OGN Wednesday
Mid-week collection of positive news stories to perk up the day.
Determined Couple
Around the world, many cultures believe that rain on a wedding day is good luck. However, a wedding in the midst of a flood may be a symbol of everlasting love and unbreakable bonds. Such was the case of Gilbert Chico and Liean Liza Galang, a couple from the Philippines who tied the knot at the St. John the Baptist Parish Church in Hagonoy, Bulacan, which flooded after unusually heavy monsoon rainfall. Given the circumstances, the church suggested that the couple reschedule the ceremony. Still, the pair went ahead in waste-deep water. “We had been looking forward to this day for so long, and we did not want the rain and flooding to stop us from getting married,” they told the Associated Press. “It may not have been the wedding we imagined, but it is certainly a day we will never forget.”
New Wild Cat Species
An international team of scientists, including National Geographic Explorer Paola Nogales Ascarrunz, has identified Leopardus tilcayo - a new wild cat species unique to Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest, and the first new cat species described in more than 100 years. Using genome sequencing from both museum bone specimens and living animals, researchers revealed that South America's “tiger cats” consist of five distinct species, which led to its discovery. Leopardus tilcayo is a small felid with a head-body length of 42.5 - 50.5 cm (17-20 inches) and a tail length of 25 - 26.5 cm (10-10.4 inches).
Smallest Cat in The World: The rusty spotted cat is the smallest cat in the world and survives in the jungle - it could even fit in the palm of your hand. Watch 3 minute video.
Putting The Park Back
Until the 1920s Park Avenue in Manhattan actually had a park running through it. Now, New York City has unveiled a new plan for transforming Park Avenue back into its original natural character, adding trees, benches, and a protected bike lane. Mayor Mamdani and the NYC Department of Transportation are updating 11 blocks of the wide street, based on feedback from New Yorkers who want more green spaces and safety for cyclists. The updated boulevard design makes it a “more people-centered corridor” as two car lanes are being converted, with one existing southbound vehicle lane being converted into a two-way protected bike lane. “New Yorkers asked us to make more room for people to walk, bike and enjoy their city, and we listened,” said Mayor Mamdani.
Refining Breakthrough
Instead of energy intensive traditional crude oil distillation refining, Chinese scientists have found a way to separate the mixture molecule by molecule at room temperature - rather than repeatedly boiling it - cutting energy use by a whopping 90 percent. This exciting discovery was made in the lab, so it can’t be said for certain that it will be scalable. If it could, though, it would dramatically reduce the cost and emissions from producing gasoline, diesel, or plastics. Since about 4 percent of global human-related CO2 emissions come from current crude oil refining methods, this breakthrough could be very significant.
Still Plummeting
The cost of solar power has hit new lows as data showed photovoltaic panels now cost around $0.12 (£0.09) per watt - down from $6 (£4.50) in 2000. That’s according to analysis by the Financial Times (FT), which quoted one expert from the energy thinktank Ember describing solar as “offensively cheap”. The remarkable fall in solar’s costs is unprecedented for any energy technology: in 1975, it cost $100 (£75) per watt. As a result of falling prices, many countries are setting new records for installations, especially since Trump's foray into the Middle East pushed up fossil fuel prices.
India Solar
In the first half of 2026, India installed a record 27 gigawatts, up 50 percent year over year from the 18 gigawatts added in early 2025. By June, India’s cumulative installed solar capacity surpassed 165 gigawatts. Large-scale solar projects represented 83 percent of the installed capacity, while rooftop solar accounted for the remaining 17 percent. In more good news from the sub-continent, new analysis shows that India’s coal generation has levelled off two decades earlier than expected. This is a big deal.
"The difference between a champion and the rest of the field is having the ability to lift your game when you're under the greatest pressure." Billie Jean King
On This Day
23 September 1953: Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Ralph Bunche for mediation in Israel, making him the first African American winner of a Nobel Prize. Working as a United Nations mediator, he spent 11 months negotiating separate armistice agreements between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. He later served as UN Under-Secretary-General, managing peacekeeping missions in regions like the Congo and Cyprus, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.
Today's Articles
Lost For Decades: Sculpture by America’s first professional female sculptor sat hiding in plain sight in English garden.
Mood Boosting Video
Most people do this jump in a proper wingsuit, but not this guy.
