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  • Perfect blend of youth and experience rescues England’s title defence at EURO 2025

    Perfect blend of youth and experience rescues England’s title defence at EURO 2025

    Wiegman solves the problem – again

    Sarina Wiegman isn’t dubbed one of the best problem solvers in football for no reason.

    It may not happen instantly, but more often than not she pulls it off.

    Her substitutes came at the right time, calling on exactly the players needed to inject something different into the game.

    Turning to her bench became a marker of their success three years ago, with the Dutch manager relying on it again to aid their title defence.

    When the Sweden defence when largely untested for most periods of normal time, she called on teenage nuisance Agyemang.

    The 19-year-old brought a real competitiveness and hunger to get on the ball and take the game to the Scandinavians. Such physical presence and quality in front of goal provided the focal point the Lionesses were lacking.

    With an opposing backline, once disciplined and organised, now dishevelled, on came Kelly. One of the best crossers of the ball, the Arsenal winger played a pivotal role in both goals to turn the tide.

    It took just three minutes after coming onto the pitch for it to go from 2-0 to 2-2, such is the impact of the electric forward.

    The result? Becoming the only side in the history of the competition to overturn a two-goal deficit at the quarter-final stage.

    As much as it was important to provide more of a goal threat up top, England also needed revisions at the back. Bringing Esme Morgan on for Jess Carter was necessary as much as it was brazened, handing the defender her first major tournament minutes in a high stakes environment.

    Yet it paid off. It was by no means perfect, but it steadied the ship in a crucial period of the game.

    Wiegman called on every trick in the book to pull off a miracle in Zurich.

    Even in the penalty shootout, when it looked like they were done for, the dream was kept alive against the odds.

    Is this title defence written in the stars?

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  • Japan's minority government faces election snub as economic storm brews – Reuters

    1. Japan’s minority government faces election snub as economic storm brews  Reuters
    2. How could Japan’s election affect economic policy?  Reuters
    3. Japan 10-Year Yield on 3-Day Decline  TradingView
    4. Fukoku Life Plans to Step Up Japanese Government Bond Purchases  Bloomberg.com
    5. Japan must be mindful of credit rating downgrade risk, bank lobby head says By Reuters  Investing.com

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  • You can now talk to Universal Audio’s free LUNA DAW following AI-powered updates

    You can now talk to Universal Audio’s free LUNA DAW following AI-powered updates

    Universal Audio has launched LUNA v1.9, a software update for its free DAW with new AI‑powered features.

    LUNA was released in 2020, and UA says it “continues to evolve into the most musician‑friendly DAW on the market”. The v1.9 update is free for all LUNA users and can be downloaded immediately.

    Five new key features arrive with the update, including a voice control tool that lets users start and stop recordings using a simple “Hey Luna” voice command from anywhere in their space.

    It also brings instrument detection, with LUNA now able to analyse incoming audio, identify instrument types, and automatically name and colour‑code tracks. Additionally, LUNA can also listen to performances and set the metronome to match.

    On a similar note, the update lets LUNA automatically detect the tempo of any audio loop dropped into the timeline so everything locks in sync, and tempo extraction capabilities can now extract a dynamic tempo map from tracks or stems, including tempo changes and natural timing variations.

    “We believe that the best audio tools can ‘disappear,’ and feel like they are simply a part of the creative process,” says UA CEO, Bill Putnam Jr. “We think the new AI‑powered tools in LUNA 1.9 start to make it feel like a behind‑the‑scenes music recording partner, not just a DAW. Ultimately, we always look forward to hearing what our users think.”

    In other DAW news, MusicTech recently reviewed FL Studio 2025 and praised its new AI chatbot, Gopher. The 2025 edition is a free update for existing owners from any earlier version, and it even coexists on your computer alongside the 2024 version if you want to keep both.

    Interestingly, FL 2025 also introduces one particularly standout AI-powered update: a chatbot called Gopher, which has been trained on the FLS manual and other sources in a wide range of languages, so it can help users if they get stuck with any FL tools or features.

