OGN Wednesday

11 minutes ago
4 min read

Mid-week selection of upbeat news nuggets to brighten the day.

whirling dervishes in Turkey, dressed in white — Credit: Athanasios Maloukos | Konya, Turkey | TPOTY

Whirling Devotion

More than 20,000 photographs from 160 countries were submitted for consideration in the latest Travel Photographer of the Year awards. The overall winner was Athanasios Maloukos from Greece whose portfolio of shots of the Sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey, and the Holy Week in Zamora, Spain, intrigued judges with their atmospheric lighting, their hypnotic sense of movement, and their exploration of spirituality. Despite being an amateur photographer, Maloukos earned high praise from the judges, describing his work as “one of the best over the last 23 years of these awards.” Take a look at his winning images, plus winners in other categories.

“Helmet of Memory”

Vladyslav Heraskevych has been awarded the Ukraine Order of Freedom - one of the country’s highest civilian honours - by president Volodymyr Zelensky following the skeleton racer’s disqualification from the Winter Olympics. Heraskevych was excluded from the Games after he refused to back down when he was told by the International Olympic Committee that his “helmet of memory”, which commemorated Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since Russia’s invasion in 2022, would contravene athlete expression guidelines. Instead, Heraskevych took the ultimate sporting sanction of being excluded from the Games.

Giant tortoise chewing a large leaf — Credit: Galapagos Conservancy

Back After 180 Years

Giant tortoises are roaming the Galápagos island of Floreana for the first time in more than 180 years, in what conservationists have called a "hugely significant milestone". The release of 158 captive-bred juvenile tortoises onto the island was possible thanks to a "back-breeding" programme launched in 2017 after scientists discovered tortoises carrying ancestry of the Floreana giant tortoise on nearby Isabela island. Floreana's native species, Chelonoidis niger niger, was driven to extinction in the 1840s by sailors who took thousands from the island for sustenance during long voyages. "This long-anticipated moment gives hope, not just for the future of Floreana, but for the future restoration of islands around the world," says the Galápagos Conservation Trust.

In 2023, the Galápagos Islands struck the world's biggest 'Debt for Nature' swap that should help protect, in perpetuity, the archipelago’s unique flora and fauna.

Sneakers4Good

Over 300 million shoes are thrown away each year in the United States alone, and beyond the toxic chemicals they leech when sitting in a landfill, more than 300 million people in the world can’t afford shoes. “Most people throw away their athletic shoes and sneakers after 8-12 months of wear without ever considering recycling them,” says Sneakers4Good, a global recycling program. “Since sneakers are not biodegradable, this can have drastic consequences for the environment.” Looking to meet a need - and counter environmental waste at the same time - Sneakers4Good has a US program to recycle gently used shoes to people in need.

Up For Grabs

A rare 1965 Lamborghini 350 GT is currently up for grabs over on Bring a Trailer and is expected to go for around $750,000. The sporty two-door is one of just 120 examples that were built of the automaker’s first production model and has clearly been well looked after over the past six decades. The 350 GT may not have the name recognition of the Miura or Countach, but the 350 GT is the car that got Lamborghini’s automotive efforts going, after starting life as a company that built tractors and other industrial machines. A remarkable transition orchestrated by Ferruccio Lamborghini.

Portuguese Success

In January, more than 80 percent of Portugal’s electricity came from renewables, the most in the EU. EuroNews reports that Portugal’s electricity production was led by hydropower, which accounted for 37 percent of its overall mix, closely followed by wind on 35 percent, and solar at just over 4 percent. Norway came first on the European / Scandinavian leader board with 96 percent renewable electricity production last month, while Denmark took third place with 79 percent.

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” Marcus Aurelius

On This Day

25 February 1862: First Legal Tender Act of 1862 is passed by US Congress, authorizing the United States note (greenback) into circulation, the first fiat paper money that is legal tender in America. $150 million dollars were issued. It shifted the U.S. toward a national currency, replacing the need for state-level bank notes. The following February, Abraham Lincoln signs National Currency Act, establishing single national US currency.