Hundreds of illegal dumps are operating across England, including at least 11 so-called super sites containing tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish, a BBC investigation has found. Drone footage showed one of the waste dumps in Over, Gloucestershire. Most sites are in countryside locations, often hidden, and on what should be agricultural land. Police say many are run by organised crime gangs, who are making cash by charging much less than legitimate operators to take and bury waste. How the great outdoors went from an escape from the nine to five to a full-time social media job.

Hollywood has revealed the nominations for this year's Oscars, which will honour the film industry's finest stars and movies from the past 12 months. Sinners leads the way with a record 16 nominations, breaking the record for the most Oscar nominations, which was previously held by All About Eve (1950), Titanic (1997) and La La Land (2016). One Battle After Another is next with 13 nominations, while Marty Supreme, Frankenstein and Sentimental Value are next with nine, and Hamnet has eight. The awards will take place on 15 March, hosted by US comedian Conan O'Brien. Rose Byrne - If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Read more about this year's nominated films: Could Oscar glory be next for Jessie Buckley and Hamnet?

Winter wonderlands are only possible thanks to a sparkly light trick. Few languages have as many distinct words for snow as Japanese, which has words like miyuki or beautiful snow. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. When someone says " as white as snow," it's easy to envision what they're talking about. We often think of snow as a dazzling white, the same way we immediately conjure up a color when someone says "blood red" or "ocean blue."

Ubisoft has cancelled six video games - including its long-awaited Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake - as part of a major reset of its operations. The French developer and publisher, known for popular games such as Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Just Dance, has closed two studios and delayed seven titles as part of its changes. Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot said the move would create the conditions for a return to sustainable growth. The firm's shares plunged by 33% on Thursday morning following the announcement. The move comes at a time when studios are increasingly turning to video game remakes and remasters, with new versions of Super Mario Galaxy, Oblivion and Metal Gear Solid 3 proving popular in 2025.

An Australian tourist describes seeing one of the landslides behind him and running from it.

Ashton Kutcher: Hollywood isn't to blame for pushing unrealistic beauty standards US actor Ashton Kutcher has said he believes Hollywood is not pushing unreasonably high beauty standards, adding that wider society is to blame for the increasing desire to look perfect. The 47-year-old is currently starring in science fiction show The Beauty, which sees a drug become available that can transform a person into the most attractive version of themselves. Speaking to BBC News, Kutcher said he does not believe the film and TV industry is imparting the need for aesthetic homogeny. Entertainment is a reflection of society, he said. Across the different characters and actors in shows, some are traditionally handsome but others are just really interesting, he said.

The Oscar nominations will be announced later, with Leonardo DiCaprio's politically-charged thriller One Battle After Another expected to lead the field. Marty Supreme, Frankenstein, Sentimental Value, Bugonia and The Secret Agent are also expected to perform strongly when the shortlists are announced from 13:30 GMT. It's a weaker year for UK talent - Wunmi Mosaku from vampire horror Sinners is one of the few British stars with a chance of securing an acting nomination. But Irish actors Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal are expected to be recognised for their roles in the screen adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's novel Hamnet. US comedian Conan O'Brien will return to host this year's Academy Awards ceremony, which takes place on 15 March.

Do trees really explode in extreme cold? The answer involves frozen sap, the polar vortex, and a lot of internet exaggeration. Heavy snow fall, not explosions, are far more threatening to trees and yourself. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. The majority of the United States is bracing itself for a potentially historic polar vortex winter storm this weekend .

The US military has launched a mission to transfer up to 7,000 Islamic State (IS) group fighters from prisons in north-eastern Syria to Iraq, as Syrian government forces take control of areas long controlled by Kurdish-led forces. US Central Command said it had already moved 150 IS fighters from Hassakeh province to a secure location in Iraq. The move aimed to prevent a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security, it added. On Tuesday night, Syria's government announced a new ceasefire with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), after the militia alliance withdrew from al-Hol camp, which holds thousands of relatives of IS fighters. Separately on Wednesday, Syria's defence ministry said seven soldiers were killed in a drone attack by Kurdish forces in the Kurdish-dominated province of Hasakah.

River of waste'visible for miles' dumped at mountain beauty spot A farmer says she is devastated by a disgusting river of fly-tipped waste dumped down the side of a mountain. Katie Davies, whose family has owned land on Bwlch Mountain in Treorchy for 90 years, said the clean up could cost thousands of pounds and could also harm her sheep which graze on the land. Travel blogger Nathan Dixon, who captured drone footage showing the scale of the discarded waste, said the mess could be seen from three to five miles away, adding that it sticks out like a sore thumb. Rhondda Cynon Taf council said it always took action to hold those responsible for fly-tipping to account, while Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said fly-tipping was a serious crime. Davies, who runs small family business Nantymoel farm which produces Welsh beef and lamb, said the mess keeps me up at night.