Today (2017 C.E. - 2024 C.E.)

Australian money

Australia to slash $10 billion off student debt amid cost of living pressures

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that his government planned to cut student loans for around three million Australians by 20%, wiping off around A$16 billion ($10 billion) in debts.
The move builds on May’s budget, which attacked cost of living pressures in Australia and gave debt relief for students, as well as more investment to make medicines cheaper, and a boost to a rent assistance program. The changes would mean the average graduate with a loan of A$27,600 would have A$5,520 wiped, the government said, adding that they would take effect from June 1, 2025.

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Thai flag

Thailand moves to end statelessness for nearly 500,000 people in “historic development”

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In a landmark move towards ending statelessness, Thailand’s cabinet has approved an accelerated pathway to permanent residency and nationality for nearly half a million stateless people, marking one of the region’s most significant citizenship initiatives. The decision will benefit 335,000 longtime residents and members of officially recognized minority ethnic groups, along with approximately 142,000 of their children born in Thailand. The country recently pledged at the Global Refugee Forum 2023 to resolve statelessness and was among the founding members of the Global Alliance to End Stateless, an initiative launched by UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, in Geneva last month.

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Old photograph of Native American person

Biden delivers “long overdue” formal apology in Arizona for Indian boarding school atrocities

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President Biden has issued a formal presidential apology to Native American communities for the atrocities committed against Indigenous children and their families during a 150-year era of forced federal Indian boarding schools. “After 150 years, the United States government eventually stopped the program,” the president said. “But the federal government has never, never formally apologized for what happened — until today. I formally apologize, as president of the United States of America, for what we did.”

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Aerial view of Tokyo cityscape with Fuji mountain in Japan.

Second Japanese high court rules in favor of same-sex marriage

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A Tokyo high court in Japan recently ruled that the government’s policy against same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The ruling marks the second time that one of the nation’s eight regional high courts has ruled in favor of marriage equality. The Tokyo high court ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is “a groundless legal discrimination based on sexual orientation” that violates the constitutionally guaranteed right to equality and dignity regardless of sex.

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Coal pollution

German coal use plunges nearly 40% in 2024

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In the first nine months of 2024, the consumption of hard coal in power plants to generate electricity fell by 39% compared to the same period the previous year. This was a result of an overall decrease in electricity generation, an increase in electricity production from renewables, and increased electricity purchasing from neighboring countries. Overall energy use also continued to fall and is set to reach a new annual record low since Germany’s reunification in 1990.

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Colombian woman in traditional clothing weaving looking at the camera

Colombia’s new decree recognizes Indigenous people as environmental authorities

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Indigenous peoples in Colombia have been granted the authority to protect, manage, and conserve biodiversity within their territories according to their knowledge. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has issued a decree that lays out the standards required for Indigenous authorities to issue regulations regarding the protection, preservation, use, and management of natural resources in their territories and effective coordination with state authorities. These powers will be exercised according to their self-government structures.

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Brazil fines meat ranchers and packers $64 million for raising and purchasing cattle from deforested Amazon

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IBAMA, Brazil’s environmental protection agency, has fined meat packers and cattle ranchers — including the largest on the planet, JBS — $64 million for buying or raising cattle on illegally deforested land in the Amazon rainforest. The agency said 69 properties had been identified that had sold a total of 18,000 cattle who had been raised on deforested land, reported Reuters. They also found 23 meat packing companies that had bought the cattle in Amazonas and Para states. Cattle ranching is the biggest driver of deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.

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Professional workers clean and inspect solar panels on a floating buoy. Power plant with water

China adds unprecedented 160 GW of solar power in first 3 quarters of 2024

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China has added a total of 160 GW of solar power so far this year. Putting that total into some context, China hit a total, country-wide solar power capacity of 770 GW in August. After years of installing more solar power than any other nation, the first 9 months of this year accounted for roughly 20% of China’s total solar installations and roughly 10% of humanity’s total solar installations, a truly astounding and record-breaking amount. China yet again has proven itself as the undisputed global leader in renewable energy.

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Salmon run

Salmon return to Klamath River for first time in 112 years

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On October 16, biologists with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spotted the fish above the former site of the J.C. Boyle Dam in the Upper Klamath River. The dam was one of four that had blocked the salmon’s migration between the Klamath Basin and the Pacific Ocean. Each of those dams was recently deconstructed in the largest dam removal project in United States history, which has restored the river to its natural, free-flowing state.

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Doctor with Red Ribbon for December World Aids Day, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, multiple myeloma Cancer Awareness month and National Red ribbon week. Healthcare and world cancer day concept

Biden administration adds injectable PrEP requirement for insurance providers

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The Biden-Harris administration has announced a new requirement for insurance providers to cover injectable PrEP in their policies without a co-payment for consumers. The new rule, built on previous guidance for the Affordable Care Act, also applies to increased choice in contraception. The Biden-Harris administration announced Monday a new requirement for insurance providers to cover injectable PrEP in their policies without a co-payment for consumers. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, was first approved by the FDA in 2012 to prevent people exposed to HIV from becoming infected with the virus. Truvada in pill form was the first prescriptive PrEP to hit the market, followed by Descovy. The injectable PrEP Apretude was approved in 2021.

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