News of the World

A large and rare species of bat has been discovered breeding in Japan for the first time.

A baby Alashanian pipistrelle was found dead outside a school in Sapporo, proving that the creature was living and reproducing in the country.

The Alashanian pipistrelle is generally more common in East Asia and Russia, and sightings of the creature in Japan are rare.

A rural pub owner in Rathdrinagh, Ireland, has come up with a way to keep her 152-year-old bar “open” during the lockdown: delivering bottles of beer and bags of potato chips via drone.

“We had a bottle of wine and a bag of Tayto crisps ready to go last night but it didn’t take off because of the wind,” said Avril McKeever of McKeever’s Bar & Lounge.

The Lithuanian capital of Vilnius held a “Mask Fashion Week” as residents struggle to make the best of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the spirit of the times, the event featured no runways or crowded parties, just a series of billboards featuring men, women and children wearing face masks.

“A mask is a good way to display your creativity, to express yourself. And it’s a good activity to do when you’re sitting at home with the kids,” said designer Julija Janus, who launched the project.

Olive trees in Italy are facing an outbreak of a deadly bacterium that could potentially fell hundreds of thousands of them.

Xylella fastidiosa, also known as “Olive tree Leprosy,” kills trees by slowly starving them of water and is spread by insects.

The plague is also affecting olive trees in Spain and Greece and could potentially cost those nations’ olive industry $20 billion.

A robot dog that can run, unlock and open doors, pick itself up, operate in a variety of weather conditions and challenging terrain and even dance started patrolling the River Plains section of BishanAng Mo Kio Park in Singapore Friday, the Straits Times reported.

The robot dog was fitted with cameras to patrol the park and broadcasts a message telling people to follow social-distancing rules.