Global round up of concise, positive news stories to end the week.
You Couldn't Make It Up
In a classic case of daylight robbery, the UK's policing minister had her purse stolen from the hotel where she was giving a speech to senior police officers last week. The "thieves struck" while Dame Diana Johnson was speaking about an "epidemic of antisocial behaviour, theft and shoplifting" at the annual Police Superintendents' Association conference. The incident will prove "acutely embarrassing for the minister", said The Telegraph, and a police source said organisers and hotel staff were "mortified" about the theft.
Sweet Sorrow
A "guilt-ridden" former juvenile shoplifter sent a letter of apology and a €50 note to the owner of a bar that he stole sweets from as a child, said The Telegraph. "I am sorry for having stolen from you and I wish the best for you, your loved ones and your business," said the typewritten note, which was signed: Respectfully, Anonymous. The owner of Le Provençal, a bar and tobacconist in the south of France, was touched by the note. "He or she is sleeping peacefully," he said of his contrite correspondent. The bar owner has shared the money between his three daughters.
New 'Grumpy' Fish Species
A team of researchers has discovered a new species of fish in the Red Sea that seems perpetually displeased. The researchers decided to call this new species the grumpy dwarfgoby. Despite its small size of less than 2cm, the grumpy dwarfgoby has a surprisingly menacing appearance. Its large canines and fierce expression give it a rather intimidating look for such a small fish. Lucía Pombo-Ayora, who gave the species its grumpy common name, comments on its distinctive appearance, "I imagine in its own tiny world, it is a fearsome predator. Its grumpy expression and large canines certainly make it look the part, despite its small size."
Asia Record?
For the first time in 30 years, Vincent van Gogh’s Les canots amarrés (Moored Boats) is set to hit the auction block. The 1887 painting will appear at Christie’s Hong Kong on 26 September with an estimate of $30 million to $50 million. If the high estimate is met, Les canots amarrés will become the most expensive work by a Western artist sold at auction in Asia, beating the present record-holder, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 painting Warrior, which fetched $41.7 million at Christie’s in 2021.
Ozone Layer Healing
The ozone layer is steadily moving along “the road to long-term recovery,” according to the World Meteorological Organization. The protective layer is on track to return to 1980s levels - meaning the pre-hole era - around 2040. That’s true everywhere but the poles, which are both expected to heal by 2066. The recovery is credited to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, requiring chlorofluorocarbons and other ozone-depleting substances to be phased out.
New USPS EVs
A special delivery is coming to the streets: The U.S. Postal Service recently debuted its much-anticipated electric vehicles in Athens, Georgia. The new vehicles will replace 30-year-old mail trucks that have a reputation for being noisy, smelly, and gas-guzzling, getting just 9 mpg. They also don’t have many safety features, ample room for drivers to stand, or air conditioning. On the flip side, the updated trucks tick all the boxes, as they’re quieter, more spacious, loaded with modern safety features, and, perhaps most importantly for drivers, equipped with air conditioning. The new vehicles will be rolled out across the fleet over the next few years.
"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart." Elisabeth Foley
On This Day
20 September 1973: In a much-publicized “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs. The event at the Astrodome in Houston was the most-watched tennis match of all time, with an in-house attendance of 30,472 as well as a worldwide television audience estimated at over 90 million.
Today's Articles
Iconic Neon Sign: The huge sign on Manhattan’s Hotel Chelsea - the infamous gathering spot for writers, artists and musicians - is to be sold letter by letter.
Chickens Fed Cannabis Are Superior: Probably not a headline you ever expected to read, but a serendipitous experiment shows positive results.
Mood Boosting Video
Jerusalema Dance: Bhutan's airline staff strut their stuff to this wonderfully uplifting music.
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