    To find out more or download the LUNA DAW now, head over to Universal Audio.

    Rachel is a DIY musician who began learning guitar and keyboard from her bedroom at 14. She has written news and features for MusicTech since 2022, and also has bylines across Kerrang!, Guitar.com, and The Forty-Five. Though a lover of heavy music, her guilty pleasure is 2000s pop.

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  • Lindsay Lohan ditches L.A. for This surprising reason

    Lindsay Lohan ditches L.A. for This surprising reason



    Lindsay Lohan reveals real reason behind feeling anxious in LA

    Lindsay Lohan is revealing the real reason she feels threatened in Los Angeles, despite her illustrious Hollywood career.

    The actress, who is currently gearing up for the upcoming Freaky Friday sequel, doesn’t plan on moving to Hollywood anytime soon.

    The mom-of-one expressed concern about risking her privacy every time she thinks about taking her child to the park.

    She said it’s just too hard to avoid cameras in Los Angeles compared to New York City, where people always seem to have something else on their plates.

    During an exclusive interview with Elle, The Parent Trap star explained why she prefers to spend more time with her husband, Bader, and their son in Dubai.

    She said, “It’s hard in L.A. Even taking my son to the park, I get stressed. I’m like, ‘Are there cameras?’”

    Drawing a comparison between the two major U.S. cities, she explained, “In New York, there’s no worry, no one bothers us. Everyone has their own thing going on. There’s a different kind of energy in New York. I’d rather have downtime [there] than I would in L.A.”

    Lohan added that since she’s tied up with work in L.A., she doesn’t get to spend enough quality time with her family.

    “The funny thing is, in Dubai I get all of those things,” she told Chloe. “I get the privacy, I get the space. I don’t have to worry there. I feel safe. I want to spend more time there.”

    For the unversed, the actress welcomed her son, Luai, in July 2023.

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  • International Case Series Reveals Meningitis as a Potential Underrecognized Feature of MOGAD

    International Case Series Reveals Meningitis as a Potential Underrecognized Feature of MOGAD

    Eoin P. Flanagan, MB, BCh

    (Credit: Mayo Clinic)

    In a research letter recently published in JAMA Neurology, researchers highlighted that meningitis could be a feature of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody–associated disease (MOGAD). Using data from a prior study that investigated the frequency and characteristics of meningitis in MOGAD, this potential feature was not included in the 2023 diagnostic criteria for the disease.1,2

    The previous study featured 810 patients with MOGAD, 34 (4%) of which had meningitis, with symptoms or signs at presentation that included headache (94%), fever (62%), nausea/emesis (56%), encephalopathy (50%), photophobia (38%), seizure (35%), nuchal rigidity (24%), or papilledema (12%). Notably, researchers noted that elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) opening pressure occurred in 11 out of 18 patients with MOGAD in the study and 7 of the patients experienced leptomeningeal changes on their initial MRI scan.

    “A meningitis attack phenotype occurred in 4% of the MOGAD cohort,” senior author Eoin P. Flanagan, MB, BCh, professor of neurology and chief of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Autoimmune Neurology at Mayo Clinic, and colleagues wrote in the published research letter.1 “Given that 50% of the cohort developed intra-attack encephalopathy, evolved into a typical core demyelinating event, or both, meningitis may at times represent an early manifestation of meningoencephalitis or parenchymal disease, with demyelinating lesions initially absent due to radiologic lag.”

    “All cases met the definition of aseptic meningitis, misdiagnoses and antimicrobial use were frequent, and MOG IgG testing and immunotherapy administration were often delayed, suggesting that meningitis/meningoencephalitis is an underrecognized feature of MOGAD attacks. Future updates of MOGAD diagnostic criteria could add meningitis/meningoencephalitis as an attack type, allowing earlier testing, diagnosis, and treatment before onset of parenchymal disease,” Flanagan et al noted.

