Andy GriffithRacist attitudes in the 1970s and ’80s may have denied a trailblazer from north London the opportunity to be the Football League’s first black…
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‘Did racism stop my dad becoming Football League’s first black referee?’
Andy GriffithEmerson Griffiths experienced racism while working as a linesman in top-flight matches -
Gazans return to razed homes
An aerial view shows the Al-Maqussi Towers district, heavily damaged by massive Israeli bombardment over the past two years, in northwestern Gaza City on October 15, 2025. — AFP As a fragile ceasefire holds,…
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B&M told to remove ‘garish’ signs in Bedford town centre
John GuinnLocal Democracy Reporting Service and
Louise Parry
GoogleB&M has been told to remove signage from its store in Bedford town centre Retailer B&M has been told to take down “garish, obtrusive” signs that were put up without permission in a town conservation area.
It appealed against an enforcement notice by Bedford Borough Council after complaints about its town centre store, but a planning inspector upheld the decision.
The retailer must now remove the existing signage, which was put up in November 2023 at the shop on Midland Road.
B&M said: “We are working closely with the council to agree a new replacement scheme.”
GoogleB&M has been told by government planners it must take its existing signage down Enforcement notices are issued when development or signage breaches planning control.
The council previously asked the retailer to remove its vinyl signs and box tray fascia signs, but B&M appealed.
Councillors were told at a planning committee on Monday that the government’s planning inspector had dismissed the bid.
A report said the inspector found the vinyls had “a bleak and visually uninteresting appearance” and the fascias were “garish, prominent and obtrusive”.
It said the signs did not preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Bedford Conservation Area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
GoogleThe store was previously occupied by Marks & Spencer, which used a scaled back version of its typical sign While the inspector recognised there were benefits associated with the retail use of the building, he concluded they did not outweigh the great weight to be afforded to the conservation of heritage assets.
Councillors praised the enforcement team’s work, highlighting the role it played in tackling unauthorised development and improving the borough’s appearance.
“We’d be lost without them,” said Lib Dem councillor, Leigh Coombs.
A spokesperson for B&M said: “B&M is proud to be one of Bedford’s major employers, with over 1,450 colleagues working in the area.
“Our Midland Road store remains open for customers.
“While we disagree with the comments made by the planning inspector, we are working closely with the council to agree a new replacement scheme.”
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Genetic screening reveals baby’s ‘out of the blue’ cancer
A baby is expected to have his eyesight saved after a new screening tool picked up a rare eye cancer which may have otherwise gone undiagnosed.
Just four weeks after he was born at Sheffield Teaching Hospital in April, Freddie was diagnosed with…
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Chimeric Therapeutics partners with Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility to boost GMP viral vector production
Posted: 17 October 2025
Chimeric Therapeutics (ASX:CHM) has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Viral Vector Manufacturing Facility Pty Ltd (VVMF) to establish a strategic partnership focused on the development and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) production of Lentiviral vectors in Australia.
Under the agreement, VVMF will support process development, technology transfer and GMP-grade manufacturing of Lentiviral vectors for Chimeric’s clinical-stage chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy programme. Viral vectors are essential in producing CAR-T therapies, which are revolutionising cancer treatment worldwide.
“We’re pleased to partner with VVMF as we continue to advance our CAR-T cell therapy programmes,” said Chimeric Therapeutics CEO Dr Rebecca McQualter. “Having access to local, GMP-grade viral vector manufacturing not only strengthens our supply chain but also supports the broader goal of building world-class advanced therapy capabilities here in Australia.”
VVMF CEO Stephen Thompson said the collaboration would strengthen sovereign manufacturing and create high-value jobs in Western Sydney. “This collaboration allows us to demonstrate our capability to develop and manufacture GMP-grade viral vectors for the global cell and gene therapy marketplace,” he said.
The agreement was described as a milestone for Australia’s growing advanced manufacturing sector and the development of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) — innovative medicines derived from genes, cells, or engineered tissues. These therapies are opening new possibilities for treating cancer, neurodegenerative, and cardiovascular diseases.
Supported by strong R&D incentives, a pragmatic regulatory environment and a mature clinical trial ecosystem, Australia is well positioned to become a global hub for advanced therapy development and manufacturing.
Find out more here.
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Great Barr family want change from maternity review after baby’s death
Joanne WrittleWest Midlands health correspondent
BBCLisa Blackstock and her son-in-law Samoye Richards said they were heartbroken and angry after Reggie’s death A family has described their heartbreak and anger after a mother was twice sent home…
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This CT scan belongs to 44 year old French man ‘who lived normal life despite missing 90% of brain’, baffled scientists
A rare medical case, first described in The Lancet in 2007, highlights the brain’s remarkable adaptability and neuroplasticity. Despite losing 90 percent of his brain, the then 44-year-old French man was reportedly able to lead a relatively…
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Underweight and obese children cost NHS same, Oxford study finds
Underweight children cost the NHS as much as those with obesity, a new study has found.
The University of Oxford findings concluded the health service spends about £340m in additional costs annually due to weight-related problems in children.
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No reply to crash relatives over remains error
Chrissie Reidy and
Craig BuchanSouth East
Chrissie Reidy/BBCMiten Patel wrote to the foreign secretary in September about the mishandling of his mum’s remains in India Relatives of victims in a fatal Air India plane crash say the Foreign Office has…
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Bridging the gap: sickle cell disease as a case study of paediatric to adult transition in rare disease
By Dr Mariangela Pellegrini, Lora Ruth Wogu and Marie-Claire Kofi, Co-Chairs of the Sickle Cell Transitions Policy Lab
In recent years, legislation and policies have transformed the rare disease landscape in the EU, improving patient access to…
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