Sunny Saturday News
- Editor OGN Daily
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Celebrating the start of the weekend with a global round up of good news nuggets.
Yes, This is a Photo
It might look like abstract art - but it's a real place, seen from above. Photographed from far above Iceland's highlands, Tree of Life transforms braided glacial rivers and mineral-rich streams into a striking, tree-like form, revealing natural patterns invisible from the ground. The remarkable image by photographer Isabella Tabacci won First Place in AAP Magazine Issue #54: Nature. It stood out among thousands of entries for its revealing perspective and environmental storytelling - turning the landscape into art, seemingly a mythical symbol of nature's resilience.
Amazing Progress
India has expanded rural tap water access from 16.7 percent of the population in 2019 to 81 percent in 2026, connecting 125 million rural households to clean, running water. In sheer numbers, this is the biggest, fastest, and most important sanitation drive in human history.
Eradication Program
In the mid-1980s, there were millions of annual Guinea worm disease cases - last year, there were just 10, The Carter Center has announced. This stat marks a historic low for the notoriously painful parasitic disease, which typically spreads through contaminated drinking water. The steep decline is the result of decades-long efforts led by former President Jimmy Carter and his nonprofit to educate the public, distribute water filters, and train community volunteers. Despite the progress, 10 cases is still 10 too many to Adam Weiss, director of the center’s Guinea worm eradication program.
January 2026: A collection of bite-sized chunks of this year's positive news regarding health and wellbeing around the world.
Landslide?
Just eight months ago, Japan’s ruling party appeared to have reached the edge of the electoral abyss. But as voters prepare to brave freezing temperatures in tomorrow's elections, the Liberal Democratic party is expected to pull off a momentous victory. And the party’s recovery from the disappointment of last year is largely down to one woman. Japan’s party of government for most of the past seven decades took a gamble on Sanae Takaichi, installing her as the country’s first female prime minister. If opinion polls are correct, that gamble is about to pay off in ways even her strongest allies could not have imagined. Takaichi, whose mother was a police officer and father a car company employee, has cited Margaret Thatcher, the daughter of a shopkeeper, as her inspiration.
Toronto’s Don River
The river was declared “biologically dead” decades ago, but now fish are returning after a major wetland restoration. Monitoring in 2025 recorded more than 20 fish species in Toronto’s Don River, including Atlantic salmon and native predators such as walleye and northern pike. The rebound follows a C$1 billion renaturalisation that rebuilt wetlands, reshaped the river’s course, and restored spawning habitat.
Odd Mixture
Snoop Dogg and the sport of curling made for a very odd mixture at the Winter Olympics on Friday with British competitors Bruce Mouat and Jennifer Dodds even more shocked than the crowd and the millions tuning in when they got a picture request from the rapper. Mouat and Dodds had maintained their unbeaten record so far at the Games with a 7-4 win over tough opponents Sweden, but were just as pleased to meet the US superstar. “We saw him at half-time. He asked for a photo with us, so I am feeling pretty good about myself,” reported Mouat. The duo were asked what the musician said to them, with Dodds replying: “He heard about Bruce!”
Trump 0 - 5 Wind
The New York Times reports that a federal judge has struck down the Interior Department’s order to halt work on a multibillion-dollar wind farm off the coast of New York State, the fifth time the courts have ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to throttle the country’s offshore wind industry. The administration is now 0-5 in its effort to stop wind farms under construction along the East Coast.
I wanna make a jigsaw puzzle that's 40,000 pieces. And when you finish it, it says 'go outside.' Demetri Martin
On This Day
7 February 1301: Edward of Caernarfon, born in 1284, was created the first English Prince of Wales on this day in 1301, by his father, King Edward I, at the age of 16. This strategic move aimed to solidify English control over the recently conquered region, providing the heir to the throne with the title, the earldom of Chester, and lands in North Wales.
Today's Articles
Powerful Acronym: Steven Spielberg becomes 21st person to achieve EGOT status. Who else is in this exclusive club?
Global Phenomenon: Why artists don't get paid for their performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.
Mood Boosting Video
After The Rains: Spectacular butterfly mountaintop gathering in Mozambique, narrated by David Attenborough.