Mid-week collection of upbeat news nuggets to brighten the day.
Progress in Brazil
Brazil will have its first Indigenous woman chief in a key governmental role. The country’s new President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced that Sônia Guajajara will head up a new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. “This is more than a personal achievement,” Guajajara said. “It is a collective achievement of the Indigenous peoples, a historic moment of reparation in Brazil.” The creation of the ministry is “a confirmation of Lula’s commitment to us,” she said.
More Good News for the Amazon: People living in the Brazilian Amazon can breathe a little easier this week, after the country’s supreme court ruled in favour of reviving the Amazon Fund. Read on...
Gas Prices Tumble
A spell of mild weather in the UK and Europe has sent wholesale gas prices tumbling in a respite from the high prices that have led to soaring energy bills. The situation has increased optimism over gas supplies, which have been stretched since Russia reduced gas exports to Europe after its invasion of Ukraine. Last week prices dipped to levels not experienced since before the start of Mad Vlad's 'special military operation'.
Island Life
Cities around the world are installing artificial islands brimming with grasses and sedges to clean up their waterways. An acre of floating wetland can absorb pollution from 7-15 acres of urban development while creating a refuge for wildlife. Like natural wetlands, floating versions provide a range of ecosystem services. Baltimore was one of the first to trial the invention and the project has been so successful they plan to expand the islands to 10,000 square feet in 2024, reports Yale360.
Robert Burns Poetry
A rare first edition of Robert Burns’s debut poetry collection, found in a barber shop, has gone on display in Fife, Scotland. The book, titled Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, is missing its first 50 pages. These were ripped out by the owner of a barber shop in Shrewsbury in Shropshire, who used them to clean his razors. Only 612 copies of Burn’s book were printed in 1786. It is thought that only 84 survive.
Train Runs on Broth
Japan's Amaterasu Railway is a tiny sightseeing train that takes visitors on a 30-minute ride and showcases some beautiful landmarks in the Miyazaki Prefecture. (A highlight includes Japan's highest train bridge, which stands 344 feet tall.) The train itself, however, has some quirky elements that make it a lovable sight in its own right, from its open roof and pink-colored cars to the fact that the conductors blow bubbles along the ride. Now, it has added an even more interesting feature. It has ditched regular fuel to run on a particular kind of biodiesel made, among other delicacies, from leftover ramen broth. It leaves a delicious aroma in the air and is less damaging to the mountainous landscapes and rice fields that it travels through.
Kids' Smartphones
A rigorous new study from Stanford has found no meaningful association between the age at which kids receive their first smartphones and their wellbeing, as measured by grades, sleep habits and depression symptoms. In short - all kids have phones and no, it doesn't make them depressed.
Restitution
An ancient wooden sarcophagus that was displayed at the Houston Museum of Natural Science has been returned to Egypt after US authorities determined it was looted years ago. The handover came after the Manhattan district attorney’s office determined the sarcophagus (dated to between 664BC to 332BC) was looted from Abu Sir Necropolis, north of Cairo, and smuggled through Germany into the US in 2008. “This stunning coffin was trafficked by a well-organised network that has looted countless antiquities from the region,” said the district attorney. “We are pleased that this object will be returned to Egypt, where it rightfully belongs.” In 2021, authorities in Cairo succeeded in getting 5,300 stolen artefacts returned to Egypt from across the world.
"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone."
Reba McEntire
On this Day
4 January 1954: Elvis Presley records his first demo for Sun Records at a recording studio in Memphis: "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You" and "I'll Never Stand In Your Way."
Oops
Organisers of the prestigious Masters golf tournament in Augusta invite the wrong golfer. Scott who?
Coffee is a Healthy Drink: So says Professor Tim Spector, the King’s College London epidemiologist celebrated for his work on diet and the microbiome. Read on...
Mood Booster
Old movie stars artfully synced to Michael Jackson's Don't Stop Till You Get Enough.