Monday's Upbeat News

Editor OGN Daily
1 day ago
4 min read

What better way to start the week than a collection of positive news nuggets from around the globe?

Claudia Sheinbaum (right) with Salma Hayek

Indigenous Artisans

Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has become known for her outfits brought to life by the embroidery work of Indigenous artisans. This traditional craft has come to shape her closet. But rather than covering the entirety of a garment in embroidery, the embellishments usually appear in isolated areas such as her chest, the sleeves, or a side hem of a dress, making them the focal point of an otherwise plain-coloured garment. It was this stylish approach that landed Sheinbaum on The New York Times’ list of The 67 Most Stylish People of 2025: “In her first year in office, the president of Mexico has drawn attention to the country’s Indigenous fashion by wearing embroidered clothing and cracking down on big brands that knock off local artisans.”

a koala on a CityGlider bus in Brisbane — Crediy: Koala Rescue Brisbane South

Hitching a Ride

When most of us think of public transport, koalas don’t usually come to mind - but that’s exactly what happened in Brisbane over Christmas. A call came in to Koala Rescue Brisbane South: a koala had been spotted on a CityGlider bus! The adventurous marsupial was taken to the RSPCA wildlife hospital for a check-up - and less than 24 hours later, he was cleared as healthy and released back into the wild, munching happily on eucalyptus leaves. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a drunk raccoon unintentionally raises $250,000 for animal welfare in Virginia.

End of Motion Sickness?

Millions of Americans can now look forward to a better time traveling, with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving a novel oral pill that helps prevent motion-induced sickness - the first of its kind in more than 40 years. Tradipitant, made by Vanda Pharmaceuticals - to be sold under the brand name Nereus - is great progress for motion sickness treatment.

Born in 1625

It's 7 metres long, can weigh almost a tonne and can live for 400 years or more - meaning some around today were born in 1625. Marine biologists from the University of Copenhagen used radiocarbon dating on the eye lenses of Greenland sharks to gather information, which helped them to estimate the life expectancy of the sharks. The technique of carbon-14 dating has previously been used to discover the age of whales, but had never before been used to estimate the age of fish. Findings from the data revealed that the shark’s life expectancy is at least 272 years, making it the oldest living of all vertebrate animals known to science. The data revealed that the sharks reach sexual maturity at around 150-years-old, with the largest animal estimated to be around 400-years-old.

First FAA-Certified?

A Boeing subsidiary’s air taxi is finally coming into sight on the horizon. Wisk Aero’s Generation 6 eVTOL has completed its maiden flight in California. That feat is especially noteworthy since the company claims it makes its autonomous aircraft the first of its kind to be a candidate for government certification. The company also says its eVTOL can cruise at speeds of up to 120 knots (roughly 138 mph)and reach a max altitude of 4,000 feet. The finished aircraft will have a flight range of 90 miles and can be charged for operation in as little as 15 minutes. If the eVTOL progresses as the company hopes it will, it plans to operate it air taxi service in several U.S. cities.

Norway Hits Target

In 2017, Norway set a formal non-binding target to end fossil car sales in the country by 2025 - a target earlier than any other country in the world by several years. Norway’s transport statistics agency has released its year-end numbers: 95.9 percent of cars sold in Norway have no fossil power at all (up from 88.9 percent in 2024), and 97.5 percent have a plug. Reuters says the fossil cars mostly consisted of "specialised vehicles such as wheelchair-accessible vehicles" or those used by "first responders." But even with this victory, Norway isn’t ready to sit still. OFV director Geir Inge Stokke took the moment to remind everyone that “two out of three passenger cars on the road still run on fossil fuels.. so even though this is an important milestone, we must continue working towards an emission-free vehicle fleet.”

“Candy is nature’s way of making up for Mondays.” Rebecca Gober