BBC News
Syria not a threat to world, rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa tells BBC
In an interview with Jeremy Bowen, the leader of the rebel group HTS says sanctions on Syria should be lifted.
Hampshire water outage likely to last until weekend
Some 58,000 properties have been affected by an outage after a fault at a water supply works.
Mother of girl operated on by disgraced surgeon says hospital 'gaslit' her
Jodee Seeley tells BBC Newsnight she is considering legal action against Great Ormond Street Hospital.
UK considers sending troops to train Ukrainians
Defence Secretary John Healey visits Kyiv to discuss plans to provide more support to Ukraine.
Rare accounts of life for women inside notorious Iranian prison
Interrogations, beatings, cramped quarters and the tight bonds women forge inside Tehran's Evin prison.
Verdicts due for 51 men in Pelicot mass rape trial that shook France
Judges will deliver verdicts on the defendants in a case that turned a 72-year-old woman into a feminist icon.
Chris Mason: Starmer stung by Waspi women but it's least of his worries
Women affected by state pension changes believed Labour was on their side, feeding cynicism about politics.
Harland & Wolff set to be saved in deal with Spanish firm
Spain's state-owned shipbuilder is expected to confirm on Thursday that it is buying Harland and Wolff.
Stocks slide as US central bank signals slower pace of rate cuts
The Federal Reserve warned it would be cautious about more interest cuts in the face of inflation concerns.
Deaths from alcohol at record high in England
Public-health experts are calling for minimum pricing to stop further rises in harmful drinking.
Bank of England expected to hold interest rates
Analysts are forecasting rates will stay at 4.75% after inflation rose for the second month in a row.
Family live with sewage spills and maggots in 'horrific' temporary housing
Fauzia's family are one of a record 123,000 households living in temporary accommodation in England.
My kids saw my pain on set, says Angelina Jolie
The Hollywood star plays famous opera singer Maria Callas in a new biopic.
The Papers: 'Senseless attack' and 'stagflation' fears continue
Amie Gray's killer is found guilty of her murder, while financial experts worry over borrowing costs.
Even morphine doesn't help my horrific period pain
Emily Handstock says she feels the pain women endure has been "normalised" by society.
Russia moving equipment at Syrian bases, satellite images show
Images show a build up of military vehicles at Russia's two bases in Syria near the Mediterranean Sea.
UK inflation is up for second month in a row - will prices keep rising?
Inflation has hit its highest level for eight months, will prices continue to rise at a faster rate?
United Front: China's 'magic weapon' caught in a spy controversy
The UFWD is a decades-old - and increasingly controversial - arm of China's Communist Party. What does it do?
Cara Delevingne plays Elton John in music video
The model strikes an uncanny resemblance to the music icon in a remake of the 1973 video.
Hospitals write off £112m in foreign patient bills
Hospitals say they often struggle to recover costs, particularly when patients return overseas.
Criminology student guilty of murdering woman in beach stabbings
Amie Gray was killed and Leanne Miles seriously injured in the attack by Nasen Saadi in Bournemouth.
Principal banned after pupils had sex on ski trip
Pupils were left in their bedrooms unsupervised for hours, a panel hears.
Children as young as 10 accessing extremist material, say counter-terror police
There has been a rapid increase in the number of suspects radicalised on the internet, police say.
Blind people don't need inspiring, says Chris McCausland after Strictly win
The comedian, who is Strictly's first blind winner, says the public's attitudes need to change.
Hundreds of driving examiners to be recruited to cut wait times
The government says there is a "huge" backlog for tests, with instructors branding the system a "nightmare".
Gisèle Pelicot's ex-husband jailed for 20 years in mass rape trial
The convictions bring to an end France's largest ever rape trial, which has shocked the country and world.
I should have invaded Ukraine earlier, Putin tells Russians in TV marathon
Putin tells an end-of-year press conference there should have been "systemic preparation" for the full-scale invasion.
BBC's Steve Rosenberg challenges Putin on his 25-year rule of Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin was speaking at an annual end-of-year press conference.
Crossbow suspect denies killing woman and daughters
Carol Hunt and her daughters Hannah and Louise died in an attack in their home in Hertfordshire.
Kate and William reveal poignant Christmas card
The royal couple use a photo from a video in which Catherine announced the end of her chemotherapy.
Family 'stressed and disappointed' by £3.5k no-snow Lapland holiday
Tui should have rescheduled the trip based on weather forecasts, the O'Neil family says.
