A solar-powered airplane finished crossing the United States on Saturday, landing in New York City after flying over the Statue of Liberty during its historic bid to circle the globe, the project team said. The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 4 a.m. local time after it took off about five hours beforehand at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania, the team reported on the airplane's website. Such a pleasure to land in New York! For the 14th time we celebrate sustainability," said the project's co-founder Andre Borschberg on Twitter after flying over the city and the Statue of Liberty during the 14th leg of the trip around the globe. The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. The solar cr...
The National Trust counted 2,342 pups born this season at Blakeney in Norfolk - about 80 fewer than last year. Ajay Tegala, National Trust ranger, said: "This is good news as the seals were spreading at such a rate over such a big area that it makes it easier to protect them." The Trust said the lower birth rate meant the colony had "stabilised".After grey seals began colonising the spit on the north Norfolk coast, the Trust said there was anecdotal evidence of two pups being born in 1987 or 1988 and a first "official" record of five pups in 1999. A more accurate standardised method of counting pups began in 2006 when 213 were recorded.The Trust has 12 volunteers to try and make sure people visiting with their dogs did not disturb the breeding colony. Mr Tegala said: "The seals have filled the key habitats on Blakeney, so it's good news the population has stabilised this year. "If they continued to spread into the dunes and alo...