    This international study identified patients with MOGAD across 11 centers who had at least 1 symptom or sign of aseptic meningitis per criterion, CSF white blood cell count greater than 5/μL; MOG IgG positivity, absence of infectious or alternative etiologies, and lack of parenchymal brain involvement on MRI. Researchers tested the serum and CSF samples from the precipitants by fixed or live MOG IgG cell-based assay or both. In addition, pathology (n = 1) was assessed through EnVision FLEX (Dako) immunohistochemistry as performed previously.3 Investigators also reported the collected clinical variables from electronic medical records using descriptive statistics.

    READ MORE: Mendelian Randomization Analysis Identifies Neuroprotective and At-Risk Proteins for NMOSD

    In the research letter, authors noted that serum MOG IgG titers were assessed in 34 patients (live, n = 28; fixed, n = 6) and categorized as clear positive (n = 20), low positive (n = 3), or unavailable (n = 11). Among patients without a prior diagnosis of MOGAD, the median time for MOG IgG testing was 43 days (IQR, 12–563). Additionally, CSF MOG IgG was positive in all 5 patients who underwent CSF testing.

    All patients initially presented with suspected infectious meningitis, with 68% who received antimicrobials and 32% who received first-line immunotherapy in a median of 10 days (IQR, 6.5–11.5) from presentation. In 1 patient, brain and meningeal biopsy revealed meningeal infiltration by CD4+ T cells, CD20+ B cells, and microglia, along with cortical subpial demyelination and remyelination; MOG immunostaining was absent in normal control meninges.

    Authors also noted that 3 of the meningitis attacks presented in the study were initially attributed to MOGAD, which included 2 relapse attacks. In the group of patients with meningitis, 17 of them developed new clinical features or MRI lesions representing an evolution to a core demyelinating event in a median of 17 days (IQR, 11-25). At last follow-up, 27 of 34 patients fulfilled MOGAD criteria, and the 7 remaining patients had a single monophasic meningitis attack (clear positive, n = 6; persistent positive without titers available, n = 1).

    “Lack of MOG immunostaining in control meninges and transcriptomic data showing absent or extremely low MOG in human meninges make it unlikely to be the primary target. A cortical MOG origin with secondary meningeal inflammation is possible, given the cortical demyelination pathologically and insensitivity of MRI for cortical involvement, or MOG may not be the primary initiating antigenic target,” Flanagan et al noted in the letter.1 “This study is limited by its retrospective nature. Expanding the MOGAD spectrum requires caution because low-titer MOG IgG may occur with other diseases, but most patients fulfilled MOGAD criteria and had a clear positive MOG IgG result without alternative etiologies identified.”

    REFERENCES
    1. Aboseif A, Kim NN, Bou G, Nathoo N, Guo Y, Pique J, Kerbrat A, Audoin B, Demortiere S, Bourre B, Ciron J, Chen JJ, Cacciaguerra L, Toledano M, Quek AML, Gombolay G, Marignier R, Hacohen Y, Flanagan EP. Meningitis as an Attack Phenotype of Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Disease. JAMA Neurol. 2025 Jun 16. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.1774. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40522676.
    2. Gu M, Mo X, Fang Z, Zhang H, Lu W, Shen X, Yang L, Wang W. Characteristics of aseptic meningitis-like attack-an underestimated phenotype of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2023 Oct;78:104939. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.104939. Epub 2023 Aug 16. PMID: 37611382.
    3. Höftberger R, Guo Y, Flanagan EP, Lopez-Chiriboga AS, Endmayr V, Hochmeister S, Joldic D, Pittock SJ, Tillema JM, Gorman M, Lassmann H, Lucchinetti CF. The pathology of central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating disease accompanying myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein autoantibody. Acta Neuropathol. 2020 May;139(5):875-892. doi: 10.1007/s00401-020-02132-y. Epub 2020 Feb 11. PMID: 32048003; PMCID: PMC7181560.

