OGN Wednesday

Editor OGN Daily
39 minutes ago
4 min read

Wednesday's collection of positive news stories from around the world.

Gorilla doing an unintentionally funny walk — Credit: Mark Meth-Cohn | Nikon Comedy Wildlife

Comedy Wildlife

They say that good comedy is all about timing, and for proof look no further than the photos shortlisted for this year’s Comedy Wildlife Awards. Slapstick and silly, the perennially uplifting competition reveals a different side to nature, serving up perfectly timed shots of wildlife at improbably hilarious moments. But there is a serious side to the “world’s funniest wildlife photography competition”, which also supports conservation efforts. Winners will be announced on 9 December 2025 and you can be sure that OGN will publish the winning shot at that time. In the meantime, take a look at...

Selection of the Best of Comedy Wildlife Photography since 2015

Courtyard at Appleby Blue Almshouse, London — Credit: Philip Vile | Witherford Watson Mann

UK's Best New Building

A “hopeful and imaginative” social housing project won this year’s prize for the UK’s best new building. The 57-unit building won the RIBA Stirling Prize 2025 prize for setting an “ambitious standard for social housing among older people” and for acknowledging “two crises, an acute housing shortage and a growing loneliness epidemic among older people.” Appleby Blue Almshouse draws on the almhouse typology - a historic form of low-cost sheltered housing for the elderly, often arranged around a courtyard. However, unlike traditional secluded and inward-facing almshouses, it is deliberately designed to feel integrated within the surrounding area, featuring expansive street-facing bay windows. Among the five-story block's stand-out features are co-living facilities, including a community kitchen and double-height garden room, a rooftop garden and earthy terracotta-tiled hallways. The heart of the development is its central courtyard garden, which was designed with landscape architecture studio Grant Associates to emulate a woodland, complete with a cascading water feature, trees and flower beds.

Michigan Education

Michigan lawmakers passed a historic education budget that includes a record $10,050 investment per student, universal school meals, universal pre-K for 4-year-olds, community college access for all, expanded literacy programs, and more. Governor Whitmer described the budget as a long-term commitment to equity and stability.

Pair of bright blue Spix’s macaws — Credit: Danny Ye | American Bird Consevancy

Extinct in The Wild

An incredibly rare Spix’s macaw chick hatched at a European zoo, giving new hope for the species. The Spix’s macaw is a brilliantly blue parrot once native to the dry tropical forests of northeastern Brazil, but now only exists in captivity. It’s perhaps best known as the inspiration for the 2011 animated movie Rio. While the new chick will not be reintroduced into the wild, it will grow to become a key breeder in the program, helping to expand the population alongside other chicks expected in the coming years - helping to build up a genetically diverse population, with the long-term aim of supporting the species’ survival.

Tom Boyd packing shelves in a store — Tom Boyd photographed by Frances Boyd

Happy Conclusion

Tom Boyd, a 28-year-old autistic man, had been working unpaid for over four years at a Waitrose store in England, simply because he enjoyed doing it. When his family asked if he could be given a few paid hours to recognize his hard work, Waitrose reportedly said that that was not possible. This decision sparked national outrage. However, rival supermarket Asda has now offered Tom a paid role with two five-hour shifts per week, providing him with the opportunity to have a paid job and the sense of belonging and independence he had enjoyed during his unpaid work. The story has highlighted the challenges faced by disabled people in the workplace, particularly concerning the fairness of volunteering arrangements, and the need for greater inclusivity and support from employers.

Russia's Coal Collapse

Russia’s coal industry is facing a deep crisis, with prices plummeting and over half of producers losing money. Sanctions, soaring logistics costs, and the decline of the global coal market have led to the collapse of this once-vital sector, reports Forbes. In parallel, the U.S. coal industry is also struggling, with federal lease auctions attracting minimal bids as the market prices coal out of the future energy mix. These events are part of a broader global transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy and storage technologies. Clean energy has now surpassed coal in global electricity generation for the first time, marking a major turning point. Batteries and other clean technologies are rapidly scaling up, becoming cheaper and more reliable than fossil fuels.

“Speak only if it improves upon the silence.” Mahatma Gandhi