Uplifting News Stories from Around the World

As we are in the midst of a global pandemic, the news is understandably full of solemn and distressing headlines. However, there are still some positive news stories from around the world that have also thankfully, reached the front page! 😊

The first out of these three stories was reported from Brooklyn, New York in the United States. Many of our dating lives have either become much more difficult or have ultimately, ground to a halt altogether (mine has!). To overcome the lockdown’s obstacles to finding love, a New Yorker asked his neighbour out via drone! And I am very happy to report, that his neighbour was absolutely delighted, and they have been now going out for some time.

It is a heart-warming example of human initiative; this demonstrates how we can overcome challenges and still somehow, come ‘together’.

My next positive news story that went viral, comes from Belgium. Towards the end of April, Belgian citizens were urged by lockdown-hit potato growers to keep on buying, and therefore eat more chips, or frites as they are known there. What a strange and convenient request, I hear you say! Yes, in normal circumstances it would be considered strange. However, because of the coronavirus crisis, Belgians had been officially asked to help deplete the “coronavirus potato mountain” that amounts to a 750 000-tonne surplus, that had built up because of coronavirus. If any more assistance is required, please let me know – it would be an absolute honour to fight the potato mountain!

The third uplifting news story came from my home country, England in the UK. Last month, it was reported that for the first time in 600 years, storks had been sighted nesting in West Sussex, in the South of England. This was the result of the hard work of scientists, who had successfully been able to reintroduce a species back into the UK. Amazingly, in 2020, rare white stork chicks have hatched in the UK for the first time since the 15^th century!! This is a huge success for wildlife conservation efforts here in the UK, while it is also an example for the whole world.

I sincerely hope that wherever you are and whatever situation you find yourself in, reading this has lifted your spirits.

Hugs and hope from England,

Jess

This article was written by Jess, volunteer at Sunrise Project France since April 2020. Jess lives in England, but she is also a global citizen. She LOVES travelling, languages and meeting people from around the world. She believes in cooperation and kindness!