Ensuring the week gets off to an upbeat start with a global collection of good news nuggets.
Norf London in Vegas
Adele finally made it to Las Vegas this weekend. Critics say it was worth the wait: Intimate but spectacular, eccentric yet slick and richly emotional, the 34-year-old superstar’s long delayed Caesars Palace debut was, they say, everything anyone could have hoped for. You can take the girl out of “norf London” (as she gleefully pronounced it), but you can’t take “norf London” out of the girl. She was repeatedly apologetic about the chaotic last-minute cancellation of her original shows in January. “I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming back,” she blubbed. “It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had, but the best decision I’ve ever made.” On this evidence, it would be hard to argue with her, says The Telegraph. 'Weekends with Adele' is at The Colosseum, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas until 25 March 2023; tickets: Adele.com
Adele Sets Fire to The Rain: If you can't make it to Vegas, maybe you'd like a musical stroll down memory lane to Adele's first glory years? Enjoy this compilation of of her early hit, cleverly spliced together from several stage appearances. Watch...
Conservation Success
Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools, one of Africa’s most renowned game-viewing destinations, has maintained a zero elephant poaching rate for the third year in a row - a staggering achievement given 12,000 were poached in the area in the past ten years, reports Global Conservation. More funding for local rangers along with the introduction of tracking technology and smartphones has driven the change.
Star Formation
Since swinging into action in July, the James Webb Space Telescope has already begun to reshape our perspective of the universe in some spellbinding ways. The latest image from the instrument’s infrared cameras continues this theme with a dramatic look at star formation, which presents as a mesmerizing hourglass-like portrait of glowing cosmic debris. The subject of Webb’s latest capture is a protostar by the name of L1527, and is considered to be in the earliest stage of star formation, at around 100,000 years old. It therefore remains cocooned in a cloud of dust and gas, and is yet to develop the ability to generate its own energy through nuclear fusion like our own Sun, and other stars throughout the cosmos.
Clever Collie
Police officers in England made a new furry friend last week after a lost dog strolled into the station. Security footage from Loughborough Police Station captured the moment Rosie the border collie arrived and 'took a seat' in the waiting room. She had been startled by a firework whilst out on a walk with her owners, and ran off. Happily, thanks to her collar tag, officers were able to contact the "very pleased" owners.
Fun Fact
The U.K.'s official name is United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is the most characters (56) in a country's full name.
Rights of Nature
Since it was formed in 2010, the Global Alliance for Rights of Nature has turned an unorthodox legal theory into a thriving global movement. An estimated 400 initiatives are in progress and 39 countries have recognised the Rights of Nature in national legislation or local law to protect endangered ecosystems and wildlife, says Inside Climate News.
Europe's Child Guarantee
Europe's Child Guarantee is one of the EU's main social policy initiatives, and it's working. The proportion of children classified as 'severely deprived' has decreased from 22.8% in 2009 to 14.6% in 2021. The policy has been particularly successful in eastern Europe. Latvia, Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary have all seen declines of more than 20%, according to the European Parliament.
“As far as I know, I am just a committed and even stubborn person who wants to see every child getting quality education, who wants to see women having equal rights, and who wants peace in every corner of the world.” Malala Yousafzai
On this Day
21 November 1620: 41 male passengers on the Mayflower, prior to landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts, signed the Mayflower Compact, by which they agreed to abide by the laws of the new government they would establish.
After uncovering a 'tantalizing' piece of circular sandstone on Mars, the excited NASA team tweeted: "Could it hold clues about ancient life?" Read on...
Birthday vouchers are being given to European citizens by governments to be spent on supporting the arts. Read on...
Ropeless Fishing Gear: A clever new idea might just help protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Read on...
Mood Booster
Magnificent Beauty of Nature: What an extraordinarily wonderful planet we live on!