Welcome to the Good News Roundup for October 13, 2025
Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Venezuelan democracy campaigner
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights” under Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian rule.
The Nobel Committee praised the 58-year-old as “a woman who keeps the flame of democracy going, amidst a growing darkness,” recognising her efforts to achieve a peaceful transition to democracy.
Machado has been in hiding since last year after being barred from running for president but took to social media to share her surprise at winning the prize.
Read more here.
Bystanders help lift helicopter after crash in Sacramento
Bystanders have been praised for their bravery after a medical helicopter crashed on a freeway in Sacramento, California.
Dramatic footage shows passers-by working together to lift the wreckage and free a paramedic trapped beneath.
All three people on board the chopper survived, with their families thanking those who rushed to help.
See the incredible footage here.
Swiss city bans leaf blowers
Zurich has become the first European city for ban petrol-powered leaf blowers, in a landmark move aimed at reducing noise pollution.
Backed by nearly 62 per cent of voters, the new law allows only electric leaf blowers to be used, and only during autumn months from October to December.
City officials say the decision reflects growing public concern over the tranquillity of neighbourhoods and air quality.
Read more here.
Robots take student places in classrooms
A robot pilot program has been launched in Tasmania to help students who can’t attend school stay connected to their classrooms.
The Missing School program will roll out in 35 schools across the state, enabling students who can’t attend school for various reasons, to mobilise a remote-controlled robot to move between classes in their place.
The robots use microphone and camera systems to feed streams back to the students, in what program organisers say helps to bridge barriers to education.
Read more here.
