OGN Monday

Editor OGN Daily
May 5
4 min read

Ensuring the week gets off to a bright start with today's global round up of positive news stories.

600 gold coins dating from 1808 to 1915 — Credit: Museum of Eastern Bohemia

Treasure Trove

While the small aluminum can and iron box didn’t look like much at first, their contents stunned historians and two lucky hikers alike. The tourists initially stumbled across the containers during a hike in the Czech Republic’s Podkrkonosí Mountains earlier this year, but soon took their valuable findings to experts for evaluation. According to a recent assessment by experts at the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, the worth of the jewelry, artifacts, and nearly 600 gold coins inside the containers - dating from 1808 to 1915 - is estimated to be over $340,000. Now, researchers wonder how this treasure trove of items and currencies from multiple nations and eras made it all the way to the Czech Republic - and why no one ever claimed them. As for the two hikers, they are likely happy they chose that particular trail - Czech law entitles them to a reward of up to 10 percent of the find’s total value.

United We Stand

A survey across 125 countries revealed that 89 percent of people want stronger climate action from their governments. Many wrongly believe they are in the minority, and the 89% Project, a global journalism initiative, aims to spotlight this overwhelming support and help trigger a social tipping point. "The world is united in its judgment," said Teodora Boneva, a professor who was part of the team behind the survey. "Correcting these misperceptions could be a powerful intervention."

Eaglets Sunny and Gizmo in their nest high in a tree — Sunny and Gizmo

They Grow Up So Fast

It feels like just yesterday that we were waiting for California's famous eagle couple Jackie and Shadow’s eggs to hatch. Now? The two eaglets, named Sunny and Gizmo, are nearing their 2-month birthdays and preparing for their next big milestone: flying. As seen in live webcam footage from Friends of Big Bear Valley, the siblings have grown larger and shed their light gray feathers for darker ones, all the while being diligently taken care of by their doting parents. Sunny has started hopping while flapping, “working hard to get air time,” and Gizmo continues to improve his flapping skills, says the nonprofit.

US Scientists

France and the EU are to step up their efforts to attract US-based scientists hit by Donald Trump’s crackdown on academia, as they prepare announcements on incentives for researchers to settle in Europe. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, alongside the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, will make speeches today at Sorbonne University in Paris, flanked by European university leaders and researchers, in which they are expected to announce potential incentives and protections for researchers seeking to relocate to Europe.

Flight Record

A British-made solar powered plane has claimed a new world record for the longest continuous flight, spending 67 days in the stratosphere - beating a record that has stood for more than 50 years. The unmanned Aalto Zephyr flew for more than two months from Kenya to Australia, before ditching in the Indian Ocean. The Zephyr has a wingspan of 85ft, but weighs just 75kg. The plane can offers Earth observation and reconnaissance capabilities, and it can also provide 4G and 5G communications, acting like a mobile mast in the sky.

Shooting Blanks

A new nonhormonal male contraceptive called Adam could soon be on the market as a reversible alternative to vasectomies. The water-soluble hydrogel is implanted in sperm ducts and prevents sperm from mixing with semen but is designed to break down in the body after a set period, restoring fertility. Initial clinical trials found that Adam's contraceptive effect lasts at least two years - "a critical milestone moment," said The Independent. Adam will enter the second clinical trial phase later this year.

You're Nicked!

You might already be aware the Dubai Police’s fleet of vehicles is somewhat out of the ordinary. The force’s previous patrol cars have included a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin Mercedes AMG and even a Bugatti Veyron. Sensibly, its latest addition is a little more practical. Well, it is in the sense that you can actually get criminals into the back of it, but they will be having a lovely time back there because this is a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. The new addition to the fleet was unveiled by Brigadier Khalfan Obaid Al Jallaf, director of the Tourist Police Department at Dubai Police, at the rather aptly initialised Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025.

"Follow your heart, your instincts. People might try to dissuade you from your passion, but no one can live your life but you." Olympia Dukakis

On This Day

5 May 1809: For her technique of weaving straw with silk, Mary Kries became the first woman to receive a U.S. patent; the process was largely used in the creation of hats and other headwear.