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  • Thom Browne Makes His Mark With Two New Boutiques on Madison Avenue

    Thom Browne Makes His Mark With Two New Boutiques on Madison Avenue

    On Wednesday evening, a stylish crowd clad in seersucker suits, sharply tailored grey blazers, and pleated skirts gathered on East 72nd Street, pausing to admire a shrub trimmed into the shape of Thom Browne’s iconic Hector bag, complete with a red, white, and blue striped ribbon for a collar. The playful topiary signaled what they’d come for: the debut of Browne’s latest venture.

    The designer officially opened two new boutiques on the Upper East Side’s luxury shopping corridor, marking his first retail expansion in New York City since 2006. One space houses his full men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections; the other is Browne’s first-ever accessories-only boutique, dedicated to leather goods, footwear, eyewear, and fragrances. His original flagship remains downtown at 100 Hudson Street in Tribeca.

    Located at 19 East 72nd Street, the 1,700-square-foot ready-to-wear boutique echoes Browne’s signature mid-century modern aesthetic, but with a warmer, more residential atmosphere. Wooden slat blinds replace aluminum, and silver travertine stone lines the floors and walls. Overhead, a grid of wood lattice ceiling lights casts a soft glow over curated furniture pieces by Jacques Adnet and Edward Wormley—designers Browne personally admires.

    Just around the corner, at 898 Madison Avenue, the intimate 900-square-foot accessories boutique showcases Hector bags (modeled after Browne’s beloved dachshund), structured handbags, fragrances, eyewear, and footwear. Both spaces were designed by Browne himself to offer more than just retail—it’s about creating a fully immersive brand experience.

    “It’s a long time coming, and it’s nice to have a store in my neighborhood,” Browne told Vogue, as he hosted a cocktail reception in the ready-to-wear store to toast the openings. “It’s always been the idea to have something on Madison Avenue. But when I first started out, I didn’t think about anything other than making my clothes. Now, to have the stores open here—it feels great. It’s nice that everyone gets to experience what I want them to experience, exactly how I want them to experience it. It’s about housing and showcasing the different parts of the collection.”

    Around 145 guests mingled amid the new boutiques, sipping champagne and sampling chocolate gelato and raspberry sorbet. Christine Baranski, in a navy pleated skirt suit, was among the first to arrive, later linking up with her Gilded Age co-star Louisa Jacobson, who wore a denim Thom Browne skirt and top. Emmy nominees Cristin Milioti and Tramell Tillman, Past Lives director Celine Song, Kim Kardashian’s hairstylist Chris Appleton, and The White Lotus star Walton Goggins also made appearances. Goggins, after browsing a rack of crisp Oxford shirts, shared a conversation with Browne.

    “I think you enter a whole new universe when you’re wearing his clothes,” Goggins said. “The framework he’s created—his artistic expression—it’s so authentic and one of a kind. His clothes make you feel special.”

    With his new Madison Avenue outposts now open, Browne shows no signs of slowing down. “There’s still so much to do—the next collection, for starters,” he said. “This is just part of the growth of everything that’s going on. But I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

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  • Ted Sarandos Says AI Will Make Movies, TV “Better, Not Just Cheaper”

    Ted Sarandos Says AI Will Make Movies, TV “Better, Not Just Cheaper”

    Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos sees generative artificial intelligence tools expanding creativity during the making of movies and TV series and not just being a cost-cutting option for studios.

    “We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,” Sarandos told financial analysts on Thursday after his company delivered its second quarter financial results.

    “So this is real people doing real work with better tools. Our creators are already seeing the benefits in production through pre-visualization and shot planning work, and certainly visual effects,” he added.

    And not just on bigger budget projects. Sarandos pointed to El Eternauta (The Eternaut), an Argentine sci-fi series that follows survivors of a sudden and devastating toxic snowfall and which made use of virtual production and AI-powered visual effects tools.

