World

When Francis Ford Coppola acquired the property in 1981, it was a disused hunting lodge In 1981, American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola bought an abandoned hunting lodge in the forests of western Belize. The private retreat for his family later became Blancaneaux Lodge, a 20-room resort surrounded by pine forests, rivers and waterfalls. The property,…

PC: Josh Hydeman/ Bat Conservation International Across the United States, former gold, coal and other mines are becoming important refuges for bats and other wildlife. Their tunnels, shafts and crevices can provide shelter in areas where natural caves are limited. However, unstable structures and environmental hazards make these sites dangerous for people and potentially harmful…

Kevin Durant/Image: Getty Images NBA star Kevin Durant’s $10 million commitment to college access in his Maryland hometown is now supporting more than 200 students annually, with the education centre established through the initiative reporting a four-year college acceptance rate above 96%.Durant announced the 10-year pledge in 2018 through the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation, partnering…

The large marsh grasshopper has returned to Norfolk after 86 years, following a conservation project to restore the rare insect’s population in the region’s wetlands. The species has now hatched in the wild in the Broads for the first time since 1939. The return follows the Hop of Hope project, led by Citizen Zoo, in…

George and Amal Clooney’s 425-acre Domaine du Canadel estate near Brignoles. Image Credit: LuxuryLaunches George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, own a 425-acre estate in Provence, southern France, where vineyards, landscaped gardens and open countryside offer a quieter setting away from Hollywood. The property, known as Domaine du Canadel, has become an important part…

Restoration work at Buckingham Palace has uncovered a collection of objects hidden beneath floorboards and inside the building’s infrastructure, with some items dating back to the 19th century. The discoveries include battered hobnailed boots, old newspaper pages, betting slips, theatre listings from 1889 and a ticket for a card game held at the palace in…

Saba Firouznia, research associate at the University of Bristol’s Soft Robotics Lab, holds the robotic butterfly powered by a tiny liquid-metal pump. (Image credit: Saba Firouznia) Engineers at the University of Bristol have developed a miniature liquid-metal pump weighing just 0.2 grams that could help soft robots move without bulky pumping systems. With a volume…

PC: University of Glasgow Chemists and engineers have developed a £20 prototype device that uses ultrasound, water and air to produce nitrate, an important nutrient for plant growth. The technology could eventually allow farmers in remote areas to make fertiliser on demand, reducing their reliance on large industrial production facilities. According to a study by…

Tyler Perry, who once spent three months living in his car after losing $12,000 on a failed theatre production, has donated $750,000 to help low-income senior citizens in Atlanta pay property taxes and remain in their homes.Perry is an American filmmaker, actor, director, producer and writer, best known for creating the Madea character and building…