May 31

Good News Only Friday

Ensuring the week finishes on a positive note with today's bite-sized chunks of upbeat news.

Osama Bin Lager

A beer named after a certain international terrorist has sold out after going viral on social media. Staff at Mitchell Brewing Co had to unplug phones and close their website temporarily because of demand for Osama Bin Lager. The company in Lincolnshire, central England, also brews Kim Jong Ale and Putin Porter. "They're all tongue-in-cheek names - a nicer outlook on some horrible dictators," co-owner Luke Mitchell said. Millions of people have seen a picture of the beer - named after the former al-Qaeda leader who died in 2011 - posted on social media. Husband and wife Luke and Catherine Mitchell run the brewery and a pub.

India Railways

India Railways is about to be 100 percent electric, making it the largest green railway in the world. Since 2015, India Railways have electrified over 25,000 miles (40,000 km) of track. As of December 2023, the operator had 10,238 electric trains.

Philanthropy

Melinda French Gates says she will be donating $1 billion over the next two years to individuals and organizations working on behalf of women and families globally. It's the second billion-dollar commitment French Gates has personally made in the past five years.

Ceremonial Slip-Up

A university in Philadelphia has apologised after an official mispronounced scores of names at a graduation ceremony. Footage of the incident, which has gone viral, shows a Thomas Jefferson University official butchering even simple names. "Molly Elizabeth Camp" was read out as "Mollina-zabeth-cap". Sarah Virginia Brennan was read out "Sayer Oo-voon Geengoo Bree-none"; Jessica became "Jay-sic-u", and Thomas "Tha-mo-may". The university explained that it happened because phonetic spellings had been written on the announcer's cards.

Flamingo called Gertrude at Pensthorpe reserve — Gertrude | Credit: Claudia Gooch, Pensthorpe

Gertrude's First Egg

A flamingo who was described as having been "unlucky in love" has laid her first egg at a nature reserve aged 70. Gertrude is part of a flamboyance of more than 65 flamingos at Pensthorpe nature reserve in Norfolk, south east England. The reserve is awaiting new arrivals of flaminglets, as many of the birds are currently sitting on their nests before their eggs hatch, says BBC News. Ben Marshall, the reserve's managing director, said: "Flamingos might live 40 years and Gertrude is 70, so [at] that ripe old age to be able to display [maternal] characteristics is amazing."

Robotaxis

Tourists are increasingly reporting that riding in a robotaxi is a key reason why they want to visit San Francisco. Despite their controversial reputation with the city's residents, the rider boost from tourists could ensure that the city continues to support the technology’s public experimentation… and fuel expansion to new locations.

“So, where’s the Cannes Film Festival being held this year?” Christina Aguilera