Cats grounded in German town


A German town has ordered residents to lock their cats indoors during the summer for the next three years or face fines of €500 (£420) if a cat is caught outside, noted The Guardian. The move aims to protect Germany’s ground-nesting crested lark and fines will be up to €50,000 if a cat attacks an endangered lark. “I’m really glad this is happening,” said Peter P Marra, one of the authors of the 2016 book Cat Wars: The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer. Cats, including the wild variety, kill billions of American birds and mammals each year, a study has found.

Grandma speaks at her own funeral

A grandmother who died aged 87 spoke to mourners at her own funeral, The Telegraph reported. Marina Smith MBE, one of the leading Holocaust activists, appeared as an AI-powered hologram, answering questions and revealing family secrets. “Holographic Conversational Video Experience” comes courtesy of StoryFile, an AI-powered video platform that’s available in the UK from this week.

Rescuers save a dog in the mountains

Mountain rescuers were called to the UK’s highest mountain to bring back a dog who “refused to move”, the BBC reported. Maggie, a 35kg Turkish Akbash dog, had sore paws and refused to continue when the walkers she was with started their trek down the hill. After walkers were unable to carry her any further, help was called and Lochaber Mountain Rescue brought the animal home in the early hours of Sunday morning. A stretcher and chicken treats were among the tools used to lower the dog back down.

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