We interrupt this program to bring you some breaking news: there are some good things happening in the world. Here is just a handful:

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The crime rate is falling across Australia. It differs from state to state (NSW, you need to do better), but overall the murder rate is down, along with sexual assault and robbery, the latter dropping for the first time since the pandemic.

New right-to-repair laws introduced in Europe last week will require manufacturers of products like mobile phones, vacuum cleaners and washing machines to offer consumers repair services. The idea is to tackle waste, challenge the entrenched, money-spinning notion of disposability and revitalise the repair industry.

AI has been put to good use, helping British neurosurgeons remove a tumour and save a patient's eye. The AI system was trained with videos of previous similar surgeries and identified areas of risk which the surgeons avoided.

Also in the UK, a controversial anti-pollution measure called Ultra Low Emission Zones or ULEZ introduced seven years has borne fruit, with researchers finding children had healthier lung growth. And since the zones were introduced, more kids are walking or cycling to school.

In the sweltering southern Indian state of Kerala, architects designed a brick house which stays cool without the need for air conditioning. Taking advantage of the natural airflow, they designed the house so hot air would rise to high, steeply angled ceilings and escape through windows. They also used porous bricks which kept the air flowing so the house acts like a fan without using electricity.

In the US, people power is taking on big tech - and not just over energy- and water-hungry AI data centres. The proliferation of so-called Flock cameras which automatically read vehicle number plates has been reversed after a loud public backlash over privacy and the intrusion of surveillance. Now jurisdictions across the country are tearing up Flock contracts, demonstrating that big tech is not always all powerful.

Interestingly the Flock revolt comes as the US records its sharpest drop in violent crime since the FBI began keeping records.

And, speaking of intrusive cameras, Australia is not the only country taking steps to rein in smart glasses. Norway is also considering banning or severely limiting the use of these camera-equipped devices, now known as pervert glasses.

Some good news spins out of bad news.

The incredible story of the Nepali teacher Rajendra Dawadi, whose........

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