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Cornwall farm says trees are for life

Cornwall farm says trees are for life

Christine ButlerandClare Ainsworth,CornwallLandscapes of DistinctionKim Parrish of Christmas Tree Hire Cornwall said many people wanted to have the same tree they rented the previous yearFamilies concerned about festive waste are fostering living Christmas trees which "grow with their children", a horticulturalist has said. Kim Parrish, who runs Christmas Tree Hire Cornwall, said people even named the trees they hired for the festivities before returning them to her farm.Ms Parrish said many people wanted to have the same tree…

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Strange pillar of light linked to Chinese rocket test flight

Strange pillar of light linked to Chinese rocket test flight

A glowing streak spotted in the sky on Thursday morning was most likely caused by a Chinese rocket, experts say.Witnesses reported a bright, linear trail visible around dawn and dusk from several locations.Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in the US, said: "It was definitely the Chinese Zhuque-3 rocket making its first test flight. "It passed over the UK and northern Europe at around 05:00 GMT at the end of its first orbit, following launch…

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Small firms in south west named among UK’s ‘most inspiring’

Small firms in south west named among UK’s ‘most inspiring’

Small Business Saturday UKDave and Karen Meadows of PUSHED are among the businesses highlighted in the Small Business Saturday campaign Two companies in the south west have been highlighted for their innovation and contribution to the community as part of Small Business Saturday (SBS).The event on Saturday, December 6, encourages the nation to show its support for independent firms by "spending locally and shopping small".The campaign said it was showcasing "100 brilliant small businesses across the country".The small…

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Runner’s 12 marathons after family deaths from pancreatic cancer

Runner’s 12 marathons after family deaths from pancreatic cancer

Beth CruseWest of EnglandPeter DunlopPeter Dunlop (L) set out on a mammoth challenge after losing his mum to pancreatic cancerA man running 12 marathons in memory of his mum who died from pancreatic cancer said his uncle's sudden death from the same disease "only spurred me on".Peter Dunlop, 40, from Taunton in Somerset, set out to run a marathon each month this year to symbolise the time he had with his mum, Jane, 63, after her diagnosis. Halfway…

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IAEA flags damage to Chornobyl nuclear plant’s protective shield in Ukraine | Russia-Ukraine war News

The IAEA has found a drone degraded the shield in February, in a strike Ukraine has accused Russia of carrying out.Published On 6 Dec 20256 Dec 2025Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareA drone strike has damaged a protective shield at the Chornobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine, rendering it unable to contain the radioactive material from the 1986 explosion of the plant, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday that the…

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Weymouth Harbour faces two fuel spills in one day

Weymouth Harbour faces two fuel spills in one day

A harbour has faced a series of a series of fuel spills this season including two separate incidents on the same day, which were swiftly contained by staff.One of the leaks at Weymouth Harbour on 18 November originated from a newly installed fuel facility at the site, which remains out of service following the incident. The second occurred during final testing of the new fuel pontoon's payment system, when an underwater pipe failed, releasing diesel into the water.…

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Woman’s 100th birthday marked with giant redwood tree in Cornwall

Woman’s 100th birthday marked with giant redwood tree in Cornwall

Trebah GardensSylvia Weatherhead's family have dedicated a redwood in her name to mark her 100th birthdayA family has marked a relative's 100th birthday by dedicating a large tree in her name at a garden in Cornwall.Sylvia Weatherhead's family members visited Trebah Garden, in Mawnan Smith, near Falmouth, to mark the occasion with a coastal redwood tree which they adopted for her birthday.Bosses at the site said Mrs Weatherhead, who turned 100 on 7 November, moved to the area…

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Mum’s illness inspires Devon girl, 5, to take on 5k Santa run

Mum’s illness inspires Devon girl, 5, to take on 5k Santa run

Ellis RussellMaddie is taking part in a 5k Santa run to raise money for Crohn's and ColitisA five-year-old girl is set to take part in a 5k (3.1 mile) Santa run to help people suffering from the same illness as her mum.Maddie is to take on the Exeter City Santa Run for the charity Crohn's and Colitis on Sunday, and said: "I want to raise money so I can help poorly people like mummy to get better."Her mother,…

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Australia sanctions Afghan Taliban officials over women’s rights abuses | Taliban News

Canberra said the Taliban officials are guilty of oppressing women and girls, as well as ‘undermining good governance’.The Australian government has imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on four officials in Afghanistan’s Taliban government, citing the deteriorating human rights situation in the country, particularly for women and girls.Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Saturday that Canberra had established a “world-first” autonomous sanctions framework for Afghanistan, which would allow it to “directly impose its own…

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