Kick-starting the week with a global round up of positive news nuggets.

Portrait by Ex-President
Former President George W. Bush released this oil painting - from his book Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants - as part of his condolence statement for German-born Henry Kissinger, who died last week at age 100. Bush, who took up painting after leaving office, said: "I have long admired the man who fled the Nazis as a young boy from a Jewish family, then fought them in the United States Army. When he later became Secretary of State, his appointment as a former refugee said as much about his greatness as it did America's greatness."
Marine Protection Area
Papua New Guinea will triple its area of protected ocean with two new MPAs spanning over 5,800 square miles. It’s a huge win for critically endangered sharks, rays, and turtles, and for the 100+ Indigenous communities who spent seven years campaigning for the protections, reports WCS.
Royal Kimonos
Old royal curtains from Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle have been upcycled and transformed into luxury kimonos at the suggestion of the King. Vast swathes of rich fabrics, which are believed to have dressed the windows in family and private rooms during the late Queen’s reign, were lying unused in storage after being collected during clear-outs over the decades. Now, the Delft blue floral, vintage rose and teal, and rich damask burnt orange drapery has been repurposed into high-end, hand-made patchwork kimonos through an initiative by Charles’s King’s Foundation, ready to be auctioned off for the charity from today until Friday.
Sheep in Wolves’ Clothing
Putting a sheep in wolf’s clothing is an effective way to prevent them being eaten, Swiss researchers say. The scientists have developed “pheromone collars”, which, when placed around the necks of cattle or sheep, trick wolves into believing that they have strayed into the territory of a rival pack causing them to slope off in search of unclaimed prey. They have tested the collars on more than 650 sheep and cows in and around 20 pastures in the Swiss Alps and say that the results are “very encouraging”. “It’s a little box that you put on the animal’s collar. Inside there is a pocket of pheromones, that’s the innovation,” said Federico Tettamanti, a wildlife biologist and head of Studio Alpino, who co-invented the anti-wolf collar.
Tree-mendous
Susanne and Thomas Jeromin have lit up their home in Germany with 555 Christmas trees, earning them the world record for the most Christmas trees in one house, according to the German Institute of Records. The couple hope to squeeze in 600 trees next year.
EU's EV Revolution
Europe’s electric vehicle revolution has stepped up a gear. For the first time, EVs have outsold smut-belching diesel cars in the European Union this year. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, 1.2m new EVs were registered in the bloc between January and October - an increase of 53 percent compared to the same period of 2022. All told, EVs accounted for 14 percent of new registrations. Diesel cars, which once accounted for half, slumped to 12 percent of the share.
'Flash Dads'
High fives, fist bumps and words of encouragement are given freely by the Flash Dads. The Flash Dads program was launched seven years ago by Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky, and there are now several dozen members. The men go to elementary schools across Louisville and line up to greet students, cheering them on and getting the day started on a positive note. The Flash Dads are "community members showing up for students who sometimes don't have anybody showing up for them," participant Roger Collins told NBC News. Another member of the Flash Dads, James Bogan, heard about it through his grandson, and signed up so he could surprise him one day at school. "It's contagious and I've been doing it ever since," he said. The Flash Dads take their duties as role models and mentors to heart, and Bogan said the students know "we're not just there that day. We're there whenever you need us. It's not a one day thing, it's a lifetime thing."
"I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade, and try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party." Ron White
On This Day
4 December 1619: 38 colonists from Berkeley Parish, England disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God. Considered by many the first Thanksgiving in the Americas.
AI is helping airlines to greatly mitigate the climate impact of polluting contrails. Good progress...
Mood Booster
Nature makes us happy. Study shows that even just watching nature docs does the trick too.