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Beavers ‘could boost wildlife and tackle drought’
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Forestry England are surveying land in the Severn Vale to assess whether beavers could be reintroduced there, arguing the animals could boost biodiversity and make the landscape more resilient to drought and climate change. Campaigners describe beavers as “ecosystem engineers” whose dam-building creates ponds and wetlands that support a wide range…
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Douglas Head designated a Conservation Area
Douglas Head on the Isle of Man has been formally designated a Conservation Area by the Manx government, following years of campaigning by local historians and two public consultations. Douglas City Council has welcomed the decision, which recognises the headland’s significant historical, architectural and cultural importance. The move matters because it introduces new planning controls…
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Legendary sports agent warns MLB lockout would be ‘remarkably self-destructive’ with CBA set to expire
Veteran sports agent Leigh Steinberg has warned that a lockout would be “remarkably self-destructive” for Major League Baseball as the current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players’ union nears its December expiry. He described the present standoff as the “murkiest” environment the sport has faced since the 1994 strike, with owners reportedly determined…
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United Utilities pays £1m over sewage contamination at Fylde resorts
United Utilities has been fined nearly £1m after pleading guilty to five environmental permit offences over a raw sewage discharge along the Fylde coast in June 2023, which polluted popular holiday spots including Blackpool. Preston magistrates’ court ordered the company to pay £964,225 in fines and costs, in a case the Environment Agency classed at…
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French television programme sales drop to decade minimum
International sales of French television programmes dropped to €164.2 million in 2025, a ten-year low and a 21.6% fall from 2024’s €209.6 million, according to figures from Unifrance and the CNC presented at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous market in Le Havre. The decline stems from a difficult combination of factors: falling television advertising revenue has left…
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Anatomy of a scene: “I don’t want to be a product of my environment” in ‘The Departed’
This Far Out Magazine piece is a critical breakdown of the opening sequence in Martin Scorsese’s 2006 film “The Departed,” examining how the director uses Frank Costello’s introduction to establish the film’s themes of identity, power and inherited circumstance. Though conceived as a commercial project and an adaptation of the Hong Kong trilogy “Infernal Affairs,”…
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France TV Exports Plummet Amid Ad Decline, Broadcaster Budget Cuts, ‘Deteriorating Economic Environment’
France’s TV content exports fell sharply in 2025, with the French National Film Board (CNC) and Unifrance reporting a 21.6% drop in international sales of French audiovisual programmes, to €164.3 million (£150.6 million) — the lowest level in a decade. The two organisations blamed “a deteriorating economic environment and numerous uncertainties,” a stark reversal from…
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Wildlife and access boost planned for city park
Coventry City Council is set to begin work improving access and wildlife habitats at Longford Nature Park, a small reserve recognised by the council as being of high importance to biodiversity in the city. The scheme aims to make the site easier for people to enjoy while protecting the species already living there, reflecting the…
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The Super El Niño survival kit: Scientist reveals the food items Brits should stockpile as the extreme weather event ramps up
The UK government and food security experts are urging households to stockpile emergency food supplies ahead of a “Super El Niño” weather event, which is expected to bring severe storms this autumn before a cold snap in winter. Defra Secretary Dame Angela Eagle said having a food store could help people cope before emergency services…