South Korea

The Korean ministries focused on gender equality and family, health and welfare, and education announced a dramatic expansion in the country’s parenting education system. “We have concluded that a one-time parenting course taken upon marriage or pregnancy would not be effective in instilling proper values in parents, and therefore have drawn up a plan to teach parenting throughout a person’s life,” said an official from the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. It’s hoped that this program will reduce the prevalence of child abuse.

Bangladesh

Increasing urbanization is causing a spike in the spread of infectious diseases. A study looking at 22 years’ worth of rotavirus cases in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, showed that infection rates during the monsoon season were 10 times higher in the center of the city than in the outskirts. “As we get more-populated megacities, we have to be aware this is going to have strong epidemiological consequences,” said the study’s co-author Mercedes Pascual.

Russia

Engineers at a Siberian research site have developed a nuclear “battery” suitable for use in remote Arctic outposts. The technology generates electricity from a radioactive isotope of nickel, functioning as a good power source for at least 50 years. “These batteries will be useful for the operations of electrical equipment, including for developments of projects in the Arctic, as well as for space operations and robotics,” reported RIA Novosti.

China

The southern Chinese city of Guangzhou is hiring “dancing grannies” to assist in its fight against narcotics crime. More than 100 middle-aged and retired women are helping the police crack down on drugs, going door-to-door to hand out flyers and taking part in a gala to educate locals. The idea is that the women’s position in society will allow them to access more than the authorities might. “Most women are strongly opposed to drug abuse,” said Tang Rongzhen from the local narcotics office. “That’s why we are recruiting them to spread an anti-drug message.”

Mexico

Mexican researchers are helping to develop new varieties of maize that tolerate diseases and poor soils. A newly launched project called Stress-Tolerant Maize for Africa aims to combat the effects of ongoing climate change on sub-Saharan farms. About 70 varieties of the crop will trial across 12 countries, with the goal of improving productivity by 30–50 percent by the end of 2019.

Thailand

Engineers from Naresuan University developed a process that can turn leaves into watertight, biodegradable food bowls. The idea is to replace polluting Styrofoam containers with something more natural. The leaf bowls took more than a year to develop, come in a range of shapes, and will debut to the public during the Songkran festival in April.