Do ‘much, much more’ on age verification, social media apps told
Getty Ofcom has warned social media companies they will be punished if they fail to take significant extra steps to address the problem of children pretending to be adults online. A newly released survey, conducted by the UK media regulator, indicates 22% of eight to 17 year olds lie that they are 18 or over […]
Gavin and Stacey finale tops ratings
BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom Jackson The Gavin and Stacey finale attracted an average of 12.3 million TV viewers – the largest Christmas Day audience in more than a decade, overnight data shows. The new Wallace and Gromit film also attracted a large audience on BBC One, with more than 9 million viewers tuning in to watch […]
Cornish naval air base has new commanding officer
A naval air base in Cornwall has had a new commanding officer (CO) appointed, the Royal Navy has said. Capt James Hall took over on Monday as the head of RNAS Culdrose, near Helston, from previous commander Capt Stuart Irwin, it said. Capt Hall, who started his career in 2001, has served at Culdrose twice […]
Waves of air strikes hit cities in Yemen
Air strikes have been reported in two cities in Yemen. Witnesses and governing Houthi rebels said an airport and military base were targeted in the capital Sanaa, while a power station in the western port city of Hudaydah was also hit, the AFP news agency reported. Houthi TV blamed the strikes on Israel, which has […]
Gilsland’s Samson Inn to reopen after being bought by community
BBC The Samson Inn will open its door once more next Saturday A village pub is set to reopen after hundreds of people in the community clubbed together to help buy it. The Samson Inn at Gilsland, on the Cumbria-Northumberland border, closed in October 2022, leaving the area with just one bar. The asking price […]
Saltash tunnel electrics to get £25m refurbishment
Lights and electrics in the Saltash tunnel on the A38 between Cornwall and Plymouth are to have a major upgrade over the next year, National Highways says. The £25m upgrade would refurbish electrics, traffic control systems and lights in the 36-year old tunnel, which was used by about 40,000 vehicles every day that also crossed […]
The weird history of the barcode
Alamy The barcodes that appear on almost every product bought and sold in shops around the world were born 75 years ago on a beach in Miami (Credit: Alamy) Few people think twice about the barcodes on their shopping, but in the 75 years since they were first dreamed up, they have helped save lives, […]
Work begins on £11m 224 youth centre for Knowle West in Bristol
Youth Zones More than 4,000 young people voted to name the centre 224, which stands for ‘Today, Tomorrow, Forever’ Construction has started on a new £11m youth facility that supporters said shows a “vote of confidence” in the city’s “amazing young people”. The 224 Youth Zone, being built in Knowle West, Bristol, will support up […]
‘Call to shield police from trials’ and Ofwat ‘faces axe’
The acquittal of Martyn Blake, the firearms officer who shot Chris Kaba in 2022, continues to lead the papers. The Times reports that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley wants officers to be exempt from criminal charges unless prosecutors can show they “deliberately departed” from their training. The Guardian says the National Police Chiefs’ […]
Coventry hospital in world-first cancer scanner trial
BBC Urology consultant Donald MacDonald said the technology was “an absolute game-changer” A Coventry hospital claims it is the first in the world to expand the use of a new scanner for cancer patients to people who have the disease in their head and neck. University Hospital Coventry is undertaking a trial using a machine […]