BBC sees destruction in cyclone-hit Mayotte, where rolling hills are now barren
Thousands are still missing after the cyclone hit the territory, with residents facing shortages of food and water.
Economic benefits will take some time, says Starmer
The prime minister asked MPs for patience when it comes to raising the UK's economic growth rates.
Teenagers detained for murdering boys in mistaken identity case
Best friends Mason Rist, 15, and Max Dixon, 16, were stabbed to death yards from Mason's front door.
Who are the convicted men?
Dominique Pelicot has been found guilty of drugging his ex-wife, Gisèle, raping her and inviting dozens of men to abuse her.
Gisèle Pelicot's statement outside court in full
The 72-year-old's ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, was earlier sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated rape.
Here's what you need to know about the trial
Judges have delivered verdicts on the defendants in a case that turned a 72-year-old woman into a feminist icon.
Pelicot lifts her sunglasses and chooses to fight back
The woman at the centre of the mass rape case sees her public trial as a chance to "stand for all victims".
Superman returns to screens in effort to save superhero movies
The first trailer for James Gunn's film shows the new Man of Steel - and Krypto the Superdog.
Car loan scandal payouts row - what's it about?
The Supreme Court will make a key decision which could unlock compensation for millions of motorists.
'There are no barriers': Blind Strictly winner inspires youngsters
Chris McCausland answers questions from young visually impaired people on Newsround.
How much will my water bill rise by?
Regular Ofwat has revealed how much water companies can raise their customers' bills by.
Man convicted for repeatedly lying about inventing Bitcoin
Computer scientist Craig Wright was given a suspended prison sentence for what was described as "legal nonsense."
Water bills to rise by £86 on average next year
The higher-than-proposed average bill rise in England and Wales comes amid public anger over sewage discharges.
Deaths from alcohol at record high in England
Public-health experts are calling for minimum pricing to stop further rises in harmful drinking.
Minister named in Bangladesh corruption probe
Tulip Siddiq is alleged to have helped her aunt, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, embezzle up to £4bn.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos dines with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago
The Amazon and Blue Origin founder is one of several tech leaders who has made the trip to Mar-a-Lago.
One hundred dogs a month destroyed since XL bully ban
Cost of kennelling seized dogs soars and in many areas attacks continue to rise, forces tell the BBC.
UK's youngest knife killers' sentences increased
The two 13-year old boys killed Shawn Seesahai in Wolverhampton in November last year.
Bournemouth Echo
Some will have free parking, chain ferry bosses promise on toll road
Some residents will be given free parking in Ferry Road should the chain ferry’s proposed road toll win government approval.
Anger as council hacks down 10 trees to make way for cycle paths
A 'green' council has been accused of eco-vandalism for cutting down 10 healthy trees - to make way for a new cycle path.
Elected mayor for Wessex would be 'Jude the Obscure'
Vikki Slade has said a proposed elected mayor for Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset would be “Jude the Obscure”.
Man to turn former restaurant into American retro gaming diner
An old Turkish grill in Charminster is to be turned into an American retro gaming diner.
In The Dock: Drug drivers among the cases
The following cases were heard at Poole Magistrates' Court:
New gym worth £1.5 million to come to Bournemouth town centre
A new JD Gyms site will be coming to Bournemouth and filling Wilko's old spot in January 2025.
Young girl about to face another Christmas without lung transplant
A young girl from Poole may have to spend another Christmas waiting for an organ transplant.
Three month road closures sparks fears businesses could be affected
Concerns have been raised over plans to close a key route in New Milton for three months.
Means testing winter fuel payments 'not the best way', Poole Labour MP says
Means testing the winter fuel allowance for pensioners is “simply not the best way” to help, Poole’s MP has said.
BCP Council release opening hours for Christmas period
Opening hours have been revealed for BCP Council over the Christmas period and the new year.
How to get rid of festive waste and Christmas trees after the holidays
BCP Council have released information how to get rid of your festive waste and your Christmas trees once the holidays are over.
Teenager writes heartfelt tribute to her late nan through song
A young girl has turned her grief into a heartfelt tribute to her late nan through a song this Christmas time.
Have you seen this man? Police appeal for prison recall
A MAN from Ringwood is wanted on recall to prison has police appeal to the public to locate him.
Fire at property believed to be started "maliciously"
A fire that took place at an address in Christchurch is suspected to have been started maliciously.
