Western Mail
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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THE HEAT IS ON...
THE Met Office has warned that this week’s heatwave across Wales is becoming a “severe weather event” as temperatures are set to soar well above 30°C this week, with some areas potentially reaching a sweltering 38°C. A second amber extreme heat...
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Burnham promises new path for Britain
ANDY Burnham told the Labour Party his election was “a final chance to change” as he laid down what appeared to be a direct challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The outgoing Greater Manchester mayor said he wanted to “lay out a new path for...
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Patient died of overdose after drug prescribed by mistake
APATIENT was wrongly given morphine when discharged from hospital and died of an overdose two days later. The patient was given the drug without being made aware of the risks or given guidance on using it safely. An inquiry by the ombudsman has said...
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Rail crash tragedy failures laid bare
AN INVESTIGATION into the first fatal head-on train collision to cause a person’s death in the UK in 25 years has criticised Transport for Wales’ processes and training. The report found that the Welsh Government-owned transport authority TfW did not...
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Science teaching in Wales’ schools under fire
WEAK teaching, curriculum planning and assessment “often” limits pupils’ progress in science at schools across Wales, a damning report from education watchdog Estyn says. Science teaching and quality of science provision “remains too variable” in...
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TWO PLAYED KEY ROLES IN RIOT, COURT TOLD
TWO people accused of playing leading roles in the Ely riot appeared in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday. Matthew Evans, who used an aerosol can as a makeshift flamethrower to torch a car, and “prolific missilethrower” Cameron Carter both...
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UK set to ban social media for under-16s
SIR Keir Starmer has vowed to “call time on a system that’s failing our kids” ahead of his expected announcement of an under-16s social media ban. The Prime Minister will announce sweeping reforms to protect children online at a press conference...
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EX-WALES ACE KENNY JACKETT DIES, AGED 64
MULTIPLE failings and system breakdown caused the death of a man wrongly injected with insulin during his operation, an inquest has found. No-one intended to kill greatgrandfather Donald Gough at Wales’ biggest hospital, coroner David Regan concluded...
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HISTORIC PUB HIT BY BLAZE
A300-YEAR-OLD village pub was ravaged by fire yesterday. Fire crews were called to the scene of the blaze at the award-winning Hare & Hounds in Aberthin, Cowbridge. The pub’s owners said yesterday there were still working out what comes next following...
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Our agony – mum of teenager who lost leg after stabbing
THE distraught mother of a teenager who is in hospital in a critical condition after an alleged stabbing at Barry Island has told how her son’s life has changed forever. The 17-year-old had to have part of his leg amputated after being stabbed during...
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Power supply delay for steelworks plan
THE opening of Tata’s new electric arc furnace at the Port Talbot steelworks could be delayed by up to 12 months, bosses have said, although they say they are hopeful that time can be reduced. The £1.25bn scheme aims to build one of the largest...
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DVLA worker altered records in £1.3m swindle
ATRUSTED DVLA employee abused his position with the agency to alter or delete vehicle records to boost their value and to issue new identities for stolen or crashed cars, a court has heard. Matthew Holloway accessed computer and paper-based systems to...
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Apocalyptic scenes in steel plant blaze
ALARGE fire at the Tata Steel site in Port Talbot is said to have caused “substantial damage to a vital production line”. Concerns have been raised about the impact of the devastating fire on jobs and Tata’s downstream operations across Wales because...
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History of Wales is vital for all pupils – academics
TOO many children leave school with “at best limited knowledge and understanding of the history of their own nation”, many of Wales’ leading academics write in an open letter to the Welsh Government. The historians, educationalists and individuals...
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FROM OLYMPIC RINGS TO WEDDING RINGS FOR LAUREN
OLYMPIC gold medallist and boxing world champion Lauren Price has married her partner Carlie Jones at a stunning ceremony in Wales. The happy couple tied the knot at Sant Ffraed House in Abergavenny on Saturday on a day filled with love and laughter...
