I love sport, I like to do it myself, I like to watch it live in the stadium or in the hall or sit in front of the TV. And the best thing is that more and more women are being shown as athletes. Whether it’s professional women’s soccer leagues, women’s basketball or women’s athletics. The fact that more women are being shown in sport is not a trend for me, but a change, as our Good News today also shows: There will be more women than men at the 2028 Olympics in LA.

More and more activists around the world are taking legal action for climate protection. With success – last year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland was violating the Convention on Human Rights because it was doing too little to combat climate change. The activists, called Klima-Seniorinnen, from Switzerland had brought the case. This has now also encouraged Portuguese climate activists to take legal action against the Portuguese government, as one of today’s Good News articles shows.

Today I was impressed by Ronin – a giant hamster rat. A small animal that does big things: since 2021, Ronin has detected 109 landmines and 15 other potentially lethal remnants of war in Cambodia. It will be on duty for another two years before it retires. A story that shows what animals and humans can achieve together.

Since 2019, Iceland has had the option of a four-day week, which was initially launched as a project but has now become established. With success: stable productivity and satisfied employees. For a while now, I have also been working a reduced number of hours, spread over five days. For me, this means more flexibility and more time for personal projects.

My favorite good news stories are always the ones that focus on animals. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been eating a plant-based diet for over five years. And today, there are once again two great pieces of news from the animal world: Biodiversity in Tanzania is set to be strengthened through a new conservation program, and the world’s largest wildlife crossing is nearing completion.

We start the new week with good news from around the world: In pharmacies in England, the morning-after pill will soon be free of charge and without a prescription. In Mexico, sweet and savoury foods are now banned in all schools – for the good of health. And in Africa, farmers receive innovative irrigation systems to promote clean energy and food security. Have a good week and let’s hope for many more good news.

Just today I received an email to sign up for a petition and I always catch myself thinking: ‘Is this going to help at all?’. And yes, protest does bring something, as one of our Good News from today shows. In the Netherlands, the energy company Vattenfall has cancelled the construction of a wood pellet power plant. Forest activists had protested against this, as several studies show that wood pellets cause more emissions than coal.

Just before the weekend, there is a load of positive news about the protection of animals and people! In Colombia, a new protected area for Indigenous peoples is being set up in the Amazon, which is closed to commercial use. Also, contact with the Indigenous people living there is prohibited in order to protect their isolation. While in India, the use of AI ensures the safe passage of elephants over train tracks – with great success: since then, there have been no more accidents!

As I strolled through the streets of Berlin at the weekend, I thought to myself how much more relaxed it would be if streets and alleyways with cafés and small shops were car-free. More space for socialising instead of street noise! This is exactly what the people of Paris have now decided to do. In a public survey, they voted in favour of 500 streets without cars.

In today’s edition we have a recommendation from the community. We love to hear about good news that you come across in your daily life. You can reach us at: redaktion@goodnews.eu. We love the exchange with you and now enjoy reading!

The Channel Islands are hosting a beach clean up this weekend. Perhaps an idea for a weekend activity with friends and family on your doorstep. Good for the environment and people. Spring is here in Berlin and I’ll be keeping an eye out for rubbish when I walk my dog. Have a nice weekend!

Happy International Women’s Day 🩷 Today we celebrate what activists have achieved, what we are currently fighting for and what we will still achieve for women’s rights! 💪 Every woman should celebrate this day in the way that is right for her.❣️ We also have some good news today as a study has analysed which menstrual products perform best in terms of sustainability. Almost 1.8 billion people have their periods every month – and I’m very glad that this taboo subject has been broken and we can finally talk about it.

When the devastating wildfires broke out in Los Angeles earlier this year, many people lost their homes. As since such extreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to the climate crisis, a New York architecture firm has now released free construction plans and 3D models of fire-resistant house designs. This at least helps save at least the planning costs. A beautiful gesture, we think. Enjoy reading more good news from around the world!

I love movie nights with popcorn and cold drinks, especially on weekends, and here’s some good news from Hollywood: in 2024, for the first time, there have been as many women as men playing ead roles in American blockbusters. At the same time, women over the age of 45 are underrepresented, as are people of color. I also feel that movies have become more diverse, but there is still room for improvement. Perhaps his can serve as a little inspiration for the next movie selection – to see a movie with a diverse cast.