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BBC plots ‘streaming box’ with free TV channels & movies – but it’s missing key feature that Freeview fans love

THE BBC is to launch a “streaming box” aimed at simplifying watching TV in the digital age.

The new box is designed specifically for people who find modern streaming technology overwhelming.

WITCHED OFF Important update on UK’s Freeview successor's eight missing channels that were supposed to arrive on TVs last week, Freely Freeview TV, https://rxtvinfo.com/2025/freeview-successor-freely-rolls-out-more-online-channels/
Freely is designed to replace Freeview and Freesat

It comes after the corporation unveiled the new Freely box last week, which is due to replace the traditional Freeview and Freesat services.

Rather than relying on aerials or satellite dishes, Freely streams live channels and catch-up content directly to a TV.

The switch is being overseen by Everyone TV, formerly Digital UK, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of free TV platforms – Freely, Freeview and Freesat – as well as leading free TV’s evolution for a digital age.

Everyone TV is owned and supported by the UK’s leading public service broadcasters – the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5.

Since its launch last year, Freely has been gradually building up its channel lineup.

It now offers BBC, ITV, Channel 4, 5 and around 40 other broadcasters.

However, the biggest barrier to switching from Freeview to Freely has always been availability as the latter only worked on brand-new smart TVs from select manufacturers.

Those who purchased a TV several years ago would be unable to upgrade.

Problem solved

That has now been solved with the new standalone Freely device, made by French firm Netgem.

The new device has no aerial port.

Unlike current Freely TVs that allow users to “top up” with traditional Freeview channels through an aerial connection, this device is streaming-only.

But while the new Freely Box is designed to allow greater access to Freeview and Freesat, this week the BBC revealed it plans to make ANOTHER streaming box, as first reported by Cord Busters.

This will be a much simpler device and is unlikely to have some of the key features of Freeview – including access to dozens of streaming apps and channels.

Where the Netgem device offers streaming apps and dozens of additional channels, the BBC’s accessibility box is expected to focus purely on the essential UK broadcasters with minimal distractions.

Instead of navigating through multiple apps and complex menus, there is likely to be a straightforward channel guide.

This will allow quick access to catch-up services, and an interface that prioritises simplicity over features.

Why the BBC is launching the simplified box now

It comes after a BBC report identified three groups who risk being left behind as broadcasting adapts to the change from aerials to internet connections.

These are unemployed people, who the BBC believe are often held back by affordability, people with disabilities (facing accessibility barriers), and over-75s (many lacking confidence with digital technology).

What the two new boxes mean for YOU

Observers say the emergence of two different Freely approaches suggests the streaming transition will not be as simple as first thought.

Rather than an easy switch from aerials to internet connections the process is likely to be much more nuanced, with different options available for those who feel more confident – or less so – adapting to new technologies.

Viewers comfortable with technology and wanting the full streaming experience would likely choose the feature-rich Netgem box. This would allow access to dozens more apps and channels.

However, those who find modern streaming overwhelming or just want something that works like traditional TV would have the simplified BBC option.

It’s a recognition that not everyone wants their television to be a computer with endless apps, features, bells and whistles.

Sometimes, people just want to turn on the telly and watch EastEnders or Coronation Street.

When all this takes place, however, is still unclear,

The Netgem box is launching later this year, but the BBC is still “exploring” their accessibility device, according to Cord Busters.

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Chinese ships smash into each other while chasing vessel in latest clash in South China Sea

THIS is the moment a Chinese navy warship crashed into its own coast guard vessel while chasing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea.

Dramatic footage released by Manila showed a China Coast Guard ship and a much larger vessel bearing the number 164 on its hull colliding with a loud crash.

Damaged Chinese Coast Guard ship and Chinese Navy vessel after collision near Scarborough Shoal.
AP
The damaged Chinese Coast Guard ship, right, is seen beside a Chinese Navy vessel, left, after they accidentally collided[/caption]
Damaged Chinese Navy ship near Scarborough Shoal.
AP
The damaged Chinese Navy ship is seen after an accidental collision[/caption]
Damaged Chinese Coast Guard ship near Scarborough Shoal.
AP
The Chinese vessel suitained major damages in the hull[/caption]
Photo grab of a collision between a Chinese Navy vessel and a Chinese Coast Guard ship while pursuing a Philippine fisheries boat near Scarborough Shoal.
AP
Footage from the Philippine Coast Guard shows the collision[/caption]

More footage and photos released later by the Philippine Coast Guard showed the stricken Chinese vessel still afloat but with its entire bow crumpled inward.

The vessel sustained major damage to its hull after crashing into its own coast guard ship.

