Monday's Upbeat News
- Editor OGN Daily
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
What better way to start the week than with some upbeat news?
Barn Find
A grimy old painting recovered from an attic or a barn that turns out to be priceless: Fans of Antiques Roadshow will recognize the thrilling trope but also appreciate just how rare an occurrence it actually is. George Wachter, chairman and co-worldwide head of Old Master paintings at Sotheby’s, heard about a painting that had been pulled out of, well, a barn attic. “It was filthy, black, dirty. You could hardly see it.” But, in less than two minutes of bidding, it was just sold by the auction house for $6 million ($7.37 million with fees), a record for Frans Post, the Dutch Old Master who painted it some 359 years ago.
Dress For Success
Ali Shirkhodae, the owner of Lux Cleaning and Alterations in San Jose, California, gives unemployed customers a helping hand by dry cleaning and pressing their clothes for free before job interviews. Shirkhodae said he knows how hard it can be to find work, and when a customer recently called after an interview to let him know she got the job, he and his team were "very excited - I think even more than her," he told the San Jose Spotlight.
Portugal Tops The List
In recent years, one European nation has topped the list for Americans seeking a new country to call home. That would be Portugal, according to a recent survey from Expatsi, a travel company specializing in helping people emigrate. In a survey of 116,000 Americans looking to make a big move, the popular destination came out No. 1 based on factors such as climate and affordability. This follows recent data that found U.S. tourists are visiting Portugal in record-setting droves, indicating Americans have the idyllic locale on their radars for both pleasure and permanent stays.
Golden Eagles Return
Twitchers are aflutter after golden eagles were spotted soaring above northern England for the first time in years. The raptors were hunted to extinction in England during the 19th century, and while they returned in the post-war years, numbers declined again. England’s last golden eagle disappeared in 2015. Conservations hope this time will be different, pointing to the success of an eagle reintroduction programme across the border in Scotland.
Homeworking Capitals
People in Canada and the UK work more from home than employees elsewhere – with no evidence that it impacts their productivity. That’s according to a major study by King’s College London and Stanford, US. It found that Canadians and Brits work an average of 1.9 and 1.8 days per week from home, respectively - way above the global average of 1.3.
Aussie Renewables
For decades, Australia’s energy grid has been stubbornly coal dependent, but a rapid shift is now underway. According to figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator, the country had its greenest quarter in the first three months of 2025, with renewables providing 43 percent of the nation’s electricity. Renewables have flourished in Australia under prime minister Anthony Albanese, who was re-elected in a landslide earlier this month. “Australians have just voted overwhelmingly for a renewable future,” said Amanda McKenzie, CEO of Australia’s Climate Council.
"We can have faith in the future only if we have faith in ourselves." John F. Kennedy
On This Day
2 June 1953: 27-year-old Elizabeth II, the elder daughter of King George VI, was crowned queen of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey, having taken the throne upon her father's death in February 1952.
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