News of 24 October 2026

23:28 Lifestyle A water bird hunts for food beneath a waterfall A small grey bird working the mossy rocks dived into the current in search of prey. Ruth Abernathy

21:51 Lifestyle Busy bees among purple blooms Bumblebees landing on asters in the autumn sun gathered nectar from flower to flower. Ana Sousa

18:48 Culture Old Quay Jazz Weekend returns with 40 free gigs in pubs, cafés and on harbour boats The festival is back after a year's break, with a pared-back budget, a focus on local musicians and a floating stage on a former ferry. Viktor Lind

16:51 Technology University switches on new supercomputer for local weather forecasts The machine can model the weather over the Wrenhaven coast in squares just 500 metres across, which forecasters say should improve warnings of flash floods and coastal gales. Aisha Rahman

13:14 10 photosBusiness Tea gardens: green terraces on the hillsides From Sri Lanka to Vietnam, Rwanda to Japan, the rhythmic green patterns of tea plantations. Isabel Duarte

11:55 Lifestyle Pick-your-own pumpkin farm draws families to the Asher Valley in its busiest October yet A farm that once grew only cereals now plants 14 varieties of pumpkin and squash, and turns its fields over to visitors for four weeks every autumn. Daniel Osei

09:32 Business Pop-up shops push Wrenhaven high-street vacancy rate to a six-year low A scheme offering empty units to start-up traders on short, cheap leases has filled 37 shopfronts, and a third of the tenants have now signed longer contracts. Callum Reid

07:47 News Millbrook footbridge over the River Asher reopens after flood repairs The 80-year-old crossing, closed since floodwater damaged its foundations last winter, is back in use with stronger piers and a wider deck. Grace Mwangi

07:14 12 photosWorld Ancient theatres: centuries on the stone steps The seating, stages and surroundings of theatres from the Greek and Roman world. Yasmin Haddad

07:12 Health Walk-in mental health centre opens in Harbourside with evening sessions The Harbour Room offers free, confidential support without an appointment or referral, and stays open until 10pm on weekdays. Jamal Carter

02:26 World Coral gardeners regrow 12 hectares of reef off a Pacific atoll Divers from the Tavua Reef Institute have planted more than 90,000 coral fragments over six years, and fish numbers on the restored sections are approaching those of healthy reefs nearby. Chloé Martin

News of 24 October 2026

24 October 2026

24 October 2026, Saturday