An eclectic collection of positive news stories from around the world.
Red Sprites
Dancing sprites, heavenly landscapes, and apocalyptic-looking skies are some of the top picks as the Royal Meteorological Society has recently unveiled the winners of the Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year Competition 2024. The top prize was awarded to Wang Xin from China for the image “Sprites Dancing in the Dark Night.” While traveling around Shanghai’s Chongming District amid a violent thunderstorm, Xin managed to capture a flickering flurry of red in the clouds. This form of transient luminous event is very occasionally seen in the upper atmosphere when thunderstorm lightning is raging below, although they’re exceptionally tricky to capture on camera.
World's Rarest Cloud Type Caught on Film: Asperitas Clouds - or Undulatus Asperatus - are extremely rare and, only relatively recently, became listed as a cloud type at all. Watch...
Amazon Solar Energy
An often-overlooked benefit of the clean energy transition - access to energy for people that have never had it. In recent years, solar projects have multiplied in communities in the Amazon, thanks to an accelerated rollout by multiple countries, including Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, reports Dialogue Earth. The freezer, mobile phones and spotlights are now among the community’s most used, and most valued, bits of equipment. Though the night sky is no longer as starry with the increase in artificial light, the solar panels’ replacement of many of the generators has brought quiet and taken away the smell of burning fuel, say residents.
Somalia Debt Cancelled
In good news for Somalia and its people, the African nation has announced that more than $1.1 billion of outstanding loans will be cancelled by the US, a sum representing about a quarter of the country’s remaining debt. The announcement is the latest in a series of agreements in which Somalia’s creditors have committed to forgiving its debt obligations. Somalia’s Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, hailed the “historic” agreement, adding that it was more “excellent news for Somalia’s ongoing recovery effort”.
Band of Brothers
Every month is an opportunity for Kim Bright, David Day, Brian Wells, John Collins and Michael Stephens to meet up for a pint at The Old Swanne Inn, in Evesham, England. It is an event in the calendar they have all looked forward to for the past 64 years. The "lads" first met at Prince Henry's School in Evesham in 1953 and when they left in 1960 they got together for a farewell pint, but did not want to say goodbye. Instead they arranged to have a regular pub gathering on the first Tuesday of every month. The group, all now aged in their 80s, said they felt like a "band of brothers". "We talk about all sorts of stuff, reminiscence. I never thought for one minute, we'd still be here doing it all these years later," Mr Stephens said.
Keyed Up
A "fast-fingered" concert pianist from Romania appears to have set a new world record by hitting a piano key 500 times in 30 seconds, reported UPI. Renowned concert pianist Thurzó Zoltán took on the challenge as a tribute to his mother, Thurzó Margit Terézia, who died in 2023. He has previously set the world record for the highest altitude for a grand piano performance, when he tickled the ivories at 19,024 feet, and the longest marathon playing keyboard/piano by an individual, when he played for 130 hours. Evidence from his latest attempt is being submitted to Guinness World Records for official verification.
Notta Hotta
If you tend to choose 1 on the spicy scale, this news is for you: Plant breeders at Oregon State University developed two new varieties of less-spicy (but still tasty) habanero peppers that likely won’t require having a glass of milk within reach. Called “Notta Hotta” and “Mild Thing,” the peppers were developed over two-plus decades and bred to have a combination of low heat and early ripening - the latter being beneficial for growing peppers in the Pacific Northwest.
"It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences." Nelson Mandela
On This Day
8 November 1972: The American cable television company HBO officially debuted as it aired the 1971 film Sometimes a Great Notion, which starred Paul Newman.
Today's Articles
Earthshot Prize: The annual environmental contest gave $1.2m to the five winners - here's a quick summary of each of the winners.
Universal Vaccine: Researchers announce the discovery of an antibody that could effectively fight against all variants of Covid-19.
Mood Boosting Video
Acorn Woodpeckers: They must deal with birds of prey, greedy squirrels and a hectic gathering schedule to protect their treasured hoard.