Be inspired this weekend

Here's our latest round up of positive news (and a funny animal story) from around the world....

Take some time out to be inspired by these stories of positive impact and new ways of thinking from across the globe.

• Ever wondered why your ginger cat is ginger? It’s to do with a missing part of their genetic code, according to new research from Kyushu University in Japan and Stanford University in the US. The research was crowdfunded by cat lovers from around the world.

• Are saunas the new social hotspot? Many people, especially the younger generations, are swapping alcohol-fuelled nights out for sessions that combine social connection with health benefits.

• Hundreds of acres of land that inspired the Bronte sisters and were celebrated in their writing will now be protected with the creation of a new National Nature Reserve near Bradford in England.

• Paris has long been regarded as a city of cars (and traffic jams and pollution), but thanks to changes made during the Olympics and other initiatives, it has now become the best city in Europe for child-friendly mobility, according to a new report.

• A stowaway nearly created big changes in the South Island’s ecosystem last month. A Weka from the West Coast accidentally ended up in a traveller’s car and was taken all the way back to Christchurch. Luckily, it was found and rescued by Department of Conservation rangers before it could set up a new home.

• Spectators at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics could be moving between events in electric air taxis if new plans become reality.