The public hearings have come to an end, with closed hearings taking place in the new year.
David Yates returns to his Swindon roots to inspire a new generation of aspiring filmmakers.
Wiltshire Police are appealing for witnesses following the incident in the early hours of Tuesday.
Councillors had hoped to have children to design characters to make the landmark more engaging.
A look at the stories that are trending across the West of England on 3 December 2024.
Angelo Bruschini's collection, which includes guitars and amplifiers, will be sold at auction.
Swindon Town Supporters Trust reiterates its call for owner Clem Morfuni to sell the struggling League Two club.
An off-duty police officer witnessed Nehemiah Brown repeatedly punching the woman in the street.
The final day of evidence in public hears more about the Novichok nerve agent attack.
The "final straw" for the town council relates to the future of the Riverside Community Centre.
The council says it will create an essential link between a local school and the surrounding community areas.
A town's application for village green status is being discussed at a planning committee on Wednesday.
Longleat says it previously kept two hippos for nearly five decades until they died of old age.
Our round-up takes you through some of the top stories in the news across the West this week.
The final phase of works to improve Trowbridge town centre starts on 2 December.
A look at what stories are trending across the West of England on 2 December 2024
Ann Jensen, from Salisbury, was tricked into investing by a deepfake of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Nick Bailey reveals what it’s like to be poisoned by Novichok.
Window cleaner Jason Knight recalls the day that changed his life.
Adam and Kelly talk to BBC Radio Wiltshire’s Kelly Morgan as driving charges dropped.
Horatio Chapple’s mother Olivia talks about Horatio’s Garden.
Director of Public Health, Steve Maddern, on how they’re tackling the problem.
David Jackson hosts tour for BBC Radio Wiltshire’s Kayleigh Barker.
Swindon Town Supporters Trust reiterates its call for owner Clem Morfuni to sell the struggling League Two club.
Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway calls for extra time in the FA Cup to be scrapped because of concerns over players' workload.
Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway will lead on transfers during the January window says the club's chief executive Anthony Hall.
Chief executive Anthony Hall on Head of Football, transfer window and fans' protest.
Swindon Town Supporters Trust reiterates its call for owner Clem Morfuni to sell the struggling League Two club.
Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway calls for extra time in the FA Cup to be scrapped because of concerns over players' workload.
Watch highlights as Accrington Stanley need a late equaliser from Tyler Walton to take 10-man League Two strugglers Swindon Town to penalties before progressing to the third round of the FA Cup.
Yoon Suk Yeol made the announcement in a surprise, late night televised address.
The corporation had said on Monday that all MasterChef episodes filmed would be aired as planned.
The state visit's exercise in soft power sees the Qatari royals given a carriage procession along The Mall.
Jess Phillips, who herself was stalked, says victims will get "peace of mind" under the government's plans.
The US president-elect vows a response if captives in Gaza are not released by the time he returns to the White House.
Women at training colleges across the country were told they are not allowed to return to class.
Giulia Cecchettin was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2023, sparking an outpouring of grief and soul-searching.
Lebanon says 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes after Hezbollah fired mortars at an Israeli army post.
Samantha Miller was fatally hit while travelling in a golf cart and still wearing her wedding dress.
The van owned by Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks contained "nearly a tonne" of pies when it was stolen.
The gaming giant's joint CEOs reflect on its past and future as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.
The move - invoking temporary military rule - has been roundly condemned by opponents and some within his own party.
The company has been at the centre of a media storm as a result of its radical revamp.
Syria's second city has been captured by the armed rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from government forces.
Music lovers are buying up old cassette, CD and record players and getting them fixed.
Top stories, breaking news, live reporting, and follow news topics that match your interests
James Howells believes the hard drive is now worth about £600m since the recent Bitcoin surge.
Their journey to the UK marks the end of years of complex legal battles.
It is alleged the tech giant overcharged companies for its Window Server software, used in cloud computing.
Lucy Letby featured on promotional material and appeared in a newspaper profile, an inquiry hears.
Sir Keir Starmer met the Greek PM for talks at Downing Street - but it was not clear if the issue was discussed.
Institutions may be overlooking inadequate language skills to receive high fees from overseas students.
The victim is named locally as eight-year-old Malika Al Kattib, a schoolgirl from New Ross.
And, President Biden pardons son Hunter.
The long-running civil war has unexpectedly sprung back into the spotlight
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has no doubts about the quality of his players, but the Italian thinks this season is too early to talk about winning the Premier League title.
The FIA wants to limit the ways its leadership can be held to account for bad governance after allegations were made against its president.
Double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel has sustained several fractures after a crash on on a training ride.
Andy Farrell has switched from coaching Ireland to leading the British and Irish Lions - what are his priorities in his first days in the job?
The Football Association is to remind Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi and the Selhurst Park club that religious messaging on their kit is banned.
Lucy Letby featured on promotional material and appeared in a newspaper profile, an inquiry hears.
Audit Scotland says decisions may needed about whether some services can be provided by the NHS.
Andrew RT Davies resigns for second time after months of pressure and a narrow confidence vote win.
Chloe Ferris, who was in her 20s, died at Lux in the early hours of Sunday morning.
