Today's global collection of upbeat news nuggets.
Art's Indiana Jones
A Dutch art detective has recovered a precious Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from a museum in a midnight heist during the coronavirus lockdown three and a half years ago. Arthur Brand took possession of the missing painting, The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, painted in 1884 and worth around $6m, at his Amsterdam home, stuffed in a blue Ikea bag. Brand, known as the 'Indiana Jones of the art world' for tracing a series of high-profile lost artworks, told AFP that confirming the painting was the stolen Van Gogh was “one of the greatest moments of my life”.
Sign of Life
A Nasa telescope may have discovered potential evidence of a sign of life on a faraway planet. We have heard such claims numerous times before. This time, however, the James Webb Space Telescope may have discovered a molecule known as dimethyl sulphide (DMS), which, on Earth, is produced only by life.
Galapagos Reintroduction
Ecuador's government has announced it will spend $3.4 million on reintroducing 12 endemic bird and turtle species that have disappeared from an island in the Galapagos archipelago where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution. The project will also seek to weed out invasive rodents and cats on the island of Floreana. The government plans to reintroduce vegetarian finches, vermillion flycatchers, lava gulls, barn owls, Galapagos hawks and giant turtles through the project due to start in January, it added.
Galápagos Islands Strike World's Biggest Debt for Nature Deal: Ecuador’s ‘debt for nature’ swap should help protect, in perpetuity, the archipelago’s unique flora and fauna including many species that can be found nowhere else on Earth. Read on...
Recumbent e-Trike
Germany's Hase Bikes has launched an e-trike called the Trigo Up E that's aimed at elderly riders or those who may not be able to ebike along on two wheels for health reasons, such as those with back problems. "Thanks to the low frame tube, it’s easy for riders to get into and out of the seat," said company founder, Marec Hase. "Moreover, the stable delta trike configuration and low center of gravity make the Trigo Up E extremely tip-resistant, even when cornering." The trike can be had as a pre-configured ride in ivory/black for €5,990 (about $6,450), or can be customized to suit needs or preferences.
Post-Meal Stroll
For centuries, people in the sunny Mediterranean would get up after long, leisurely meals and take a walk, often to the town square to see neighbours and socialize. Walking is so much a part of that lifestyle it is listed as a foundation of the über-healthy Mediterranean diet. Now you can add another reason to take a post-meal stroll - it may lower your blood sugar. That excursion doesn’t need to take up a huge amount of your time either: Walking as little as two to five minutes after a meal can do the trick, according to a study in the journal Sports Medicine.
"A gentleman should never do anything he cannot talk about at dinner." Oscar Wilde
On this Day
14 September 1752: Great Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar and the date was moved ahead 11 days (the day after September 2 became September 14). The month, therefore, only had 19 days.
This clever little amphitheater of mixology brings the skills of classic and renegade bartenders directly into your home. Hey presto...
Some Surprising Random Facts: Selection of intriguing facts may be handy at your next quiz night. Discover...
Mood Booster
Official Teaser: Chicken Run - Dawn of the Nugget hatches on Netflix on 15 December.