Good News Monday

11 minutes ago
3 min read

Ensuring the week gets off to a bright start with today's global collection of upbeat news nuggets.

an orange-tailed marsh dart damselfly peering through a hole in a leaf — Credit: Sritam Kumar Sethy | BMC

Window to the Wetlands

The winners of this year's BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology image competition have been announced. Top spot has been awarded to Sritam Kumar Sethy, a student at Berhampur University, India, for their image ‘Window to the Wetlands’, which features an orange-tailed marsh dart damselfly peering through a hole in a leaf. The stunning photo “offers a glimpse into the often-overlooked world of freshwater biodiversity,” says the photographer. The competition is open to individuals affiliated with a research institution and working in ecology, evolutionary biology, palaeontology or zoology. It gives them an opportunity to showcase their research in a creative way and explore the intersection between art and science.

Two Typhoon fighter jets teaming up over the white cliffs of Dover with two WWII Spitfires — Credit: Flt Lt Aidan Rae

Bluebirds Over...

A pair of modern fighter jets from the RAF Typhoon display team carried out a thrilling air-to-air photoshoot, teaming up over the white cliffs of Dover with two WWII Spitfires to mark the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire's first flight in 1936. “This year marks 90 years since the first flight of the iconic Spitfire, an iconic British fighter at the forefront of UK air power in the Second World War,” said Flt Lt Aidan Rae. “Its impact in turning the tide cannot be overstated. Fast forward to the modern day, and the Eurofighter Typhoon picks up that mantle, defending the skies 24/7.”

Quick Hits

Lebanon has abolished the death penalty in a decisive break from the norms of the region. It is only the second Middle Eastern country (after Djibouti in 1995) and second Arab League (after Turkey in 2004) member to do so.

Reuters reports that the global food system is more resilient to this year’s “super” El Niño than to previous iterations of the weather event. Near-record inventories and improved technology - from better weather forecasting to drought-tolerant seeds - are “poised to cushion much of the fallout.”

Liechtenstein has ended male-only succession in favour of firstborn inheritance, opening the throne to women for the first time since the House of Liechtenstein was established in 1608.

Eurasian lynx moving across a rocky, sparsely vegetated high-altitude slope. — Credit: Forest & Environment Department, Sikkim, and WWF-India

First Photo Evidence

A Eurasian lynx has been recorded in a camera-trap image from the Tso Lhamo plateau in Sikkim, India. This encounter, at an altitude of 17,400 feet, marks the first confirmed photographic evidence of the species in the state. It is also the second such record from the Eastern Himalayas. “It highlights the ecological significance of our high-altitude rangelands and reinforces our commitment to protecting these fragile ecosystems," says Sikkim’s Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).

"Huge Accomplishment"

More than 170,000 borrowers will see $11 billion in student loan balances disappear after a key federal court ruling in what has become the largest settlement against the U.S. government in the nation’s history. The ruling stems from the 2019 Sweet vs. McMahon settlement against the government based on the borrower defense rule, a federal regulation that allows student loan borrowers to apply for loan forgiveness if they believe they were defrauded or misled about the education they paid for. The court ruling triggered loan relief for students who applied for borrower defense forgiveness from June 23 to November 15, 2022. The lawsuit is a win for student loan borrowers, many of whom have endured an ever-changing landscape of federal student loan rules and availability over the past two years.

US Heavenly Delivery

In a hurry? Zipline has announced a partnership to bring autonomous drone delivery to Uber Eats customers across ‌the United States. The companies said they aim to reach 1 million drone deliveries ⁠per day by the end of 2029, with the first deliveries beginning later this year. Zipline, which ‌operates ⁠in four continents, has made 2 million deliveries so far. The company was most recently valued at $7.6 billion.

"Not taking a risk is a risk. That's how I see it." Robert Redford

On This Day

Amelia Earhart wearing her flying jacket

24 August 1932: Amelia Earhart begins the first transcontinental non-stop flight by a woman in Los Angeles, California. She arrives the following day in Newark, New Jersey, after a 19 hour flights across 2,477 miles.