Today's eclectic bundle of uplifting news nuggets.
Tiger's Optimistic
Tiger Woods has thrilled the sport he has bestrode like no other by declaring it is “realistic” that he can play a tournament every month next year. In good news for golf fans, the 47-year-old is set to appear in today’s first round of the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, his first competitive outing since withdrawing during the third round of The Masters in April. Countless golfing obits were written when he limped out of Augusta. At that stage, any optimism seemed to extend only as far as Woods being able to tee it up in the occasional major. This week, in his first press conference since he was sidelined, Woods delivered a prognosis that stunned the game in its positivity.
Zen Mona Lisa
A 13th-century ink painting, often referred to as the 'Zen Mona Lisa', is making a rare and brief visit to San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum. Persimmons by the Chinese monk Muqi is on loan from Japan’s Daitokuji Ryokoin temple, along with its companion painting, Chestnuts. “Captivating in their simplicity, ‘The Heart of Zen’ offers visitors a one-in-a-lifetime encounter with two paintings so precious, so celebrated and yet so seldom seen that most of the world has only ever experienced them in reproductions,” says Jay Xu, the museum’s CEO. The works first arrived in Japan in the 1400s or 1500s; until now, they had never left the country.
Glimmer of Hope
In a momentous event, a critically endangered Sumatran rhino has been welcomed into the world in Sumatra, Indonesia. This marks the second such birth in the country in 2023, offering a glimmer of hope for a species that currently boasts fewer than 50 individuals. Both mother and baby are reported to be in good condition, with the calf displaying the ability to stand upright and walk shortly after birth.
Eradicating Malaria
Rwanda is on track to become the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate malaria. In 2016, the country saw 17,941 cases of severe malaria, but in 2022-23, that number had fallen to 1,316, a decline of 85 percent. 'According to our latest data, we are on the right path towards eradicating malaria,' reports All Africa.
Super 8 Returns
Almost seven years ago, Kodak announced that it would soon be offering a digitally enabled movie camera that shot on good ol' analog Super 8-mm film. Well, it's taken a while, but prospective buyers can now reserve a Kodak Super 8 Camera of their very own. It will now set you back $5,495 - and includes a foam-padded Pelican carrying case, a detachable pistol grip with a trigger, and one cartridge of Kodak Tri-X black and white reversal film. Available from 4 December.
On Track
After extreme floods put a third of Pakistan under water in 2022, architect Yasmeen Lari vowed to build one million flood-resilient homes. Her foundation just revealed it is a third of the way towards that target and on track to build all one million by 2024, reports Dezeen.
Circular Batteries
Under a new deal, some of Toyota's future hybrid and electric cars will be powered by U.S.-built batteries made from recycled minerals stripped from old Priuses, reports Axios. It's the beginning of what could become a circular domestic battery supply chain, helping to free the United States from its dependence on Chinese components. "We believe this represents the first time that an automaker is both recycling end-of-life hybrid electric vehicle batteries, like those used in the Toyota Prius, and then returning those same recycled metals" into future vehicles, US battery maker Redwood Materials said in a blog post.
"It's not about the resources you have available. It's about the resourcefulness you have within you." Tony Robbins
On This Day
30 November 1874: British statesman, orator, and author Sir Winston Churchill, who as prime minister (1940 - 45, 1951 - 55) rallied the British people during World War II and led his country from the brink of defeat to victory, was born in Oxfordshire, England.
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