Western Mail
SCARLETS TRIO GIVE TANDY INJURY SCARE
FORMER Wales international Alix Popham has hit out at rugby’s governing bodies and admitted he is “f***ing angry” about the rate of progress of the landmark brain injuries lawsuit being issued against them. The 46-year-old – who won 33 caps for Wales...
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Plane-crash dad ‘died doing what he loved’
AFATHER who died in a plane crash abroad was the heart of his family and has left them with memories they will treasure for ever, his wife and children have said in an emotional tribute to him. The family of Owain Davies, who was a well-known...
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‘I DID CRY WITH HIM’
KING Charles and Queen Camilla met a family deeply affected by the Aberfan disaster during a visit to Cardiff to officially open the Senedd yesterday. The couple met Noah and Charlie Jones, whose great-grandfather Stephen Andrew was a caretaker at...
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VORDERMAN: UNSUNG HEROES HAVE MADE ME MORE OF A FIGHTER
AFTER a year-long health crisis, and as she marks 44 years on television, Carol Vorderman wants to “deep cleanse” her life and focus on what matters. The Pride of Britain presenter and former Countdown star, 65, was floored for most of last year with...
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FM hails ‘mature’ budget deal with Labour
FIRST MINISTER Rhun ap Iorwerth said his government has shown “mature” politics by doing a deal with Labour to pass the supplementary budget. The budget, made up of £433m of inyear spending adjustments on top of the Welsh Government’s annual £27bn...
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Student ‘stabbed 30 times by housemate’
AUNIVERSITY student lay in wait for his housemate to return home before stabbing him 30 times to death in a “carefully planned and cold-blooded execution”, a court heard. Zack Coughlan dressed all in black and wore a mask and gloves to ambush Jamie...
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NORTHERN LIGHTS PUT ON SUPERB DISPLAY
STUNNING skies lit up Wales on Saturday evening as the Northern Lights made a spectacular and rare appearance. The Aurora Borealis dazzled onlookers in different parts of the country, with vivid and extraordinary colours illuminating the night...
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WRU SHOW EVIDENCE BEHIND CALL TO CUT REGION
THE Welsh Rugby Union has finally published the Keystone report, outlining the basis of its controversial decision to cut either the Ospreys or the Scarlets. The significant move sets out the data it has used to determine the future allocation of...
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Sewage spill every 5 minutes – report
SEWAGE was discharged across Wales the equivalent of once every five minutes in 2025, according to Surfers Against Sewage’s 2026 water quality report. The annual report released yesterday also includes the top five bathing areas in Wales most impacted...
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Speeding driver kills ‘love of his life’
ASPEEDING driver killed the “love of his life” when crashing the BMW they were both travelling in at 57mph in a 40mph zone, a court heard. David Owen went on his phone and smoked a cigarette immediately after the 2024 collision on the A470 near...
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FOUNDER OF TOP COLLEGE ‘WILLING PARTICIPANT’IN FRAUD WORTH MILLIONS, COURT TOLD
AWOMAN who set up a prestigious sixth form college in Cardiff was a “willing participant in fraudulent activity” which saw millions of pounds being diverted and stolen, a court has heard. Yasmin Sarwar is on trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in...
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Runner dies in half marathon tragedy
ARUNNER competing in Sunday’s Cardiff Half Marathon has died. Thousands of runners descended on the Welsh capital for the event, which is one of the biggest in the calendar, and runs through the city’s historic streets. In a statement, a spokesperson...
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GAME FOR A HALF!
WALES rugby hero Allan Bateman has completed the Cardiff Half Marathon in memory of his daughter Naomi. The former centre joined more than 29,000 other runners in the capital yesterday, crossing the finish line, along with Naomi’s friends wearing...
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Labour’s not a spent force in Wales – Skates
LABOUR in Wales is not a spent electoral force after its historic defeat in the Senedd earlier this year, the party’s Welsh leader has said. Ken Skates, who picked up the baton as Welsh Labour leader in May after the party lost power in Wales for the...
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New poll forecasts wipeout for Labour
LABOUR would only manage to hang on to two seats in Wales at a general election, polling has projected. A huge poll by YouGov asked people how they would vote in a general election. The poll asked 16,758 adults in Great Britain how they would vote....
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Admiral to cut 500 jobs in UK operation
WALES’ only FTSE 100 business Admiral has confirmed plans to cut around 500 roles from its UK insurance business. The Cardiff-based group has begun a 45-day collective consultation period with impacted staff. The restructuring, which will reduce...
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Dad dies on holiday a day after falling ill
A44-YEAR-OLD father died in Cyprus from a serious undiagnosed condition that was mistaken for food poisoning. Paulo Brockway and his fiancée, Kerry, from Cardiff, were celebrating their anniversary and were looking forward to getting married next year...
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Council leader quits after drunken event
THE leader of a Welsh council has stepped down after drinking too much alcohol at a political event and falling over. Steve Hunt, leader of Neath Port Talbot council, admitted he “should have exercised better judgement” and admitted he had “become...
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Kinnock in call for compulsory voting
FORMER Labour leader Lord Neil Kinnock has urged Andy Burnham to introduce compulsory voting to prevent “distorted” election results as senior peers back proposed legislation that would make casting ballots a civic duty. Lord Kinnock and former home...
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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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