Good News Tuesday

5 minutes ago
4 min read

Today's bite-sized chunks of positive news from around the world.

Northern California’s 4000-metre Mount Shasta being dwarfed by a phenomenal lenticular cloud — Credit: Lisa K. Kuhn | Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Opening the Vortex

This image is one of those now shortlisted in the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 and shows Northern California’s 13,125 foot (4,000m) Mount Shasta being dwarfed by a phenomenal lenticular cloud, during intermittent clouds that lasted for 10 days. This image was taken around 20 minutes before the sun set. The Open Photographer of the Year will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 16 April and the winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize along with a collection of Sony Digital Imaging equipment.

Norway's Winning Way

Norway has once again been hauling in the medals at this year’s Winter Games - and is the most successful country overall in Winter Olympics’ history. So what’s the secret to its success? According to Tore Oevreboe, the nation’s head of delegation, it stems from a longstanding tradition that prioritizes children’s happiness. Rather than focusing on youth rankings and performance, Norwegian society takes a more wholesome approach to sports, giving children space to enjoy the game first. “We try not to focus on winning too early,” Oevreboe told Reuters, adding, “The winning part is to be part of the sport and have joy. The point of doing sport in Norway is to lead a good life. So you start young and learn motor skills, social skills, and then you learn how to use your body in a physical setting.”

pasta shaped like the Olympic rings — Credit: Olympics | Instagram

Olympic Rings Pasta

Around 4,500 meals were prepared each day at the Milan Olympic Village during the Winter Olympics, keeping athletes fuelled throughout the competition. But one dish quickly become the standout favourite: pasta shaped like the Olympic rings. Made in the shape of the five interlocking Olympic rings, the Italy-produced pasta was designed by the International Olympic Committee. It was served with a range of sauces too, including marinara, carbonara, and bolognese. Apparently, the Olympic kitchens were serving more than half a ton of pasta each day because carbohydrates are a key energy source for athletes, helping to build up glycogen stores in the muscles before competition and replenish them afterwards. However, sadly, it's not possible to find it in shops.

Three Crazy Stories From The Milano Cortina Games

Car leaving a Nio battery-swap facility — Credit: Nio

Battery Swap Record

While DC fast charging infrastructure and range anxiety dominate Western EV headlines, Nio’s battery-swap system in China reached a new milestone that proves battery swap tech can rival traditional refueling models at scale: Nio customers performed more than 165,000 battery swaps in single 24 hour day - that works out to about two swaps every second across Nio’s China-wide network. The surge came as millions of EV drivers hit the road for the Lunar New Year return trip - traditionally the busiest travel day of the year and a demanding annual stress test for the country’s transportation infrastructure. That sort of convenience isn’t just a PR-friendly marketing record - it’s proof that battery swaps work. And, when you see how simple it is to add hundreds of miles of driving in just 100 seconds (quicker, in many cases, than pumping a tank of liquid fuel into an ICE-powered car), you understand the point.

Michelangelo sketch for the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl — Credit: Christie's

Expectations Exceeded

A rare red chalk drawing by Michelangelo sets a new auction record, selling for $27.2 million at Christie’s in NYC. The small but significant work (c 1511 - 1512) is a sketch for the right foot of the Libyan Sibyl, one of the monumental figures painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The work surfaced after its owner submitted a photograph to Christie’s for evaluation. Estimated at $1.5m to $2m, the drawing far exceeded expectations. The $27.2 million price established a new auction record for the artist.

One Notification

The UK government wants to introduce a new law that would require tech companies to remove intimate images that have been shared without consent, within 48 hours. Currently making its way through the House of Lords, the proposed amendment to the crime and policing bill would mean that victims of abusive images only need to flag an offensive image once, instead of contacting different platforms separately.

"A wise girl knows her limits, a smart girl knows that she has none." Marilyn Monroe

On This Day

Malcolm Campbell and the Railton Blue Bird

24 February 1932: Malcolm Campbell sets world land speed record speed of 253.96 mph driving his famous Blue Bird car at Daytona Beach, Florida. He eventually exceeding 300 mph in Utah in 1935.