Repairs due to start next month on Portland’s Ferry Bridge

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:BBC Dorset
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Essential repairs to a bridge in Dorset are due to start in the new year.Cracks have formed beneath the surface of Ferry Bridge, between Portland and Weymouth, and need to be repaired to stop further damage.The route will be partially closed from 19 January with traffic signals initially expected to be in place until 1 March.Councillor Jon Andrews, Dorset Council's cabinet member for place, said: "We understand these works will cause inconvenience, and we're very sorry for that."In…

‘Putting our home in a trust was a legal nightmare’

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:BBC Cornwall
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Amy Gladwell and Charlotte CoxBBC South West InvestigationsBBCJoyce Gifford says she still has trouble sleeping due to the stress it has causedWhen Joyce Gifford found out her name had been removed from her house deeds after it was transferred to a "family protection trust", she says she felt "sick".The 72-year-old signed her home in Cornwall into the trust in 2018 with McClure solicitors, who she says told her it would protect it from having to be sold to…

Bigger and complex household debts concern charity

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:Devon News
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Anna VarleSouth West social affairs correspondentBBCTom Kehily from Ilfracombe started falling into debt after he lost his job and his relationship broke downAverage debt owed by households in part of Devon have risen by more than £4,000 in two years, a charity said.Christians Against Poverty (CAP) said research it had carried out showed the average household debt in North Devon was £14,330 in 2025, compared to £10,139 in 2023.Reverend Ben Warrender, a debt centre manager for the charity…

Exeter care agency put into special measures by Care Quality Commission

Post published:December 19, 2025
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Yui Mok/PA WireHorizon Care (South West) Ltd has been placed into special measures by the Care Quality CommissionA home care agency which helps more than 200 people living in their own homes in Exeter has been put into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).The watchdog inspected Horizon Care (South West) Ltd in September after receiving "information of concern" about the service. It issued a warning notice that "rapid and significant" improvement was needed to safeguarding, care…

Tips on how to avoid delays in the South

Post published:December 19, 2025
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Chris McHughSouth of EnglandHampshire County CouncilA key section the M27 in Hampshire will be closed between 24 December and 4 JanuaryWith Christmas on the horizon, thousands of people will soon be heading home - but finding a way to beat the rush can be a daunting task. The RAC has predicted this year will be the busiest festive getaway since it began recording the data in 2013, with Christmas Eve alone set to involve 4.2m trips.But with several…

Australia PM Albanese launches gun ‘buyback’ plan after Bondi Beach attack | Gun Violence News

Post published:December 19, 2025
Post category:Al Jazeera
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Albanese said Australia has more guns now than 30 years ago, when the country’s deadliest-ever mass shooting took place.Australia will launch a national gun buyback scheme, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced, as the country continues to come to terms with the deadly attack on a Jewish holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead.Albanese called the plan the country’s biggest gun buyback since 1996 – the year of Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in modern…

Tottenham vs Liverpool: Premier League – teams, start time, lineups | Football News

Post published:December 18, 2025
Post category:Al Jazeera
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Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs LiverpoolWhat: English Premier LeagueWhere: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, United KingdomWhen: Saturday December 20, at 5:30pm (17:30 GMT)How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream. Click here to follow our live coverage.Defending champions Liverpool will seek back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since September when they visit Tottenham on Saturday, but the Reds’ woes are far from a…

Leader of 2024 Bangladesh student protests dies in a Singapore hospital | Protests News

Post published:December 18, 2025
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Sharif Osman Hadi was a leading figure during the uprising toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024.Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a leader of Bangladesh’s 2024 student-led uprising who was flown to Singapore for treatment after being wounded in an assassination attempt, has died, Singapore officials said.“Despite the best efforts of the doctors … Hadi succumbed to his injuries,” Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Thursday.According to a report by Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune, Hadi,…

Warnings and disruption as flooding hits the south of England

Post published:December 18, 2025
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Galya DimitrovaSouth of EnglandLocal resident Alina Jenkins showed what it was like to drive through the flooded Tollbar Way in SouthamptonParts of the south are experiencing flooding and disruption as warnings and advice are issued to those affected.The Environment Agency (EA) has issued multiple flood warnings for Hampshire and Dorset, along with 21 flood alerts for Oxfordshire and 15 for Berkshire.Local fire and rescue services have issued advice to travellers, including not to drive through flood water.Several venues…

Devon and Cornwall PCC pledges to fight for a directly elected mayor

Post published:December 18, 2025
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The police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has pledged to fight for a directly elected mayor for the region to protect it from losing out on government investment.Conservative Alison Hernandez said she was concerned that without it the region would "get left behind" when her role comes to an end in 2028.Last month, the government announced it was going to scrap the role of PCCs to save money and that it…

Consultation for Cornwall Council draft budget set to be launched

Post published:December 18, 2025
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Views are being sought by Cornwall Council on a plan for to save £50m in its budget for 2026/27.The authority said its draft budget would go out for public consultation between December 29 and January 27.It said the draft budget would have investment in services which were "critical for residents", including more than £37m to continue the transformation of adult social care services, along with plans to reduce spending through efficiencies.The council said the consultation would be made…

Failed asylum seeker denies raping woman in Bournemouth

Post published:December 18, 2025
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A failed asylum seeker has pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in Dorset.Mohammed Fathi Eltbie, from Egypt, denies attacking the woman in her 30s in a wooded area in Bournemouth on 5 November.During a plea hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court, the 24-year-old was represented by barrister Nick Robinson and assisted by an Arabic interpreter.He was remanded in custody until his trial, set to start on 26 May 2026, with a further preliminary hearing set for 23 March.…