The Rest of the World Report | April 19, 2026
Good News Sunday
Every Sunday, ROTWR sets aside the war for a few minutes. Five stories from the week that remind us what the world is also capable of.
1. A 100-year-old American was knighted by France for what he did at 18
Staff Sgt. Phillip “Bruce” Cook flew 35 missions as a ball turret gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress over occupied Europe at the age of 18. More than 80 years after his last mission, the 100-year-old South Carolina native received France’s highest military award, becoming a Knight of the Legion of Honor.
The honor was presented on April 9 at the South Carolina Historic Aviation Foundation by French Consul General Anne-Laure Desjonquères, who told Cook: “You are a true hero — your example gives us inspiration for the future and your legacy provides a moral compass for generations to come.”
Cook had originally enlisted in 1943 with dreams of becoming a P-38 fighter pilot, washed out of cadet training, and found his way back to aviation as a ball turret gunner — the belly position, one of the most exposed on the aircraft. He fit in it, he said, pretty well. He flew his last mission on February 16, 1945.
At the ceremony, Cook said he wanted to speak for those who never came home. “There is no way that I can even attempt to explain the feeling. As far as I’m concerned, I am so unworthy. I want to be a representative of the people who didn’t come back. They are the ones who paid the real sacrifice.”
Sources: Military Times (confirmed this session); Task & Purpose (confirmed this session)
2. Goodbye colonoscopy? Scientists can now detect 90% of colorectal cancers from a stool sample
Researchers at the University of Geneva have developed an approach that could change how colorectal cancer is detected — no colonoscopy required. Using machine learning, they mapped gut bacteria at a previously impossible level of detail, revealing subtle microbial patterns linked to cancer. By analyzing simple stool samples, their method identified 90% of cases, rivaling one of medicine’s most trusted — and most dreaded — diagnostic tools.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. When caught early, it is often highly treatable. However, colonoscopies — the primary screening method — can be costly and uncomfortable, which discourages many people from getting tested on time.
The Geneva team’s method detected 90% of cancer cases, a result close to the 94% detection rate achieved by colonoscopies and better than all current non-invasive methods. A clinical trial is now being prepared in partnership with Geneva University Hospitals to define which cancer stages and lesions the method can detect. The study was published in Cell Host & Microbe.
Source: ScienceDaily / University of Geneva (confirmed this session)
3. More than 10% of the world’s ocean is now officially protected
Nations have achieved what the United Nations Environment Programme is calling “an important global milestone” for people and planet: more than 10% of the world’s ocean is now officially protected. UNEP revealed this week that 5 million square kilometers of ocean — an area larger than the European Union — was newly classed as protected in the last two years alone. The percentage of ocean under conservation measures now stands at 10.01%, up from 8.6% in 2024.
“We all depend on the ocean for our survival; over half of the world’s oxygen is produced by life in the ocean,” said Neville Ash, director of UNEP’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre. The milestone is also a reminder, Ash noted, of how far there is still to go: the 2022 global agreement committed nations to protecting 30% of Earth’s land and sea by 2030.
Source: Positive News / UNEP (confirmed this session)
4. Global terrorism deaths hit their lowest point in almost 20 years
The Global Terrorism Index 2026, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, recorded a substantial fall in terrorism worldwide. Deaths from terrorism fell 28% to 5,582 in 2025, while the number of attacks declined by nearly 22% to 2,944 — the lowest figures since 2007. The improvement was widespread, with 81 countries recording improvements and only 19 deteriorating — the lowest number of deteriorations in the Index’s history.
The GTI notes that this progress may be fragile: Western fatalities rose sharply in 2025, largely driven by antisemitism, Islamophobia, and political violence, and the escalation of the Iran conflict introduces new risk factors for the years ahead. But the long-run picture — from a peak of nearly 11,000 deaths in 2015 to under 5,600 last year — represents a genuine, measurable reduction in political violence worldwide.
Source: Institute for Economics and Peace / Vision of Humanity (confirmed this session)
5. Chile has eliminated leprosy — a disease that has haunted humanity for millennia
The World Health Organization verified Chile’s elimination of leprosy this week, describing the milestone as “a landmark public health achievement” and “a powerful testament to what leadership, science, and solidarity can accomplish.” Chile’s certification follows sustained public health efforts including prevention strategies, early diagnosis, improved treatments, and continuous patient follow-up.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Chile’s elimination of leprosy sends a clear message to the world: with sustained commitment, inclusive health services, integrated public health strategies, early detection and universal access to care, we can consign ancient diseases to history.”
Chile is only the second country to achieve this status. Jordan was the first, verified in September 2024.
Source: Positive News / WHO (confirmed this session)
“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, 1789