Some tasty bite-sized chunks of uplifting news to brighten the day.
Baseball in Bhutan
Has baseball ever looked better than it does in this winning image from the 2024 Travel Photographer of the Year awards? The image shows a teen smacking a ball into the “outfield” under the watchful eye of the Buddha Dordenma statue in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, which won the 'One Shot: Cities, Towns, Streets' category. The mist and the palpable energy make it feel like magic. It's just one of many fabulous winning photos from the latest TPOTY competition - you can see a handful more of OGN's favourites here. Our world is so vast, so varied, so beautiful - and these photos are tremendous reminders.
Sanctuary Success
A region of the Pacific Ocean that’s larger than Switzerland is now fully protected from fishing, thanks to the creation of a massive new marine sanctuary in the Marshall Islands. The Marshall Islands are located in the west-central Pacific Ocean, between the Philippines, Hawaii and French Polynesia. The new marine protected area spans 18,500 square miles of water. The establishment of this new sanctuary was spearheaded by National Geographic Pristine Seas - an initiative that promotes the creation of new marine protected areas in collaboration with Indigenous and local communities. Since launching in 2008, the project has helped establish 29 marine sanctuary areas spanning more than two million square miles.
Ice Stupas
Ladakh, a high-altitude desert in northern India, faces growing challenges as Himalayan glaciers recede and water becomes scarcer. However, the community found a simple but ingenious solution. Engineer Sonam Wangchuk introduced “ice stupas” - artificial, cone-shaped glaciers that store winter meltwater and release it during the growing season. These towering structures hold millions of litres of water, transforming barren landscapes into fertile farmland. For example, villagers planted more than 5,000 saplings using stupa meltwater. The ice stupas are emblematic of the efforts needed to preserve fragile ecosystems and evidence of how communities can safeguard their future against the climate crisis.
Mountain Rescue
Last week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife rescued three orphaned mountain lion cubs and brought them to the Oakland Zoo for rehabilitation. Two of the adorable trio - named Fern, Thistle, and Spruce - are pictured here.
Risky Playing
Parts of Dutch society are campaigning to bring risky playgrounds back into their cities and towns as concerns about too much time spent indoors, helicopter parenting, and childhood diabetes risk grow. Some are merely advocating playgrounds with potentially dangerous toys, such as a merry-go-round, but others are seeking places for their children to start fires, build with hammers, and play flight with sticks. No one wants their children to be injured of course, but the policy proposal from the Liberal Democrats acknowledges that without spaces to explore and challenge themselves in, kids risk losing the opportunity to develop crucial skills. “Rufty-tufty playing means that children might get a bump or a cut,” according to the policy - but it’s an acceptable risk the authors say.
First to Break $1m
This 1915 Cyclone roadster is extraordinarily rare and restored by the man who “wrote the book” on early American motorcycles, Stephen Wright. Cyclone production lasted a scant three years, and the name generates more excitement from enthusiasts than any other American motorcycle as the rarest and most technically sophisticated vehicle of its era. The Cyclone’s reputation began with the brand’s debut in 1913 as the first overhead-camshaft motorcycle built in the United States. Cyclone built an instant reputation in racing but sold very few machines, and it’s reckoned that only five Cyclones in racing configuration survive today - and to encounter a Cyclone available for sale is the holy grail for collectors. And this week in Las Vegas, the world record for a motorcycle at auction was obliterated when a 1915 Cyclone V-Twin sold for US$1,320,000, surpassing the previous high of $935,000 for a 1908 Harley-Davidson ‘Strap Tank’.
“Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.” Ella Fitzgerald
On This Day
6 February 1952: Elizabeth II ascended the throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland this day in 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI. She became the longest-reigning monarch in British history in 2015.
Today's Articles
Legendary Glamma: Zambian grandma is providing fashion inspiration to legions of fans around the globe and given herself a whole new lease of life.
New Study: Eggs significantly reduce the risk of dying from any cause and particularly from heart disease.
Hiding in Plain Sight: Evidence suggests that the landmass of Australia could be concealing a massive, subterranean secret.
Mood Boosting Video
Hilarious TV Commercial: Never buy a VW from an old lady.