Why a song calling out men is under fire for sleaze
Screenshot from YouTube A song that claims to spotlight the male gaze is being called out for doing the opposite A scantily-clad woman gyrating to a racy song has powered some of India’s biggest chartbusters. So, when a new song from the southern Telugu film industry dropped in December, claiming to subvert the male gaze, […]
Norfolk Police warns of impact of £4m real-terms cut in funding
Getty Images Norfolk Police says an increase in funding will be swallowed up by rising costs A chief constable has warned that experienced police staff could be made redundant and replaced by trainee officers in order to save money. Paul Sanford, the chief constable of Norfolk Police, has written to James Wild, the Conservative MP […]
TikTok users flock to Chinese app RedNote before US ban
Getty Images “TikTok refugees” are streaming to Chinese app RedNote, where they have been welcomed with open arms TikTok users in the US are migrating to a Chinese app called RedNote with the threat of a ban just days away. The move by users who call themselves “TikTok refugees” has made RedNote the most downloaded […]
Colchester parking spaces ‘too narrow for modern vehicles’
Stuart Woodward/BBC Colchester City Council says many of its spaces are underused because they are too narrow A council is widening parking bays in some of its car parks “to accommodate the larger size of modern vehicles”. Colchester City Council is making the changes at its St Mary’s and St John’s car parks as part […]
Strand Arts Centre: Restoration work begins
Redevelopment of cinema to maintain ‘art deco Charm’ Restoration work on the Strand Arts Centre has begun, with the project expected to be completed in summer 2026. The owners say the £6.5m project is aimed at preserving Northern Ireland’s only art deco picture house and delivering “a new home for the arts” in east Belfast. […]
Gaza ceasefire deal agreed by Israel and Hamas, source tells BBC
Israel and Hamas have agreed a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal following meetings with Qatar’s prime minister, a source briefed on the talks has told the BBC. There was no confirmation from the Israeli government or Hamas, but a Hamas official earlier told the BBC it had approved a draft from Qatari, US and Egyptian […]
Plans for battery energy storage system on airfield near Oswestry
A large energy storage unit could be built on a former airfield near Oswestry – with plans to store enough excess energy to power 163,350 homes a year. Elmya Energy is running a two-week consultation for a potential battery energy storage system (BESS) that would be built on land east of Rednal Airfield. The company […]
Israel and Hamas make final push for Gaza ceasefire deal
Getty Images Hostages’ families want the Israeli government to agree a deal that will secure their release Negotiators from Israel and Hamas are making a final push to seal a Gaza ceasefire in Doha, with all sides suggesting an agreement is almost done. There were reports of a breakthrough on Wednesday, with unnamed Israeli officials […]
Gloucestershire man praises ultrasound cancer treatment
Family handout/PA Stuart Emerson said he owes his life to “miracle” radiation treatment A man who was diagnosed with cancer twice in just over a year has praised a new non-invasive ultrasound treatment which saved his life after enduring the “hell” of chemotherapy. Stuart Emerson, 60, from Gloucestershire, was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in August […]
Rachel Reeves defends China visit and hails £600m boost to UK
Reuters Chancellor Rachel Reeves has defended her decision to travel to China to improve economic ties at a time when soaring government borrowing costs threaten to squeeze UK public finances. She says she wants a long-term relationship with China that is “squarely in our national interest” and on Saturday said agreements reached in Beijing would […]