    In the first-ever generative AI footage to stream as part of a Netflix original series or film, Sarandos said Netflix and Argentinian VFX artists collaborated to show a building collapsing in Buenos Aires.

    “Using AI-powered tools, they were able to achieve an amazing result with remarkable speed and, in fact, that VFX sequence was completed ten times faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and work flows,” he recounted. And using AI tools enabled the use of VFX in a six-part series made entirely by an Argentine cast and crew and with a budget lower than is typical for big budget Hollywood productions.

    “The creators were thrilled with the result. We were thrilled with the result, and more importantly the audience was thrilled with the result. So I think these tools are helping creators expand the possibilities of storytelling on screen, and that is endlessly exciting,” Sarandos told analysts.

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  • Six Gunners involved in Euro quarter-final chaos | International | News

    Six Gunners involved in Euro quarter-final chaos | International | News

    Chloe Kelly was the super substitute, providing one assist, one pre-assist, and scoring in the penalty shootout, after coming off the bench as England came from 2-0 down to beat Sweden in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 quarter-finals on Thursday.

    Michelle Agyemang, also off the bench, scored England’s all important equaliser, assisted by another Gunners substitute, Beth Mead.

    A comeback seemed a long way off for the majority of the game after Stina Blackstenius’ sensational summer continued with a goal and assist for Sweden.

    Their high press hurt the Lionesses straight away as Blackstenius teed up Kosovare Asllani to provide an early lead.

    Our UEFA Champions League final winner then got herself on the scoresheet, appearing to shatter England’s dreams of retaining the trophy.

    Read more

    Stina Blackstenius: She’s always scored the goals

    But Kelly made an instant impact after coming on, her cross headed in by Lucy Bronze, before her next delivery was touched down by Mead, allowing Agyemang to convert.

    Leah Williamson and Alessia Russo also got 105 and 120 minutes respectively for the Lionesses.

    Then, on penalties, after one of the most bizarre shootouts, England won 3-2 with the two sides missing nine penalties in total, including Sweden goalkeeper, Jennifer Falk, who took their fifth.

    Russo scored England’s first penalty, while Kelly was next to score for the Lionesses, before Lucy Bronze set the shootout up for Smilla Holmberg’s decisive miss.

    Up next, England will play Italy in the semi-final at 8pm on Tuesday, July 22, while Mariona Caldentey and Lia Walti will be involved in tomorrow’s quarter-final between Spain and host nation Switzerland.

    Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.

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  • Fears proposed energy park could hurt Galloway’s dark sky status

    Fears proposed energy park could hurt Galloway’s dark sky status

    Jamie Russell

    BBC Scotland News

    Matthew, Dark Sky Ranger The northern lights. Vivid colours of yellow-green and pink scattered through a dark night sky with light cloud cover. A shadow of a person [centre] is facing away from the camera while looking up at them. They are surrounded by dark shrubbery.Matthew, Dark Sky Ranger

    Low light pollution means visitors can see amazing sights when looking up

    Campaigners are concerned that the UK’s first Dark Sky Park could see its status at risk if a proposed energy development is approved.

    The Galloway site was first recognised in 2009 as one of the best places to view the night sky with the naked eye.

    The proposed Lairdmannoch Energy Park sits outside the park’s boundary and buffer zone but planning documents show wind turbines and safety aviation lights would be visible from the area.

    The new site’s developer – Wind2 – says the company is “very aware” of the dark sky status and the value of “preserving the area’s natural light skies.”

    Aviation lights are an essential safety measure in tall developments to mitigate the risk of collision.

    The proposed development includes both red “medium-intensity” lights and infrared lights invisible to the eye.

    Developers say only four of the proposed nine 180m (590ft) wind turbines would include red aviation lights, after consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority.

    They also stress the energy park was not within the Dark Sky Park or its designated buffer zone.

