Upbeat News Saturday

Editor OGN Daily
5 days ago
3 min read

Ensuring it's a sunny Saturday with today's eclectic collection of upbeat news nuggets.

Bow of a cargo ship that has ploughed into a garden in front of a house in Norway — Credit: Joanne Fielder

Close Encounter

A Norwegian man has spoken of the “unreal” moment he woke up to discover that a 135-metre container ship had crashed into his front garden just after dawn on Thursday. An astonished neighbour watched as the ship, which was travelling at about 16 knots (approximately 30km/h), headed straight for the shore into Johan Helberg’s garden, narrowly missing his house. Helberg, who lives near Trondheim, awoke to his neighbour ringing his doorbell. He looked out of his window to see the ship’s bow. “I went to the window and was quite astonished to see a big ship,” Helberg told the Guardian. “I had to bend my neck to see the top of it. It was so unreal.” Police have interviewed the crew and are working on several theories, including technical failure and human error.

Win For Wildlife

State parks in Florida are now protected from commercial construction after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the State Park Preservation Act into law. The act prevents developers from constructing hotels, golf courses or other commercial enterprises in any of Florida's 175 state parks. The Florida Wildlife Federation posted a note of appreciation to its website, saying the law was "a massive win for wildlife, outdoor spaces, and future generations who will get to experience Florida's natural wonders just as they should be: wild and natural."

Part of the new ecological corridor in Kyrgyzstan, showing a valley flanked by mountains — Credit: Alejandro Laguna | UNEP

Kyrgyz Corridor

Kyrgyzstan has created a vast ecological corridor for species migration. The Kyrgyz Republic has designated an 8,000 sq.km (3,090 sq.mile) ecological corridor linking protected areas across snow leopard range in the Tian Shan mountains. The corridor allows species to move freely through fragmented habitats, boosting resilience in the face of climate change and habitat loss. Grazing density will be reduced by almost one quarter, in agreement with local herders, to help restore pastures and allow wildlife to graze. UNEP says it’s the largest ever landscape-level conservation effort in Central Asia.

Rare Pink Diamond

A large pink diamond believed to have been passed down from France's Queen Marie Antoinette to her daughter is going up for auction in New York next month. The rare 10-carat diamond is set in a ring designed by jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal. It will be a part of the Magnificent Jewels live auction at Christie's Rockefeller Center location on June 17. The kite-shaped jewel is believed to date back to the mid-18th century and was once owned by Antoinette's daughter, Duchess Marie-Thérèse, the auction house said. It is estimated to sell for up to $5 million.

Watch For Marie Antoinette is Greatest Ever Made

WHO Ups Budget

In a rare consensus move, member states of the World Health Organisation have approved a 20 percent increase for the 2026 - 27 budget. The agreement represents a shift toward more predictable, stable funding for global health governance. China will become the new top funder of the WHO, overtaking the United States, with a commitment of $500 million over the next five years. The support is earmarked for global health initiatives including pandemic preparedness and disease control in low-income countries.

Bye Bye Coal

China’s coal industry is facing a structural unraveling: prices are falling, inventories are ballooning, and power demand is shifting to wind and solar. In April 2025, thermal generation dropped 2.3 percent year-on-year. Analysts say the sector is now in a ‘vicious cycle’ of oversupply and obsolescence - accelerating a transition thought decades away, says Bloomberg.

“Middle age is when you’re sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn’t for you.” Ogden Nash