What went right this week: the good news that matters

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Here is a summary of the three news articles you provided:

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### 1. New ‘life-changing’ drug for children with rare epilepsy
– **Key points:**
– A new drug called **zorevunersen** significantly reduces seizures in children with **Dravet syndrome**, a rare and severe genetic epilepsy.
– Clinical trials published in *The New England Journal of Medicine* show children experienced up to 91% fewer seizures.
– The drug also shows potential to improve children’s mental and behavioral outcomes.
– Side effects were mostly mild.
– Dravet syndrome involves frequent, difficult-to-control seizures and neurodevelopmental challenges.
– Lead researcher Prof Helen Cross highlights the drug’s potential to improve not just seizures but overall quality of life for affected children.

**Image credit:** Mieke Campbell

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### 2. UK employment bill an ‘important step forward for women’
– **Key points:**
– The new **UK Employment Rights Act** has been praised as a major advance for working women, especially low-paid female workers.
– Effective next month, the law provides statutory sick pay eligibility to approximately 800,000 women who previously fell below the threshold.
– Additional protections include limits on zero-hours contracts, better rights for new and expectant mothers, and day-one paternity leave.
– Applies to England, Scotland, and Wales; Northern Ireland may introduce similar laws.
– Trade Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Paul Nowak emphasizes the law’s importance in addressing systemic issues for women at work.
– Critics argue it will increase costs for businesses, but TUC research suggests benefits outweigh costs.

**Image credit:** Christina M

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### 3. An ‘extinct’ butterfly was spotted in England
– **Key points:**
– The large tortoiseshell butterfly, declared extinct in the UK for over 30 years, has been recently sighted again in southern England.
– Sightings have occurred in Kent, Hampshire, Sussex, Dorset, Cornwall, and the Isle of Wight.
– This rediscovery brings hope for the species’ recovery.
– The British charity Butterfly Conservation reported the news.

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