Police investigate unexplained Christmas Day death near Chudleigh

An investigation has been launched after the death of a man at a rural property on Christmas Day.Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were called to the property north of Chudleigh, in Devon, at about 10:50 GMT over concerns for a man.The force said a fire was thought to have occurred but was out when officers arrived, and a man aged in his 80s was found in the property and pronounced dead at the scene.Police said the death…

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Breeding barn owls ‘beat odds’ to raise chick at Hengistbury Head

Barn owls have overcome a challenging summer to breed at a nest box installed at a nature reserve in Dorset.Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP) said the birds were first spotted at the box at Hengistbury Head in March.The council said, despite a challenging year due to dry weather conditions, the pair "beat the odds to successfully raise a single chick".Environment councillor Andy Hadley said it was "a real sign that our efforts to restore habitats and support…

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New boardwalk improves Exmoor access

A national park has revealed a brand new boardwalk that aims to improve accessibility and help protect the area of natural beauty.The stretch of the South West Coast Path through Porlock Marshes, on Exmoor, has been affected by flooding in recent years, and the new boardwalk will help improve access for walkers.The boardwalk contains a soft curve and has been designed to mimic the landscape."We wanted to make the route better but also make it so that you…

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Mural celebrating Newquay Women’s Institute leader unveiled

Newquay Business Improvement DistrictThe new mural is on the wall of the Newquay WI Hall on Manor RoadA new mural celebrating Newquay's Women's Institute (WI) has been unveiled.Irish muralist Shauna Anseo has painted the Newquay WI branch's founder, Lady Molesworth-St Aubyn, and a reimagined version of the institute's banner on the Newquay WI Hall on Manor Road.It is the second of three street artworks funded by Cornwall Council as part of Newquay Business Improvement District's (BID) growing Love…

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Royal Cornwall Hospital’s Mermaid Centre set for £600k renovation

Hospital bosses have said a £600,000 refurbishment will make a "huge difference to patients".Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) said the project at its Mermaid Centre, which provides breast care services, would include a redesign of the waiting area, changes to its courtyard garden and create easier access.The renovation is aimed at "creating a more welcoming, calming environment for everyone who visits the centre", RCHT said.The trust said work, which is being funded by the Duchy Health Charity…

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Weather presenter Alexis Green looks back on 2025

AnneJanuary was the second coldest January for the UK since 2010South Today weather presenter Alexis Green looks back on the weather events of 2025, in which several records were broken.JanuaryJanuary was the second coldest January for the UK since 2010. The month was drier than average, colder than average, but also the fifth sunniest on record.FebruaryFebruary was a quiet month with relatively little in the way of impactful weather.Although temperatures for the UK in the first two weeks…

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Therapy goats in Devon “bring a bit of something different”

BBCRon, the pygmy goat, visits care homes, schools and youth clubs with his playmates Bonbon and PercyPygmy goats are among the therapy animals being taken to care homes, schools and youth clubs in Devon, to foster well-being and combat isolation.Tim Sheppard set up the not-for-profit business Tavistock Therapy Goats in 2024, to bring a sense of the outdoors to people who can struggle to access to the countryside.Mr Sheppard has other animals at his smallholding, and sometimes brings…

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‘Phenomenal year’ for The Box museum and art gallery in Plymouth

A Devon museum and art gallery said 2025 had been a "phenomenal year" as it celebrated reaching 1.1 million visitors since opening five years ago.The Box, owned by Plymouth City Council, opened its doors during the Covid pandemic and has hosted more than 60 exhibitions.Cabinet member for culture, councillor Jemima Laing said she had never envisaged what a success it would be and how it had become the "heart of the city's cultural life", adding that she looked…

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Weston woman with double mastectomy runs topless for charity

Bea Swallow,West of EnglandandJohn Darvell,BBC Radio Bristol Hana LaurieSam Smith underwent a double mastectomy without reconstruction to reduce the risk of developing breast cancerA woman who had a double mastectomy is taking on three endurance challenges topless in a bid to promote body positivity and health awareness.Sam Smith, from Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, was 19 when she had treatment for blood cancer which left her at high risk for developing breast cancer later in life.The now 31-year-old said looking…

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Polls open in Myanmar as military holds first election since 2021 coup | Politics News

Polls have opened in Myanmar’s first general election since the country’s military toppled Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government in a 2021 coup.The heavily restricted election on Sunday is taking place in about a third of the Southeast Asian nation’s 330 townships, with large areas inaccessible amid a raging civil war between the military and an array of opposition forces.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listFollowing the initial phase, two rounds of voting will…

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Palestinians suffer flooded tents and debris as cold and rain lash Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, surrounded by tents and debris, are suffering through more winter rains after two years of Israeli bombardment destroyed much of the Strip.A polar low-pressure system accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds swept across the Gaza Strip on Saturday. It is the third polar low to affect the Palestinian territory this winter, with a fourth low-pressure system forecast to hit the area starting on Monday, meteorologist Laith al-Allami told the…

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Do Donald Trump’s strikes in Nigeria serve any purpose? | Armed Groups News

The US president says air strikes are against ISIL, claiming the group targets Christians.“More to come”: Those are the words of United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after his country carried out a wave of air strikes against ISIL (ISIS) in northwestern Nigeria.Hegseth said the aim is to stop the group’s killing of what he called “innocent Christians”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listBack in November, President Donald Trump warned the US would take action against the…

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