The Daily: October 12

We scour the news so you don't have to.

London Film Festival opens with Frankenweenie
London Film Festival has descended on the city for another fortnight of films from around the world. Opening the festival was Frankenweenie, the latest effort from Tim Burton who is behind Alice In Wonderland and Edward Scissorhands. His film about a boy who brings his beloved dog back to life is a definite winner, and with so much charm it’ll be hard not to love it. The Festival will close with Mike Newell's (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) adaptation of Great Expectations. Starring Helena Bonham-Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Jeremy Irvine, Great Expectations is set to cement a new generation of British greats in the acting world. Frankenweenie is on general release from the 17 October.

Blue honey baffles French beekeepers
Beekeepers across part of northern France have been baffled to find their bees producing blue and green honey. It is believed to be caused by the bees eating the sugary waste from M&Ms, and the company has said it regrets the situation and is putting a procedure in place to stop it happening again. A spokesman from Agrivolar said, “"We discovered the problem at the same time [the beekeepers] did. We quickly put in place a procedure to stop it.”. The company has said it will clean out all containers and store all incoming waste in airtight containers whilst processing it as quickly as possible. The beekeepers have declared the blue honey unsellable.

Michael Attenborough to leave Almeida Theatre
The artistic director for the Almeida Theatre in London, Michael Attenborough, is to step down after 11 years. His current production of King Lear will run until November, when he will leave after overseeing many premieres and notable productions. Christopher Rodrigues, chair of the theatre’s board, said, “He has taken the Almeida from strength to strength locally, nationally and internationally by presenting a truly diverse programme of work of which we are all immeasurably proud. Our challenge now is to secure a worthy successor for one of the most exciting roles in British theatre." Four of Attenborough’s productions have transferred to the West End with notable productions including Brighton Rock, Measure for Measure and Reasons To Be Pretty. King Lear finishes on 3 November.

Mammoth carcass discovered in Russia
A nearly entirely intact carcass of a mammoth has been discovered by an 11-year-old boy, complete with one of the tusks. Alexei Tikhonov, the leader of the excavation team, said the mammoth could have been killed by Ice Age humans or in a fight with another mammoth. It is estimated to have been 16 when it died, weighing around 500kg. Another member of the team said, “"We had to use both traditional instruments such as axes, picks, shovels as well as such devices as this "steamer" which allowed us to thaw a thin layer of permafrost.” The mammoth has been named Zhenya, after the boy who found it.

Cost of saving endangered animals less than bankers’ bonuses
The cost of saving endangered animals such as Indian rhinos is less than what has been spent on bankers’ bonuses last year.  If governments are to keep their pledges to manage protected areas, spending must rise by “an order of magnitude.” In a stark contrast to spending on bankers last year, Stuart Butchart of Birdlife International said, “The $3-5bn to improve the status of threatened species and prevent extinctions is less than the amount that the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier is over budget. And the cost for both species and site targets is less than half the amount spent on bankers' bonuses last year." There have been warnings that costs will increase if action is not taken sooner.