Good News Thursday
Today's smorgasbord of tasty chunks of upbeat news from around the globe.
Keeping Everyone Dry
This glorious photo shows a trio of tawny frogmouths - Podargus strigoides - huddled together in the type of trees they so cleverly camouflage with. It is the Bird Behaviour Gold winner in the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year competition. "Rain threads through the forest," says Australian photographer Donald Chin. "Camouflaged against bark and shadow, a fledgling tawny frogmouth stretches its wings in what looks like covering its other siblings from the water droplets. Stillness is its field, with patience its inheritance. In the hush between falling drops, resilience becomes a form of quiet strength." These carnivorous and nocturnal birds are often mistaken for owls, but they're not at all. They are more closely related to nightjars - who are as difficult to spot at nighttime as these Aussie beauties.
Major Endowment
Native Forward Scholars Fund just got a huge boost from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott - a $50 million unrestricted gift that will be invested entirely into Native higher education. The organization plans to use $10 million of this gift to expand its scholarships over the next five years, which will add about $2 million annually to its funding. This is especially important right now, as Native Forward is seeing unprecedented demand for scholarship assistance, with its scholars facing an average unmet financial need of $26,000. Thus far, Mackenzie Scott (former wife of Jeff Bezos) has given away at least $19 billion to more than 2,000 nonprofits.
New Art Museum
Suzhou, a historic city on the plains of eastern China, has just opened up the country's latest art exhibition space - and it's a spectacle for creatives, tourists, and architecture enthusiasts alike. Located next to the Jinji Lake and the instantly recognizable Ferris Wheel by the water, the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art (Suzhou MoCA) spans an enormous 645,835 sq ft (60,000 sq m), with a fifth of that dedicated to exhibition spaces. The 'village' complex is meant to serve not only as a venue for modern art and design from China and abroad, but also to allow Suzhou's visitors and residents to enjoy open spaces by the water.
Only 132 Years Late
A 19th-Century magazine borrowed from a library in New Hampshire 132 years ago has finally been returned. Concord Public Library said the overdue September 1894 issue of The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine was returned last week after the library announced a freeze on fines. The magazine was 48,220 days overdue and would have incurred a $12,055 (£8,950) fine. The patron who returned the magazine said it had been "hanging around" his house for decades, but he had no idea how it ended up in his home. He decided to return the magazine after reading about the library's fine freeze in the local newspaper. "We've witnessed many happy faces since announcing our fine freeze," Concord Public Library wrote on Facebook.
Prada Paradise
Prada Galleria has opened in Milan’s legendary 19th-century shopping complex Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and while it may be Europe’s new go-to destination for all things Prada, this shopping landmark is far more than just a multi-storey flagship store. From its meaningful location to its thoughtfully curated exhibitions, the expansive space gives visitors a glimpse into the heritage and history behind the label and the logo. The new iteration of the Prada store is tapping into a venerable old tradition. When it was first founded in 1913 by Mario and Martino Prada, the brand was initially called “Fratelli Prada”, which means “Prada brothers” in Italian. The pair’s first leather goods shop was located right in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Energy Sovereignty
Sunshine and wind met 80.4 percent of demand on Australia’s main power grid last weekend, setting a new high bar for renewable electricity. It only lasted about an hour, but it shows good progress. Solar panels on rooftops provided more than half of the power, complemented by solar and windfarms. The energy minister said the milestone meant there was “more clean, cheap, sovereign energy powering our homes and businesses than ever before," adding that "there’s a long way to go, but expect more and more of these milestones in the future" The average renewable share in the year to June was 44 percent, according to the Australian energy market operator.
"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" Audrey Hepburn
On This Day
24 September 1853: Cornelius Vanderbilt completed a famous grand tour of Europe and the Mediterranean aboard his 2,000-ton luxury steam yacht, the North Star, returning to New York this day in 1853. The vessel was 270 feet long and celebrated as a floating palace with state-of-the-art amenities. At age 59, the American shipping tycoon took his first major vacation, treating his family to a grand tour of the "Old World" that also functioned as informal public diplomacy.
Today's Articles
Apple Music Hall: Set inside Battersea Power Station, it's a new a high-tech performance venue for artists of all tiers.
How About This? Electric vehicles are more reliable than their petrol counterparts as they gain more miles on the clock.
Better Sleep: Magnesium is great for essential bodily functions - and it also promotes better sleep.
Mood Boosting Video
Africa's Rivers: Mapping the continent's great spines to protect them for generations to come.
