Good News Tuesday

Editor OGN Daily
Sep 2
4 min read

What better way to start the day than with some upbeat news?

Diamond brooch made for Queen Elizabeth II by Cartier — Credit: The Royal Collection

Cartier at V&A

Two young boys playing in the scorched, dusty wasteland came across their treasure quite by accident in 1946. They were playing under the shadow of a baobab tree in present-day Tanzania when they salvaged a diamond from the dirt. Their find would eventually lead to the discovery of a huge 54.5-carat, virtually flawless and incredibly rare pink diamond, which was presented to the most famous woman in the world, Queen Elizabeth II. The diamond was so rare a find that its very existence proved an inspiration for films such as The Pink Panther. Now, it is on display at the V&A’s Cartier exhibition in central London – it was fashioned into a striking diamond brooch by the jewellery house – and has proved one of the biggest draws among an impressive collection of jewels, watches and clocks. The show ends on 16 November 2025.

a golden lion tamarin — Credit: Chester Zoo

Saved From Extinction

A pair of rare orange primates - each barely bigger than a can of beer - has been introduced at England's Chester Zoo. Originally from the forests of Brazil, golden lion tamarins are an endangered species following the expansion of construction, livestock farming and logging in their native habitat. Chester Zoo primate keeper James Star said: "A co-ordinated breed-and-release programme was initiated across conservation zoos around the globe... helping to turn it around and bring them back from the brink." Literally pint-sized George and Leaf, who only stand eight inches (20cm) tall, are said by zoo staff to be "getting along brilliantly" with other animals.

Sunny Paris bistro terrace — Sunny Paris bistrot terrace

There's An App For That

Jean-Charles Levenne has answered prayers across Paris by developing an app that helps people find the sunshine, pinpointing exactly which bistrot terraces guarantee a sun-certified evening apéritif. The app, Jveuxdusoleil ('I want sun') highlights sunny terraces on its map using open-source data from OpenStreetMap, while shady spots disappear. Users are able to feed back when the app is inaccurate, or when certain spots aren’t mentioned. App usage spikes during spring when Parisians are desperate to bask in some light. And despite being predominantly Paris-focused, the app functions worldwide, so there is hope for us all.

Health & Dignity

Billions of people have gained clean water, sanitation and hygiene in the last nine years. That’s not a typo - that’s billions, with a B. An astonishing new data dump from the WHO and UNICEF showing that between 2015 and 2024 humanity recorded one of the fastest expansions of basic welfare of all time: 961 million people gained safe drinking water, 1.2 billion gained safe sanitation, and 1.5 billion gained access to basic hygiene services. Together, these figures represent an historic advance in human health and dignity.

Christiana Figueres, an architect of the 2015 Paris agreement — Christiana Figueres

'Prosperity Target'

A former UN climate chief has urged the Australian government to set a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of at least a 75 percent cut by 2035, backing calls from a group of more than 350 businesses that it would be better for the economy than a lower goal. The intervention by Christiana Figueres, an architect of the 2015 Paris agreement, comes before discussions about Australia’s commitment, due to be announced next month.

African Solar

Solar is taking off across Africa. In the 12 months through June 2025, over 15GW worth of solar panels were imported - enough to power around 11.5 million homes. This wave is happening across the continent: 20 countries have set new import records. Sierra Leone imported enough solar panels in one year to make up 65 percent of their entire nation's generating capacity. If you're not preparing for significant drops in fossil fuel demand, you're not paying attention, says Electrek.

Surely Not?

"A staggering 77 percent of Gen Z jobseekers have brought a parent to at least one job interview", according to a recent survey of 831 young US employees. Of those, 40 percent had their mother or father actually sit in on the meeting, rather than remaining outside, and 34 percent said their parent was an active participant in the interview. "If they need this much help landing a job," said the online magazine, "what happens when someone actually gives them one?"

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” Stephen King

On This Day

2 September 1752: Last Julian calendar day in Great Britain and British colonies, including America. To sync to the Gregorian calendar (named after Pope Gregory XIII), 11 days are skipped and the next date is 14 September. When it happens (tomorrow in 1752) people riot, thinking the government has stolen 11 days of their lives.