Road blocked following crash on A338
The A338 Wessex Way at the Bournemouth West Roundabout is blocked while emergency services deal with a crash.
70mph winds expected this weekend as weather warning issued
The warning is in place from midnight on December 22 until 9pm the same evening.
Nursery staff 'worked hard' to improve on 'inadequate' score
Staff at a nursery have “worked hard” to improve on their former “inadequate” Ofsted rating, inspectors have said.
Missing persons appeal launched for man last seen in East Dorset
Mark Street, 51 was last seen leaving an address in the Holt area in a blue Mercedes C220 with the registration UM14 RKY on December 18.
Water bills to rise for Dorset customers - all you need to know
Household water bills for Dorset residents are expected to rise by more than 20 per cent in the next five years.
Empty bank set to become language school after plans approved
Planning chiefs have approved proposals to turn a former bank into a language school for foreign and domestic students
Councillors don't agree to reject government bid around online voting
COUNCILLORS could not collectively agree to reject the government's consultation around online council meeting attendance.
Dorset farm targeted twice in a week by offenders
Dorset Police were alerted to reports of a fire being lit at a farm in Coles Lane, Milborne St Andrew on December 14.
Bin lorry catches fire during morning round
A bin lorry was on fire during its morning rounds.
Two New Forest hotels recognised with top awards
Two New Forest hotels have triumphed at The Beautiful South Awards 2024.
The Mowlem Theatre announces line-up of January events
Elsewhere, Swanage Drama Company will stage their annual pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk
Fish containing 38 seahorses found in Poole
A black bream fish that contained 38 seahorses has been given as an example of a ‘climate change indicator’ by the Wildlife Trusts.
RSPCA reveals increase in pets abandoned over Christmas period
The situation is expected to worsen during the winter months, as more people struggle financially around Christmas time.
Have you welcomed a baby in 2024? send us your pictures
Have you welcomed a baby in 2024?
REVIEW: Gravest Fears, Lighthouse, Poole
The Christmas season is always seen as an appropriate time to shake off the troubles of today’s world and sit in a darkened room to hear about the unprecedented horrors that befell certain abject wretches of previous generations.
Life-saving defibrillator fitted at secluded New Forest pub
The Royal Oak at Fritham has had a defibrillator installed, thanks to the kindness of villagers and visitors.
Free exercise class day returns to BIC
Running since 2016, the event offers a variety of classes, including BodyPump, GRIT, BodyJam, Les Mills Shapes and BodyCombat.
6 pets from RSPCA Dorset who are on the lookout for their forever homes
The RSPCA Ashley Heath Animal Centre in Ringwood, Dorset has many pets, such as cats and dogs, looking for new homes
Martin Lewis issues Christmas NS&I Premium Bonds warning for parents
Martin Lewis has warned against people giving children NS&I Premium Bonds for Christmas.
Universal Credit and other benefit payment dates for Christmas and New Year
The Christmas and New Year bank holidays mean many expecting DWP payments will see the money hit their bank accounts earlier than expected
Housebuilder sponsors Boxing Day event for 35th year
Organised by the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society, the event is claimed to be England’s only authentic forest point-to-point.
Shoppers donate 7,000 meals in supermarket food collection
These donations will provide much-needed support for charities FareShare and Trussell in the run-up to Christmas.
Law firm advises on building materials supplier acquisition
Elliotts, one of the UK's oldest family-run businesses, operates 13 builders' merchant branches and four kitchen and bathroom showrooms across Hampshire and Dorset.
Bournemouth University students 'highly commended' in national competition
This required detailed research on international human rights regimes, including the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
UK could be set for once in a decade Northern Lights display
The Aurora Borealis have stunned the nation this year, with dazzling light displays being visible as far south as Dorset, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Berkshire
Government
Office of the Whistleblower Bill
A Bill to establish an independent Office of the Whistleblower to protect whistleblowers and whistleblowing; to make provision for the Office of the Whistleblower to set, monitor and enforce standards for the management of whistleblowing cases, to provide disclosure and advice services, to direct whistleblowing investigations and to order redress of detriment suffered by whistleblowers; and for connected purposes.
Public Procurement (British Goods and Services) Bill
A Bill to make provision about public procurement in respect of British goods and services; and for connected purposes.
