Here are 6 stories that highlight progress from around the world

These are stories of global progress, compiled by the media group and shared in partnership with ��h/The Times-Picayune.

Each story overview is linked to an original report or story with more information.

Education and the reduction of global poverty

The Quarterly Journal of Economics, edited by the Department of Economics at Harvard, published an about the role of education in the reduction of global poverty. Gethin introduces a "distributional growth accounting" method to measure how education has driven global economic growth and poverty reduction from 1980 to 2019. He found that "education can account for about 45% of global economic growth and 60% of pretax income growth among the world’s poorest 20%" during that timeframe. His research emphasizes that schooling has played a major role in the reduction of global poverty, along with its importance for growth in the future.

New possibilities for prostate cancer treatment

Prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers affecting men, may have a new and improved treatment, according to a study by scientists from in Australia and South China University of Technology. The international study, published in the journal , reveals that two enzymes, PDIA1 and PDIA5, play a role in helping prostate cancer cells grow, survive and resist treatment. Blocking these enzymes destabilizes the androgen receptor (a key driver of the disease), causing cancer cell death and tumor shrinkage in laboratory and animal models. This discovery reveals a new vulnerability in prostate cancer and suggests that targeting these enzymes could improve therapies, though safer drugs need development before clinical use.

Australian whale population rebounds

Eastern Australian humpback whales have rebounded dramatically, with a new estimate suggesting at least 50,000 individuals in 2024, surpassing their numbers before commercial whaling began. According to the , scientists say the recovery from a low of around 150 whales in the 1960s is “remarkable,” with the population likely near or even above historical levels. The estimate comes from decades of sightings and photographs collected by researchers and citizen scientists. Experts aren’t sure why this population has rebounded so successfully compared to others, but factors like long coastline habitats for mothers and calves and less food competition may help. Numbers are expected to plateau as the whales reach the maximum population size that the environment can sustain.

Changing how we study the brain

One of the world's fastest supercomputers has helped researchers to create one of the most detailed virtual brain simulations ever, according to the . The researchers digitally replicated the entire cortex of a mouse with nearly 10 million neurons and 26 billion synapses. Powered by the Japanese Fugaku supercomputer, which performs quadrillions of calculations per second, the simulation models brain structure and activity at a biophysical level, capturing how neurons fire, transmit signals and interact. This virtual cortex lets scientists conduct “experiments” that were previously only possible with real brain tissue — enabling them to explore disease progression (like Alzheimer’s or epilepsy), understand brain waves and test hypotheses about neural processes in unprecedented detail.

Preschool enrollment is soaring in Morocco

Kids play in the yard at Preschool Learning Center in New Orleans, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. (Photo by Sophia Germer, , The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

In 2018, the Kingdom of Morocco set a goal of universal access for 4 to 5-year-olds by 2028. From 2018 to 2024, the national preschool enrollment jumped from 45% to 80%, and rural enrollment surged from 33% to 91%, according to . This push created over 9,000 new jobs for preschool teachers, generated economic opportunities and strengthened women's empowerment in communities. Girls' enrollment increased 68% from 2017 to 2024, with targeted interventions to remove barriers and ensure that girls benefit from the advantages of having a preschool foundation — including confidence, developmental skills and social readiness. Today, over 900,000 children attend modern preschools across the country.

Midwives in Uganda ramp up action

In Uganda, midwives are intensifying their efforts to prevent and treat postpartum hemorrhage through enhanced training, tools and supplies. Globally, the for pregnant women is obstetric hemorrhage (severe bleeding), especially after childbirth. With help from the , facilities like the Kawempe National Referral Hospital are training their health workers to use calibrated drapes, massaging techniques, tranexamic acid and IV fluids to quickly stop severe bleeding after childbirth, saving lives. Along with the UNFPA, the Ministry of Health, National Midwives Association of Uganda and partners are rolling out updated protocols and training materials to strengthen frontline responses.

is the world's leading solutions journalism newsletter. The organization finds hidden stories of progress and shares them with readers from 195 countries. Steven Pinker calls Fix the News "the best source for positive news on the internet."

��h