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The defendant was in the dock before Westminster magistrates today, charged with two counts of rape on August 10 and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

They were extinct in the Netherlands in the early 19th century. But in 1988 beavers were reintroduced to the region, and now there's over 7,000, reports the Guardian. But unfortunately... Beavers are increasingly digging burrows and tunnels under roads, railways and — even more worryingly — in dikes. For a country where a quarter of the land sits below sea level, this is not a minor problem — especially as beavers are not exactly holding back when digging. "We've found tunnels stretching up to 17 metres [equivalent to 60 feet] into a dike... That's alarming," says Jelmer Krom of the Rivierenland water board... If a major dike gives way, it would cause a serious flood affecting thousands of people... [T]heir entrances are under water, and as yet there are no effective techniques for mapping them. During high water, special patrols go out at night with thermal-imaging cameras to spot where beavers are active, but this method doesn't always yield the desired results. Also, when a beaver that's causing problems is found, it can only be killed in exceptional circumstances, because beavers are a protected species in the Netherlands. Moving it doesn't do much good either, as the beaver tends simply to return. Current mitigation efforts include mesh reinforcements (as well as sealing burrows) — and also removing the thickets of willows on the riverbanks to make them a less appealing habitat. Thanks to Slashdot reader Bruce66423 for sharing the news.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Wedding photographers see the good - and the bad - while capturing peoples' big days.

The former glamour model, 47, who is currently locked in a feud with her exes, took to Instagram to share her delight with fans.

Jon Earp landed his helicopter on a farm where he was called to the multiple attacks on three victims by the rampaging dog.

Since the second-wave feminists took over Western societies, babies have become a nuisance to the standard lifestyle. Men are not really allowed to discuss this, but I am so old that I no longer care.

As many of you will know, 'There may be trouble ahead' is the opening line to an Irving Berlin song. It sprang to mind when I learnt pensions minister Torsten Bell will help with the Chancellor's Budget...

It has been described by experts as a slow-moving tidal wave threatening to engulf the NHS. At least one million are thought to be living with the disease without knowing it.

Here are the latest cases heard for North Essex and Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates courts

Here are the latest cases heard for North Essex and Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates courts

MUSIC lovers have shared their hopes for next year's Colchester Castle Summer Series.

The restaurant is described as a ‘relaxed vibe with a warm atmosphere'

The child was pronounced dead at the scene at Wharton Recreation Ground near Ledward Street in Winsford on Friday evening.

Victoria Beckham put on a very leggy display in a plush white robe as she posed up a storm on her £16million yacht in Portofino, Italy.

Clips on social media of so-called 'pier runners' have shown stranded cruise passengers sprinting in desperation after being left behind at port when their ship pulls away.

While divorce among those who have passed the half-century mark has traditionally been low, the tide has turned in recent years - and the reason why is heartbreaking.

Watching an archive documentary on BBC iPlayer, there, in the background, was my beautiful Georgian house on Gibson Square. How could I have been so stupid to leave it?

Speaking to the Daily Mail, happiness expert Dr. Arthur C. Brooks reveals that the best relationships all have one thing in common.

Sack the shaping knickers: when it comes to disguising a fuller midsection, all you need is Hannah Skelley's five figure-flattering rules

Remember those Harvard dropouts who built smart glasses for covert facial recognition — and then raised $1 million to develop AI-powered glasses to continuously listen to conversations and display its insights? "People Are REALLY Mad," writes Futurism, noting that some social media users "have responded with horror and outrage." One of its selling points is that the specs don't come with a visual indicator that lights up to let people know when they're being recorded, which is a feature that Meta's smart glasses do currently have. "People don't want this," wrote Whitney Merill, a privacy lawyer. "Wanting this is not normal. It's weird...." [S]ome mocked the deleterious effects this could have on our already smartphone-addicted, brainrotted cerebrums. "I look forward to professional conversations with people who just read robot fever dream hallucinations at me in response to my technical and policy questions," one user mused. The co-founder of the company told TechCrunch their glasses would be the "first real step towards vibe thinking." But there's already millions of other smart glasses out in the world, and they're now drawing a backlash, reports the Washington Post, citing the millions of people viewing "a stream of other critical videos" about Meta's smart glasses. The article argues that Generation Z, "who grew up in an internet era defined by poor personal privacy, are at the forefront of a new backlash against smart glasses' intrusion into everyday life..." Opal Nelson, a 22-year-old in New York, said the more she learns about smart glasses, the angrier she becomes. Meta Ray-Bans have a light that turns on when the gadget is recording video, but she said it doesn't seem to protect people from being recorded without consent... "And now there's more and more tutorials showing people how to cover up the [warning light] and still allow you to record," Nelson said. In one such tutorial with more than 900,000 views, a man claims to explain how to cover the warning light on Meta Ray-Bans without triggering the sensor that prevents the device from secretly recording. One 26-year-old attracted 10 million views to their video on TikTok about the spread of Meta's photography-capable smart glasses. "People specifically in my generation are pretty concerned about the future of technology," the told the Post, "and what that means for all of us and our privacy." The article cites figures from a devices analyst at IDC who estimates U.S. sales for Meta Ray-Bans will hit 4 million units by the end of 2025, compared to 1.2 million in 2024.

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