Bathing to be allowed in the Seine by 2025
Good news stories from the past seven days

The waters of the Seine will be clean enough for Parisians to bathe in by 2025, the French government has confirmed. Swimming has been banned in the river since 1923, owing to high levels of pollution. But the water quality has been improving since Jacques Chirac pledged to clean up the Seine in 1990, and efforts have recently accelerated, as Paris prepares to host the 2024 Olympics. Swimming is expected to be permitted in 23 locations, some in the city centre.
Former wasteland declared national nature reserve
A former industrial wasteland in Greater Manchester has been declared a national nature reserve (NNR). Named the Flashes of Wigan and Leigh, the 738-hectare wetland was formed by the flooding of land that had subsided as a result of intensive coal mining in the 19th century. Over the past 100 years, the area has become a haven for rare species, including bitterns and water voles. It is one of the largest of England’s 226 NNRs – and the first in Greater Manchester. Marian Spain, Natural England’s chief executive, said the Flashes’ new status showed it was “possible to reverse the decline in nature”
Retired engineer to take to the skies
A retired engineer from Hampshire has been given permission to take to the skies in the replica Spitfire he has spent the past 16 years building. Steve Markham, who qualified as a pilot in the 1970s, started assembling the aircraft in his barn, with the help of his wife Kay, when he realised that to buy an original wartime model would cost upwards of £2m. He said that he and Kay were hoping to fly the aircraft to Rome for a “nice Italian lunch” next year, but that their first flight would be to the Isle of Wight, for ice cream.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Can Soho House get its edge back?
Talking Point The private members' club has lost its exclusive appeal – but a £2 billion buy-out could offer a fresh start
-
The week's best photos
In Pictures A human pyramid, a church on wheels, and more
-
The Week Unwrapped: Is it time for a new world map?
Podcast Plus, why is the pope getting flatmates? And why are seagull 'muggings' on the rise?
-
The Strait of Messina: a bridge too far?
Talking Point Giorgia Meloni's government wants to build the world's longest suspension bridge, fulfilling the ancient Roman vision of connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland
-
Is Trump's new peacemaking model working in DR Congo?
Talking Point Truce brokered by the US president in June is holding, but foundations of a long-term peace have let to be laid
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
The return of the Houthis: violence in the Red Sea
In the Spotlight The Houthis are back with their strongest attack yet
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
The France-Indonesia push for an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solution
Talking Points Both countries have said a two-state solution is the way to end the Middle East conflict