New owner ‘will safeguard future of Paignton and Newquay zoos’

Kirk England,Environment and tourism correspondent, PaigntonandJulia Gregory,South WestKirk England/BBCLibéma CEO Dirk Lips said he planned to invest in the two attractionsA new owner for Paignton and Newquay zoos has been found, the charity which runs them has said.Wild Planet Trust said Dutch leisure company Libéma would "safeguard the future" of both attractions and ensure their conservation programmes would continue.The zoos which are home to about 2,850 animals including endangered species, had been put up for sale due to…

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‘Possible rise in maternal deaths’: How USAID cuts strand Malawi’s mothers | Health News

Mulanje and Lilongwe, Malawi — Ireen Makata sits in her white nursing uniform on a weathered bench at a health post in Malawi’s southern Mulanje district.The facility is one of 13 in the district, located within a seminomadic, predominantly agricultural community 65km (40 miles) east of Blantyre, Malawi’s commercial capital, near the Mulanje mountain range.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe beige-painted facility stands out from the dozens of huts around it made of red bricks, with…

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Owen Oseni: Plymouth Argyle striker ‘outstanding’ in Wycombe win

Plymouth Argyle striker Owen Oseni's work-rate was hailed as “outstanding” after his winning goal in Tuesday's 1-0 win at Wycombe Wanderers.The 22-year-old - who moved to Argyle in the summer after spells at non-league Gateshead and Scottish club St Mirren - secured Argyle’s third 1-0 win in five games. The victory moved the Pilgrims up a place to 22nd in League One, a point away from leaving the relegation zone.Oseni was leading the line with first-choice striker Lorent…

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UK-US research project launched to study the relationship between Wikipedia and generative AI

Experts in Artificial Intelligence are to collaborate on a transatlantic research project looking at the relationship between Wikipedia and generative AI. Curating the Commons – AI, Wikipedia, and the Reconstruction of Notability will explore how the globally renowned repository of information both shapes, and is shaped by, the rise of AI and large language models (LLMs). Bringing together scholars from the University of Exeter and the University of North Carolina, the project will consider how this dynamic represents…

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Devon councils loan thermal imaging cameras in bid to cut bills

Villagers on Dartmoor are being offered the chance to borrow thermal imaging cameras this winter to help beat the cold.The cameras help residents work out where homes are losing heat and letting in the cold. The initiative, run by councils in South Hams and West Devon, aims to tackle fuel poverty, improve wellbeing and reduce carbon emissions.Holne parish councillor Lucia Grun says "people are genuinely worried" about the cost of living and the climate emergency.Communities across West Devon…

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Events still on at Gwel an Mor after firm enters administration

The joint administrators of a large holiday park have reassured visitors Christmas events are continuing at the site.Gwel an Mor in Portreath, Cornwall, was among 10 holiday parks affected after joint administrators were appointed to several companies run by Cove UK in November.Administrator Adam Paxton, of Alvarez and Marsal Europe, said the holiday park was still trading and day-to-day operations were continuing "with minimal disruption".Portreath Parish Council chairman Ian Stewart said he was concerned for the holiday park's…

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Frome Town FC could lose its clubhouse as US takeover ‘not working’

A football stadium's clubhouse could have to close amid concerns about the way a new company is running the site.Frome Town FC's (FTFC) Badger's Hill stadium has been run by a company headed by businessman Courtney Fong since July.Frome Town Council, which has owned the site since 2022, said Mr Fong's company Badger's Hill Ltd has yet to pay any agreed rent, adding safety reports found 22 issues with fire and building safety.David Parry, director for Badger's Hill…

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‘People with MND dying before they are helped’

Rhiannon YhnellandPippa Rifka,SomersetBBCNicky Jones was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in May but has given up waiting for financial supportSome people living with motor neurone disease (MND) are dying before they receive financial support to adapt their homes, families have said.Nicky Jones, 65, from near Frome in Somerset, said it is currently a postcode lottery and she has given up waiting after being diagnosed with the degenerative condition in May.Her daughter Katy Wyatt said: "When we've gone onto…

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Dorset Council needs more money for bus improvements

A council has said it requires more funding for full bus service improvements despite securing £12m from the Government.Over the next three years, £6.8m in revenue funding will help Dorset Council make upgrades, such as restoring some Saturday services and improving frequencies.£5.2m in capital funding will pay for better bus stops and real-time information, with capital support continuing to 2029/30.Dorset Council's Cabinet Member for Place Services, Jon Andrews said: "It's clear Dorset needs a fairer long-term share to…

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Rise in number of breastfed babies in Devon and Cornwall

BBCAbigail fed both breast and bottle feeds her twin daughtersThere has been an increase in the number of babies who are breastfed in Devon and Cornwall, new government figures reveal. It is higher than the average for England, which is the highest since records began in 2015.Overall in the two counties, around six in ten babies are still breastfed at around six to eight weeks old, according to recent figures from the Department of Health and Social Care.…

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‘Like wastelands’: Sri Lanka tea plantations suffer Cyclone Ditwah’s wrath | Agriculture News

Colombo, Sri Lanka – Sundaram Muttupillai, 46, had been working on a tea estate in Thalawakelle in Sri Lanka’s central district of Nuwara Eliya since he turned 17.However, a devastating cyclone last week, the worst to hit the Indian Ocean island in a century, has left him without work or a home.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listCyclone Ditwah left a huge trail of destruction across the island, killing at least 635 people and affecting more than…

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Flavio Bolsonaro retracts suggestion of a ‘price’ to end 2026 election bid | Elections News

Former President Jair Bolsonaro has endorsed his eldest son’s campaign to be Brazil’s next president in the 2026 race.Published On 10 Dec 202510 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareFar-right Senator Flavio Bolsonaro has reaffirmed his commitment to running in Brazil’s 2026 presidential race, despite criticism that he appeared to be openly haggling over whether to remain a candidate.On Tuesday, Bolsonaro met with reporters outside federal police headquarters in the capital Brasilia, where his father, former President…

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