Snippets of positive news to get the day off to a bright start.
Italy: Venice's much-delayed flood defence system fully tested for first time. It's still incomplete but getting there. Slowly. In the meantime, here's an amazing video tour of the city filmed by drone in March this year.
Europe: Fly electric - budget airline EasyJet recently partnered with electric plane startup Wright Electric to build a prototype. One day soon, we should be able to fly from A to B by an electric powered plane. Like this one.
Japan: A battery pioneer has invented a new kind of battery that is 90 per cent cheaper to produce than standard lithium-ion batteries, and potentially much safer. The new battery could be a turning point for both storage and electric vehicle applications.
Sage of Omaha: Warren Buffet's fortune dropped earlier this week. The good news is that it was because he donated $2.9 billion of his Berkshire Hathaway stock to charity. The 89 year old has now given away more than $39 billion since 2006.
Rock dust eats carbon dioxide: Spreading rock dust on fields could remove vast quantities of carbon dioxide from the air and may be the best near-term way of removing CO2.
Germany: Trump, as well as Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro and Russia's Vladimir Putin, must have felt their ears burning when the German Chancellor demolished their approaches to the coronavirus in a speech Thursday. "As we are experiencing first hand, you cannot fight the pandemic with lies and disinformation any more than you can fight it with hate or incitement to hatred," Merkel said. "The limits of populism and denial of basic truths are being laid bare." The good news is that there are more Merkels than Trumps!
Night sky in July: Several worthwhile events coming up for star gazers this month. Make a note in your diary and prepare to stay up late!
Afghanistan: Once an important Silk Road trading hub, the Afghan city of Herat has long been a cultural centre, but decades of war have ravaged its ancient traditional crafts. Now thousands of women are returning to the ancient practices, seeking to revive the traditions of a city where traders once came to haggle for silk in thick-walled houses and dome-shaped bazaars.
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