Little Boots aims to ’empower’ aspiring musicians at Bath Spa Uni

Bath Spa UniversityVictoria Mason joins the faculty alongside Emmy-award winning lecturers and songwriters for famous artistsA professional singer and DJ has joined a university faculty to "empower" the next generation of musicians with her 20 years of industry experience.Victoria Mason started her new role this term as a lecturer in commercial music at Bath Spa University, teaching students about the creative profession.She said the music industry is "a very different place" from when she rose to fame in…

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Jhoots Pharmacies could lose NHS rights, MPs told

The government has warned a pharmacy chain it could lose its rights to dispense NHS prescriptions following a series of complaints.Services at Jhoots Pharmacy are "falling well below the mark", Health and Social Care Minister Stephen Kinnock told the House of Commons.More than 150 English pharmacies operate under the Jhoots brand, but there have been repeated cases of branches closing on some days and staff wages being delayed for months, MPs were told.The Walsall-based firm has been approached…

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Dorset “wind phone” installation to help people with their grief

Sophie CridlandSouth of EnglandPortland Wind PhoneThe group are hoping the wind phone will stay long termA group of artists and volunteers are using a disconnected public phone to help people cope with bereavement and loss.Known as wind phones - an idea that started in Japan - they give the chance to have a one-sided conversation with people who have died with the words being carried to them "on the wind".An old-fashioned rotary phone is to be installed in…

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Cornwall pumpkin patches boosting farm businesses

Ashley JonesAshley Jones said there were "thousands" of pumpkins to pick at his farmThe owner of a pumpkin patch in Cornwall says the Halloween related attraction helps his family's farm business "to survive".Ashley Jones' family owns Smeaton Farm at Pillaton near Saltash, where they have been running a pumpkin patch for about five years.He said his farm had about "20 to 30,000 pumpkins" growing in its patch, as well as a scare-maze with actors. "We're farming 700 acres,…

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Sir David Attenborough ship visits Plymouth to restock

Scott Bingham andZhara SimpsonSouth WestBBCThe RRS Sir David Attenborough docked in Plymouth to restock supplies before heading to Antarctica A ship named after legendary broadcaster and writer Sir David Attenborough has stopped in Plymouth to take on supplies before heading to Antarctica. The Royal Navy said RRS Sir David Attenborough, which was almost named Boaty McBoatface after a public vote, described it as one of the "most advanced polar research ships in the world".The vessel visited His Majesty's…

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Home-based dementia day care service seeks hosts

BBCHost Tracey Brandon does a little dance with client Bill to get him to his chair A dementia day care project is looking for people to open up their homes in Cornwall. The Filo Project, a non-profit social enterprise, said it was looking for hosts from Bodmin, Falmouth and Saltash areas to spend the day with people with mild to moderate dementia. Figures from the Alzheimer's Society show there are more than 11,200 people in Cornwall living with…

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Application for new vintage arcade in Exeter put forward

Guy HendersonLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceSupervideo/Exeter City CouncilA planning application has been put forward for an amusement arcade in Exeter City CentreA planning application for a new amusement arcade in Exeter has been submitted. Paignton-based company Supervideo Ltd, trading as Boneyard Exeter, said the arcade would feature vintage arcade games from the 1970s and 1990s. A spokesperson said it would feature titles which included Space Invaders and Pac-Man, alongside select modern games such as dance machines.It said there were…

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Thousands sue company alleging it hid talcum powder cancer risks

AlamyA major legal claim has been filed in the UK against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, accusing the firm of knowingly selling baby powder contaminated with asbestos.The claim involves 3,000 people and focuses on internal memos and scientific reports, which have been seen by the BBC. The lawsuit - brought by KP Law - alleges that Johnson & Johnson (J&J) was aware as early as the 1960s that its mineral-based talcum powder contained fibrous forms of talc, as…

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LIVE: Gaza ceasefire fears as Israel demands return of all captives’ bodies | Israel-Palestine conflict News

blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Israel continues to restrict aid entering Gaza, saying Hamas has not met its end of deal to release all bodies of captives.Published On 16 Oct 202516 Oct 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2Share Source link

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Gaza medics find signs of torture on Palestinian bodies returned by Israel | Gaza News

Health officials in Gaza say many of the 90 returned bodies bore marks of violence and possible executions.Gaza’s Ministry of Health says it has received the remains of 45 Palestinians who were held in Israeli custody via the International Committee of the Red Cross, bringing the total number of bodies returned to 90 as part of a United States-brokered ceasefire deal.Medical teams are continuing to examine, document and prepare the bodies for delivery to families “in line with…

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M5 reopens after lorry fire causes major delays in Devon

George Thorpe,Archie Farmer andZhara SimpsonSouth WestWatch: Dashcam footage of a lorry fire which closed part of the M5There has been disruption on the M5 after a lorry fire forced the closure of part of the road in Devon for several hours.The fire started on the northbound side of the motorway between junctions 30 and 29 in Exeter at about 11:35 BST, said Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.National Highways said the lorry was carrying 20 tonnes (2000kg)…

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North Somerset Council warns tax could rise to cover costs

Paul BarltropWest of England political editorBBCNorth Somerset Council leader Mike Bell said council tax rates could increaseCouncil tax could rise by as much as 20% as North Somerset Council juggles the increasing cost of social services.The authority currently has one of the region's lowest council tax rates, but officials warned its spending could go £25m over budget next year due to the fact its two biggest areas of spending are looking after elderly and disabled adults and children's…

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