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ICYMI: Feel-good stories from around the world

May 28, 2021

A shepherd in China saves ultramarathon runners from a deadly storm, Ethiopia pledges to plant 6 billion trees by next year, and dogs are sniffing out COVID in Thailand. DW shares some feel-good stories from this week.

https://p.dw.com/p/3u6lr
China l Hirte Zhu Keming rettet sechs Ultramarathonläufer
Image: STR/CNS/AFP

Chinese shepherd gives shelter to runners from the storm 

A shepherd in northwestern China is being called a hero for rescuing six ultramarathon runners who were caught in an ice storm earlier this week. 

Freezing rain, hail and high winds the hit the high altitude race in Gansu province left more than 20 people dead.

Zhu Keming had been grazing his sheep when the storm began. He was able to find refuge in a cave where he stored clothes and food for emergencies.

But he soon spotted one of the race's competitors cramping up in the cold. He brought the man back to the cave. Soon four others joined.

Zhu then went back out into the storm, and found a stricken runner on the ground. He carried the man back to the cave, wrapped him with blankets, and surely saved his life. 

A man in a cave with blankets
Zhu Keming shows the blankets he used to save 6 people from the coldImage: STR/CNS/AFP

A history-making White House press briefing 

Karine Jean-Pierre became the first Black woman in 30 years to deliver the White House press briefing.

Pierre, the White House principal deputy press secretary, is also the first openly gay woman to deliver the briefing. 

"It's a real honor to be standing here today,'' Jean-Pierre told reporters Wednesday when asked about her historic moment. 

"Clearly the president believes that representation matters, and I appreciate him giving me this opportunity," she said. 

Karine Jean-Pierre answering questions
Karine Jean-Pierre is only the second Black woman to deliver a White House press breifingImage: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Planting Ethiopia's 'Green Legacy'

Ethiopia kicked off a drive to plant 6 billion trees by the end of the year, as part of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's "Green Legacy" campaign to promote ecotourism and combat the effects of climate change.

It is the third consecutive year that Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has urged Ethiopians to plant billions of trees.

Abiy said that the Green Legacy effort was just as deserving of attention as the conflict in Ethiopia that is so often reported. 

"The world's biggest media have widely preached about our war and disagreements ," he said, adding that talking about the Green Legacy would not "hide the good" things about Ethiopia. 

A man stands under a tree
A massive fig tree near lake Awassa in EthiopiaImage: picture-alliance/A. Boureau

Sniffing out COVID in Thailand

Angel, Bobby and Bravo are among six Labrador retrievers that have been trained by Thai researchers to sniff out a unique odor that people with COVID produce in their sweat

Thailand has started to deploy a canine virus-detecting squad to quickly identifying people with COVID as the country faces a surge in cases.

Researchers say at least three of the dogs can detect COVID with 95% accuracy. 

A golden retriever sticking its nose in a tube
A Thai retriever screens a sweat sampleImage: Jorge Silva/REUTERS

wmr/rt (AFP,AP)