Jhoots Pharmacies could lose NHS rights, MPs told

Post published:October 16, 2025

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 for comment.The minister was responding to an urgent question from West Dorset MP Edward Morello, who said thousands of people had been left without access to essential medicines."Jhoots staff have gone months without pay, despite payslips being issued, tax deductions made and pension contributions not deposited," the Liberal Democrat MP added.Mr Kinnock replied: "It is completely and utterly unacceptable if a business such as Jhoots is not paying its staff."He said both the General Pharmaceutical Council and NHS integrated care boards were taking regulatory action against individual pharmacies, which could be struck off.Dr Luke Evans, the Shadow Health and Social Care Minister, said: "Across the country, communities have been left without functioning pharmacies - doors locked without notice, patients arriving to find no…

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

Post published:October 16, 2025

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 a red telephone box on Mallams on Portland, Dorset. Leading artist, Antje Rook, said "Grieving is like suffering a trauma and it's a very difficult time for people so through research we found this really helped."Wind phones are found all over the world but the one on Portland is the first of its kind in Dorset. It is placed on top of a hill overlooking the sea."The location of a wind phone is important" Antje said."This is fairly quiet but this is a spot where a lot of people pass and it has a nice view."She said the group have been exploring and researching about death since January."I am looking forward to death and I think it must be the most interesting and…

Application for new vintage arcade in Exeter put forward

Post published:October 16, 2025

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 no plans to have any gambling machines, and none which offered cash prizes.'Unique leisure destination'The arcade would open at the former Brighthouse store on Sidwell Street if the application was successful.The store has been empty for fiver years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. In a statement, the company said: "Alcohol sales will be secondary to the venue's core purpose and served from a fridge behind the main counter- there will be no pub-style bar or club setup."The aim is to foster a social, game-focused environment rather than a bar or restaurant with incidental entertainment."It said the development would contribute "positively" to the city centre and offer a "unique leisure destination for all ages, attracting both residents and visitors, creating employment and enhancing…

Cornwall pumpkin patches boosting farm businesses

Post published:October 16, 2025

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, we're a big farm. This is a farm diversification just to basically bring more money in to the farm business to be able to survive," he said.Ashley JonesMr Jones said the pumpkin related attractions were "very popular"He said: "It's going very well, it's very popular. People really do enjoy it."We do a scare maze which is on the Saturday night of Halloween weekend."Jinny Odgers owns Cargoll Farm at St Newlyn East and will be reopening her two-acre pumpkin patch for a second year.Ms Odgers said the weather had been "perfect" for growing this year.Ashley JonesMs Odgers said pumpkin patches were a way for children to "have some fresh air""They are very thirsty plants," she said."Some of them (pumpkins) were huge to be perfectly…

Sir David Attenborough ship visits Plymouth to restock

Post published:October 16, 2025

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 Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport on Wednesday and is due to depart to Antarctica for seven months on Friday.Captain Will Whatley said they were in Plymouth to load aviation fuel to support its research stations in Antarctica. Captain Will Whatley said the vessel would be visiting new areasHe said the ship was transforming how research was conducted in the polar regions, providing scientists with a state-of-the-art platform to look at oceans, the seabed, ice shelves and the atmosphere."There are quite a few different science projects this season which are long-term monitoring, and there are some new areas where we haven't been before," Capt Whatley said.He said the ship had a huge amount of technology in-built to handle an expected wide range of sea conditions."We…

Home-based dementia day care service seeks hosts

Post published:October 16, 2025

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 dementia. Libby Price the co-founder and director of the project said being able to see people with the diagnosis "thriving and making friends and enjoying being together is huge". Host Tracey Brandon often opens her home up for the dayTracey Brandon, one of the project's hosts, regularly spends the day with up to four people with dementia in her own home. She will welcome them in, provide them with a cooked lunch and allow them to socialise and interact for six hours.She said: "I looked after my mum with dementia and I know how much mum would have benefited from being in a social group, that's what got me into it."It's just so rewarding. They've gone from not really talking to each other…

Application for new vintage arcade in Exeter put forward

Post published:October 16, 2025

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 no plans to have any gambling machines, and none which offered cash prizes.'Unique leisure destination'The arcade would open at the former Brighthouse store on Sidwell Street if the application was successful.The store has been empty for fiver years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. In a statement, the company said: "Alcohol sales will be secondary to the venue's core purpose and served from a fridge behind the main counter- there will be no pub-style bar or club setup."The aim is to foster a social, game-focused environment rather than a bar or restaurant with incidental entertainment."It said the development would contribute "positively" to the city centre and offer a "unique leisure destination for all ages, attracting both residents and visitors, creating employment and enhancing…

Sir David Attenborough ship visits Plymouth to restock

Post published:October 16, 2025

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 Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport on Wednesday and is due to depart to Antarctica for seven months on Friday.Captain Will Whatley said they were in Plymouth to load aviation fuel to support its research stations in Antarctica. Captain Will Whatley said the vessel would be visiting new areasHe said the ship was transforming how research was conducted in the polar regions, providing scientists with a state-of-the-art platform to look at oceans, the seabed, ice shelves and the atmosphere."There are quite a few different science projects this season which are long-term monitoring, and there are some new areas where we haven't been before," Capt Whatley said.He said the ship had a huge amount of technology in-built to handle an expected wide range of sea conditions."We…

Thousands sue company alleging it hid talcum powder cancer risks

Post published:October 16, 2025

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 well as tremolite and actinolite. Both minerals - when in their fibrous form - are classified as asbestos and linked to potentially deadly cancers.The court papers allege that, despite knowing the minerals were directly linked to cancers, J&J never issued warnings on the packaging of its baby powder. Instead it launched aggressive marketing campaigns portraying the powder as a symbol of purity and safety, the lawsuit claims. J&J denies the allegation as well as any claims it knowingly sold baby powder contaminated with asbestos.A statement, issued on behalf of the firm, said its baby powder "was compliant with any required regulatory standards, did not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer".The sale of baby powder containing talc stopped in the UK in 2023.The…

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

Post published:October 16, 2025

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

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

Post published:October 15, 2025

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 approved medical procedures and protocols”, the Health Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listUnder a ceasefire deal backed by US President Donald Trump and aimed at ending the two-year Gaza war, Israel was to turn over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for every deceased Israeli returned. The remains of 45 people were returned on Monday.Palestinians awaited information about the bodies that arrived at Nasser Hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday. The forensics team described disturbing conditions, bearing signs of physical abuse.Some of the Palestinian bodies were blindfolded and handcuffed, indicating “field executions” may have taken place, medical sources told Al Jazeera.Israel is expected to hand over more bodies, though officials have not said how many are in…

M5 reopens after lorry fire causes major delays in Devon

Post published:October 15, 2025

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) of household waste and electrical items including batteries and domestic appliances with nine miles (14.48km) of queues reported in the area at one stage, with long delays and diversions in place.It said at 21:10 the road was clear and the M5 was open northbound between junction 30 and junction 29, but long delays should still be expected.National HighwaysSeveral fire crews were called out to the M5 to tackle the flamesOn social media National Highways said: "Long delays remain in the area but should now start to ease."Thanks for your patience today whilst this incident was ongoing."Devon and Cornwall Police said at about 21:20 its earlier message for residents in the immediate area to keep their windows and doors shut no longer applied and…