1. How to sell your idea. Selling an idea within your organisation is most effective when you have internal supporters. When others back your idea, it reinforces its value. These supporters can offer their time and expertise, as well as help bring in additional advocates. READ MORE 2. Getting people back to work. Since the Covid pandemic, unemployment in the UK has risen from 1 million to 1.5 million. There are also 9.3 million “economically inactive” people – those who are neither in work nor looking for a job – and a record 2.8 million people off work due to long-term sickness. A white paper published yesterday by the Department for Work and Pensions also notes that “the UK is the only major economy that has seen its employment rate fall over the last five years”, which it attributes mainly to the effects of long-term sickness. The Office for Budget Responsibility says this is the single biggest risk to public finances, as spending on sickness benefits is due to top £100 billion by the end of the parliament. The Times 3. Professional services lead UK growth. The professional services sector – covering law, architecture, R&D and consultancy – has led UK economic growth in 2024. It grew 3.9% in the three months to September, compared to 1.3% for the broader economy. Since pre-pandemic levels, the sector’s output has risen 16%, outpacing the UK economy’s 3% growth. Legal services benefit from a global talent pool and the widespread adoption of English law, while architecture saw overseas revenue climb 25% in 2024. Scientific R&D has been the fastest-growing sub-sector. Financial Times 4. The £268bn cost of poor diets. Unhealthy eating is costing the UK a staggering £268bn a year, a study has found. Of that, £92bn is accounted for by direct costs, related to the treatment of type 2 diabetes and other diseases closely linked to poor diet. Most of that (£67bn) is spent by the NHS. Social care for patients adds £14.3bn and welfare payments a further £10.1bn. Indirect costs include £116.4bn in lost productivity, caused by people being unfit to work owing to diet-related conditions. The human cost of pain and early death is estimated at £60bn. The Guardian 5. Should assisted dying be legalised? Assisted dying is a deeply personal and complex issue. With the UK Parliament recently advancing a bill to legalize it under strict safeguards for terminally ill adults, the debate is intensifying. Supporters argue it offers dignity and autonomy to those suffering, while opponents raise ethical, religious, and societal concerns. We want to hear your thoughts on this pivotal issue shaping discussions around personal rights and healthcare policies. Do you support or oppose such assisted dying? VOTE HERE |
6. Net migration to UK falls after record high. The latest UK net migration figure, for the 12 months to June 2024, was 728,000, according to the Office for National Statistics. That's a fall from the 12 months to June 2023 - a newly revised figure shows that total was 906,000, far higher than previous estimates. Net migration is the difference between the number of people arriving in the UK, and the number leaving. Because the figures are until June 2024, they are a reflection of policies under the previous Conservative government and are far higher than was promised to voters. BBC 7. How many people use the boats? In 2018, the number was just 299, but since then it has grown exponentially; 2022 saw the highest, with 45,774 registered arrivals. This dipped to 29,437 in 2023, but 2024 had logged 33,500 arrivals by 17 November, so this year will be the second-largest figure. In total, more than 147,000 are known to have arrived in this way (about 80% of all registered irregular arrivals to the UK). At least 250 people are known to have died in the attempt. Five countries dominate numerically among small boat arrivals, making up two-thirds of the total over the past six years: Iran (18.5%); Afghanistan (14.7%); Iraq (13.2%); Albania (12.1%); and Syria (7.6%). Sky News 8. UK adults online longer in 2024. The amount of time the average UK adult spent online this year has jumped by almost an hour over the last year to four hours and 20 minutes each day, according to figures from regulator Ofcom. In 2023, the average UK adult spent three hours and 21 minutes online each day. The Online Nation report shows that 18-24 year olds spent the most time online, racking up six hours and one minute on average each day, and those over 65 spent three hours and 10 minutes online. Meanwhile, one in five UK children aged 8-17 has lied about their age in order to get social media accounts. People are spending most of their time online on services offered by two US tech giants: Alphabet, which owns YouTube and Google, and Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. TechCrunch 9. Swipe left on digital dating. The top dating apps are suffering falling user numbers for the first time. Tinder lost 600,000 users (5%) in the year to May 2024 while Hinge dropped 131,000 (3%). The change is apparently down to Gen Z and millennials deciding they would rather find love the old-fashioned way: in real life. The Guardian 10. The bottom line. Did you know that in Europe, the average woman buys 30-50 pieces of clothing annually [depending on age, income, and lifestyle] and discards 10-15 items? Even in countries like Denmark, with excellent recycling programmes, 62% of discarded clothing still ends up in landfills - often in the global south. Daily Mail |
6. Single women are not so sad. Single women are often stereotyped as sad and desperate for love, but new research shows that single men are more likely to be lovelorn. In a study analyzing 6,000 single people from various countries, women expressed more satisfaction with their lives than men. Women were also less inclined to seek romantic partnerships, possibly because they find more emotional support in platonic relationships or view traditional relationships as unfair due to the unequal distribution of household responsibilities. The Times 7. How universities are funded. The Office for Students predicts that 72% of England's universities may face budget deficits next year. UK higher education providers had a total income of £50 billion in 2022/23, with 52% from tuition fees (43% from international students), 14% from research grants, and 12% from direct government funding. Other income sources include donations and endowments. Funding models vary across the UK due to devolution: in Scotland, the government pays home students' tuition fees; Welsh undergraduates get a minimum maintenance grant; and Northern Ireland caps fees at £4,750. The Independent 8. Word of the year. “Manifest” – to use the power of visualisation to will something into existence – has been chosen by Cambridge Dictionary as its word of 2024. Singer Dua Lipa and gymnast Simone Biles are among those who have said they “manifested” their successes. The Sun 9. Christmas is officially on its way. The Trafalgar Square Christmas tree – a 56-year-old, 20-metre Norwegian spruce – has been felled in Norway before starting its journey to London. The Nordic nation has sent a tree every year since 1947 in thanks for Britain’s support during World War Two. BBC 10. The bottom line. The average number of years a person born in the UK can expect to live is 80.9. New data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that the UK had the worst life expectancy in western Europe, almost a year lower than the 81.5-year average across the 27 European Union countries. Switzerland was at the top of the table with an average of 84.2 years. OECD |