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RUGBY MOURNS DEATH OF COACHING GREAT KEAR
FORMER Wales coach John Kear has passed away at the age of 71. The celebrated former rugby league coach, who also led England, Sheffield, Hull, Wakefield, Batley, Bradford and Widnes, had provided commentary on the Challenge Cup final for the BBC on...
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STUDENT UNABLE TO FLY HOME AFTER HORROR INDIA GAP YEAR CRASH
AUNIVERSITY student suffered serious brain injuries in a horror gap year scooter accident in India just days before she was due to fly home. Olivia North, from Aberystwyth, is believed to have hit a pothole and was left unable to remember her beloved...
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Unis face more job losses as deficits mount
UNIVERSITIES in Wales are more than £97m in operating deficit with matters likely to get worse before they get better and more job cuts likely. The financial blackhole has swelled by £20m, compared to the £77m deficit in 2023-24, although some of the...
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OVER IN A FLASH
CARAVANS were struck and trains punched out of service as a thunderstorm descended on north Wales on Wednesday night. Lightning strikes were so numerous that Anglesey was entirely obscured on weather maps showing where they had struck. But the wild...
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DAME SIÂN SET TO RETURN TO STAGE
DAME Siân Phillips is to return to the stage as she joins Welsh National Theatre’s production of Samuel Beckett’s Rockaby. The Olivier and Tony-nominated star, who is 93, has a career that’s spanned more than eight decades across the West End,...
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BRIER BREAKS 44-YEAR-OLD 200m RECORD
HANNAH Brier underlined her status as the fastest Welsh woman of all time, breaking her country’s long-standing 200m record with a time of 22.79 seconds at the Stratford Speed Grand Prix in London. The Welsh record had been held for 44 years by...
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WARMEST MAY DAY ON RECORD IN WALES
THE UK has recorded its alltime hottest May temperature as a part of London hit 34.8°C. The high was at Kew Gardens, the Met Office said shortly after 4pm on the bank holiday. Yesterday was also the hottest May day ever in Wales as temperatures of...
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THE AWARDS WINNERS
WITH the regular rugby season now over, it’s a natural time to reflect on who has impressed over the course of the year. Cardiff might still have a United Rugby Championship quarter-final left to play – with their season still having another 80 minutes...
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‘WE LOST OUR CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE’
IN 2021 Ken Skates secured 10,448 votes in the Senedd election. Of those who turned out 43% voted for him. That was up from five years previously when he got 35% of the vote. Yet just a few weeks ago, in the new-look Fflint Wrecsam constituency –...
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TANDY’S BEST WALES TEAM TO FACE FIJI
WALES begin their summer campaign against the Barbarians, but the real business starts with Fiji in the opening match of the inaugural Nations Cup. With the Barbarians clash falling outside World Rugby’s official international window, the Test against...
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WHY LABOUR COLLAPSED AT SENEDD ELECTION – DRAKEFORD SPEAKS OUT
VOTERS in Wales are “fed up” with Labour, former First Minister Mark Drakeford has said, as he explained why he thought the party was so comprehensively defeated in the Senedd election. Mr Drakeford, a key supporter and voice in devolved politics, has...
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‘WE WERE IN TEARS’ – TV’S GABBY TELLS OF FINAL MOMENTS WITH FOOTBALL ACE DAD TERRY
GABBY Logan says the outpouring of tributes helped her family work through the pain of losing father Terry earlier this year, and says an out-the-blue email left them both in tears shortly before his death. Former Wales boss Yorath, who also won 59...
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THE TOWN THAT CHARMED JEREMY CLARKSON
TV STAR Jeremy Clarkson has heaped praise on part of “real Wales” after a recent trip. The Clarkson’s Farm presenter said west Wales was the perfect place for a UK-based holiday as trips abroad become increasingly unaffordable amid the US and Israel’s...
