Western Mail
Man flew asylum seekers into UK illegally
ASYLUM-SEEKERS were flown into the UK illegally after a man in Wales booked flights on their behalf using false details for payment. He later told the authorities he “didn’t give a s***” why his customers wanted to come to the UK and carried out the...
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THE BUSY LIFE OF A RUGBY LEGEND
FOR Jonathan Davies, life after rugby has certainly kept him busy. “I used to think I was spinning a lot of plates,” he says. “That was what I used to say to the boys, ‘Oh, I’m spinning a lot of plates’. “But someone mentioned to me that I have a...
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New Severn tidal lagoon revealed
PLANS for the first in a new generation of tidal lagoons in the Severn Estuary have been revealed. The lagoon, proposed for Aberthaw in the Vale of Glamorgan, would be around twice the size of the project planned for Swansea Bay, which the local...
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Reform’s Welsh leader stands down after arrest
DAN Thomas has stood down as leader of Reform UK in Wales for “personal reasons” after he was arrested on suspicion of controlling or coercive behaviour. Mr Thomas was named the party’s Welsh leader in February and led Reform to become the second...
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Wales set for major cut in business rates
PUBS, restaurants, cafés, bars, licensed clubs, hotels, gyms and cinemas in Wales will have their business rates cut by 30%. Currently, there is a temporary reduction of 15% in place for food and drink venues. The Welsh Government announcement will...
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Change on the agenda as party chiefs meet in Cardiff
THE First Ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will meet today to strengthen co-operation between Wales, Scotland and Ireland – and to build towards constitutional change. Discussions will also focus on identifying practical areas of...
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Mum murdered by man she ‘nothing but loved’
THE family of Tracey Davies said she did “nothing but love and care for” her husband Michael Davies as they expressed their pain after hearing graphic details about the way she was killed during a trial. Yesterday Michael Davies, 58, was found guilty...
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Patient’s pain during six-year wait for op
APATIENT’S six-year wait for a knee replacement, and the failure to act on recommendations to make waiting lists fair, have led to a health board being heavily criticised in a rare special report. By the time an investigation into the patient’s case...
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Test delay cost dying mum her chance of precious months
AMOTHER-OF-THREE who “never gave up” died of cancer following a nine-month delay in receiving test results that meant she didn’t quickly receive treatment that might have extended her life. Sarah Catherine Daniels, of Wayne Street, Porth, died at home...
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FURY AT DATA CENTRE ‘MONSTROSITY’
NEIGHBOURS of a huge 65fthigh data centre built next to their homes claim it has decimated the countryside and slashed the value of their homes. Locals say since construction began on the near 50-acre Vantage Data Center Campus they have faced a huge...
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Coroner’s call after hospital baby death
ACORONER has taken the unusual step of issuing a call to take life-saving action following the death of a three-day-old baby in a flagship Welsh hospital. Nola-Reign Morgan died at Grange University Hospital, Cwmbran, in 2024 as a result of a brain...
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Owner fined over farm worker death
THE owner of a farm has been fined after a “much-loved” worker died when the vehicle he was travelling in overturned. Colin Williams died after being thrown from the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) he was in at a Monmouthshire farm in 2022. At the time of...
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Pupil locked up for stabbing teacher
ATEENAGE boy who stabbed a teacher in the head with a kitchen knife has been sentenced to four and a half years behind bars. The 16-year-old pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found not guilty of attempting to murder Vicki Williams at...
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Plan to cut Welsh NHS waiting lists revealed
PATIENTS will be seen and treated quicker under new plans announced by the Welsh Government. An ambitious list of pledges has been announced by Plaid Cymru health minister Mabon ap Gwynfor as he tries to meet promises made during the election campaign...
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Heartbreak as boy missing off coast
AWELSH village is in shock after a teenager went missing in the sea off a local beach. The 15-year-old boy is still missing two days after getting into difficulty in the water alongside his father and brother at Marloes Sands, Pembrokeshire. A major...
