Europe

Scherrer and his brother have transformed 600 square metres of their expansive 1,500-square-metre garden into themed attractions. For most people, a summer escape means booking a flight, packing a suitcase and leaving home behind. For Michael Scherrer, the holiday destination is considerably closer. In his garden in Switzerland, the 48-year-old content creator has spent a…

Peter Hvid’s castle hosts an annual Halloween event, now featuring 16 actors and treats sponsored by local businesses On a quiet residential street near Aalborg, Denmark, one house looks as though it has wandered out of another century. There are towers where neighbours have garages, battlements where most homes have rooflines and a moat surrounding…

A diamond tiara crafted in 1862 for the London International Exhibition and gifted to a French royal bride two years later is heading to auction at Sotheby’s Geneva. Missing for nearly 69 years, the Mellerio Orléans Tiara, which can also be worn as a necklace, is estimated to fetch up to $1.3 million, according to…

Representative Image of The Macallan 1926 Fine & Rare whisky bottle displayed against an exclusive auction backdrop ( AI Generrated Image) On 9 October 2026, a bottle of The Macallan 1926 Fine & Rare whisky sold for £2,125,000 at auction, making it one of the most expensive bottles of whisky ever sold. The sale took…

Representative Image of a historic ranch in the John Day River Valley surrounded by farmland and mountains ( AI Generrated Image) In the remote John Day River Valley of central Oregon, where neighbours could live dozens of miles apart, Scottish immigrants James and Elizabeth Cant built a ranch that became an important gathering place for…

Image Credit: Cinema Treasures Cillian Murphy and his wife, artist Yvonne McGuinness, bought the historic Phoenix Cinema in Dingle, County Kerry, in 2024, hoping to bring the long-standing venue back to life. The cinema holds a personal connection for the Oscar-winning actor, who visited it during childhood holidays and later watched films there with his…

Representative Image of a modern bridge inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and built with 3D printing technology ( AI Generrated Image) A bridge inspired by a design sketched by Leonardo da Vinci more than 500 years ago has been brought to life as a modern prototype using 3D printing and waste from stone processing. WASP…

The Maeslant Barrier (Image: Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) In the Netherlands, two enormous gates, each 210 metres wide, can close against the North Sea to hold back dangerous storm surges. Known as the Maeslant Barrier, the structure stands near Hoek van Holland and was built between 1991 and 1997. According to Rijkswaterstaat, the…

A Romanian flea-market seller thought an old machine was a typewriter and let it go for €100; the buyer, a cryptography professor, recognized a World War II Enigma I and sold it at auction in 2017 for €45,000/Image: Reuters In 2017, a machine sold for €100 at a Romanian flea market turned out to be…

The government is also spending more on servicing its debt as high interest rates increase borrowing costs. Russia is preparing to cut spending on welfare, education and healthcare in its 2027 federal budget while raising taxes, as the government struggles to meet the rising cost of its war in Ukraine, according to fiscal documents reviewed…