10 Good News Stories from 2024

The news in 2024 was marked by a multitude of negative and shocking events. Navalny, one of Russia's most prominent opposition critics, died in custody. The war in Ukraine continued relentlessly, and the Israel-Gaza conflict escalated further, drawing in other nations. Yet, there were also some positive developments this year. In this blog, we will take a look at 10 of these uplifting events.

After a two-year accession process, Sweden has officially and finally become a member of NATO. For a long time, Turkey and Hungary had blocked Sweden’s membership but eventually lifted their objections. This has allowed the alliance to strengthen itself with a partner boasting modern equipment and well-trained soldiers.

In the 2024 Global Firepower Ranking, Sweden ranks 29th.

This step was crucial in demonstrating the strength of the alliance and carries significant symbolic weight against Russia.

Under Brazilian President Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva, deforestation of the Amazon rainforest has decreased significantly. President Lula has promised to reduce illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest, aiming to stop it entirely by 2030. This goal is to be achieved through strict controls.

The success is already visible: between August 2023 and July 2024, the amount of illegally cleared forest was the lowest in nine years. A total of 30.6% less forest was cleared during this period.

^{12th March 2024}

Although the numbers remain high, global child mortality has decreased. UNICEF reported in March that an estimated 5 million children under the age of five died in 2024.

Since 2022, this represents a 51% decline, marking an all-time low in child mortality rates.

^{18th - 19th November 2024}

At the two-day G20 summit, the leaders of the world’s major industrialized and emerging economies agreed that the wealthy must be taxed more heavily to combat inequality and poverty.

Specifically, individuals with a net worth exceeding one billion US dollars will be required to pay at least 2% annually in taxes to their home country.

This measure could generate around 250 billion euros, which can be used to fight climate change or improve education systems.

^{26th Juli - 11th August 2024}

The Olympic Games take place every four years, yet this year's event in Paris was surprisingly enchanting. Of course, every sporting event has its moments of beauty, but in Paris, it was magical: incidents were rare to non-existent, people were in a festive mood, and everyone got along splendidly.

The political situation in France, particularly the tense atmosphere following the parliamentary elections earlier in the year, had dampened the public mood. However, the Olympic Games helped to lift spirits and bring people together, creating a sense of unity and celebration.

^{7th December 2024}

While we're on the topic of Paris: in early December, Notre-Dame was officially reopened with a grand ceremony. French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech in the presence of around 40 heads of state and government.

Around 840 million euros in donations were raised. The cathedral was rebuilt in just five and a half years after it was severely damaged by a fire that destroyed part of the building.

There are around 40 million people worldwide living with HIV.

The drug Lenacapavir can protect for up to six months against an HIV infection. While there have been pills for prevention before, they had to be taken daily.

Lenacapavir is administered via injection, offering hope that it could fundamentally change HIV prevention.

So far, Lenacapavir has only been approved for the treatment of HIV, but approval for its use as a preventive measure could follow soon.

In just 11 days, an alliance of Islamist rebels was able to surprisingly advance all the way to Damascus. President Assad is said to have fled to Russia, while the country is now under the control of the rebels. Their stated goal is the creation of a new, free Syria.

However, the future direction of the country remains uncertain. Despite this, many people feel relief over the end of the Assad era. The new leaders spoke of a "Syria for all." Prisoners were freed from torture cells, and people celebrated in the streets.

The G7 nations reached an agreement in April to phase out coal by the middle of 2030. This important step was decided by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Canada, and the United States.

The United Kingdom has already managed to be free of coal this year, becoming the first major industrialized country to no longer produce electricity from coal.

Although the number of species continues to decline, there are some success stories in 2024 where populations are rising again. These include the lynx, tiger, Siamese crocodile, sea turtle, tuna, and sea eagle.

This progress has been made possible through targeted conservation efforts and international cooperation, demonstrating what is achievable in wildlife protection. It offers a hopeful outlook amidst the otherwise grim news surrounding the environment, nature, and animals.

This was my selection of 10 positive events and news from 2024. Which event or news do you think was missing? Share it in the comments!

All sources are used to verify the contents of the blog. If content errors still appear in the blog, please leave a comment.

The whole research were taken in German, that’s why all sources are in German too.

Thank you for reading my blog!