    Matthew, Dark Sky Ranger A visitor to the park uses astrobinoculars - the brighest light in the sky is JupiterMatthew, Dark Sky Ranger

    The park secured its status back in 2009

    Matthew McFadzean is one of two dark sky rangers at the Galloway Forest Park.

    He said the project created a “detrimental” threat to night time visibility.

    “You can come to Dumfries and Galloway and experience a really good level of light quality at night and night vision across the region,” he said.

    “But if you go into the Dark Sky Park, that’s where you get the absolute best.”

    Mr McFadzean believes visibility of the night sky has improved thanks to the lighting policies of the local authority over the two decades since the area secured its dark sky status.

    However, he said he concerned there had been an increasing encroachment of renewable energy developments on the park’s boundaries.

    He said he understood the need to support the transition to renewable energy but added that red light – although it has a smaller impact than white light – could still harm night time visibility.

    “It will really impact things,” he said.

    “In the Dark Sky Park, you can look up and see with the naked eye, thousands and thousands of stars on a clear night – more than people from the cities who come to visit can ever imagine.

    “The one word which people say the most when they actually experience looking up at a dark sky for the first time is wow and if we put red lights up there I think that can only be detrimental to that experience.”

    Matthew, Dark Sky Ranger A view of the night sky over Clatteringshaws Loch with a single light in the distance shining outMatthew, Dark Sky Ranger

    Ranger Matthew McFadzean said this picture at the shore of Clatteringshaws Loch shows how light impacts horizon views

    His concerns are shared by by Fi McClelland of The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, which has plans to build a new facility in the park to replace the previous one, which was destroyed by fire.

    She said the red light effect could be scattered through the sky by clouds or cause a disruptive “sky glow” across the wider region.

    Campaigners say the elevated position of the turbines will see them dominate the landscape.

    “The combination of them both is over 1,300ft from sea level to the tip of the turbine – that’s bigger than the Empire State Building without its antenna,” resident Matthew James said.

    Matthew, Dark Sky Ranger A colourful sky over Galloway with hints of purple, green and dark blue and the silhouette of a treeMatthew, Dark Sky Ranger

    The fate of the energy park proposals will be decided by the Scottish government

    As well as the impact on the dark sky park, locals have raised concerns about the effect of the wind turbines on wildlife and the local water system.

    But developer Wind2 said it had been working with the community for two years and had taken steps to mitigate risks including potential threat to night time visibility and wildlife.

    It added it believed the area should see “tangible benefits from local renewable energy projects”.

    It has estimated community benefit funding of £310,000 per year would add up to £12.4m over its operational life.

    It said the scheme – which also includes solar panels and battery storage – matched Scottish government’s best practice guidance and could meet the energy needs of up to 67,000 homes.

    The company stressed it had taken every effort to make the turbines “as inconspicuous as possible from sensitive areas”.

    The window for the public to comment on the proposals is about to close.

    The Scottish government – which will decide the fate of the scheme – said it would not be appropriate to comment on a live planning application.

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  • Aberdeen woman discovers hundreds of bats living in her home

    Aberdeen woman discovers hundreds of bats living in her home

    Rachel Bell

    BBC Scotland News

    BBC A woman with blonde hair tied up in a ponytail is wearing a pink and grey checked shirtBBC

    Anne-Marie Murchie says she can’t sleep at night because of the noise made by the bats

    A woman has been forced to sleep in her car after discovering hundreds of bats roosting in her home – and being told there is nothing she can do to remove them.

    Anne-Marie Murchie says she is “living in fear every day” after discovering a colony of more than 500 of the protected animals in the walls and roof of her house in Aberdeen.

    She first heard flapping noises in the walls and later discovered a bat hiding in her toilet roll holder. She has since found more in the living room and kitchen.

    The NatureScot agency says it cannot remove bats from homes and has advised Ms Murchie that the animals will leave of their own accord at the end of the “maternity season” in August or September.

