crime

More than 2,000 fines for Blue Badge misuse, reports finds

More than 2,000 fines for Blue Badge misuse, reports finds

Alison StephensonLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceBBCA Freedom of Information request revealed more than 2,000 fines were issued More than 2,000 fines have been issued to drivers parking in disabled bays without a valid blue badge since 2019, new data has revealed. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Plymouth City Council revealed 2,637 fines were issued between 2019 and 2024 for misuse of disabled parking spaces.The FOI request, submitted by automotive retailers Evans Halshaw, said drivers were fined £70…

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Can BNP leader Tarique Rahman unite a divided Bangladesh as election looms? | Politics News

Can BNP leader Tarique Rahman unite a divided Bangladesh as election looms? | Politics News

Dhaka, Bangladesh — Standing amid a sea of people on the outskirts of Dhaka, Tarique Rahman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), declared that he had “a plan for the people and for the country”.It’s a plan that has been 17 years in the making. On Thursday, the son of the critically ill BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia landed in Dhaka, returning from Britain, where he had lived in exile since 2008.…

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Old loo and evidence of murder among archaeological finds of 2025

Old loo and evidence of murder among archaeological finds of 2025

David McKennaBBC East Yorkshire and LincolnshireAlexander Jansen/Durham UniversityThere were 1,446 discoveries in England in 2024 - up from 1,266 the previous year, according to official figuresA medieval toilet, a "murder" victim and the remains of an extinct species of cattle are among the discoveries that have helped to shed light on the past this year.Archaeologists also uncovered one of the largest Iron Age hoards to date and part of a shipyard linked to Lord Nelson's fleet.Meanwhile, a growing…

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Trump says US launched strike against ISIL in northwest Nigeria | Donald Trump News

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, US president says ‘deadly strike’ in Nigeria targeted ISIL fighters who had killed ‘primarily, innocent Christians’.Published On 25 Dec 202525 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareThe United ‍States ‍has carried out an air strike against ISIL (ISIS) fighters in northwest Nigeria, US ⁠President Donald Trump ​said.“Tonight, ⁠at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and ​deadly strike ‌against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” ‌Trump said in a…

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Russia claims to have seized more than 5,100 square km of Ukraine in 2025 | Russia-Ukraine war News

Russia claims to have seized more than 5,100 square km of Ukraine in 2025 | Russia-Ukraine war News

Russia is doubling down on its claims on Ukraine, in an apparent effort to demonstrate some military achievement in 2025 at home and to influence peace talks with the United States.Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters last Friday in a year-end news conference that Moscow’s forces had seized Siversk in the eastern region of Donetsk and Vovchansk in the northern Kharkiv region.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listPutin also claimed Russian forces held at least half of…

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Devon and Cornwall stories to make you smile

Devon and Cornwall stories to make you smile

Wildwood TrustThe antics of Mish and Lucy prompted an outpouring of support Escaped, honey-hungry bears, an emotional reunion and a round egg.We have selected six stories to make you smile that made the news in Devon and Cornwall in 2025.Bears escape enclosure and raid honey storeWatch: CCTV captures one of the bears helping itself to supplies outside the bear houseTwo bears briefly escaped their enclosure at Wildwood Devon in June and ventured into a food store where they…

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Johny Brown: Dream A Memory Of Home

Johny Brown: Dream A Memory Of Home

Album Review Johny Brown Dream A Memory Of Home (Skill)   CD/DL released 24 Dec 2025 Band of Holy Joy’s irrepressible frontman Johny Brown returns with his second solo album, – a vivid, orchestral drift through the streets, friendships and formative moments of his North Shields youth. Dream A Memory Of Home is a reflective, tender excavation of growing up in the 60s and 70s – a time of identity-shaping upheaval, wild imagination and constant change. Following the widescreen…

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Explosion rocks crowded mosque in Nigeria, killing several people: Reports | Armed Groups News

The blast tore through a mosque in Maiduguri as worshippers gathered for evening prayers, witnesses say.Published On 24 Dec 202524 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareAn explosion has ripped through a mosque in northeastern Nigeria as worshippers gathered for their evening prayers, killing and wounding several people, according to media reports.The blast took place at about 6pm on Wednesday (17:00 GMT) in the city of Maiduguri in Borno State, the Reuters and AFP news agencies reported,…

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Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after stabbing

Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after stabbing

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 14-year-old boy sustained multiple stab wounds, police have said.Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were called at about 18:50 GMT to the Notte Street and Athenaeum Street area, in Plymouth, on Monday.The force said the boy was taken to hospital, where he remained, and his injuries were not considered life-threatening.Police said a 22-year-old man remained in police custody.Police said: "Detectives continue to progress inquiries and there…

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More than a million Epstein-related documents discovered; release delayed | Donald Trump News

US Justice Department says it requires weeks to process newly found Epstein-related files under transparency and court rules.Published On 24 Dec 202524 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareMore than a million additional documents that are potentially related to late sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein have been uncovered, according to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).In a social media post on Wednesday, the DOJ said it is reviewing the documents and will need “a few…

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French Empire: Civilising Mission | History

How the French Empire built power through language, schooling and cultural assimilation and what it means today.Beyond armies and violence, France built its empire through language, schooling and cultural influence. This film explores how assimilation became a method of rule and a source of resistance.At the heart of French colonial rule was the mission “civilisatrice”, a doctrine that claimed to lift up colonised societies through education, administration and the French language. In practice, this system sought to reshape…

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Bob Vylan says Glastonbury police verdict ‘should inspire others’

Bob Vylan says Glastonbury police verdict ‘should inspire others’

Punk duo Bob Vylan say that they hope the decision not to bring criminal charges over chants made during their Glastonbury 2025 performance "inspires others in the UK and around the world to speak up".Avon and Somerset Police said on Tuesday that they had found the case did not "meet the criminal threshold".Rapper and front man Bobby Vylan led crowds in chants of "death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)" during their West Holts Stage show on…

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