The collision took place near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea.

The Philippine Coast Guard were escorting boats distributing aid to fishermen in the area when the Chinese Navy vessels began chasing it, spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

He added: “The [China Coast Guard vessel] CCG 3104, which was chasing the [Filipino coast guard vessel] BRP Suluan at high speed, performed a risky manoeuvre from the [Philippine] vessel’s starboard quarter, leading to the impact with the PLA’s Navy warship.

“This resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel’s forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy.”

At a later press briefing, Tarriella said that crew members aboard the smaller Chinese vessel had been visible in its front section just before the collision.

“We’re not sure whether they were able to rescue those personnel who were in front prior to the collision.

“But we are hoping that these personnel are in good condition,” he told reporters.

Tarriela said the Chinese crew “never responded” to the Philippine ship’s offer of assistance.

Gan Yu, a Chinese coast guard spokesperson, confirmed that a confrontation had taken place without mentioning the collision.

“The China Coast Guard took necessary measures in accordance with the law, including monitoring, pressing from the outside, blocking and controlling the Philippine vessels to drive them away,” he said.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not confirm or deny the collision when asked about it.

Monday’s incident is the latest in a series of confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost entirely despite an international ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.

More than 60 per cent of global maritime trade passes through the disputed waterway.

Speaking at a morning news conference, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said the country’s patrol vessels would “continue to be present” in the area to defend, as well as exercise Manila’s sovereign rights over the region.

The Scarborough Shoal – a triangular chain of reefs and rocks – has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.

Earlier in the confrontation, the BRP Suluan was “targeted with a water cannon” by the Chinese but “successfully” evaded it, Tarriela’s statement said.

Why is the South China Sea contested?

THE South China Sea is an arena for a power struggle between different powers.

Several countries claim the rights to large portions of its territory based on historical rights.

The problem is, some of these claims overlap.

China’s claim is based on a vague “nine-dash line” on some maps, which is not generally recognised in international law.

Many countries argue that China’s claims violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Other countries, like Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, are eager not the concede the territory, because it is known to hold valuable natural assets like natural resources.

One major point of tension is the Spratly Islands, with multiple countries claiming ownership of various islets and reefs.

China has been criticized for constructing artificial islands in the South China Sea and deploying military equipment there.

The latest announcements for a seabed research centre will further inflame this anger.

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Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2 Written Update 11 August 2025: Pari Confronts Nandani, A Stranger Steps Into Tulsi-Mihir’s World

In the upcoming episode (11 August, episode 13) of the StarPlus show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, produced by Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Telefilms, you will see Pari confronting Nandani.

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Devil’s Den murder victims shared tragic final message before ‘killer’ Andrew McGann ‘targeted them on remote hike’

THE couple randomly knifed to death in front of their kids in Devil’s Den State Park shared a tragic final message before they were savaged.

Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristin Brink, 41, were murdered during a remote family hike, sparking a huge manhunt in northwest Arkansas which ended with the arrest of former teacher Andrew James McGann, 28.

Photo of Cristen and David Brink.
Facebook
Christen and Clinton Brink were hiking with their daughters on July 26 when they were allegedly attacked by Andrew McGann[/caption]
Mugshot of Andrew McGann.
AP
Andrew McGann, seen scowling in a mugshot, admitted to the killings, according to investigators[/caption]
Andrew James McGann at his bond hearing.
Andrew McGann was charged with two counts of capital murder
AP:Associated Press

Mary Hinebauch, a fellow choir member at the pair’s former church in Miles City, Montana, told Fox News Digital about her memories of them and revealed their last conversation.

She said: “They were outdoorsy people. They loved to take the girls and go do outdoor things and go hiking. They loved every minute of it.

“That wasn’t an unnatural place for them to be. They did tons of stuff like that.”

The family had recently moved to Arkansas in order to be closer to Clinton’s mother. 

Mary said: “I went back to look at the very last message we had between each other, and it was like they had just gotten there [Arkansas] and were unpacking.

“And I just had said, ‘Keep in touch.’ And that was the last little conversation we had.”

The friend remembered that Cristen always had “an extra hand for somebody else if they needed anything,” despite having little herself.

She was also remembered as an incredibly talented singer.

Arkansas State Police said McGann first attacked Clinton, who attempted to fight off the aggressor as his wife Cristen desperately led their two daughters, aged 7 and 9, to safety away from danger.

Cristen, 41, returned to help her husband but was also fatally stabbed by McGann, who suffered injuries during the scuffle.

The four-day hunt for McGann ended on July 30 when he suddenly walked into Lupita’s Beauty Salon in Springdale, about 35 miles north of Devil’s Den State Park, dishevelled, looking for a haircut.

