Cards of joy
A woman in Houston, Texas has been handing out home-made cards with uplifting messages to random travellers at the Houston airport. Catharine Knight and her son Parker started this project three years ago, with more than 25,000 given out so far. In the time of a pandemic, such a simple card can go a long way.

One cup is all you need
In the United Kingdom, fast-food chain McDonald's are set to introduce new reusable, returnable coffee cups early next year in an effort to reduce waste and spark a sense of responsibility in consumers towards the cup and the environment. A small yet powerful step indeed.

You lucky dog
A lost dog lost at sea 135 miles from southern Thailand was saved by workers on an oil rig when they spotted the pup clinging onto the rig's platform. After several attempts, they were able to pull the poor animal up with a rope harness to safety. Believed to have fallen from a fishing trawler, the dog was named Boonrod by the workers and has since been transferred to land.

Back from the dead
Known to be extinct since the 1970s, it seems that there is further proof that the legendary Javan tiger is making a huge comeback. After several sightings have been recorded within the last few years, the most recent discovery in 2018 was kept secret until last month when it emerged that a photograph was taken of the massive cat.

A welcome decline
Recent advances in medical treatments have led to a sharp fall in mortality rates from the most common lung cancer in the United States. According to a study led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), deaths from non-small cell lung cancer have decreased faster than incidences.

A touch to behold
A visually impaired couple from Cockeysville, Maryland in the United States were overjoyed when they received a 3D ultrasound image of their unborn baby from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. When the mother first went in for her 20-week scan during her pregnancy, she was upset because she could not see her baby. When the doctors found about her distress, they did a special ultrasound and sent the printout a week later, much to the delight of Taylor Ellis and husband Jeremy.

Free from harm
While the world is locked in a battle with COVID-19, it is good to know that a continent has managed to eradicate a deadly illness. The Africa Regional Certificate Commission has declared Africa free from wild polio after a fight that has lasted 25 years and affected thousands of children.

Real-life superhero
An unidentified man has been prowling the streets of Santiago, Chile to deliver food for the homeless on a regular basis… wearing a Batman costume complete with a face mask for protection against COVID-19. With the lockdown across the nation crippling the economy, this Batman is certainly saving the lives of many during such trying times.

Back from the dead part II
In more animal-related good news, the Burmese roofed turtle – known for their permanent grin – is another species to be rising from the ashes after it was declared extinct 20 years ago. Due to efforts by the Wildlife Conservation Society, around 1,000 Burmese roofed turtles now live at three facilities in Myanmar.

A win for wildlife
Zimbabwe's government have banned mining in all of its national parks, saving the lives of various wildlife animals, including the endangered black rhino. The monumental move came after campaigners took the government to court to prevent ecological degradation in parks following the issuing of a licence for two firms to explore for coal in Hwange, which is the largest national park in the country.

Photo: Christine Donaldson