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WOODEN SPOON WOE FOR WALES WOMEN
WALES Women finished the Six Nations with the wooden spoon for the third year in a row after falling to a heavy defeat against Italy at the Arms Park. This defeat will pile pressure on head coach Sean Lynn following a desperate set of results. Tries...
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‘My life is destroyed’ – mum after son killed
AMOTHER has said her life has been “destroyed” after her son was killed after being punched in the head outside a Wetherspoons pub. She told a court she would never get over her son’s death, saying: “Mine and my family’s life will never be the same...
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Starmer ‘on the brink’ as Streeting resigns
SIR Keir Starmer said he was “truly sorry” that Wes Streeting had resigned after he quit as UK Health Secretary and called for a leadership contest. Mr Streeting had criticised the “drift” at the top of UK Government and told the Prime Minister it is...
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‘I THINK MY BODY IS TELLING ME SOMETHING’ – WALES ACE BALL HANGS UP HIS BOOTS
WALES and Scarlets secondrow Jake Ball has announced his retirement from the game. The 34-year-old initially retired from rugby in November 2024 but made a remarkable U-turn and returned to the Scarlets whom he left in 2021. Ball made a strong start...
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‘Our best days lie ahead of us’
RHUN ap Iorwerth, the leader of Plaid Cymru, has been named the next First Minister of Wales. Watched on by his family, he became the first non-Labour politician to be named First Minister of Wales when the newlook Senedd met for the first time...
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Top Welsh MP blasts Labour’s mistakes
THE only Welsh MP to sit in the UK Government cabinet has launched a blistering attack on former First Minister Mark Drakeford and her own administration in Westminster as the Labour Party in Wales seeks to understand the causes of the collapse in its...
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Rhun’s challenge to Westminster
PLAID Cymru leader and likely next First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth insists the UK Government has two choices following a seismic Senedd election – it can “punish” Wales for voting Labour out of power after 27 years or “reflect” on how to better serve...
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‘A moment 100 years in the making’
WALES needs a government that “represents the change people have voted for”, Plaid’s Rhun ap Iorwerth said as he declared his intention to be the nation’s next First Minister. Mr ap Iorwerth will lead the largest party in Wales’ Parliament for the...
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The last moments of shamed singer Ian Watkins
APRISONER accused of murdering paedophile Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins told jail staff: “If I’ve killed him, you could be talking to someone famous,” prosecutors have told a jury. Former rock star Watkins was stabbed to death in his cell at...
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WHY WALES COULD FACE DEMOCRACY TRUST CRISIS AFTER MAY 7
ONE of Wales’ leading political experts has warned the nation may face a crisis of confidence in the electoral system after next month’s Senedd Election. Dr Jac Larner, of Cardiff University, fears that Reform may be the largest party after the...
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AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
A BRILLIANTLY “subversive” statue of Monty Python star Terry Jones was unveiled on the beach near his hometown of Colwyn Bay on Saturday. Hundreds turned out in glorious sunshine after more than £120,000 was raised to immortalise the comic genius in...
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Missed targets for NHS deal blow to Welsh Labour
THE Welsh Government will miss key NHS waiting time targets, latest data shows. With just two weeks to go before the Senedd election, this is the last monthly data being released ahead of polling day. In April 2025, Welsh Government published details...
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PUFFIN NUMBERS AT RECORD LEVELS ON WELSH ISLAND
ARECORD number of puffins have been recorded on Skomer Island, an internationally important island for seabirds, conservationists have said. The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) said it had recorded 52,019 puffins in this year’s count on...
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‘This is about people’s livelihoods’ – green energy firm risked spreading bovine TB across Wales, High Court told
WORKERS for a green energy company planning new electricity pylons across Wales risked spreading disease among cattle by entering lands “under active bovine TB restrictions”, the High Court has heard. Natalie Barstow, the Campaign for the Protection...
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