Minutes after he sat on the barber’s chair, detectives swooped into the beauty salon, handcuffing McGann, who still had the dark-colored cape attached to his neck.

Amy, who also knew the Brinks from their old Montana church, described the family as “wonderful people”.

She marvelled at Cristin, who got A’s in nursing school while raising babies and playing volleyball.

Photo of Clinton and Cristen Brink.
Jam Press
Family members said Cristen and Clinton Brink died heroes[/caption]
Lupita's Beauty Salon with phone number.
Google
The arrest happened at Lupita’s Beauty Salon in Springdale, Arkansas[/caption]

Amy said: “I loved her so much, and it just doesn’t seem real.

“Just seems there should be something I could do to take all this terrible tragedy back. Sadly, they are gone.”

TEACHER FROM HELL

In the days following his arrest, troubling claims about McGann’s life have come to light, including allegations concerning his behavior as a public school teacher in Texas and Oklahoma.

Between 2022 and 2023, McGann worked as a fourth-grade teacher at Donald Elementary School in Flower Mound, Texas, northwest of Dallas.

However, in spring 2023 he was placed on administrative leave over concerns related to classroom management, professional judgement, and favoritism, the Lewisville Independent School District, which includes Donald Elementary, said in a statement.

Parents of students at Donald Elementary School have come forward with allegations that McGann behaved inappropriately with young girls.

One dad, whose son was in the suspect‘s fourth-grade class in Donald Elementary, told the New York Post that McGann would “usually be surrounded by kids, especially little girls,” would “tickle and ask girls to sit on his lap.”

Mugshot of Andrew James McGann, arrested in connection with a double homicide.
McGann was scheduled to start a new teaching position in Arkansas before he was arrested
AP:Associated Press
Surveillance image of a group of people inside a business.
McGann was arrested mid-haircut after detectives swooped into the beauty salon
X/WFLA

Sierra Marcum, whose son was also one of McGann’s students, told CBS News that her child also expressed discomfort with how the teacher treated female students, including that he allegedly kept some in his classroom alone during recess.

The Lewisville Independent School District said an internal investigation into McGann found “no evidence of inappropriate behavior with students.”

McGann was allowed to resign in May 2023 and then moved to Oklahoma where he got a job as a fifth grade teacher at Spring Creek Elementary School in Broken Arrow for the 2023-2024 school year.

A former after-school assistant, who asked to remain anonymous, told The U.S. Sun that she worked with McGann at Spring Creek Elementary in August 2023, and also witnessed his alleged favoritism with girl students.

“Always noticed that he hung out with the female kids more than the male kids,” the former co-worker, who was 16 years old when she began working with McGann in after school child care programs, said.

“I was fully unaware while working with him what happened in Texas. I always thought he was weird and something was up. I didn’t really pay no mind to it.

Photo of Clinton and Cristen Brink.
Clinton and Cristen Brink had recently moved to Arkansas from South Dakota
Unpixs
Closed trail with caution tape.
AP
The Brinks were found dead on a rural hiking trail in Devil’s Den State Park in northwest Arkansas[/caption]

“Whenever he did speak, it was quiet and very short responses. I was only 16 when I worked with him, but he just had something up.

“Most of the time, when I tried to talk to him he wouldn’t answer.”

The woman added, “But he’d leave at the same time I did, so, we’d walk out the building together.

“He was always distant when parents came to pick up their kids. He never talked to the parents.”

Timeline of the Devil's Den murders

Clinton Brink, 43, and Cristen Brink, 43, were killed while hiking at Devil's Den State Park with their daughters. Below is a timeline of the case:

July 16 – The Brink family has their water service turned on after recently moving to Prairie Grove, Arkansas, according to Mayor David Falk.

July 26 – Clinton and Cristen are found dead on Devil’s Den trail at around 2:30 pm after their two daughters ran to the visitor’s center and said their parents were attacked.

July 27 – Police release the identities of the slain couple. Cops ask park visitors to check their pictures and footage from Saturday for possible images of the suspect.

July 28 – Arkansas State Police releases a sketch of a person of interest in the case.

July 29 – ASP releases a picture from a witness of the person of interest in the case.

July 30 – Andrew James McGann is arrested mid-haircut at Lupita’s Beauty Salon and Barber Shop just before 5 pm.

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Walmart to ‘lose entire fleet of shop-in-shops’ after iconic brand’s bankruptcy filing leaves 700 outlets at risk

WALMART is to lose its entire fleet of Claire’s shop-in-shops after the iconic brand’s bankruptcy filing, according to reports.