Formula 1
END OF YEAR REPORT: Haas – Encouraging signs in Komatsu’s first season as team boss
Haas made headlines before the 2024 campaign had even started when they announced that long-time team boss Guenther Steiner would be vacating his role. In the Italian’s place came another veteran of the outfit, engineer Ayao Komatsu, who quickly moved to play down their chances and predict a difficult start. What followed was a promising year of behind-the-scenes progress, effective car upgrades and plenty of points – even if they just fell short of P6 in the standings. Here’s the team’s end of year report…
Ferrari give Sainz and his rally champion father special send-off with F1 track day at Fiorano
Ferrari have bid farewell to Carlos Sainz in memorable style by hosting a track day for the Spaniard and his rally driver father, Carlos Sainz Senior, which saw both of them get behind the wheel of the squad’s 2022 car, the F1-75.
ANALYSIS: Perez had a contract for 2025 – so why has his Red Bull journey come to an end now, and who will replace him?
Sergio Perez’s racing career in Formula 1 appears to be over for now after he and Red Bull agreed a deal to end their relationship with immediate effect.
POWER RANKINGS: Where do the drivers rank in the final leaderboard after a rollercoaster 2024 season?
Formula 1 fans were treated to a spectacular 2024 season, with battles for both championships, first-time winners, dramatic incidents, controversial moments and much more playing their part. But which drivers impressed our Power Rankings judges from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi? Scroll down to check out the overall leaderboard...
END OF YEAR REPORT: Alpine – From a nightmare start to a promising finish amid numerous behind-the-scenes changes
The 2024 F1 season was nothing short of a rollercoaster for Alpine. Having started the campaign essentially at the back of the field, things initially looked bleak for the Enstone squad – all as numerous personnel and structural changes played out in the background. However, signs of progress emerged as the year developed, resulting in them claiming a hard-fought P6 in the constructors’ championship. Let’s take a look at Alpine’s end of year report…
ANALYSIS: Why Bottas' return to Mercedes makes perfect sense for both sides
Mercedes and Valtteri Bottas are reuniting with news the Finn has signed up to be the Silver Arrows’ reserve driver in 2025. F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto explains why the union makes perfect sense for both parties...
Crypto.com and Formula 1 extend partnership through to 2030
Formula 1 has announced that it is extending its relationship with Crypto.com through to 2030.
Bottas to re-join Mercedes as reserve driver in 2025
Mercedes have announced that Valtteri Bottas will return to the team as a reserve driver for the 2025 season, after the Finn and Kick Sauber parted company following the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
ANALYSIS: Why Red Bull chose Lawson instead of Tsunoda as Perez's replacement
Liam Lawson will become the latest Red Bull junior to get a shot at the big time and partner four-time world champion Max Verstappen at the energy drinks firm’s works outfit. Why did he get the nod over RB team mate Yuki Tsunoda? F1 Correspondent Lawrence Barretto explains…
Lawson confirmed as Verstappen's Red Bull team mate for 2025
Red Bull have chosen Liam Lawson to replace Sergio Perez and become four-time world champion Max Verstappen’s team mate in 2025.
Hamilton and Leclerc’s 2025 Ferrari given launch date
Lewis Hamilton’s first Ferrari Formula 1 car will break cover on February 19, a day after the sport’s inaugural season launch at London’s The O2 to mark its 75th anniversary.
Windows Central
Grab your Steam Year in Review 2024 and check out the PC games you played over the last year
Valve joins in the year-end recap fun with the Steam Year in Review 2024, letting players easily check what they played this year.
Intel outlines five major issues affecting its latest desktop CPUs — could Arrow Lake be better for gaming than we thought?
Intel's "Arrow Lake" desktop CPUs didn't wow us with gaming performance, but we weren't getting the whole picture. Intel has now revealed the 5 main issues with solutions that are already underway.
The Elder Scrolls Online is making some big changes in 2025 — Here's what the developers are focusing on now
The Elder Scrolls Online is set to get some big changes in 2025 as ZeniMax Online Studios works on new kinds of content.
Final Windows 11 Dev Channel build of 2024 adds support for live captions and real-time translation to Intel and AMD Copilot+ PCs
Windows Insiders with select AMD and Intel-powered PCs can now test live captions and real-time translation.
On the 10th day of 'Shipmas,' OpenAI called, and ChatGPT answered — You can now add ChatGPT on speed dial or text it on WhatsApp
OpenAI announced that users in the US can now call ChatGPT directly from their phone for 15 minutes every month for free. Users in other regions can also interact with the chatbot via WhatsApp messages.
