7 good news stories from this week: one a day, 19-25 October
From record-low deforestation in the Amazon to four new cancer treatments presented in Madrid today: the standout story from each day of the week, verified at the original source.
Every Sunday we pick the standout story from each day of the week. Each one links to its original source in the full story.
Monday 19 · The Amazon at a record low
The Tejo river winds through the Amazon rainforest in Acre, Brazil. Photo: Rafa Neddermeyer / Agência Brasil.
Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon fell 42% in a year, according to INPE satellite data: the lowest level since records began in 1988. Read the story
Tuesday 20 · Renewables overtake coal
From January to June 2026, renewables supplied 35.8% of the world’s electricity and coal 32.2%, according to Ember. The gap is growing. See the data story
Wednesday 21 · 17 countries for threatened species
The launch of the CARES coalition at the COP17 biodiversity summit in Yerevan, Armenia. Photo: COP17 Yerevan / Davit Hakobyan, Tigran Mehrabyan.
Colombia and Armenia lead CARES, a coalition of 17 governments working to bring threatened species back with measurable progress by 2030. Read the story
Thursday 22 · A kidney through a single incision
Bellvitge University Hospital, near Barcelona, carried out Europe’s first living-donor kidney transplant with a single-port robot: one 7-centimetre cut instead of up to six. Read the story
Friday 23 · Kenya locks in its wild places
Elephants in the Namunyak community conservancy, northern Kenya. Photo: Ami Vitale / The Nature Conservancy.
The Thamani Asili programme puts $160m into protecting 2.7 million more hectares and creating around 7,800 jobs over ten years. Read the story
Saturday 24 · Breast screening from 45 to 74 in Spain
A mobile unit of the breast cancer screening programme in the Canary Islands. Photo: Government of the Canary Islands (Canary Islands Health Service).
Spain’s health ministry and regions approved extending breast cancer screening to women aged 45-49 and 70-74 nationwide. It still has to be published in the official gazette. Read the story
Sunday 25 · Four treatments that extend survival
Image: Happy News of the Day data card.
At Europe’s biggest cancer congress, in Madrid, four phase 3 trials showed longer survival in advanced lung, stomach and bile duct cancers. In stomach cancer, from 5 to 10 months. Read the story
