Happy News Friday
- Editor OGN Daily
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
Wrapping up the week with an eclectic global collection of positive news stories.
Dazzling in The Dark
Each night, the Milky Way decorates darkened skies around the globe with a streak of glimmering stars and pink-orange dust. Stunning in its own right, our galaxy is ever more dazzling in the images topping the 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest - like the one featured above called 'The Wave', snapped by Luis Cajete in Coyote Buttes, a geological masterpiece located in Arizona, where special access permits are required to protect it for future generations. OGN will be publishing more of these awe-inspiring images in the forthcoming OGN Sunday Magazine.
Fans-Tastic
Oasis fans are expected to splash out more than £1 billion on the reunion tour including tickets, accommodation, food, drink, outfits and merchandise, according to research that found a quarter of ticket holders would have been happy to spend even more. The band’s comeback concerts after a 15-year hiatus are expected to be the most popular, and profitable, run of gigs in British history. Research by Wonderwallets, part of the Barclays Consumer Spend report, estimates £1.06 billion will be spent by the 1.4 million fans attending the 17 UK tour dates. That's a whopping average of £766 a person. In justifying the cost, The Guardian reports that 16 percent of fans said they had bought tickets as a gift, while 30 percent described it as a “sentimental purchase” due to the significance the band’s music had played in their life.
Oldest Star Map
Researchers have reanalyzed the long-perplexing “Star Manual of Master Shi” and discovered that it could rightfully be considered the oldest, structured celestial map in the world. Utilizing advanced imaging techniques, researchers at the Chinese National Astronomical Observatories determined that the star chart dates to approximately 355 BCE, which is over two centuries earlier than previously believed. “Ancient stellar observations are a valuable cultural heritage,” study authors said, “profoundly influencing both cultural domains and modern astronomical research.”
"Historic" Step
Colombia has formally recognized Indigenous local governments across the Amazon, reports Associated Press. In a precedent-setting decision that both secures Indigenous rights and protects the Amazon rainforest, Colombia took a leading position in Latin America by formalizing Indigenous local governments. In a process that’s been ongoing since 2018, not only does the formalization give Indigenous communities land titles, it also grants them self-governing authority - implementing a legal framework that lets them function as official local governments. An Indigenous leader called the decree “historic,” saying it’s been something communities have been seeking “for over 30 years,” and there are hopes that it will inspire other countries to do the same.
Waves Have Legal Rights: It's the first instance in which a government (Brazil) has conferred rights upon part of the ocean.
Brontë Country
England has protected the sweeping Pennine landscapes (the inspiration for the Brontë sisters - Charlotte (Jane Eyre) and Emily (Wuthering Heights) and Anne (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) - by creating the Bradford Pennine Gateway, connecting eight nature sites across 1,274 hectares. As Emily Brontë once wrote: "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree." The reserve safeguards the literary sisters' creative inspiration while providing green space access for one of Britain's most nature-deprived cities. The protected area preserves rare wildlife, peat bogs, heathlands and wetlands in northern England.
Underwater Jetpack
The CudaJet is a true backpack-style underwater jetpack, developed by a British underwater enthusiast. It consists of the dual-jet-drive pack itself, which is attached to a padded neoprene harness that's worn on the torso. A hardwired handheld trigger-style remote is used to control the speed and monitor the battery's charge level (claimed to be good for a runtime of up to 90 minutes) and the jetpack can be used down to a maximum depth of 40 meters (131 ft). Top speed is 3 meters (10 ft) per second. Everyone would want one of these, but unfortunately you need deep (waterproof) pockets. Pricing for a complete 2025 CudaJet package starts at £22,500 (about US$30k).
“We are mosaics - pieces of light, love, history, stars - glued together with magic and music and words.” Anita Krizzan
On This Day
23 May 1785: Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals.
Today's Articles
Cool New Tech: Apple’s former chief designer Sir Jony Ive joins OpenAI in a $6.5bn deal aimed at toppling the iPhone.
Benevolence: Believing in the kindness of others is key to happiness, says the world’s foremost study on global wellbeing.
Mood Boosting Video
Bloomin' Marvellous! A beautiful collection of various types of flowers coming to life.