5 good news stories from around the world to brighten your day
Sometimes catching up on daily news can be a daunting task. With a multitude of fear-inducing headlines, it’s enough to make anyone feel discouraged.
While staying informed on both local and international news is necessary, it’s essential to remind ourselves that it’s not all bad in this world.
To assure you that all is not doom and gloom, we’ve rounded up a few good news stories from around the world that are sure to put a smile on your face.
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Anderson Cooper introduced his new son to the world
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Renowned newsman and LGBTQ+ icon Anderson Cooper shared the wonderful news via his Instagram that he is now a father to a beautiful baby boy named Wyatt. Cooper named his son after his late father, who passed away when he was 10 years old. His middle name is Morgan, which Cooper explains is a family name on his mother’s side. Cooper continues that he knows his parents would like the name because it was one of the ideas included in a list of names that they created 52 years ago when they were trying to think of names for him.
“As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child,” Cooper states in his post. “I’m grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son’s birth.”
Welcome to the world, Wyatt Morgan Cooper.
Greta Thunberg donates $141K to help children during the pandemic
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Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg is donating the USD $100,000 she won from Danish worldwide development organization Human Act to assist children during the pandemic in association with UNICEF. The money is now going to UNICEF with an additional $100,000 donation from Human Act.
These proceeds will go directly towards various UNICEF emergency programs to combat COVID-19, through initiatives such as supplying soap, masks, hygiene kits, PPE, and life-saving information and support to international healthcare systems.
“Like the climate crisis, the coronavirus pandemic is a child-rights crisis,” Thunberg explained in a press release. “It will affect all children, now and in the long-term, but vulnerable groups will be impacted the most. I’m asking everyone to step up and join me in support of UNICEF’s vital work to save children’s lives, to protect health and continue education.”
If you would like to donate to the cause, you can do so online.
A virtual choir performed an inspiring rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone”
American pianist Harrison Sheckler posted an astounding video to YouTube in which a virtual choir, comprising 300 people from 15 different countries, sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. Sheckler explained in the description of the video how he left New York City on March 14 for what he believed would be a short absence. He continued that the Brooklynn College Choir had been preparing for performances with the New York Philharmonic, “and then that was gone.” When he arrived home to Iowa, Sheckler found comfort in playing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” on piano and was inspired to create an online collaborative initiative. He described his hope that audiences will find comfort in the lyrics and that “the visual of 300 people joining together offers the audience some comfort and peace during this time.”
A baby panda cub was born at a zoo in the Netherlands
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After a prolonged period of uncertainty, Wu Wen, a giant panda at Ouwehands Dierenpark, a zoo in Rhenen, in the Netherlands, gave birth to a cub on Friday, May 1. Mother and baby are both doing well and are currently staying in the maternity den. “The birth of the young brings a wonderful end to an uncertain period that followed after mating in January,” the facility explained in a blog post. The new baby’s gender remains a mystery for now, as the keepers want to give Wu Wen and her cub privacy. When the pair emerge from the maternity den in a few months, then the gender will be determined. Once they know for sure, the zoo’s newest little bundle of joy will receive a name.
Dwayne Johnson and his daughter delighted us with a song from Moana
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In an adorable video posted to Instagram, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his daughter Tia sing “You’re Welcome,” a song performed by Johnson’s character Maui in Disney’s hit movie Moana.
Johnson doesn’t miss a beat as he fast-talks and sings the fun and catchy track. He jokes in the video’s caption that he and his daughter are singing the song for the “3,978th time,” and that his daughter is quick to shut down the rumor that Maui is her daddy.
“Wait ’til I tell her about the rumor her daddy is also The Rock. No way she’ll believe that one,” Johnson continues to joke. Someone has to make sure that The Rock stays down to earth and keeps his ego in check, who better than his baby girl?
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