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DRIVING BAN FOR WALES STAR
ACYCLIST with a camera on his helmet caught Wales football international Ben Cabango using his phone while driving. The Western Mail has obtained footage of the offence which landed the Cardiff-born player a driving ban. The 26-year-old, who lives in...
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High-value cars ‘stolen to order’
AN ORGANISED crime group based in Wales was responsible for stealing high-value cars, a court has heard. The gang stole vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and disguised their origin with cloned plates and fraudulently obtained DVLA...
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Tierney rejects calls to resign from WRU role
WELSH Rugby Union chief executive Abi Tierney has rejected calls for her and the rest of the WRU board to resign. There has been a growing group of high-profile figures calling for radical change at the top of the WRU, with former Wales centre Tom...
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Burnham pledges talks on deeper devolution for Wales
PRIME Minister Andy Burnham promised to honour the pledge of £14bn for Welsh rail projects and indicated he was open to more devolution to Wales on his first official visit. Mr Burnham spoke to apprentices at Tata’s Port Talbot site as he...
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WRU strikes back in growing rugby storm
THE Welsh Rugby Union has issued a powerful criticism of the coalition trying to oust the board, accusing them of damaging the game in Wales. The WRU’s response comes as it emerged the Welsh Government is set to meet Welsh rugby legend Jonathan Davies...
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‘A giant of a man in every way...’
PRIME Minister Andy Burnham has led tributes to Sir Billy Boston, the Welsh rugby player who became one of the greatest tryscorers in the history of British rugby, after his death at the age of 92. The Cardiff-born rugby league icon passed away...
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Dad’s killers will not get sentence increase
JUDGES have decided against increasing the sentences of two teens jailed for the unprovoked, racist murder of a popular family man. Kamran Aman, 38, was killed by Marcus Staniforth, 17, and another boy, 16, just moments after the victim had dropped...
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Metal mines leaving a toxic legacy
PEOPLE, livestock and wildlife are being contaminated by toxic metals leaking from historic mines in Wales according to a scientific review. Researchers also established the issue is having “health consequences” but said more work was needed to...
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Rivals confident of WRU board contest
ONE of the key figures in the bid to topple the Welsh Rugby Union regime says she is confident there is already enough support among member clubs to spark a bombshell Extraordinary General Meeting with a motion to oust the entire board. Hayley...
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Lies of the ‘Tinder trap’ fraudster
ACONMAN who claimed he was a special forces soldier turned multimillionaire cancer patient has been jailed for three years and two months. Joseph Gibson, 35, lied that he had served in the Special Boat Service, owned luxury yachts and cars, and was...
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Storms warning amid ‘first meaningful rain’
THUNDERSTORM warnings have been issued across parts of Wales and England as water companies could be forced to reduce the amount they take from the River Severn to prevent parts of it drying out in the ongoing drought. It comes as parts of the UK were...
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Wales sets new net zero target of 2040
THE Welsh Government has set a target of hitting net zero by 2040 – 10 years before the rest of the UK. Cabinet minister Llŷr Grufydd announced the ambition and said the new Plaid administration had started work on Wales’ first Climate and Nature...
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Farewell Bonnie
BONNIE TYLER was remembered as “a star, but never a diva” at a funeral that included renditions of some of her biggest hits. Fans applauded and shouted “goodbye” as the singer’s white coffin, etched with symbols including a microphone and a treble...
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‘A LOCAL GIRL DONE WELL’
HUNDREDS of Bonnie Tyler fans gathered to pay their respects to the late singer in Swansea over the weekend. On Saturday, the Skewen superstar’s coffin was brought home and serenaded through the streets by crowds of fans. And yesterday, hundreds of...
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Military called in to battle wildfires
THE fire service have called in the military to strengthen their response to the wildfires burning across the nation. People across Wales have been evacuated from their homes as the fires creep towards residential areas. Prime Minister Andy Burnham...