    Anne-Marie Murchie A brown bat sitting crawling along a black and white tiled florrAnne-Marie Murchie

    The bats have been spotted throughout the house, including in the kitchen

    That has been of no comfort to Ms Murchie, who says her anxiety is “through the roof” from the sound of the bats’ constant movement.

    She told BBC Scotland News: “They’re above the spotlights in the kitchen and they’ve popped them out a few times as well.

    “I’m scared to come in the house. Sometimes I actually sleep outside in the car. I’m just petrified.

    “The noise is horrendous, it’s like running water. But I think it’s all the wings going together, like flapping.

    “It never stops. They get louder at about five or six at night and then when they come in at five in the morning. But they’re constantly making noise. I wonder if they sleep.”

    The bats colonising Ms Murchie’s home are soprano pipistrelles, which are among the most common and widespread of British bat species.

    Anne-Marie Murchie A gloved hand holds a brown bat with its teeth showing and a wing hanging downAnne-Marie Murchie

    One bat found in the house was returned to the rest of the group

    They are known to form colonies well in excess of 200 adult animals – plus their offspring.

    NatureScot said these bats are usually seasonal visitors to houses and are present for four or five months of the year.

    They form maternity colonies in May and June and leave in August and early September, once the young bats are independent.

    NatureScot’s bat workers can collect information and advise homeowners on problems they have with the animals.

    But it says they “cannot carry out any works to your building or exclude/take away the bats”.

    The agency’s Kevin Giles told BBC Scotland News: ”With regard to what you can do with them, actually nothing, because they are a protected species under European protection laws and Scottish and UK laws.

    “So the bats themselves can’t be touched, nor can the roosts.”

    Getty Images A library picture of a soprano pipistrelle bat which has light brown furGetty Images

    The soprano pipistrelle bat is known to form colonies in properties between May and September (library picture)

    Ms Murchie first became concerned about a constant noise in her house a few months ago and believed it must be down to a wasps’ nest.

    But a pest control officer told her it was actually bats after looking at doorbell camera footage and seeing them outside.

    “We found out they were protected so we went through the proper channels and called Nature Scotland,” Ms Murchie said.

    “They then came out with thermal cameras and that gave them an idea of how many bats there are and all the entry points in the house.

    “It was about 500 bats at least and about 200 to 300 babies. But now we’ve found another site so they’re coming back next week to see how many are there.

    “It’s absolutely awful. I actually moved out because I couldn’t bear to live in the house. You can’t come in or out at certain times because there’s hundreds of them.”

    Anne-Marie Murchie A black bat curled up next to a white window frameAnne-Marie Murchie

    Bats have been spotted curled up inside and outside the house

    Ms Murchie returned to her house after a few weeks in the hope that the bats had left.

    “I thought, they’re definitely not in the house,” she said “but then I got up one night and went to the loo.

    “Half asleep, I grabbed the toilet roll holder and one came out and held on to my hand. I just flipped.”

    She added: “I phoned Nature Scotland and they came straight out. She (the bat expert) took her outside and put it back up beside the roost so she could go back up to her home.”

    Ms Murchie, who is a taxi driver, says she now spends as much time as possible working in her car to get away from the sights, sounds and smells in her house.

    “The smell comes through the fan. It’s like a musty, dirty smell.

    “It’s sad that you can’t do anything about it in your own home.

    “I feel like the rules should change a bit. Surely someone can come in that’s licensed and take them away to somewhere humanely?”

    Licence to seal

    NatureScot has told Ms Murchie an officer will return to her house next week to update the situation.

    She said: “Once they’ve checked that the bats are gone, I can get a special licence and it’s confirmation that I can seal up all the potential entry points. So that when they come back next year they won’t be able to get in.”

    NatureScot says people affected can call its Bats in Houses helpline on 01463 725 165 or email batsinhouses@nature.scot

    Anyone who finds a grounded bat in their property can also call either the Bat Conservation Trust Bat Helpline (0345 1300 228) or the SSPCA Animal Helpline (03000 999 999) for advice on how to best handle and remove the bat.

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