Thursday's Upbeat News

Editor OGN Daily
6 hours ago
3 min read

An eclectic selection of short, upbeat news stories to brighten the day.

Statue of Darth Vader in Paris, created by a photographer — Credit: Laurent Pons

"What-if" Moments

Yes, that's the Eiffel Tower in the background. If you are a Star Wars fan or simply enjoy creative photography, you will be pleased to discover STAR WARS Revisited by Paris-based photographer and visual artist Laurent Pons. He takes takes sci-fi icons and drops them into the heart of our everyday world. Playing with scale, atmosphere and location, he photographs models and action figures, and places them in real-life settings: streets of Paris, familiar landmarks, urban landscapes. What results are images that feel at once fantastical and uncannily plausible. Pons doesn’t aim for pure spectacle. Instead his work whispers a kind of “what-if” moment. What if the galaxy far, far away drifted quietly through our own city squares and boulevards? You can see more of his work on Instagram.

Indian Astronomical Observatory in Ladakh — Indian Astronomical Observatory | Dorje Angchuk

Himalaya Stargazing

At 4,500 metres above sea level, Hanle in Ladakh has some of the clearest night skies on Earth. It became India’s first dark sky reserve in 2022. Twenty-five villagers, mostly women, trained as astronomy guides to boost tourism and protect the nearby observatory from light pollution. Visitors pay about $2 to stargaze and often stay in the guides’ homes. Since the first telescope was installed in 2000, Hanle has become a world-class astronomy hub. The project now draws thousands of tourists, and homestays have grown, reviving the local economy.

Aerial view of Bora-Bora in French Polynesia

World's Largest MPA

French Polynesia has announced the creation of the largest marine park in the world. This new marine protected area (MPA) spans the entire exclusive economic zone of the territory, an enormous 4.8 million square kilometers (about 1.9 million square miles). That’s nearly the size of the entire European Union. The goal is to protect ocean life, preserve cultural traditions, and restrict harmful activities like deep-sea mining and large-scale fishing.

SUV Parking Fees Up

Following in the footsteps of the fight in Paris against auto-besity, motorists who drive sports utility vehicles (SUVs) or other large vehicles are set to be charged more to park in Wales. "Cabinet has approved the principle of an additional charge for residential parking permits for vehicles weighing over 2.4 tonnes. These heavier vehicles typically produce more emissions, cause greater wear and tear on roads, and critically pose a significantly higher risk in the event of a road traffic collision."

Moroccan schoolboy in his colourful classroom — Credit: World Bank

Education in Morocco

Preschool attendance in Morocco has rapidly risen from 23 percent in 2018 to 73 percent in 2024 after a nationwide early-education reform. Investments in teacher training, rural infrastructure, and public-private partnerships have transformed access for millions of children, particularly in disadvantaged areas. The World Bank says the results show how targeted funding can rapidly improve learning equity. Furthermore, new cross-country research from World Bank economist Amory Gethin finds that education has driven about 45 percent of global income growth since 1980, and a whopping 60 percent of gains for the poorest 20 percent. The mechanism isn’t only “more skills = higher pay”; expanding schooling also swells the supply of skilled workers, which narrows wage gaps, so the benefits spill over to low-skilled households too.

Prostate Cancer Drug

A new drug combination to treat advanced recurring prostate cancer has shown remarkable results in a long-term trial, lowering the risk of death after eight years by 40 percent. What's more, the drug treatments are already approved for use on their own. “These important findings identify a treatment that prolongs survival in men with aggressive prostate cancer,” said Hyung Kim, MD, a urologic oncologist and chair of the Department of Urology at Cedars-Sinai. “The latest analysis complements previous studies that found enzalutamide significantly improved survival in other prostate cancer settings, and will change how we take care of our patients.”

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