This week’s selection of unmissable news brand stories from the past seven days includes an update on the Hollywood writer strike, new data about hybrid working is revealed and a historic victory for Indigenous people in Brazil
1. “Donkey’s making waffles”
Calling all Shrek fans:, a moss-covered, murky-watered swamp situated among hills of the Scottish Highlands has been made into an Airbnb, the Daily Mail reports.
Guests can request to book the property from 13 October —free of charge in celebration of Halloween —but they will have to cover their own travel to Scotland.
2. A historic win
According to the Guardian, Brazil’s supreme court has blocked efforts to dramatically strip back Indigenous land in what activists called a historic victory for the South American country’s original inhabitants.
Nine of the court’s 11 members voted against what rights groups had dubbed the “time limit trick” – an agribusiness-backed attempt to prevent Indigenous communities claiming land they did not physically occupy in 1988.
There were emotional scenes outside the supreme court’s headquarters in Brasília on Thursday, after a majority was formed to support a ruling in favour of Indigenous rights. Indigenous people danced in celebration.
One activist said “It’s as if a force from above said ‘it took a while but the moment has arrived – we made it”
The vote marks a historic win for Brazil’s original inhabitants after years of struggle and protest against the country’s former government.
3. Whatever floats your goat
The Independent shared heartwarming footage of a herd of six baby goats lounging around and relaxing in the sun.
The goats are cared for on a small farm owned by Idris Bouanan, who lives in Chefchaouen, Morocco.
Bouanan’s daughter Zoulikha, said: “The goats live on my father’s small farm. We use our goats to produce milk for daily family consumption. We won’t sell it.
“I care about them so much, to the point that I skipped school to look after them when I was younger.”
4. The Hollywood walkout
The Times shared a video on its TikTok platform updating readers on the status of writers walkout in Hollywood. Writers can return to work after union leaders approved a contract agreement with studios, ending a strike that has lasted nearly five months. The writers’ walkout helped bring the American entertainment industry to a standstill, but a tentative deal was announced after days of intense negotiations.
If ratified by union members, the deal would conclude one of the longest work stoppages in the union’s history. The current record was set in 1988, when the WGA striked for 154 days.
5. Hybrid or office?
In an episode of the Evening Standard’s ‘The Leader’ podcast, it is revealed that new data reveals that hybrid working has become a permanent way of life, with millions fewer rail journeys being made in and out of the capital on weekdays. The stats come as the mayor of London Sadiq Khan calls on Londoners to return to the office and make the most of our great city.
The Evening Standard’s City Hall editor and transport editor took a look behind the data and the potential repercussions of this new way of living’s effects on the city’s economy.
