Protest groups come together ‘peacefully’ in Exeter city centre

About 1,000 people turned out for a planned protest and counter-protest in Exeter on Saturday.The two groups, Exeter is for Everyone and British Unity Walk marched through the city centre from about 12:30 GMT.Devon and Cornwall Police had a number of officers deployed, and had earlier issued Section 60AA order, giving officers additional powers to require the removal of face coverings or anything concealing someone's identity.The force said it had been engaged with the organisers of both marches,…

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COP30 draft text urges more funds for poorer countries, omits fossil fuels | Climate Crisis News

Leaders welcome deal reached at UN climate summit as step forward but say ‘more ambition’ needed to tackle the crisis.World leaders have put forward a draft text at the United Nations climate conference in Brazil that seeks to address the crisis, but the agreement does not include any mention of phasing out the fossil fuels driving climate change.The text was published on Saturday after negotiations stretched through the night, well beyond the expected close of the two-week COP30…

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Taunton pastor concerned over Sunday parking charge proposals

Daniel MumbyLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceLDRSSomerset Council proposed to introduce Sunday parking charges across the countyA church leader says implementing car parking charges on a Sunday would "irrevocably damage" town centres.Somerset Council estimated the implementation of the charges across the county would raise £730,000 of additional funding every year.However, councillors and Judith Butler, a Taunton church leader, warned the move would severely damage high streets and would result in fewer people shopping, eating out or attending religious services.While the…

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Army doctors join Exeter project to end ‘dementia tax’

Two former army doctors have taken their campaign against what they call an "unfair dementia tax" to Westminster.Dr Michael Staunton and his wife, Dr Avril Staunton, from Bridgwater, Somerset, are calling for the scrapping of a VAT rule that adds 20% to the cost of dementia day care at Exeter-based social enterprise The Filo Project.Avril Staunton, who was diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy at just 60, hand-delivered an open letter signed by 150 supporters. A government spokesperson said…

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GB clinch two skeleton golds in World Cup opener

Great Britain's Matt Weston kicked off his skeleton World Cup campaign in perfect fashion by winning Friday's opening race of the season in Cortina.The 28-year-old finished 0.15 seconds ahead of Austria's Samuel Maier in Italy after the two runs to earn his 10th World Cup gold medal.Later on Friday, British pair Tabby Stoecker and Marcus Wyatt triumphed in the team race with a combined time of two minutes 1.23 seconds.That left them five hundredths of a second clear…

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The Puncturists: I’m Not Alright

The Puncturists: I’m Not Alright  (Dead Swan Records)  CD/Download/Streaming Out Now Buy Here Yorkshire-based quartet, The Puncturists, deliver their debut album, I’m Not Alright, on their own label. I can’t remember how or when I first heard The Puncturists, but I instantly liked the rawish live sound of their recordings despite the female-fronted 4 piece band rehearsing in Barnsley, but with members who live in Goole and Grimsby (all on the wrong side of the Pennines) The melodic garage…

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Experts hail Cornwall as the ‘Engine Room’ of PM’s new Critical Minerals Strategy 

The UK’s new Critical Minerals Strategy must make domestic extraction, refining, and recycling pillars of sovereign capability, experts have urged. The plan should define critical minerals as key to a broader political-economic reset that can underpin jobs and local growth, a new report by the University of Exeter’s Critical Minerals Challenge Centre, says.  Members of the UKRI-funded research hub – based at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in the critical minerals hotbed of Cornwall, a world-leading reserve…

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Dad on 36-hour ultra run in Plymouth for diabetes research

A Plymouth man is aiming to run for 36 hours straight to raise money for diabetes research. Mehdi Taheri is taking on a gruelling challenge called a Backyard Ultra, starting from his restaurant, Fuel, on Looe Street.The event will see Mr Taheri and 99 other runners complete 4.2 mile (6.8km) laps around Plymouth's Barbican, Hoe and Royal William Yard. They will keep going for as long as they can, with some aiming for up to 156 miles in…

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro arrested days before start of 27-year prison sentence | Jair Bolsonaro News

The former president is taken in the capital Brasilia days before starting his prison time for leading coup attempt.Published On 22 Nov 202522 Nov 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareBrazil’s federal police have arrested former President Jair Bolsonaro, days before he was set to begin his 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt, according to his lawyer and a close aide.Bolsonaro, who has been under house arrest since August, was transferred to detention on Saturday, his…

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Lost Gardens of Heligan night glow-up extends hours

The Lost Gardens of Heligan's Night Garden is back, and this year, visitors have more time to soak up the magic. The winter light trail is open with extended evening hours running on select dates until 3 January.The event transforms the Cornish gardens near St Austell into a glowing wonderland, featuring new installations like Dance of the Standing Stones and Submergence, alongside returning favourites such as animal lanterns and fire pits for marshmallow toasting. Visitors can also enjoy…

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‘I wish we could have Christmas together’

George Thorpe,South West and John Henderson,CornwallBBCBecky Dustan said she wished she could have Christmas dinner with her brother Michael Riddiough-Allen againA campaigner whose brother was stabbed to death said she wishes "something could change" so they could have Christmas dinner together.Becky Dustan said she wanted everything to be different following the death of her brother Michael Riddiough-Allen, who was murdered in a knife attack outside Eclipse nightclub in Bodmin in April 2023.Jake Hill, who also injured four other…

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Las Vegas Grand Prix: Lando Norris eyes prize but weighs question of risk v reward

The conflict in Lando Norris' mind as he closes on his first world title was clear after he took pole position for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.Norris expertly navigated the treacherous wet conditions on a track almost devoid of grip to take pole position from Red Bull's Max Verstappen by a margin of 0.323 seconds - a gap that could have been significantly larger had the Briton not had a major wobble through the chicane at the end…

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