Woman reunited with egg she signed in 1951
Good news stories from the past seven days

In 1951, a 19-year-old working at an egg plant in rural Iowa wrote her name and address in pencil on a few of the eggs she was packing, with the words: "Whoever gets this egg, please write [to] me." She hoped they'd be sold in New York, and that she'd get a pen pal in the city. When no letter came, she figured the plan had failed. The story, however, became part of family lore – and last month, it finally had a fitting ending when a cousin saw a Facebook post about an egg with Mary Foss Starn's name on it. It turned out that an artist in New York had bought the egg in 1951. Charmed by it, he had held onto it for years, before passing it to a friend, John Amalfitano. In August, Amalfitano was looking for something amusing to post online – and thought of the egg. Days later, he was put in touch with Mary, now 92. "I finally have my pen pal," she said, "and it only took 72 years."
New wetland created on Exmoor
A seven-hectare wetland has been created on Exmoor, in an example of a river restoration technique called "Stage Zero". The project involved filling in a 1.2km stretch of the River Aller with 4,000 tonnes of soil, and letting the water run freely. A once well-drained field is now a marshy bog, which has been planted with 25,000 saplings and 250kg of wildflower seeds and littered with dead wood. Already, it is teeming with insects and attracting bats, swallows and other wildlife.
Musician gets 'priceless' viola back
An acclaimed viola player has been reunited with his "priceless" instrument three years after it was stolen in Brussels, thanks to a Moroccan musician who'd spotted it for sale in Marrakech. Neil Leiter, 42, had given up hope of finding his 1934 viola when he got a message from Jaafar Squalli Houssaini, 26, saying he'd seen it on sale for €650. Leiter wired him the money, and Houssaini made the deal. Leiter then flew to Morocco and spent three evenings playing with Houssaini – to whom, he said, he is "forever indebted".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
An introvert's dream? Flu camps that offer £4,400 to spend two weeks alone
Under The Radar A fortnight in isolation may not be as blissful as it sounds
-
Can Trump put his tariffs on stronger legal footing?
Today's Big Question Appeals court says 'emergency' tariffs are improper
-
Film reviews: The Roses, Splitsville, and Twinless
Feature A happy union devolves into domestic warfare, a couple's open marriage reaps chaos, and an unlikely friendship takes surprising turns
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky mission
Talking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
-
The Strait of Messina: a bridge too far?
Talking Point Giorgia Meloni's government wants to build the world's longest suspension bridge, fulfilling the ancient Roman vision of connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland
-
Is Trump's new peacemaking model working in DR Congo?
Talking Point Truce brokered by the US president in June is holding, but foundations of a long-term peace have let to be laid
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
The return of the Houthis: violence in the Red Sea
In the Spotlight The Houthis are back with their strongest attack yet