Warship crew ‘excited’ to see family and pets at Christmas

BBCJoshua Dear has reunited with his parents Lisa and David in time for ChristmasRoyal Navy crew members from HMS Richmond say they are excited to see family, friends and pets after a long deployment overseas.Hundreds of relatives and friends of the Plymouth-based frigate's crew welcomed them home on Sunday following an eight-month mission.The vessel and its 200-strong crew played an integral role in its premier deployment of 2025. Operation Highmast saw deployments to India, Asia and Australia to…

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Ukraine seeks to shore up support in Brussels, Paris | Russia-Ukraine war News

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris to bolster support for Kyiv, as Ukrainian and European defence chiefs gathered in Brussels for talks centred around Ukrainian and collective security.The meetings came on Monday amid a diplomatic flurry of activity to end Russia’s almost four-year-old war in Ukraine.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listBefore the meeting, Macron’s office said the two presidents would discuss the conditions necessary for a “fair and lasting…

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Langport caravan park owner fined for threatening bird habitats

Daniel MumbyLocal Demoracy Reporting ServiceNatural EnglandThe site near Langport is a crucial breeding site for birdsA caravan park owner has been fined more than £116,000 after admitting disturbing land used as a breeding ground for birds.John Holland, 59, of Moorlinch in Somerset, appeared before Taunton Crown Court on Wednesday 26 November after admitting two offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 at earlier hearings.A four-year Natural England prosecution showed Holland had created a permanent caravan park on…

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Charity’s celebrity advent calendar highlights mental health

Spark UKSir Stephen Fry is one of the celebrities included in the mental health advent calendarA mental health charity has launched an advent calendar which shares celebrity messages to encourage people to talk about mental health. Spark UK, a charity launched in North Devon, has released its fifth and final advent calendar which includes celebrities such as Sir Stephen Fry, Henry Rowley and Alfie Boe.The non-profit mental health charity was launched in 2020 by teenager Conor Warren with…

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Charity’s celeb advent calendar talks about mental health

Spark UKSir Stephen Fry is one of the celebrities included in the mental health advent calendarA mental health charity has launched an advent calendar which shares celebrity messages to encourage people to talk about mental health. Spark UK, a charity launched in North Devon, has released its fifth and final advent calendar which includes celebrities such as Sir Stephen Fry, Henry Rowley and Alfie Boe.The non-profit mental health charity was launched in 2020 by teenager Conor Warren with…

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University of Exeter celebrates South West cinema success with online public film festival

An online film festival showcasing movies and documentaries that comment upon creative life in Devon and Cornwall opens today (Monday 1 December). DxC will feature works past and present from regional directors, with the theme of Southwest Crossings: Journeys Through Time. The films are all being screened free of charge on YouTube, courtesy of eXeFilm, the University of Exeter’s film distribution label. There will also be two ticketed pop-up cinema events in Exeter this week, featuring short films…

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Memorial bench planned for murdered lecturer Claire Chick

There are plans for a memorial bench to be placed in the centre of the University of Plymouth in memory of a university lecturer who was murdered.Claire Chick was stabbed to death​ in January by her estranged husband, who is now serving a life sentence.She was awarded a posthumous PhD in October and friends and colleagues at the university created the Claire Chick Nursing Fund to support student nurses. Professor Aled Jones, from the School of Nursing and…

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The Hundred: Heather Knight named women’s general manager of London Spirit

Former England captain Heather Knight has been appointed as general manager of London Spirit's women's team after opting out of playing in the 2026 edition of The Hundred.The newly created role will see Knight work alongside director of cricket Mo Bobat to provide elite perspectives into the women's game.She will continue to represent England alongside playing for Somerset on the domestic stage. Knight, 34, has been affiliated with London Spirit since the competition's launch in 2021, serving as…

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Cornwall residents concerned after bus firm stops operating

BBCMs Deans uses the service to visit her friendResidents in a rural village say they are concerned about a "life line" bus service after its operator said it would withdraw its 14 services. First Bus announced plans last month to withdraw from its five depots at Camborne, Falmouth, Penzance, Summercourt and Truro due to rising costs and falling passenger numbers.Bus operator Go Cornwall said it would step in as a replacement by the middle of February 2026 when…

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Funding agencies can end profit-first science publishing

Funding organisations can fix the science publishing system – which currently puts profit first and science second – according to new research. The new paper says the current relationship between researchers, funders and commercial publishers has created a “drain” – depriving the research system of money, time, trust and control. The research team used public revenue and income statements to assess the money being spent on publishing articles with the biggest commercial publishers, and placed this in the…

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Riot/Clone: Everything Else Was Just Noise 1982-2021

Riot/Clone – Everything Else Was Just Noise 1982-2021 (Riot/Clone) LP | CD | DL Out Now A retrospective of EPs released by Riot/Clone across 4 decades tracks their anarcho punk sound from youthful singalong punk to a solid hard-hitting machine spewing out polemic. A prime example of two approaches to anarcho-punk says Nathan Brown. Riot/Clone don’t get enough credit if you ask me. Their 1995 double album Still No Government Like No Government (featuring Paco of Conflict/I.T. on…

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Adam May: Midfielder leaves Forest Green Rovers by mutual consent

Midfielder Adam May has left National League side Forest Green Rovers by mutual consent.The 27-year-old joined Rovers in July 2024 on a free transfer after departing Cambridge United, and went on to make 50 appearances at New Lawn. May made 115 league appearances across four years for Cambridge despite suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury in October 2022.He started his career at Portsmouth, making his league debut in 2015, and was part of the squad which won the…

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