Good News Wrap Up

Section Editor Chantelle Mackintosh delivers a curation of good news stories to give you a break from the usual news cycle.

The news can sometimes be very overwhelming and depressing; there's a lot of horrible stuff going on around the world. Take a break from all that with a wrap-up of some news items that’ll warm your heart.

UK lowering the voting age: 

The UK Government has moved to lower the voting age to 16 in time for the next election. This decision has been in the works for a while, but has caused many divided opinions amongst UK citizens. In many countries, young people are an underrepresented group politically, often recording some of the lowest voting records. However, young people are also more politically active than ever through social media. This move by the UK Parliament shines a light on how important young people are for the future of politics, particularly if governments start to recognise it by providing more resources targeted towards young people. 

Budapest pride parade went ahead with record attendance: 

Budapest celebrated pride in true queer fashion, going ahead despite bans and threats of arrest. Pride celebrations were banned by Hungary’s parliament to restrict the right of assembly for LGBTQ+ rights, citing reasons of safety for the ban. This showed a double standard as the parliament allowed right-wing rallies to continue. Despite organisers facing imprisonment and police pressure, the pride festival reached a record attendance of around 200,000 people. Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, strongly opposed the ban, and registered the event as a “municipal gathering” to bypass the ban on pride parades. This act of queer support echoed around the world, showing how governments treat minorities when they think they can get away with it.

Sausage dog returned to family after going missing in wilderness for years: 

Valerie the dachshund finally reunited with her owners 540 days after she went missing on Kangaroo Island. Against all odds, this tiny sausage dog survived just under a year and a half in the Australian wilderness after escaping on a family camping trip. Valerie has been spotted every few months but was finally captured by Kangala Wildlife Rescue and reunited with her owners. According to them, Valerie recognised them immediately and was very happy to see them again. Valerie somehow thrived in the wilderness, gaining weight and muscles. Valerie has been reunited not only with her paw-rents but her pet siblings, Lucy the cat, Mason the red heeler and her new sister, Dorothy the dachshund. 

Australia is officially lifting off to the stars. Well, not quite yet: 

Australia is joining the world of space after Australian company Gilmour Space Technologies completed its test launch of the first orbital-class rocket entirely designed and built in Australia. This is a major step towards Australia’s participation in the space industry, despite the rocket crashing after only fourteen seconds of flight. Despite such a short flight time, the test is regarded as a success, as any take-off for a first run is monumental. Gilmour Space Technologies is backed by the government and aims to deliver commercial and government satellites into space. More rocket tests are expected within the next year. 

Comedians and late-night show hosts support Stephen Colbert after cancellation:

On 14 July, Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, condemned Paramount for settling in a lawsuit from Donald Trump and days later, announced his show was getting cancelled for “purely financial” reasons. While just another move in Trump’s plan for America, other late night show hosts quickly came together to support Colbert, including Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Jon Stewart. In a parody of the Coldplay kiss-cam debacle, the comedians play parts in the audience, showing their support for Colbert by just being there. While the show is still cancelled, the unity shown between the hosts eases the loss. 

Winnie-the-Pooh in real life

Two bears, Mish and Lucy, escaped their enclosures in Wildwood Devon Wildlife Park on 23 June to follow the path of their idol, Winnie-the-Pooh. Both bears headed straight to the park's food storage area and devoured a week's worth of honey (and a few other food items) before promptly entering into a food coma. No one was hurt from the incident, and both bears were returned to their enclosure without incident in time for another nap. The bears’ cartoonish behavior has attracted more visitors to the park since its reopening.