Global round up of positive news stories to get the day off to a bright start.
Uncut Gem
Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi inspects a 2,492-carat raw diamond, thought to be the second largest in the world, recently unearthed in the country's Karowe mine. Botswana is one of the world's largest producers of diamonds, which account for 30 percent of its GDP.
Afghan Medical Students
Nineteen female medical students banned from attending university in Afghanistan have arrived in Scotland to complete their studies. The women were forced to give up their education when the Taliban took control of the country three years ago and rolled back women’s rights. However, the Linda Norgrove Foundation - a charity set up by the parents of Scottish charity worker, Linda Norgrove, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 - arranged a safe passage and student visas for the women so they could complete their studies.
Six Centuries Later
A flock of nearly 80 white storks has been seen in Cornwall, southwest England, for the first time since the Middle Ages. The last breeding pair to be recorded in Britain was in 1416, nesting on a cathedral in Edinburgh. The birds are thought to have migrated to Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula from West Sussex in south central England - where they were reintroduced in 2016. Before that, white storks were extinct in the UK, following destruction of their natural wetland habitat, the fens, in the East of England. John Rance, a volunteer at the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: "Bird migration blows my mind, frankly. It's one of nature's wonders that we are only just beginning to understand."
Redefining Happiness
Author and entrepreneur, Eric Jorgenson, on maintaining inner peace: "A happy person isn’t someone who’s happy all the time. It’s someone who effortlessly interprets events in such a way that they don’t lose their innate peace."
Longest Record Broken
Jakob Ingebrigtsen shattered the long-standing 3,000 metres world record by more than three seconds at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland on Sunday. The Norwegian finished in a time of 7min 17.55sec, beating the record set by Kenya’s Daniel Komen in 1996 when he ran 7-20.67. It was the longest-standing men’s athletics world record in individual track events. The 23-year-old was in shock when he crossed the line and looked at his time, putting his hands on his head in disbelief.
Spacewalk
SpaceX's Polaris Dawn, the first private space mission to include a spacewalk, is scheduled to lift off today at 3:38 am EDT (07.38 GMT) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Though it's a private mission rather than a government one, it's more than just a tourist jaunt. It will not only include the first private spacewalk, it will conduct 38 science experiments to study the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health. If you can't get to Cape Canaveral in time, the live webcast from SpaceX is available here or on X @SpaceX. The stream begins 3.5 hours prior to launch.
Landmark Climate Case
A date has been set for a landmark climate case that will seek to determine “the obligations of states in respect of climate change”. The International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, has announced 2 December as the start date for hearings. Its panel of 15 international judges will set out to answer two key questions: what are nations obliged to do under international law to protect the climate, and what are the legal consequences for governments that fail to act?
"When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too." Paulo Coelho, from The Alchemist
On This Day
27 August 1964: The musical film Mary Poppins, an adaptation of P.L. Travers's book, had its world premiere in Los Angeles, and it became a Disney classic, especially noted for the performance of Julie Andrews, who was making her screen debut.
Today's Articles
The Confetti Illusion: The reason why lemons are sold in yellow mesh bags and oranges in red mesh bags.
The Magic of Mushrooms: Danielle Stevenson can turn ugly, toxic brownfield sites into thriving flower meadows.
Mood Boosting Video
Speed and Acceleration: It has held nature's land speed record for 10 million years and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3 seconds (in three strides). How?