Celebrating the end of the week with a global round up of positive news nuggets.
Rights of Nature
Lawmakers in the Caribbean island of Aruba have taken the first steps toward amending its constitution to include a recognition that nature possesses inherent legal rights to exist and regenerate. If the process is successful, Aruba will become the world’s second country, after Ecuador, to constitutionally recognize the rights of nature. It would be even better news if more countries followed suit.
Oh Là Là
As you know, baguettes are a big deal in France. The crusty, oh-so-French treat even has UNESCO protection for its cultural relevance. Every year, judges gather to anoint Paris' best bread at the “Grand Prix de la Baguette de Tradition Francaise de la Ville De Paris” contest. The winning baker gets the honour of supplying baguettes for a year to the Élysée Palace, the official home of the French president, plus a tidy cash sum. This year, the prize went to Sri Lankan Tharshan Selvarajah, who owns a Parisian bakery called Au Levain des Pyrénées. Selvarajah says his secret is to bake a batch every 20 minutes so that the bread is always hot and fresh.
Beginner's Luck
Two sculptures of Roman heads dating back to the second century have been discovered by an archaeological volunteer on her first day on the job. Carol Veit, a retired nurse from Indiana, and the excavation team made the finding yesterday near Hadrian's Wall - which was built to defend the Roman's northern boundary in England. One of the sculptures may represent Fortuna, the goddess of luck.
Conservation Wave
The English county of Devon, in south west England, is riding the crest of a conservation wave after joining the sun-kissed Californian shores of Santa Cruz and Malibu as one of the most outstanding places on the planet to hang ten. It’s the first site in the UK to gain World Surfing Reserve status from the Save the Waves coalition, a charity dedicated to the care of coasts and surf ecosystems. The new reserve joins 11 other WSRs across the globe and encompasses 18 miles (30km) of Devon coastline. The designation means a community-led group commits to protecting the surf zone through conservation stewardship.
Earliest Evidence
Scientists may have just found the earliest evidence in Europe of fires used for socializing and cooking food, according to a new study published in Nature. The research, which was carried out at Spain's Valdocarros II site - one of the largest Acheulean sites in Europe - indicates that early humans in Europe could have been manipulating fire to cook their meals as early as 250,000 years ago. This discovery pushes back the timeline by 50,000 years compared to previous estimations.
Coronation Clothing
King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s Coronation was a day of pomp and pageantry unlike any witnessed within most of our lifetimes. The royal couple’s outfits were no exception, from ceremonial robes dating back generations to newly-commissioned garments reflecting the new King and Queen’s personal tastes. Now, royal fans will have a chance to see the remarkable items up close, as they’re set to go on display at Buckingham Palace this summer from 14 July to 24 September. The clothing will be part of a dedicated Coronation display in the Palace Ballroom.
“The butterfly is a flying flower, the flower a tethered butterfly.” Ecouchard Le Brun
On this Day
26 May 1897: Irish writer Bram Stoker published the Gothic horror classic Dracula, which became the basis for an entire genre of literature and films about vampires.
13 years after a diamond ring was accidentally flushed down a toilet, it was returned - thanks to 'needle in a haystack' kind of luck and some detective work. Sparkle of light...
Barcelona's streets are being turned into tree-lined avenues with public squares at their intersections. Eixos Verds...
Best Jokes About Putin: Stories abound of Ukrainians keeping their spirits up by discussing Putin's facial surgery and telling jokes about him. Put-out...
Mood Booster
Some hilarious clips of dogs failing to be dogs.
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