sites
17 November 2025 - Amid the constant blare of car horns in southern Mexico City, it's hard to imagine that Cuicuilco was once the heart of a thriving ancient civilization. Yet atop its circular pyramid, now surrounded by buildings and a shopping center, a pre-Hispanic fire god was revered. ...Cuicuilco means 'the place where songs and dances are made' in the Nahua language. (more)

This Tunisian startup has an answer to expensive EV charging: solar rays
16 November 2025 - Every type of EV charging comes with a price tag, but North African startup Bako Motors has a pretty simple workaround: just let cars charge themselves. Bako's ultra-compact cars and fun-sized cargo vans actually have solar panels on the top. ...With most EVs across the continent still depending on electricity from the power grid, Bako Motors hopes to rewrite that equation by tapping into one of the region's most abundant resources: sunshine. (more)