Latest News
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Holi fundraiser at Lakeside to support Mountbatten and Dementia UK
A Holi-themed fundraising evening will be held at Lakeside Park Hotel & Spa on 7 March 2026 to raise money for Mountbatten Isle of Wight and the Dementia UK Admiral Nurses (IW) Appeal, with tickets priced at £80 and a programme of dinner and entertainment.
George Misiewicz, Polish refugee who helped pioneer ulcer treatments
George Misiewicz, a Polish refugee to Britain, has died aged 95 and is credited with playing an important role in the development of anti‑ulcer treatments.
Charity champion marks a decade at Silverstone Leasing
Ryan joined Silverstone Leasing in February 2016 with no prior sales experience and has risen to team leader while founding fundraisers such as Silverstone Soccer and the #SingForCynthia campaign.
US zoo's 'ridiculous' plan helps save wild rhino's eyesight in Africa
Behaviorists from Palm Beach Zoo and Precision Behavior trained a southern white rhino in Zimbabwe to accept eyedrops, treating a parasitic infection and protecting the animal's eyesight; local staff were taught to continue daily medication.
Public meeting set for Save West of Ifield campaign group
The Save West of Ifield campaign group will hold a public meeting and its AGM at Ifield Drive Community Centre at 7.30pm on Thursday 26 February; recorded interviews with Peter Lamb MP and Crawley council leader Michael Jones will be shown and George Sallows will speak.
Trump rescinds EPA 'endangerment' finding and alters federal climate authority
President Trump announced repeal of the EPA’s 2009 'endangerment finding,' removing the federal determination that greenhouse gases endanger public health; legal challenges are expected.
Swindon community centre could be renamed after beloved councillor
St Andrews Parish Council has unanimously agreed to begin the process of renaming Redhouse Community Centre in honour of Vera Tomlinson, a long-serving councillor who died in January; final approval must be given by Swindon Borough Council.
Community garden opens at Welshpool Fire Station.
A new community garden at Welshpool Fire Station was officially opened on 12 February during a community coffee morning, and the accessible garden features raised beds, trellises and a greenhouse. The project is supported by the Welsh Government's Local Places for Nature programme and Keep Wales Tidy.
Sheringham council backs compromise to save part of 1950s bus shelter
Sheringham Town Council has supported a revised Otterndorf Green design that would preserve part of a 1950s Art Deco bus shelter while allowing a nearby footpath to be widened; the change follows a resident sit-in that halted an earlier demolition plan.
Nigella Lawson will be wonderful on Bake Off, says Prue Leith
Dame Prue Leith said Nigella Lawson will be wonderful as the new judge on The Great British Bake Off, and Channel 4 confirmed Lawson will join Paul Hollywood as a permanent judge for the show's 17th series later this year.
Wales leads in recognising social connections as a public health priority
Public Health Wales has published a report finding that about 13% of adults in Wales experience loneliness and noting Wales was among the first countries to adopt a national strategy on loneliness.
Child sex abuse is worsening as 1,000 suspected paedophiles are arrested monthly in the UK
The National Crime Agency says the threat of child sexual abuse is worsening, reporting about 1,000 suspected offenders arrested each month and a 50% rise in children rescued over five years.
London pedicab rules to curb high fares and loud music
Transport for London will introduce licences, safety checks and a capped fare structure for pedicabs, due to take effect on October 30, to address complaints about high charges and loud music.
Protesters' chants drowned out as King receives Bollywood welcome in Barking
The King and Queen Consort visited Barking & Dagenham's community hub and were greeted with a Bollywood-style performance, while a small group of protesters' chants were reported as being drowned out by cheering members of the public.
Todmorden Edwardian theatre has small roof fire but damage was limited
A fire in the roof space of the Hippodrome Theatre in Todmorden was extinguished in about an hour on Tuesday, with crews reporting around 10% of the roof affected and mainly water damage to the auditorium.
Shark map shows where holidaymakers are most likely to be bitten
The International Shark Attack File recorded 105 shark attacks worldwide in 2025, up from 88 in 2024, and identified hotspots including parts of Australia and some popular holiday islands such as Fuerteventura.
PM says UK and Welsh governments will work side by side on rail plans
The Prime Minister and Welsh First Minister made a joint appearance to back Transport for Wales's rail improvement pipeline, which lists 43 projects and has an estimated cost of up to £14 billion.
Nantwich Town Council steps back from community garden lottery bid
Nantwich Town Council has paused a Stage 2 National Lottery application to expand the Growing Health Community Garden after fund officers requested clearer evidence of wider community impact; the garden remains funded and committed for another three years.
Ramadan crescent moon: how it is spotted and why it matters
The start of Ramadan is set by sighting the first crescent moon, a practice that mixes naked-eye observation, instruments and astronomical calculations. The UK will host a nationwide moon-sighting event at the Royal Observatory on the evening of Wednesday, February 18.
Cuba shifts to renewables amid power cuts and US sanctions
Cuba has accelerated solar and wind projects with Chinese support as power cuts worsened after Venezuelan oil shipments fell; the government has set a target of 26% renewables by 2035.
Golden Gap Year: Half of over-50s are planning extended travel.
New research finds half of over-50s are planning a 'Golden Gap Year' focused on personal growth and long-awaited travel, with popular destinations including Dubai, Australia, Thailand, Mauritius and the Maldives.
Unfinished Cumbria mosque to open for Ramadan prayers
The partially completed South Lakes Islamic Centre in Dalton-in-Furness is hosting nightly congregational prayers ahead of Ramadan while its official opening is due in July, and organisers report concerns about far-right protests.
Two Weeks in August: first-look pictures unveiled
First-look images have been released for Two Weeks in August, an eight-part drama written and created by Catherine Shepherd and produced by Various Artists Limited; it will be shown on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
Bookshop cafes in Manchester and Stockport shortlisted for national award
Two Greater Manchester bookshops — House of Books & Friends in Manchester and Simply Books in Stockport — have been shortlisted in the Northern category of the 2026 British Book Awards, part of a record 76 regional and county finalists.
Ramadan begins for many Muslims with fasting, worship and charity
Ramadan is expected to begin around February 18–19 depending on crescent moon sightings, and it marks a month of daytime fasting, increased prayer and charitable giving.
Five new supermarket stores to open in 24 hours and 14 more to follow in weeks
Lidl will open five new supermarket stores within 24 hours and plans 14 more in the coming weeks, a roll-out the article says could create up to 640 jobs.
Bear Grylls' Wild Reckoning explores relationships in the wild
Bear Grylls' Wild Reckoning follows couples taken into the Welsh countryside for two-day outdoor challenges that pair survival tasks with relationship therapists, and the series is available on BBC iPlayer.
1,000 paedophiles arrested every month in the UK
Officials report about 1,000 arrests of suspected paedophiles each month in the UK, and the government says it will press tech companies to remove illegal content while considering measures such as an age limit on social media.
Fasting during Ramadan changes how your body uses energy.
Ramadan fasting involves abstaining from food and drink from dawn until sunset and typically shifts the body from using glucose to burning fat and producing ketones; studies cited report short-term reductions in weight, inflammation and some blood pressure measures.
DWP Cold Weather Payment: Postcodes that could receive £25.
The DWP pays £25 for each seven-day period of very cold weather when the local average temperature is zero °C or below; the scheme has reached nearly 1.5 million households across England and Wales this winter.