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Arrest after homes destroyed in blaze
AWOMAN has been arrested on suspicion of arson after five homes were destroyed by a devastating fire in Newbridge on Wednesday afternoon. The blaze led to 32 properties being evacuated but no injuries were reported. Yesterday afternoon Gwent Police...
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ALL EYES ON THE DEEPEST SOLAR ECLIPSE IN DECADES
THOUSANDS of people across Wales had their eyes fixed on the skies yesterday for the most dramatic solar eclipse visible in the UK since 1999. Hundreds of people gathered at Cardiff Bay barrage with heavy traffic in the Penarth area as people tried to...
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Rugby player died after holiday punch
AWELSH rugby player died after being punched in the head by a security guard while on holiday in Turkey, an inquest opening has heard. Scot James, from Maesteg, died at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital on Sunday, July 26, following an alleged assault at a...
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Why did Wales fall out of love with Labour?
“WE’RE f**ked”. The bluntness of the statement from a senior Labour figure stopped me in my tracks. I’d asked how they saw the party’s chances on May 7 when Wales went to the polls. It was neither the sentiment nor the delivery that shocked me, but...
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MS SIÂN GWENLLIAN: THE TRAGEDY THAT TAUGHT ME SO MUCH
SIÂN GWENLLIAN spent a long time getting to the Senedd, and in the 10 years since being elected to it for the first time, she has become someone who gets stuff done, maybe without glory or without becoming a household name, but behind the scenes. She...
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THE PICTURE THAT SHOWS JUST HOW CLOSE MASSIVE WILDFIRE CAME TO HOMES
DEVASTATING images of a wildfire which has been burning for days shows how dangerously close flames came to engulfing homes in the valley below. The blaze at Llanwonno in the Rhondda has spread to an area the size of over 500 football pitches. Images...
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Universities in Wales set for major review
A WHOLESALE review of university funding and organisation has been announced by the Welsh Government. The review comes as institutions in Wales grapple with a combined operating deficit of more than £97m even after years of cuts and job losses. An...
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MOUNTAIN FIRES ‘DELIBERATE’
FIRES are are believed to have been deliberately started on a mountain where crews have been tackling a blaze since the weekend. The fire at Llanwonno, near Ferndale in the Rhondda Valley, began on Saturday afternoon and emergency services remain at...
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Benefits cheat kept dead mum in freezer
ASON hid the body of his mother in a freezer for more than three years after her death in order to receive her pension and benefits totalling £78,000 while living in her home. He hoodwinked the authorities for years, despite repeated attempts to...
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Residents ‘deserve answers’ after flood
FIRST Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth says residents affected by flooding in Gwaelod-y-Garth “deserve answers” after he paid a visit to the village on Saturday. He met some of those whose homes were damaged after a sudden torrent of water tore through the...
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Probe starts amid flooding clean-up
AN INVESTIGATION has been launched after a Welsh village was flooded with water, mud and rocks after a blast at a nearby quarry. Residents in Gwaelod-y-Garth, a small village on the outskirts of Cardiff, were forced to evacuate and have been left...
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Drought declared across the whole of Wales
THE whole of Wales is now in drought, as the UK struggles with extreme heat, wildfires and dry conditions that experts warn may linger until the autumn. The UK has endured its fourth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures topping 35°C. Natural...
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Second body found in kayakers search
ASECOND body has been found in a major search for two missing men who had last been seen heading towards a Welsh beach. Connor Parfitt and Simon Wilson vanished more than a week ago after being seen heading to a Gwynedd beach, near a Haven holiday...
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Friends died after fall from balcony at hotel
TWO Welsh men died on holiday after falling roughly 20 feet when a wooden handrail collapsed on a hotel balcony at a Canary Islands apartment, an inquest has heard. In October 2025 shopkeeper Darren Silcox, 56, from Cwmbran, and family friend Nicholas...
