Upbeat News Thursday

Editor OGN Daily
Nov 20, 2025
4 min read

Today's smorgasbord of tasty news nuggets from around the globe.

rendering of the gorgeous yoga space at Gelephu International Airport — Credit: BIG

Airport Yoga

A new rendering has been released that shows the gorgeous yoga space at what is likely to become - when it opens in 2029 - the world's most beautiful airport. Gelephu International Airport in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan aims to combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design and sustainable building practices. With ample natural light, the terminal even offers indoor and outdoor lounges as spaces for relaxation, meditation, and wellness activities. That should help alleviate travel stress.

First Ever Sighting

The search for a ginkgo-toothed beaked whale had taken five years, then a team in Mexico sighted two. They are the deepest-diving mammals on Earth, spending most of their lives in the oceans, only coming up for air for a few minutes at a time, usually far away from coastlines. They are notoriously shy and easily frightened when approached by a boat, and - until now - have sadly only ever seen washed up on a beach. “The Society for Marine Mammalogy has a list of 94 accepted species of cetaceans,” says Robert Pitman, a researcher at Oregon State University. “A quarter of those are beaked whales, but most people have never even heard of them. These are the largest, least-known animals left on the planet.”

First Advance in Ages

Scientists have developed a new anti-malaria drug to help fight rising drug resistance. Called GanLum, the drug was more than 97 percent effective at treating malaria in the final-stage trial results. While existing treatments work against malaria, there has been growing resistance to one of the key drugs used. This new treatment option is the first major advancement in treating malaria in decades, and it works differently from previous antimalarial drugs. This is good news as malaria still kills more than 600,000 people annually, most of them children under five years old in sub-Saharan Africa. If drug resistance were to continue rising without a new treatment option, it would leave health care providers globally without another option.

"Extraordinary Courage"

Dr. Jamal Eltaeb of Sudan, where civil war is raging, was named the winner of the $1 million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, which recognizes individuals who risk their lives to save others. The prize committee praised his "extraordinary courage and steadfast dedication to providing care for those trapped in conflict." Dr. Jamal Eltaeb says: "It was my duty to my country and to my people," he says. "People need somebody to stay there for them." Adding: "There are days ... when you wonder if what you are doing will ever be enough. But then you'll see a wounded patient begin to heal. And I think at that moment ... you feel an internal strength to continue working."

Pledge Success

At COP28 in 2023, over 130 governments pledged to triple the world’s existing renewable energy capacity to 11 terawatts by 2030 - since then, deployment has skyrocketed. To achieve a tripling, renewables additions needed to increase by 21 percent every year, but additions have actually averaged 29 percent annually from 2023 to 2025. As a result, the world is already way ahead of the curve to achieve triple capacity - additions would only need to rise by 12 percent annually to still achieve it.

395 Million Acres

A landmark international coalition has committed to formally recognizing 395 million acres of Indigenous and traditional community lands worldwide. The nine countries making this pledge are Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Gabon, Guatemala, the Republic of Congo, Peru, and Venezuela. This impressive commitment to land tenure security empowers millions of Indigenous and local people to be the primary stewards of their ancestral territories, ensuring the permanent protection of globally vital carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots. The announcement of the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment (ILTC) was made on the same day that Norway, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands and 35 philanthropies and donors renewed a pledge to donate $1.8 billion over five years toward land tenure.

Aussie Renewables

Renewables surpass fossil fuels for an entire month in Australia’s power grid. For the first time, renewable energy out-generated fossil fuels across Australia’s eastern grid for a full month. In October 2025, renewables supplied 49.9 percent of electricity (four times their 2015 share) while fossil fuels provided 49.1 percent. The milestone reflects a structural shift powered by rooftop solar and wind.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris Bueller's Day Off

On This Day

1820 sketch of American whaling ship Essex

20 November 1820: The American whaling ship Essex was rammed by a sperm whale and later sank, inspiring the climactic scene in Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick (1851).