What Went Right - 2 FEB 2017

[megpie71]

Once more, three stories from the mainstream media about "what went right" rather than "what went wrong".

Prince Leonard of Hutt River Principality abdicates to son Graeme by Sarah Tallier (ABC Western Australia)

The monarch of the Hutt River Principality, Prince Leonard, has decided to hand over power in the micro-nation to his son, Prince Graeme, in a peaceful transition.

Heavy rains bring stunning changes to Western Australia's remote desert landscapes by Sam Tomlin (ABC Goldfields, Western Australia)

The rain which has been falling in the North of the state has also penetrated to the interior and the goldfields, making the country greener than it has been in decades. The article is full of photos from Warburton photographer, Jody Brown, showing the transformed landscape.

Flooding rains bring optimism as barramundi season starts in northern Australia by Eric Barker, Mark Jeffery, and Matt Brann (ABC Rural, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia)

Barramundi fishermen are optimistic that the heavy monsoon rains this year will spell a good barramundi season, and will also lead to a good season in a couple of years.

So there's the three for today. If you've found any articles in your mainstream news feeds about "what went right", why not share them in the comments?

Comments

[heliopausa]

I don't think people declaring they have sovereign rights over a part of the country is good news, whether they have quaint royal titles or not. They are making a bid to be free from the rule of law which pertains to the rest of the country - this includes denying the right of the national (or state) government to impose tax. This has already led to a foreign power giving them some recognition as a place where a company can be incorporated. It's bad news for companies to think they can incorporate such that they don't have to not pay tax, not have to follow labour laws etc - and it's bad news or for people to think they can declare a place to be separate from the rest of the country and that they csn make up their own laws.

[megpie71]

You're allowed to have your own opinion on this matter. However, I'd just point out one important misconception: I'm not about "good news" here, and never have been. This is about "what went right" - and the thing which "went right" here was a peaceful transition of power (if it "went right" when it happened in Gambia, it also "went right" when it happened in Hutt River).

For myself, I tend to see Hutt River Principality as something of a larrikin joke. Particularly when they're still paying taxes to the Australian government as "foreign aid"...

[heliopausa]

Recovery from the Fukashima disaster; six years after, an economy is slowly being rebuilt (Guardian)

[megpie71]

There was another good crop of stories about what went right today. So here's the rest of them:

Avocado industry hopeful exports to Thailand and Japan will begin by end of year by Joanna Prendergast (WA Country Hour, ABC Western Australia)

Mark Coles Smith on what Indigenous film and television characters mean for Aboriginal Australia by Ben Collins (ABC Kimberley, Western Australia)

Where nursery rhymes really come from by Sarah L'estrange (ABC RN Books and Arts)

School refusers: Kids who can't go to school by Michael Mackenzie (ABC RN Life Matters)

Call for rethink on working week, study warns of health risks by ABC Australia (uncredited)

Lychee identified as cause for mystery deadly childhood illness in India by ABC Australia (uncredited)

AFLW: Balancing the hope and expectations of women's football in its first season by Stephanie Chalkley-Rhoden (ABC Grandstand, Victoria)

A personal trainer's guide to choosing the right gym by Andrew Cate and Jarrod Boyle (ABC RN Life Matters)

Tokyo Olympics: Medals to be made from recycled mobile phones donated by the public by Reuters (uncredited)

Quebec mosque shooting: Canadian PM's office forces Fox News to delete 'misleading' tweet by ABC/wires (uncredited)

(A brief note on why this one is included: what went right here was the effort, in this day and age of "fake news", from the Canadian government to ensure the story which was published by Fox News was as accurate as possible, and that inaccurate information was removed from circulation.)

AFL Women's league: Collingwood's Moana Hope fulfils dream in historic competition by Lauren Day (ABC 7.30, Victoria)

Brain scanner that helps 'locked-in' patients communicate could give clues to quality of life by Will Ockenden (ABC The World Today)

Early Chelsea vs Liverpool EPL game no deterrent for Melbourne's diehard fans by Fiona Pepper and Jeremy Story Carter (ABC Radio Melbourne)

Sudden cardiac arrest research trust established by family after pilot's death by Patrick Wood (ABC News Breakfast)

Underwater photographer shining spotlight on colourful Tasmanian marine life by Ros Lehman (ABC Radio Hobart)

'Tinder for Orangutans' could help apes choose partners in international breeding program by ABC Australia (uncredited)

Tailem Bend solar farm will boost Lumo Energy push into SA market by ABC South Australia (uncredited)

A game of their own: AFLW has given women's footy a sense of authority and authenticity by Nicole Hayes (Guardian Australia)

[soon_lee]

Founded in early 2016, Pomegranate Kitchen solely employs refugees, offering them a chance to earn a living in Wellington.

The kitchen employs four cooks, under the watchful eye of co-founder Rebecca Stewart.

"What I saw was that there were a lot of people who were willing to work ... not only for money but also to become more integrated into New Zealand society."

Ms Stewart said her cooks had left for reasons such as political unrest and being in a minority group - some even left families behind.

Anti-Muslim rhetoric from the US was not helping their state of mind, she said.

"I said to the cooks yesterday, 'There's been a lot of news from the States, and it's scary for you, but we've seen a really big spike in lunch orders.'"

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