Monthly Archives: November 2025

‘It would be terrible if pensioners had to pay tax’

‘It would be terrible if pensioners had to pay tax’

Ruth BradleyPolitics reporter, BBC SomersetBBCBarbara her dog Dolly have been looking ahead to the Budget"I'm not really perhaps the right one to ask because I'm 85 on Saturday and I've never voted once in my life."Barbara Merrick may not be interested in elections, but she's got plenty to say about how those who are elected should be running the country."The Conservatives blame Labour, Labour blame the Conservatives - they're like a load of children," explained Ms Merrick.She was…

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St Erth railway footbridge fully open after 10-month delay

St Erth railway footbridge fully open after 10-month delay

A new footbridge at a rail station has fully opened after 10 months of delays.The bridge at St Erth station in west Cornwall opened to passengers in February but the lifts have not been working.Network Rail said the delay had been caused by the need to provide a new power supply including a new substation which National Grid said required legal agreement from several interested parties causing "significant delays".Great Western Railway said the delays had been "very frustrating"…

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Stranded whale calf in Cornwall ‘likely separated from her mother’

Stranded whale calf in Cornwall ‘likely separated from her mother’

Experts monitoring a stranded fin whale calf have said they are "carefully considering euthanasia options to stop further suffering".British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said it was called to the Mevagissey area in Cornwall shortly after 07:00 GMT.It said a team of 15 trained marine mammal medics, including two veterinary professionals, said the stranded female fin whale calf was about 6m (20ft) long.It said the calf was in "poor nutritional condition" with no adult whales nearby which "strongly…

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Appeal after pedestrian suffers life-changing injuries in crash

Appeal after pedestrian suffers life-changing injuries in crash

A woman suffered life-changing injuries when she was hit by a motorbike, Devon and Cornwall police have said.The crash involved a KTM 125cc motorcycle which hit the 68-year-old pedestrian in Tavistock, Devon, on 11 November.The woman was taken to hospital where she was found to have sustained life-changing injuries.Police said the male rider of the motorbike had been reported to court for driving without due care and attention.Police said the collision happened on Drake Road, just outside the…

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Archie Vaughan: Somerset teenage prospect signs new deal to 2028

Archie Vaughan: Somerset teenage prospect signs new deal to 2028

Teenage all-rounder Archie Vaughan has signed a new deal with Somerset that keeps him at the club until the end of the 2028 season.The 19-year-old son of former England Ashes-winning captain Michael broke into Somerset's first team in 2024 and was named England Under-19 captain during their tour of South Africa in January.Vaughan, who has been part of Somerset's academy since 2020, has taken 40 wickets and scored 1,094 runs in 35 List A and first-class matches for…

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Michael Eckersley ‘bought silence’ of Wells sex abuse victim

Michael Eckersley ‘bought silence’ of Wells sex abuse victim

Avon and Somerset PoliceMichael Eckersely, 86, was jailed for 16 yearsAn 86-year-old man has been jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of 14 historic sexual offences against a child.Michael Eckersley, from Warrington, was said to have lavished gifts on the child during his "campaign of abuse" which began in the 1980s in Wells, Somerset.His victim, who cannot be named, said the abuse "broke him" and he had suffered "psychological damage".After he was sentenced on 4 November,…

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Dozens killed in DR Congo mine disaster | Mining

NewsFeedA bridge collapse at a mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed at least 80 workers. Witnesses said security forces at the mine triggered a stampede when they fired gunshots that caused panic. The military has made no comment. The incident caused outrage over unsafe mining in the DRC.Published On 17 Nov 202517 Nov 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2Share Source link

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Flooding from heavy rain closes rail line in Devon

Flooding from heavy rain closes rail line in Devon

A rail line in Devon has been closed due to flooding after heavy rain. Great Western Railway (GWR) said services between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple have been cancelled and the disruption was expected to last until Tuesday. The closure follows additional suspensions affecting the line between Crediton and Barnstaple last week, again caused by flooding.GWR said Network Rail detected water levels exceeding its threshold for triggering an automatic closure of three bridges and viaducts for the "safety…

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Devon and Cornwall trains cancelled due to collapsing badger sett

Devon and Cornwall trains cancelled due to collapsing badger sett

Train passengers have been warned of disruption between Plymouth and Penzance due to a collapsed badger sett.Great Western Railway said train movement had been stopped after a collapsing badger sett, a network of tunnels used by the animals, was identified under the rail line in the Hayle area.The operator said train services would be cancelled, delayed or revised and disruption was expected until midday.It said rail replacements were in place but that some lines would be "reopened shortly".…

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Singing of KPop Demon Hunters songs banned at school in Poole

Singing of KPop Demon Hunters songs banned at school in Poole

Curtis LancasterSouth of EnglandGetty ImagesThe school's head teacher told parents references to demons can feel "deeply uncomfortable" to ChristiansA school has banned the singing of songs from the popular Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters.Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying some members of the community felt the music was not in keeping with its "Christian ethos".A father, whose daughter attends the school, told the BBC the decision was…

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