Global round up of positive news stories to brighten the day.
In Case You Missed It
Dick Van Dyke has become a history-making Emmy winner. At 98, the acting legend won a Daytime Emmy for his guest spot on Days of Our Lives. “I feel like a spy from night time television,” Van Dyke joked. “I’m the oldest nominee in history. I can’t believe it. I was playing old men all my life. If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself!” he teased upon receiving the award, Variety reported.
Optical Illusion
An iPhone photographer snapped an incredible optical illusion photo that looks like different environments spliced together but is in fact a single picture. Rob Hoeijmakers tells PetaPixel that he was taking a bike ride just south of Amsterdam in the Netherlands when he happened upon the beautiful canal next to a road that was closed for maintenance. “I try to look at lines, perspectives, and patterns to see if I can make a play with it,” says Hoeijmakers.
New Zealand
The latest census data shows a 12.5 percent increase in the number of people who identify as being of Māori descent - which means that today nearly one in five or 978,246 of the population said they were of Māori descent.
Surprise Visitor
A beautiful white stork was spotted recently flying over the English county of Cheshire, and not only would no one alive today be able to remember the last time that happened, but none of their grandparents would either; neither would any of their grandparents, and probably none of theirs. White storks have been extinct in England for 600 years but they’ve been back and breeding for several years in southern England (a long way from Cheshire) thanks to efforts to reintroduce them from other populations. “There are no upcoming plans to re-introduce them here in Cheshire but it was a great sign to see one this far north!” said Darren Banks, the Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s land management officer.
Dawn of the A-iPhone
Apple kicked off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference this week, announcing its generative artificial intelligence strategy, dubbed 'Apple Intelligence.' The latest AI features will be integrated into the newer versions of the iPhone, iPad, and other Apple products, enhancing features such as Siri, photos, music, and messaging - including the ability to create custom AI-generated emojis. Apple is the third-largest publicly traded US company behind Nvidia and Microsoft and has taken a more cautious approach to integrating AI into its products compared to its competitors.
US Ocean Conservation
The Smithsonian and the NOAA just announced the rollout of a first-of-its-kind National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy. It’s the first nationwide strategy aimed at taking action to save marine life (and, subsequently, all life). The new strategy calls for a “stronger, more unified and inclusive approach to ocean conservation.” Importantly, the first step in the strategy brings together federal agencies, states, Tribes, and local communities to document the economic and cultural values of the ocean, ensuring all costs of a degrading ocean ecosystem are understood and included in decision-making. Why is this good news? The total ocean territory under U.S. management covers an area larger than all 50 states combined. While protections for marine life have increased in recent years (globally, too!), much of it remains unprotected or misunderstood. The new strategy aims to close those gaps by working alongside local and Indigenous stakeholders.
“Being understood yourself starts with taking the trouble to understand others.” Arthur C Brooks
On This Day
12 June 1981: The action adventure film Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark -directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford - was released in theatres; a huge success, it spawned numerous sequels.
Today's Articles
Surprising Discovery: Water frost has been found on a Mars volcano in a 'significant' first discovery.
Old Man Builds Bench: Whilst not the most exciting headline you've ever read, it is - never the less - a sweet story about an old married couple in Spain.
Lightning Bugs: If Van Gogh were an astrophotographer, he'd have conjured up something similar. Plus more great ISS images.
Mood Boosting Video
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! It's Donald Duck's 90th birthday.