An eclectic mid-week global round up of positive news stories to brighten your day.
Giant Trolls
Danish artist Thomas Dambo boasts an impressive collection of trolls. For over a decade, Dambo has been carving massive wooden sculptures of the mythical creatures and displaying them in natural settings around the world. He’s made more than 100 so far, and has even inspired a legion of 'Troll Hunters' who seek out his work with the assistance of his interactive Troll Map. Now, six of his fanciful creations are posted in the Pacific Northwest as part of Northwest Trolls: Way of the Bird King, a large-scale public art project. A longtime environmentalist, Dambo built each of the 12 to 20-foot tall trolls entirely out of recycled materials.
Formal Native Title
A federal judge recognised the Kabi Kabi people's rights to over 365,345 hectares (1,410 sq. miles) on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, bringing an end to 30 years of campaigning. Justice Collier told the court that the Kabi Kabi people 'have and always have had native title rights and interests in this country' and recognised their right to 'take resources from the area for any purpose.'
Female Rangers
Much like the all-female Akashinga (the “brave ones”) in Zimbabwe that are protecting the country’s most iconic wildlife, a women-led group of rangers in Indonesia is leading patrols to combat deforestation. They carry no weapons, apart from large blades they use to cut through the forest, and their low-key tactics have been so effective in getting people to change their habits, they’re now sharing their strategies with other women-led groups around the world.
Gender Equality
In a back-of-the-net moment for fair play and equal pay, Denmark’s Euro 2024 football squad have refused a wage rise to ensure pay parity with the women’s team.
Major Achievement
UNICEF records a 72 percent drop in child mortality rate in South Asia. It must surely be one of the greatest-ever achievements in international development. A new report attributes the drop in deaths from 5 million a year in 1990 to 1.3 million a year in 2022 to investments in health workers, better newborn care, improved treatment of childhood illnesses, and increased vaccination uptake.
Tiger Conservation
In the last 15 years, Nepal has tripled its tiger population to 355 thanks to a zero-poaching policy and conservation measures that have increased forest cover by 45 percent. According to World Bank, the success is benefitting local communities, with Chitwan National Park, home to the largest tiger population in Nepal, now generating 4,000 full-time tourism jobs.
'The Right Thing To Do'
President Biden has announced a significant modification to the pathway to citizenship for 'undocumented spouses' of US citizens - which will apply to around half a million immigrants. Even the hard-to-impress headline writers at The New York Times described Biden’s action as follows: 'The new policy is one of the most significant actions to protect immigrants in years.' Barak Obama said that the "announcement will make it easier for young people educated in this country, including some Dreamers, to access work visas, which would give them more stability, and in some cases, a path to permanent status. We are a better and stronger nation because of these young people - and this is the right thing to do."
“A flower blooming in the desert proves to the world that adversity, no matter how great, can be overcome.” Matshona Dhliwayo
On This Day
26 June 1959: Queen Elizabeth II and US President Dwight D. Eisenhower open the St. Lawrence Seaway, allowing oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North America.
Today's Articles
Parkinson’s Breakthrough: AI-enhanced finger-prick test for Parkinson’s predicts the disease 7 years before the onset of symptoms. It could help slow or even stop it in its tracks.
Rags to Riches: A woman set up a website to clear out her closet and ended up creating a billion dollar empire.
Mood Boosting Video
Farmyard Frolics: Cute little goats having a fun time playing around.