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Man tried to stab his ex-partner to death
AMAN tried to murder his former partner when he stabbed her multiple times in broad daylight in a town park. James McKenna, 57, targeted Joanne Sidaway in Carmarthen Park on the afternoon of January 29 this year. He had previously been to the same...
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AEROBATICS LIGHT UP SKY
TENS of thousands of spectators remained on Swansea Bay beach on Saturday night to enjoy the inaugural Wales Airshow Afterburn which formed a new twilight finale to the annual event. The sunset spectacular featured the roar of an RAF Typhoon,...
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HELICOPTER JOINS WALES’ WILDFIRES BATTLE
APOPULAR beauty spot is now being used as a vital water source for firefighters. Access to one of South Wales’ most popular beauty spots has been closed until further notice as emergency services continue to tackle a major wildfire that has been...
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Drought officially declared in Wales
TWO parts of Wales have become the first areas in the UK to officially declare drought status this summer following successive scorching heatwaves, widespread wildfires, and record-low river flows. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) confirmed yesterday...
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Health alert as wildfires rage on
HEALTH alerts have been issued as two major wildfires continue to blaze in the north and south of the country. A fire burning on the mountains surrounding Blaenavon has entered its fifth day, with firefighters battling a blaze stretching across more...
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Burnham tells team to cut cost of living
ANDY Burnham has told ministers he will lead a “cost-of-living Government” after announcing an £850 million tax cut on electricity bills. From October 1 electricity bills will be VAT free, saving households about £45 a year as part of the new Prime...
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Burnham brings his own new order
WELSH Secretary Jo Stevens has left her job as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham appoints his Cabinet. The Cardiff East MP is one of a number of major figures to lose their jobs in government as the former Greater Manchester mayor promised to deliver...
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Arrests after man’s death at campsite near Royal Welsh Show
A MAN has died and three others have been arrested following an incident at a campsite near the Royal Welsh showground. The incident took place at Penmaenau Farm caravan park. The farm is the biggest campsite used by Royal Welsh visitors each year,...
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Burnham: I have a plan to bring back hope
ANDY BURNHAM declared “I have a plan” to give people “hope back” and set a political direction that is “distinctively Labour” as he officially became the party’s new leader. He said he was “ready to lead” as he took the governing party’s reins at a...
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‘SEND IN THE HELICOPTERS’
ATWO-KILOMETRE-WIDE wall of fire is sweeping across open countryside in north Wales. The wildfire in the Rhinogydd mountains near Harlech first started on Sunday but reignited on Wednesday and continued to rage through yesterday across 2,000...
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Eight men charged in ‘grooming gang’ probe
EIGHT men have been charged with more than 30 offences as part of an investigation into groupbased child sexual exploitation. Detectives from Gwent Police carried out a targeted operation on July 14 to arrest them. It included activity in Newport,...
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Fears after politician killed in ‘targeted attack’
THE First Minister has shared condolences over the death of veteran politician Ann Widdecombe. The 78 year-old was killed in a “targeted attack”, counter-terrorism police investigating her death have said. In the Senedd yesterday, Rhun ap Iorwerth...
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‘YOU FEEL HELPLESS’– RESIDENTS TELL OF WILDFIRE DRAMA
AWOMAN has recounted the harrowing moment she awoke to a fierce blaze raging across the mountainside above her Welsh home. A major incident was declared in Conwy on Sunday evening following a devastating fire at Sychnant Pass, which continued to burn...
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Thousands of deaths linked to heatwaves
MORE than 2,700 people died from heat-related causes during May and June’s record hot spells, as climate change makes heatwaves more deadly, experts estimate. Researchers from Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene...
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Murder probe arrests after teenager’s death
WITNESSES to a horrific incident in which one man died and another was injured have described the harrowing scenes which led police to launch a murder investigation. Five people have now been arrested and are currently in police custody as part of an...
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Burnham says he’s ready to listen to Wales
ANDY Burnham has issued a promise to the people of Wales as his path to be the next leader of UK Labour and Prime Minister becomes clearer. The former Greater Manchester Mayor is so far the only MP who has announced their intention to stand to replace...
