Thursday's Good News

Apr 16
3 min read

Updated: Apr 26

Today's smorgasbord of tasty bite-sized chunks of good news from around the globe.

Marie-Louise Eta wearing a tracksuit — Marie-Louise Eta makes history

First Ever

Union Berlin has appointed Marie-Louise Eta as the first female head coach in the men’s Bundesliga as it bids to ensure its league survival. She becomes the first woman to take charge of a men’s team across the top divisions of Europe’s “big five” soccer leagues. Eta already made history with Union in 2023 as the first female assistant coach in the Bundesliga and across the top divisions of the “big five” leagues.

Cultural Atlas

A well organised reference guide to social etiquette, communication styles, and cultural values for countries around the world. Take a look at Cultural Atlas.

Claude Monet's 1883 oil on canvas, titled 'Les Îles de Port-Villez' — Credit: Sotheby's

Light of Day

For the first time in 115 years, this Claude Monet painting is seeing the light of day outside a private collection. The 1883 oil on canvas, titled Les Îles de Port-Villez, was previously known to the public only through a black-and-white photograph from the 1950s, according to Artnet. The work, estimated to fetch up to $5.8 million, is headed to a Sotheby’s auction today alongside another Monet painting that has been kept in private hands for 98 years.

Artist And Gardner - Visit Claude Monet's Garden at Giverny: "My garden is my most beautiful work of art," Claude Monet. Watch a 3 minute video...

It's Not Always Spam

Educators at a California school district got a strange email that they initially wrote off as spam. Later, they found out it was from a wealthy, but mysterious, individual, who wanted to give them all money. Every teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) received an email on April 9 promising them free money, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Additional messages then provided educators a link to a digital gift card to access the funds, the outlet reported. Eventually, it was discovered that the links were legit and they were from an anonymous donor, who was giving around $1.6 million to the teachers. The donation averaged to about $250 per person.

Beaver swimming in a large woodland pond — It's good to be back!

First in 400 Years

A family of beavers have successfully been released into England's Bedfordshire countryside after a 400 year absence. A male, a female and two kits were introduced to the Southill Estate, in a project that was two years in the planning. The Eurasian beavers are "recognised as ecosystem engineers" and their job is to restore the ecology and use their dam building skills to create drought resilience, said Restore, a nature restoration company that worked on the release. Charles Whitbread, the estate's owner, said it was a "long and complex journey" and seeing the beavers in their new habitat was "truly wonderful".

Tree in Tongass National Forest — Tongrass National Forest | USDA Forest Service

Case Dismissed

An Alaska district court judge has ruled against a coalition of logging interests looking to get their saws on Tongass National Forest’s old growth timber stands. It is Alaska’s largest national forest - and the world’s largest temperate rainforest - and Tongass acts as a superb stronghold for many different species. Better yet, the judge dismissed the case "with prejudice," meaning that the loggers - or any other loggers in the future - cannot challenge the ruling. “This lawsuit had no legal basis, and the court was right to dismiss the case outright. We need to leave the Tongass standing for the sake of wildlife, climate, and local communities,” said the Center for Biological Diversity’s Alaska attorney.

“The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Vince Lombardi

On This Day

16 April 1953: British royal yacht Britannia launched by Queen Elizabeth II. As a "floating palace", it served the Royal Family for 44 years, traveling over a million nautical miles before its decommissioning in 1997. It is now a top tourist attraction in Edinburgh.