On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden signed the "Respect for Marriage Act". The new law says that the US government recognizes marriages between two men or two women, as well as between people of different races.
Published in December 2022
US scientists announced a huge step forward for fusion energy. For the first time ever, they got more energy out of the process than they put into it. Fusion power is a long way off, but the news is major progress toward a powerful, clean energy source.
NASA's Orion spacecraft splashed down safely on Sunday, successfully completing the space agency's Artemis I mission around the moon. In other moon news, a private Japanese company launched a lunar lander that will deliver a rover and a robot to the moon.
COP15, an important United Nations meeting of nearly 200 countries, is being held in Montreal, Canada. The goal of the meeting is to agree on how to best protect all the different kinds of living things on our planet - Earth's "biodiversity".
In today's news roundup, Peru gets its first female president after its previous president is arrested, people in Iran continue their protests against the government with a nation-wide strike, and eight teams remain in the 2022 World Cup contest.
Last Sunday was the official birthday of the world's oldest land animal. Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise living on the island of Saint Helena, turned 190 years old. The event was celebrated with a big party, which included a special "salad cake".
Last Friday, Britain’s Prince William announced the winners of this year's Earthshot Prize. The prize is meant to encourage new ideas and rapid action to help protect the planet. Each prize-winner won $1.2 million for their efforts.
Two large, powerful volcanoes have recently erupted, releasing rivers of lava and clouds of toxic gas. On Sunday, Indonesia's Mount Semeru erupted, forcing thousands from their homes. Last week, Hawaii's Mauna Loa erupted. Both eruptions are still active.
Around the world, workers are striking. The main cause is that prices have gone up sharply, while workers' pay has not. Many striking workers have extremely important jobs, and some governments have blocked them from striking.
In today's news roundup, hundreds of thousands of people join a march in support of Mexico's president, the Men's World Cup has its first all-female team of referees, and the United Nations celebrates French baguettes by adding them to a special list.
Switzerland has opened a massive "water battery" that will help store energy for Europe. The plant works by storing water, which can later be used to generate power. Storing energy is very important as the world depends more and more on renewable energy.