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LAST WOMAN TO BE HANGED IN UK GRANTED CONDITIONAL PARDON
A WELSH glamour model who was the last woman to ever be executed in the UK is set to receive a conditional pardon despite the fact she admitted murdering her lover more than 70 years ago. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the pardon will replace...
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WELSH SCHOOL BOWLED OVER BY PRINCE VISIT
THE Prince of Wales played bowls with a group of schoolchildren in west London at the same time his brother, the Duke of Sussex, made his first public outing during his five-day trip to the United Kingdom. William was joined by five Team Wales...
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JUDGE CRITICISES PYLONS FIRM IN LAND ACCESS CASE
AN ENERGY firm trying to erect lines of electricity pylons throughout Wales has been criticised by a judge over its treatment of farmers whose land it wished to enter. The criticism of Green GEN Cymru was described by lawyers acting on behalf of 500...
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Tinder swindler in £70k romance scam
ACONMAN from Wales took tens of thousands of pounds from victims by claiming he was a former special forces soldier-turnedmulti-millionaire cancer sufferer, a court has heard. Joseph Gibson forged a pack of lies, including that he had served in the...
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Teen mowed down and killed mum-of-3
A19-YEAR-OLD man who killed a mum-of-three after driving into her outside a social club in Cardiff has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years. Kian Bateman, 19 but 18 at the time of the murder, deliberately drove into...
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Unis face challenge as rankings decline
UNIVERSITIES in Wales have been warned they face a challenge to maintain their position in the international market as the UK’s advantage begins to erode. Three of the five Welsh universities rated in the prestigious QS World Rankings 2027 saw their...
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PLAYERS SETTLE MATCH FEES DISPUTE WITH WRU
WALES’ squad have resolved their dispute with the Welsh Rugby Union over match fees ahead of their Nations Championship opener against Fiji. Yesterday’s press conference for the Cardiff fixture on Saturday was cancelled as talks took place between the...
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Sextortion-scam teen took own life
AWELSH teenager took his own life after falling victim to a sextortion blackmail scam online linked to a large scale operation in Africa, his inquest has heard. Cai Davies, from Pontypridd, took his own life aged just 18 years old after he had sent...
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Ex-Welsh MP pleads guilty to gambling on date of election
CRAIG WIlliams, a former Welsh MP and close aide to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has admitted placing three bets on the date of the General Election in 2024 based on confidential information. Williams, 41, who was Tory MP for both Montgomeryshire and,...
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MARKET TOWN MURDER PROBE
A22-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man died in a quiet market town. Emergency services were called to Church Street in Welshpool, Powys, after the victim was found injured at 1.15am yesterday. Despite the efforts of...
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A WELSHMAN IN NEW YORK
PLUS: 7-DAY TV GUIDE AND 8 PAGES OF PUZZLES IN TODAY’S SUPER MAGAZINE
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‘BRILLIANT TO HAVE JAC BACK’
JAC MORGAN will make his first Wales appearance since November against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham tomorrow. The 26-year-old is one of eight changes to the starting XV which beat Italy in the final round of the Six Nations. There is...
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‘Innocent victim in a drug war’
SIX people have been jailed for life for murdering a woman who was shot dead when a turf war between rival gangs turned violent. Joanne Penney, 40, right, was shot in the chest at almost point-blank range by Marcus Huntley, 21, after she opened the...
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Teenager arrested in murder inquiry after girl’s body found
A TEENAGE boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a missing 14-yearold girl was found in south Wales. The teenager, named only as Lilly by Gwent Police, was discovered in the Duffryn Park area of Blaina at around 10.10pm on...
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‘Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first’
ANDY Burnham appears on course to enter 10 Downing Street within weeks after an emotional Sir Keir quit yesterday morning. The Prime Minister acknowledged he had lost the support of his MPs and promised an “orderly handover of power” to his successor...
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