North Korea introduced a mass measles-rubella immunization program in November 2019. Through this mass immunization activity, achieving more than 99.8% coverage in almost 6 million target population, the country has rapidly built substantial population immunity for rubella.
North Korea eliminates rubella Read more
Biden’s plans to cancel up to $400 billion in student debt for tens of millions of Americans were foiled by the Supreme Court. Still, Biden has managed to erase $127 billion in student debt so far for more than 3.5 million borrowers — more than any other president in history.
Biden administration has forgiven $127 billion in student debt Read more
The renaming ceremony was the ninth — and final — among Army installations this year, capping a controversial three-year effort initiated by top Pentagon officials in 2020 amid a nationwide racial reckoning following the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
Final U.S. Army base stripped of Confederate name as Fort Gordon becomes Fort Eisenhower Read more
A decade ago, New Caledonia established its entire 502,000-square-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as a marine protected area. However, only 2.4% of the park prohibited fishing, drilling and mining. Now, the New Caledonian government has designated an additional 7.6% of its EEZ to be highly protected.
New Caledonia expands strictly protected coverage of its swath of the Pacific Read more
The researchers from the University of Cambridge found that, on its own, the blood test could diagnose up to 30% of patients with BD, but combining it with the online psychiatric assessment significantly improved the diagnosis rate, especially in people whose diagnosis was not obvious.
Quick, simple blood test helps diagnose bipolar disorder Read more
The Indonesian federal government has recognized 55,700 acres of ancestral forests on the northern tip of Sumatra for the first time. Indigenous communities in the region have welcomed the recognition, saying it will give them legal protection to manage their forests in a sustainable manner.
Indonesian government recognizes ancestral forests in Aceh for first time Read more
The new all-electric rail line, between the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Bandung, cuts journey time from around 3 hours, down to just 45 minutes. There are plans to continue the line onwards, from Bandung city node, all the way to the eastern end of Java.
Indonesia opens Southern Hemisphere’s first high-speed train Read more
In its decision, the court said that the requirement forces trans people to make the “cruel choice between accepting the sterilization surgery that causes intense bodily invasion and giving up important legal benefits of being treated according to their gender identity.”
Japan’s Supreme Court strikes down sterilization requirement for trans people Read more
New York is investing in a massive 6.4 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy, made up of three offshore wind farms and 22 onshore clean energy projects. It’s going to be enough to power 2.6 million New York homes and deliver around 12% of the state’s electricity needs once it’s all online.
New York just made the largest state renewables investment in U.S. history Read more
In just a span of five months since EO 21 was issued, the number of offshore wind energy service contracts awarded to qualified investors went from 38 to 78. The biggest growth in terms of gigawatts and allocation happened between August to October when the number of rose from 63 to 78 contracts with a total of 61.6 GW.