Bosses at the jewellery chain last week submitted the relevant financial papers for the second time in seven years.

Walmart shopping cart in parking lot.
Getty
Claire’s products are on sale at 2,500 Walmart stores across the US[/caption]
Interior view of a Claire's store.
Alamy
Claire’s has said it plans to close 700 stores to stay in business in the US[/caption]

Now, it’s emerged that their 300 mini stores in Walmarts across the US are under threat.

Claire’s had announced a partnership with Walmart in 2018.

That meant the ear piercing experts set up shop inside the retail giant’s stores around the US.

But with news of the bankruptcy filing, The Retail Dive reports their shops in shops deal with Walmart is over unless a buyer comes forward.

Their products are also on sale at 2,500 Walmart stores across the country. It is not clear what will happen to those items.

The US Sun has gone to Walmart and Claire’s for comment.

Claire’s – which has approximately 1,300 Claire’s outlets across the US – has already said it plans to close 700 stores to stay in business.

The global brand currently boasts more than 2,750 outlets in 17 countries in North America and Europe. 

It also has 190 Icing stores as part of its portfolio. 

But a dip in sales has meant it has struggled to pay rent on some of its stores, according to Bloomberg.

Rent payments were reportedly skipped on some locations in June and July.

How does bankruptcy work?

Bankruptcy is a specific legal process that helps companies eliminate debt they can't repay.

The process allows businesses to start fresh and gain access to new credit.

Supervised by federal courts, bankruptcies allow a company to sell off its assets more easily to pay off creditors, according to Investopedia.

Chapter 11, a common process for companies, is used to restructure a business with the goal of remaining open – even if it means selling off most of the company’s properties.

Chapter 7, on the other hand, sells all of a company’s assets, putting it out of business.

Chapter 15, alternatively, allows for collaboration between American and foreign courts to conduct bankruptcy proceedings with “parties of interest involving more than one country,” per the United States Courts.

Claire’s Chief Executive Officer Chris Cramer told a court: “The majority of the Company’s customers are young individuals who do not themselves have access to funds, credit cards, or the ability to shop online.

“These customers rely on their parents or caretakers to bring them to the Company’s stores so that they can see and touch the Company’s products.

“Accordingly, the Company struggled to create an online website that could compare to the tactile shopping experience that is so vital for its young customers.”

In 2022, Claire’s also opened mini stores inside 21 Macy’s stores.

Claire’s previously filed for bankruptcy in 2018. At the time, bosses scrambled around $2 billion worth of debt.

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Iconic internet provider to switch off after 34 YEARS as exact ‘death date’ revealed

A LONG-RUNNING internet provider that was huge in the late 90s and into the 00s is finally preparing to switch off.

At its peak the firm had more than 30million customers worldwide.

AOL logo on a building.
Getty
AOL was one of the early internet provider juggernauts[/caption]
Laptop displaying the AOL logo.
Alamy
The brand will live on as a web portal and for email[/caption]

But many people are surprised to learn that the service in question still exists to this day in some countries.

AOL has revealed plans to shut down its iconic dial-up internet service for good.

Its legacy AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser will be discontinued as a result too.

But the firm’s email has survived the cull and will continue as normal.

AOL’s dial-up is set to end on September 30.

“AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet,” the company said on its website.

“This service will no longer be available in AOL plans.

“As a result, on September 30, 2025 this service and the associated software, the AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser, which are optimized for older operating systems and dial-up internet connections, will be discontinued.”

The move impacts the US and Canada, where the company has offered dial-up since 1991.

A few years later AOL made waves across the pond, with its famed “You have email” greeting voiced by Joanna Lumley for the UK and the AIM messenger.

AOL’s UK internet provider operation was bought by TalkTalk’s then-owners in 2006, which included 600,000 on dial-up and 1.5 million with broadband.

These were eventually rolled into the TalkTalk brand – but it’s not clear whether any of TalkTalk’s dial-up services still exist today.

The Sun has approached TalkTalk for clarity.

AOL LIVES ON - BUT NOT AS WE REMEMBER IT

Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun

AOL’s heyday is long gone but this big closure won’t see the brand disappear for good.

The company still exists as a web portal (also quite retro) and is owned by Yahoo (another little throwback).

For many like myself, AOL was their first entry into the internet world.

Waiting as the dial-up sound buzzed and crackled for a minute, before being greeted with a voice saying welcome – and none other than Joanna Lumley who voiced it in the UK, I realised only years later.

Like many of these legacy internet brands the one reason they seem to carry on is for one thing in particular – email.

Much like your phone number, people are anxious to change their email address and prefer to stick with what they have.

And for that reason, AOL will stick around for a bit longer yet.

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