Exeter

Tiny bits of plastic rubbish could spell big trouble for marine life, starting with the worms, say a team of researchers from the University of Exeter and Plymouth University who report their evidence in a pair of studies in the Cell Press journal Current Biology. The marine worms play a key ecological role as an important source of food for other animals. Work by Stephanie Wright from the University of Exeter found that if ocean sediments are heavily contaminated with microplastics, marine lugworms eat less and their energy levels suffer. A separate report, from Mark Anthony Browne on...

Visitors to Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) will be able to enjoy a drink with the artists and get a 5% discount on all artists’ gallery sales when an exhibition opens on Saturday 7th December.

Awake Through Years: Four Southwest Wood Engravers runs from 7 December to 23 March. Four local wood engravers, Harry Brockway, Hilary Paynter, Pam Pebworth and Howard Phipps, will be meeting visitors in the gallery from 2pm on Saturday.

The engravers combine accuracy of observation with a totally modern sensibility. Their display highlights many of the different...

University of Exeter staff are taking part in a second day of national strikes over pay conditions today (3 December). Members of the UCU, Unite and UNISON unions are holding a second day of strikes having already taken industrial action on October 31. Members of the EIS union, which represents Scottish university staff, are also join today’s strikes not having taken part of the previous strike. Unions are striking over a 1% returned pay offer from University employers which the unions argue actually represent a 13% pay cut due to the rising cost of living. The Univesities and Colleges...

Neil Parish, MP for Tiverton and Honiton, has pledged his support for Halve It, a national coalition campaign that aims to halve late diagnosis and undiagnosed HIV in the UK by 2015.

At the Halve It World AIDS Day parliamentary drop-in session on the 27 November, Neil met with key members of the campaign’s steering group, including leading HIV clinicians, and CEOs of patient and policy organisations. He discussed with them Halve It’s aims and achievements to date, and the campaign’s compelling case for HIV to remain a public health priority in the UK. The event, which marked the...

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has promised to compensate customers who were unable to make card payments yesterday evening.

Customers from RBS , Natwest and Ulster Bank were all affected by the systems issue which left many customers being unable to make credit and debit card payments between 18:30 and 21:30.

In a statement released this morning, RBS wrote: “We would like to apologise to our customers. If anyone has been left out of pocket as a result of these systems problems, we will put this right. “If you experience any issues this morning, please get in touch with our...

Daily reportage of World War II was covered first hand on the battlefields and the home front by journalists from The New York Times.

A collection of articles have been selected by a University of Exeter historian for a new book. Professor Richard Overy has edited The New York Times Complete World War II 1939 – 1945, which seeks to provide a new perspective on World War II with more than 500 of the most pivotal and interesting articles from the archives of The New York Times.

The articles are some of the most riveting and gripping reportage of the war - first-hand accounts...

Devon County Council is exploring a number of options to reduce its highways and traffic management budget by almost £7 million.

As part of the County Council’s latest Tough Choices consultation, which was launched in September, Devon is considering how to cut spending in 2014/15.

A number of highways budget proposals were put forward on the Tough Choices website last month, inviting comment from members of the public. This is ahead of more extensive public consultation in the new year, when further choices will need to be considered to help meet deeper spending cuts over...

Police have said they are dealing with an ongoing firearms incident in Castle Street, Barnstaple. The situation began shortly after 4pm after concerns were raised for the welfare of a man inside a property. Police have asked people to stay away from the Castle Street area for the time being while the situation

The Strand in Barnstaple closed between the A3125 Long Bridge junction and the Cross Street junction, in connection to this.

Also affecting Castle Street between Cross Street and Commercial Road.

Updates to follow.

The biggest ‘live’ nativity in the South West is to take place along Exeter High Street before Christmas, featuring sheep, two llamas and a donkey. Shoppers and visitors are invited to join children and members of Church congregations from across the city as the action begins at the top of the High Street at 4.30pm on Sunday 15 December. A Roman Centurion will announce to shoppers that a census is taking place and the journey will begin down the High Street to Exeter Cathedral, following Mary and Joseph, a donkey, the sheep and the Three Wise men with llamas. The Angel Gabriel will make a...