Mid week round up of positive news from across the globe.
It's home to some of the world's most extraordinarily beautiful landscapes, and better still, Iceland is on most of the world's travel green list; meaning it's relatively easy to visit. So why not abandon the 'fly and flop' on the beach dreams and broaden your horizons with a visit to this volcanic island marvel instead?
Teenage girls in the northern Nigerian city of Kano are 'opening their minds' by learning robotics, computing, and other STEM subjects as part of an innovative project that challenges local views of what girls should be doing in a socially conservative Muslim society. In a place where girls are expected to marry young and their education is often cut short, the Kabara NGO aims to widen their world view.
There is a near-panacea that can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure. It has no side effects, or long-term problems and is very cost effective. And it’s a box of fruit and vegetables.
If you live in New York or Sydney, you will soon be able to use Google Maps to see how busy each transit car is before stepping aboard a train or subway. After trials in these two cities, the tech giant plans to make the feature available in many more urban areas around the world.
A contest to create an emblem for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has been won by a teenage student whose design used one continuous line to represent the 70-year reign. Edward Roberts, a 19-year-old undergraduate, created a design featuring a stylised crown drawn with an unbroken line, which incorporated the number 70. The occasion will be marked next June by a four-day bank holiday weekend, along with celebrations including a live concert outside Buckingham Palace.
Hats off to Emilio Flores Márquez: He was the first-born of 11 children and had to take care of his younger siblings and work on his father’s sugar cane farm as a child. In June, Márquez set the Guinness World Record as the oldest living man on the planet. He was born on 8 August 1908, and he was 112 years and 326 days old when Guinness announced the world record. Emilio has been in good health and his 113th birthday is fast approaching.
Canada has announced more than C$25 million in funding to conserve, restore, and enhance wetlands and grasslands in the Prairie provinces. This initiative could conserve up to 30,000 hectares of wetlands, grasslands, and riparian areas, on top of restoring up to 6,000 hectares and enhancing up to 18,000 hectares. The goal is to encourage natural carbon sequestration in the landscape through protecting nature, which will also support biodiversity and make communities more resilient to climate change.
Dive in Deeper
Mood Booster
Enjoy a remarkable 3 minute journey through the extraordinarily beautiful landscapes of Patagonia.