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Volunteers in Dorset gift Christmas boxes to military children

Volunteers in Dorset gift Christmas boxes to military children

Curtis Lancaster and Linzi KinghornSouth of EnglandBBCSchool children teamed up with soldiers to put together the care packages"Christmas is really difficult when there's not someone sat at the dinning room table," said the founder of a charity that supports children with parents in the armed forces.Louise Fetigan set up Little Troopers in 2011 and over the festive period her team of volunteers meets in Bovington Camp, Dorset to make thousands of "Christmas Smiles" boxes for military children.She said:…

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Wet winter needed to avoid 2026 drought says Environment Agency

Wet winter needed to avoid 2026 drought says Environment Agency

Joe SkirkowskiWest of EnglandPA MediaChew Valley Lake is one of many reservoirs left depleted after the spring and summerThe Environment Agency (EA) has warned that multiple counties in the West face the risk of drought next summer if this winter is drier than usual.According to a report by the agency the Wessex area, which includes Somerset, Wiltshire, Bristol and Dorset, is in a period of "prolonged dry weather" and could face drought in 2026 if it sees below…

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Scientists discover new type of lion roar, which could help protect the iconic big cats

A new study has found African lions produce not one, but two distinct types of roars – a discovery set to transform wildlife monitoring and conservation efforts. Researchers at the University of Exeter have identified a previously unclassified “intermediary roar” alongside the famous full-throated roar. The study, published in Ecology and Evolution, used artificial intelligence to automatically differentiate between lion roars for the first time. This new approach had a 95.4 per cent accuracy and significantly reduced human…

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Fugees rapper sentenced to 14 years in prison over illegal Obama donations | Crime News

Justice Department prosecutors accused Grammy-winning rapper Pras Michel of betraying his country for money.A United States district judge has sentenced Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, a member of 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees, to 14 years in prison for illegally funnelling millions of dollars in foreign contributions to former US President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.Michel declined to address the court before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced him on Thursday. The trial in Washington, DC, included testimony from former Attorney General…

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Post Office cases cast doubt on the “golden thread” of British justice, study says

The “golden thread” of British justice – the principle that people are innocent until proven guilty – has been exposed by the Post Office Scandal as more deeply tarnished than previously thought, a new study shows. A birds-eye view of the criminal justice system provided to researchers from UCL and the University of Exeter by former subpostmasters (SPMs) suggests innocent until proven guilty was rarely taken seriously enough by any part of the criminal justice system that SPMs…

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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,366 | Russia-Ukraine war News

Here are the key events from day 1,366 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.Published On 21 Nov 202521 Nov 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareHere is how things stand on Friday, November 21:Diplomacy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office said he had “officially received a draft plan from the American side, which, according to the American side, can intensify diplomacy” to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. President Zelenskyy also said, in a post on Facebook, that he had discussed…

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Chile snowstorm survivor says they had to help themselves

Chile snowstorm survivor says they had to help themselves

George Thorpe and Angela Kalwaites,South WestBBCChristian Aldridge said staff at the park did not take requests for help seriouslySurvivors of a snowstorm in Patagonia which killed five people including a British woman have said local authorities did not offer enough help.Victoria Bond, 40, from Cornwall, was among those killed in the tourist hotspot of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.Christian Aldridge, who was part of the hiking group, said they had to organise their own rescue party…

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Dunball roundabout reopens to ease Bridgwater’s traffic

Dunball roundabout reopens to ease Bridgwater’s traffic

An upgraded roundabout which caused months of traffic delays has been reopened after a full year of works.The £10.7m project at the Dunball roundabout in Bridgwater, Somerset, which links junction 23 of the M5 to the town, started in November 2024.A year later, it has reopened and Somerset Council said its teams would stay on site over the next few weeks to ensure the junction works.The council added: "[It] has been delivered on time and on budget. We're…

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Pancreatic Cancer warning as family ‘blindsided’ by man’s death

Pancreatic Cancer warning as family ‘blindsided’ by man’s death

Beth CruseWest of EnglandEmmie KayEmmie Kay said she had just six days with her grandad after his diagnosisA woman says she was left "blindsided" when her grandad died from cancer just six days after his diagnosis.Emmie Kay, from Bridgwater in Somerset, has shared her story ahead of taking on a 100km (62-mile) challenge to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer UK.Ms Kay said her grandad Jim seemed to be in good health before his diagnosis, but he died just…

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Glastonbury mural gives 94-year-old woman ‘dream garden’

Glastonbury mural gives 94-year-old woman ‘dream garden’

A 94-year-old woman says a huge mural painted on the side of her house gives her a "dream garden" that she "doesn't need to look after".Muriel Baker, from Meare near Glastonbury in Somerset, had her wall transformed into a countryside scene.She cannot manage the weeding or watering needed for a garden, but this option lets her feel as though she's sitting in one while enjoying a coffee or tea, she added.It is the second mural she has had…

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New ice warning for Cornwall as snow falls across South West

New ice warning for Cornwall as snow falls across South West

Princetown Primary Community SchoolGritters have been out overnight as snowfall has been reported at locations across the South WestA new weather warning for ice has been issued for Cornwall, as both the county and parts of Devon were hit by snow and ice.Devon County Council said Princetown Community Primary School was shut due to low staff numbers as a result of the weather conditions.Callywith College in Cornwall said "no lessons" would take place and buses had been suspended…

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Exeter ranked fourth in the world for commitment to Health and Wellbeing

The University of Exeter is among the top four higher education institutions in the world for the way it prioritises the health and wellbeing of its students and our broader society. The QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026, released this week, places Exeter first in the UK in this field, as part of its overall assessment of the top universities most committed to tackling environmental and social sustainability challenges. Exeter was ranked 20th in the world (8th in…

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