AFMF 2 for ROG Ally: How to download, frame rate improvements, new features, how to enable, and everything you need to know for your gaming device
AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 beta has released for ROG Ally. Here's everything you need to know for this frame generation technology.
Microsoft reportedly acquired the most NVIDIA GPUs compared to its rivals, including Google and Meta, for its AI projects — translating to 485,000 chips and $31 billion in expenditure
A new report by Omdia details that Microsoft bought the most NVIDIA AI chips compared to its competitors, translating to 485,000 NVIDIA Hopper chips and almost twice as many as Meta.
7 best PC game deals going on now during the CDKeys Christmas Sale — Grab Steam keys at ridiculously low prices
You can get a ton of PC games on sale for less than you can get them at Steam during the CDKeys Christmas Sale. Here are our seven top deals.
The Xbox Series X Mini Fridge is more than a meme, it's the perfect Christmas gift
The Xbox Series X Mini Fridge can keep eight cans and some snacks cool. It's the perfect accessory for a gaming room or to have next to your sofa.
Why an AI PC might be the right move for creators
Accelerate your creativity.
Elon Musk's free-for-all Grok-2 AI turns the billionaire into a pariah, reportedly spreading misinformation with narcissistic tendencies
X's Grok-2 is now accessible and free for all users. Some have lauded the tool's ultra-realistic photo generation capabilities, while others have gotten the tool to make fun of the company CEO, Elon Musk.
AVerMedia FLEXI go (BA311L) review: A solid arm mount for your mic or webcam... But it's too expensive
The AVerMedia FLEXI go (BA3111L) mic arm mount offers reliable adjustability with a highly practical design, but it just doesn't feel like its price tag.
I went hands-on with Fallout 76's Ghoul update and it's exactly as much fun as you'd expect
I got to preview Fallout 76's highly anticipated Ghoul update, with its unique perks awaiting players in March 2025.
Microsoft confirms ads for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 in Windows 11 — here's how to turn them off
Windows 11 has shown ads for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Microsoft Defender to some users. Here's how to disable those types of ads.
Microsoft launches free tier for GitHub Copilot — over 150 million developers can now access Claude 3.5 Sonnet or GPT-4o
Microsoft recently introduced a new free tier for the service dubbed GitHub Copilot Free with access to 2000 completions/month, 50 messages/month, Copilot Chat in GitHub, and Block suggestions matching public code.
Three easy ways to crop images on Windows 11 — no extra tools needed
On Windows 11, if you want to remove a part of an image, you can use the cropping tool available in the Snipping Tool, Photos, and even in the Microsoft Paint app, and in this guide, I will show you how.
Some of the biggest players in Call of Duty are stepping away from Black Ops 6 and Warzone, and the reasons why are inexcusable now Microsoft owns the game
Now that Microsoft owns one of the biggest franchises in gaming, networking issues and an anticheat that just doesn't work cannot be excused any longer.
STALKER 2's massive update contains over 1,800 gameplay fixes — including much-requested repairs to the A-Life System
GSC continues to refine the quality of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl with a new 1.1 Patch update, which features bug fixes, gameplay improvements, and more.
The recipient of The Game Awards' inaugural Game Changer award has a history of helping developers affected by layoffs find new placement in the games industry, but now he is the target of a hate campaign
Who is Amir Satvat, a man one interviewee called the "career Santa Claus", and why is he the target of a hateful comment campaign following his receipt of the inaugural Game Changers award?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PC system requirements and specs — Is your computer ready for Cloud's return?
Check out the PC requirements for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and make sure your rig is ready to run this Square Enix JRPG.
Xbox fans can relax, as it seems PlayStation won't be buying up one of the industry's best game studios — for now
Rumors of a FromSoftware buyout from PlayStation owner Sony have ended, as Kadokawa forges a "strategic alliance."
"Xbox's new ad campaign is disruptive by design." An advertising expert breaks down Microsoft's controversial 'This is an Xbox' marketing blitz.
Ad expert and YouTuber Deadly Headley breaks down the latest moves at Xbox, specifically with his take on the "This is an Xbox," advertising push.
Laffgaff
In what North Carolina town did the Wright Brothers achieve their first successful flight?
Kitty Hawk.
Christmas Visitor
What is orange and fizzy and comes down the chimney at Christmas? Fanta Claus.
Itsfoss
FOSS Weekly #24.51: OBS Tip, New Linux Tools, Fun With Terminal, New Releases and More
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