Tuesday's Positive News
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- 4 min read
Ensuring Tuesday gets off to a bright start with today's eclectic collection of positive news nuggets.
Slow Down And Notice
On New Year’s Day 2026, Alon Goldsmith began what he calls a “365-day project, which involves taking and posting a photo every day for a year." This image was taken on day 111. Johannesburg-born, LA-based Goldsmith was on his daily bike ride, which usually takes him through Venice and around Santa Monica Pier, areas he describes as containing a “cornucopia of curiosities”. “I spend a lot of rides hunting for photos,” he says. “Looking at the world from this vantage point allows me to slow down and notice what’s around me in a different way. When I’m not rushing, the world reveals itself more fully.” This Hi-Spy Viewing Machine is situated on the pier, looking over the beach. Goldsmith decided to translate what he captured into black and white during editing. “I think the change emphasises the graphic and cinematic nature of the composition.”
Back From The Brink
The (adorable) numbat is no longer endangered. The IUCN has moved Western Australia’s animal emblem from Endangered to Near Threatened on its Red List, after more than 40 years of conservation work. “The downlisting of the numbat from Endangered to Near Threatened is what we have been working for over the last 40 years,” said Tony Friend. “I feel very elated.” By the late 1970s, the population had fallen to around 300 individuals. The striped, termite-eating marsupial was being killed by introduced predators, mainly red foxes and feral cats, along with ongoing habitat loss and changes to fire patterns. At 300 animals, extinction was a serious possibility. Now there are between 2,000 to 3,000.
New Guggenheim
Abu Dhabi is about to get its own Guggenheim - designed by none other than the late architect Frank Gehry. It’s been two decades since the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation announced plans to build a museum in the United Arab Emirates capital. Now, the $1 billion Guggenheim Abu Dhabi finally has an opening date: 11 December 2026. Like other Guggenheim museums - which are located in New York, Bilbao and Venice - Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will focus on modern and contemporary art. Curators have been developing its collection since 2009 and among the featured artists will be stars like Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Remarkable Progress
Six years ago, fewer than one in six rural homes in India had a tap water connection. As of mid-July, more than four in five do, and the difference adds up to 124 million additional households. So, 156.7 million of the country’s 193.6 million rural households now have tap water. When the Jal Jeevan Mission launched in August 2019 (its full name, “Har Ghar Jal,” means water for every home), only 32.3 million rural households, about 16.7 percent, had it.
First Circumnavigation
A replica of a 16th Century ship that accomplished the first circumnavigation of the world and is described as a "floating museum" has docked at Great Yarmouth, on England's south east coast. The ship, built in Spain in 1991, is based on the Nao Victoria. Commanded by Juan Sebastián Elcano after Ferdinand Magellan's death, the historic expedition departed Seville, Spain, in August 1519 and returned in September 1522. Between 2004 and 2006, the replica repeated the historic feat, sailing over 26,800 nautical miles across five continents and visiting 17 countries.
Conservation Success
Protection and conservation programs have resulted in a great year for the majestic eastern imperial eagle - the national bird of Serbia. Emblazoned on the flag of the Balkans nation, 29 breeding pairs were counted out of which 16 helped 25 chicks to hatch and fledge. The news comes from the Serbian Bird Protection and Research Society which called it the most successful year since targeted conservation began in 2017. Then, just a single known breeding pair remained in the country. Young fledglings will be fitted with radio transceivers when possible and safe, a method of conservation that will inform where this gradually growing population are dispersing to, where they’re hunting, and where bachelor males are traveling.
You Couldn't Make It Up
A U.S. government map of Africa mislabeled every country during a State Department presentation at a global health conference taking place in Brazil this week, causing a stir among attendees who took screenshots and posted them online. The State Department said it took “full responsibility” for the confusion caused and that the map had been produced by a team member who hastily changed the slide deck before the event. The map showed Nigeria, where the U.S. has several hundred troops deployed, as landlocked in the Sahara. Mozambique, which is in southeastern Africa, was relocated to the Horn of Africa, while Ivory Coast in West Africa was placed on the other side of the continent.
“Be the reason someone believes in goodness again.” Chris Bharnes
On This Day
4 August 1958: Billboard Hot 100 is published for the first time with Poor Little Fool by Ricky Nelson at No.1
Today's Articles
Making a Difference: A company owner turns down $400 million and gives it to a charitable 'purpose trust' instead.
NaMo Green Rail: India launches hydrogen train pilot scheme on its vast railway network to cut emissions.
Random Fun Facts: Facts that may be a surprise to you, compiled by the team at BBC Science Magazine.
Mood Boosting Video
Only in California: The 2026 World Dog Surfing Championship.