Latest News

Abercynon Fire Station has reopened after a refurbishment by the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service that added separated well‑being areas, upgraded training and decontamination facilities, and installed solar panels to run on renewable energy.

Study finds an underwater acoustic system at Hinkley Point C could deter about 90% of fish from its cooling water intakes and save roughly 44 tonnes of fish a year.

Giovanna Fletcher speaks with families on Safer Internet Day about children using AI for homework and daily life, and Tesco Mobile's Online Safety Hub offers age-specific AI toolkits developed with the UK Safer Internet Centre.

A decades-long randomised trial of more than 2,800 adults found that processing-speed cognitive training was associated with an about 25% lower rate of diagnosed dementia over roughly 20 years, while memory and reasoning training did not show a clear reduction.

The Safer Arun Partnership has opened a Community Safety Grant Fund offering up to £2,500 to local groups across the Arun district to support projects that improve safety, reduce crime and help protect vulnerable people. Applications are open now and funding will be awarded on a rolling basis until the budget is spent, with approved projects required to finish by the end of March 2027.

Mountbatten Hampshire will open a new charity shop on Jewry Street in Winchester this spring to support its 24/7 end-of-life care and bereavement services, and the charity is recruiting volunteers.

Salop Leisure has raised £7,880 toward a two-year pledge to raise £10,000 for Severn Hospice, using events such as the Salop Santa Dash, a charity auction and sponsorships. The company says it plans further fundraising in 2026, including taking part in the Severn Hospice Dragon Boat Festival in July.

An immigration court found on Jan. 29 that the Department of Homeland Security had not proved that Turkish Tufts PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk should be removed and terminated her removal proceedings, her attorneys said; the department may appeal.

Prince William will join young Saudi girls learning football skills at Misk Sports City in Riyadh and will tour part of the Sports Boulevard project. His three-day visit to strengthen UK ties is taking place amid public attention to revelations connected to Jeffrey Epstein and allegations involving the King's brother, to which the royal household has responded.

Brad Arnold, lead singer and founding member of 3 Doors Down, died at 47 after a battle with stage 4 clear cell renal carcinoma, the band announced; he passed peacefully surrounded by his wife and family.

Jakara Anthony begins her Livigno campaign as the defending Olympic moguls champion and is attempting a feat no woman has achieved: consecutive Olympic golds in moguls.

The British Museum has raised £3.5m to acquire the Tudor Heart pendant found in 2019 and plans to include it in its collection later this year.

A long-term study of about 131,000 US health professionals found that moderate daily intake — roughly two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of tea — was associated with a lower risk of dementia, while decaffeinated coffee showed no clear link.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched the 'You Won't Know until You Ask' campaign to give parents guidance on talking about harmful online content, after research found half of UK parents report never having had that conversation with their children.

The government will create 13,000 apprenticeship and T Level placement opportunities linked to school rebuilding projects, and construction firms on those projects will be required to provide local training places for apprentices and T Level students.

A Winnie the Pooh-themed Red Nose Day T-shirt collection has been modelled by UK celebrities and will be sold by TK Maxx from February 2026 to raise funds for Comic Relief; adult shirts are priced £12.99–£14.99 with at least £5 from each sale going to the charity.

Muskan Mehan presented her Ek Charkha collection at the Strouden Community Centre in Bournemouth to mark the brand's fifth anniversary and promote sustainable, handcrafted fashion.

Bethan James died in 2020 after sepsis was not recognised in time, and a BBC investigation found sepsis awareness training is not mandatory at most hospitals in Wales.

Dr Amir Khan said long-term omeprazole use can reduce absorption of vitamin B12, magnesium and calcium, which may cause tiredness or affect bone strength. He reported that people on long-term treatment were advised to have vitamin levels checked and to consult a GP or pharmacist rather than stopping medication suddenly.

UN rights chief Volker Turk described last October's violence in El-Fasher as a 'preventable human rights catastrophe' and warned similar abuses may be repeated in Kordofan; Britain said it had imposed new sanctions and raised the matter at the UN Security Council.

Broxtowe Borough Council plans to convert an 18-acre former quarry and landfill in Bramcote into a country park, and an online public consultation to name it will run from March 2 to the end of the month.

Two beavers were legally released into a pond at Helman Tor in Cornwall, described as the first truly wild beaver release on the English mainland; Natural England and conservation groups say more catchment-scale projects are planned.

Spain's main rail unions called off a planned three-day nationwide strike after the Transport Ministry, Adif and Renfe agreed to steps on investment, staffing and safety procedures; some smaller unions said they would continue strikes until Wednesday.

Two teenagers were found dead in Dorset in January 2022 after they were arrested on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse images; an inquest has opened to examine the circumstances, including police decisions to release them on bail.

The Civil Nuclear Constabulary is marking National Apprenticeship Week 2026 by welcoming a new cohort of apprentice officers and celebrating two years of its police apprenticeship programme.

A Manchester NHS trust advertised a fixed-term neonatal nurse role to support families where parents are close relatives; the post is now closed and has prompted public reaction.

Several Peterborough organisations, including Nene Park Trust, Anglian Water and Meridian Trust, have signed up to the council's Foster Friendly scheme, which offers extra annual leave for fostering meetings, appointments and training, reported as up to five working days a year for full-time staff.

A Texas federal lawsuit says an 18-month-old girl was returned to ICE custody after a hospital stay for a serious respiratory illness and that prescribed medication was taken from her; immigration authorities later released the child and her parents after the suit.

The Aspire programme uses African philosophies such as ubuntu and omoluabi to provide culturally grounded mentorship, and across three cohorts it supported 59 Black students with 15 progressing into fully funded PhD places.

Hatch Warren Repair Café marked its first anniversary on February 7 after opening in February 2025; the monthly community event runs at Hatch Warren Community Centre and was praised by Basingstoke MP Luke Murphy and local organisers.