Avon and Somerset Police ‘requires improvement’, report finds

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Avon and Somerset Police needs to improve how it reviews its vetting decisions and handles complaints, according to a new report. His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) assessed the force in three areas, which covered vetting of police officers and staff, professional standards and counter-corruption arrangements. Kathryn Stone, His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary, said the force "requires improvement in all areas" of the inspection.In response, deputy chief constable Jon Reilly said: "We are…

Polls open in Tanzania’s election as key opponents barred | Elections News

Post published:October 29, 2025
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President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to win the election as the two main opposition parties have been barred from taking part.Polls have opened in Tanzania for presidential and parliamentary elections being held without the leading opposition party, as the government has been violently cracking down on dissent ahead of the vote.More than 37 million registered voters will cast their ballots from 7am local time (4:00 GMT) until 4pm (13:00 GMT). The election commission says it will announce…

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm welcomes previously trafficked tiger

Post published:October 29, 2025
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A tiger which was rescued from traffickers in eastern Europe has been given a new home in the UK.Aqua has been brought to Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in Wraxall, near Bristol, as part of a project to protect threatened carnivores. He was one of several tigers found at the border between Poland and Belarus in 2019.Emma Ogborne, a head keeper at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, said: "Aqua's story is one of incredible endurance and resilience."Before arriving in North…

Blaze at Bideford terraced home tackled by firefighters

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Firefighters have battled a blaze at a terraced home overnight.Devon and Somerset Fire Service said its crews were called out to Honestone Street in Bideford, Devon, at about 20:15 GMT on Tuesday after reports of a two-storey building "well alight".Paramedics and police officers attended the scene and nearby homes were evacuated.A fire service spokesperson said at 05:15 on Wednesday crews had put out the flames but remained at the scene to carry out dampening down work.Devon and Cornwall…

Devon riding group marks 40 years of ‘horse therapy’

Post published:October 29, 2025
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BBCVanessa Tomas has been attending the Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled Group in Devon for 34 yearsA woman who uses an equestrian facility for the disabled said riding was a form of therapy which gave her "freedom and movement".Vanessa Tomas, 46, who has a neurodevelopmental disorder called Global Developmental Delay (GDD), has been part of the Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled Group for 34 years.The equestrian group, part of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA),…

Devon and Cornwall Police told to improve vetting of officers

Post published:October 29, 2025
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BBCDevon and Cornwall Police was rated "requires improvement" in three areasA police force needs to improve how it reviews vetting decisions, manages complaints and monitors the use of its IT systems, inspectors have said.His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) assessed the effectiveness of Devon and Cornwall Police in three areas.It was graded "requires improvement" in its vetting of police officers and staff, professional standards and counter-corruption arrangements.Superintendent Alex Doughty, head of professional standards…

Animal charity seeks homes for ducks rescued in Cornwall

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Caroline RobinsonSouth WestBBCRSPCA Cornwall said it was working to find the ducks safe, suitable homesAn animal welfare charity is looking for homes for several ducks which were rescued from a neglectful home.The RSPCA said two women from Cornwall had been banned from keeping animals for 10 years after being found guilty of neglecting more than 60 animals, including 18 goats, 28 chickens and 16 ducks. Dave Rich, head of operations at RSPCA Cornwall, said: "The ducks were kept…

UK’s oldest carnival’s timings, parking, weather and squibbing

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Carys NallyWest of EnglandGetty ImagesBridgwater Carnival is the UK's oldest carnival and is visited by thousands of people each yearThe UK's oldest carnival is returning this weekend, when more than 150,000 are expected to descend on the area.This year's Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival, which has been running since 1847, will feature an illuminated procession, fairground rides, concerts and fireworks.The event is set to take place on Saturday - and below, we've rounded up everything you need to know…

Call for apology over cancer-linked pregnancy drug DES

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Briony LeylandSouth of EnglandBBCJan Hall is campaigning for greater awareness of the impact the drug DES had on womenA woman is calling on the government to apologise over a cancer-linked drug that was historically given to women to prevent miscarriage.Jan Hall, from Bournemouth - whose mother was given Diethylstilbestrol (DES) - claims the UK government was too slow to act, despite research showing increased cancer risks for both the women who took it and their daughters."It's a shocking…

The teen who grew up in crisis but turned her life around

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Nikki MitchellSouth of England home affairs correspondentBBCChanyta Buckley asked social cervices to put her in foster care when she was 14"My mum was a drug addict for as long as I can remember," said Chanyta Buckley, "so I thought I'd end up choosing drugs over a future." Despite growing up in crisis, the Bournemouth teenager is striving to prove to other vulnerable girls and women that they too can turn their lives around. Chanyta, 19, has volunteered to…

As Trump and Xi near deal, few see letup in heated US-China rivalry | International Trade News

Post published:October 29, 2025
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Gyeongju, South Korea – As US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping prepare to meet for the first time since 2019, Washington and Beijing appear poised to reach a deal to lower the temperature of their fierce rivalry.But while Trump and Xi are widely expected to de-escalate US-China tensions in South Korea on Thursday, expectations are modest for how far any agreement will go to resolve the myriad points of contention between the world’s two largest…

Venezuela declares Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister persona non grata | Conflict News

Post published:October 28, 2025
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Tensions have grown between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago over support for US military action in the Caribbean.Venezuela has declared Trinidad and Tobago’s prime minister a persona non grata, as the two countries continue to feud over United States military activity in the Caribbean Sea.On Tuesday, Venezuela’s National Assembly voted in favour of the sanction against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who has been sparring with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. It designates her as unwelcome in the country and…