Western Mail - April 12, 2025

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In this issue

April 12, 2025

£72m drugs gang pair told to pay back £2.5k

MEMBERS of an organised crime gang involved in a conspiracy to supply £72m worth of heroin and cocaine have been ordered to pay back £2,500 between them.

2 mins

Evacuation of homes after gas leak

A MAJOR gas leak near a hospital caused significant disruption yesterday.

1 min

Amy waltzes back into line-up for this year's Strictly

AMY Dowden's Strictly Come Dancing future has been confirmed, as the 2025 professional line-up has been revealed.

1 min

Gridlock fears if changes to roundabout go ahead

A PROPOSED revamp of Newport's Old Green Roundabout could lead to “serious difficulties” for motorists and negatively affect local businesses, a councillor has warned.

2 mins

Concerns raised over behaviour at town council meetings

CONCERNS have been raised over the standard of meetings and behaviour at a town council.

1 min

Investigation launched into cause of blaze that ripped through house

AN INVESTIGATION is under way after a house was engulfed in flames on a residential street.

1 min

Dementia patient wins battle with NHS to keep his house

AN ELDERLY father suffering from dementia has won a legal battle against the NHS, ensuring he doesn’t have to sell his home to cover care costs.

3 mins

Uni staff threaten disruption with strikes over planned cuts

University staff are planning strike action.

4 mins

Controlling boyfriend threatened to murder his partner

A MAN who strangled his former girlfriend also told her: “I’m going to murder you” and said she should “go and get cancer”.

3 mins

‘Courier’ to repay just £5 of £57k drug profit

A MEMBER of an organised crime group (OCG) led by two brothers has been ordered to pay back £5 despite making more than £57,000 from selling cocaine.

1 min

Residents caught short by closed public toilets

PEOPLE are resorting to “diving behind trees and bushes” because of the limited availability of public toilets in Caerphilly County Borough, a councillor has claimed.

1 min

Council to reduce reliance on Met Office flood warnings

RHONDDA Cynon Taf council is set to move to a flood response system that does not just rely on Met Office warnings.

1 min

Tanning firm must pay £15k for flouting health and safety rules

TANNING salon has to pay £15,000 after failing to meet health and safety regulations.

3 mins

Quarry decision delayed again after late objections

A DECISION on plans to bring a quarry back into use have been put on hold again as planning officers deal with late objections from residents.

1 min

Stargazers to be tickled pink by full moon

STARGAZERS will be out in force this weekend as April's full moon, known as the Pink Moon, will be visible.

1 min

Brexit protester faces court over music outside Parliament

SUELLA Braverman's former chief of staff felt \"exhausted\" and \"harassed\" by an activist known as Stop Brexit Man, who regularly plays music outside Parliament, a court has heard.

3 mins

£1.5m Windrush fund launched

A £1.5M fund to help victims of the Windrush scandal applying for compensation has been launched.

1 min

Child in helicopter crash was turning nine the next day

A FAMILY from Spain who were killed when their sightseeing helicopter broke apart in mid-air and crashed into the Hudson River were about to celebrate the ninth birthday of one of their children.

2 mins

Ex-England cricketer scores a knighthood

FORMER England cricketer James Anderson has been awarded a knighthood in Rishi Sunak's resignation honours list.

1 min

E-bike gifts blamed for rise in motoring offences

CHILDREN being given e-bikes for Christmas was partly to blame for a rise in motoring offences among youngsters in Cardiff, according to a city council official.

1 min

Massage therapist quit career after sexual assault by pensioner

A PENSIONER sexually assaulted a massage therapist by stroking her thigh while he was receiving a massage.

2 mins

Schools all aboard for 'biggest bike bus Wales has ever seen'

ON A perfect spring morning in Canton, Cardiff, Victoria Park was largely empty shortly before 8am, with just a few dogs running around the Cardiff park under the watchful eye of their owners.

3 mins

Exceptional live performance of Beethoven gem

HERE are few better places to hear a sacred masterpiece in the days before Easter than Llandaff Cathedral.

1 min

Boiling water used in prison attack

A PRISONER threw boiling water on to a fellow inmate due to “bad feeling” between the pair.

1 min

Miners' welfare hall to be saved by £4.7m grant

THE last remaining Miners' Welfare Hall in the Rhondda Fach will be saved after being awarded a grant worth millions of pounds.

2 mins

Council quits X social media site

A COUNCIL has taken the decision to stop using the social media platform X with its leader saying the move is \"about values\".

1 min

Hotel owner's plan for flats development wins approval from council

THE owner of Ceredigion's Harbour master Hotel and Cliff Hotel & Spa has received the green light to transform a historic hotel in Cardigan's conservation area into flats.

1 min

Currant affairs

The flowering currant Ribes sanguineum comes to mind - every April you can depend on it to put on a brilliant display of pink blossoms, alongside the yellow flowers of forsythia.

1 min

Bad management has let down many of our public institutions

ONE of the founding principles of Welsh devolution was that decisions made closer to the people would lead to better governance. Unfortunately, more than 25 years on, too many of our key institutions are failing and not because of a lack of powers or funding, but because of weak leadership, inadequate oversight and a culture that resists accountability.

3 mins

Jardim set for talks as Exlies eye safety

NEWPORT COUNTY can mathematically secure their League Iwo survival this afternoon and head coach Nelson Jardim insists he has the “fight” to carry on and help the club achieve more next season.

2 mins

Swans hope first summer arrival can solve big problem

NOT for the first time, there are a number of loose ends still in need of tying up for Swansea City over the summer, with the most obvious being the manager situation.

3 mins

O'Dowda's full of belief Bluebirds can survive

\"A FEW years ago, I was only 21 that first Bristol City year, I did look round and I thought, ‘Not sure’ if I’m being really honest with myself” Callum O'Dowda says, pondering Cardiff City’s current battle against relegation. “But I look around at this team and I know I’m thinking, ‘You know what? Yeah’ I look at the club, look at the fans, and I think if there’s going to be a team that can [survive], it’s us.”

5 mins

Hardy back for Ospreys’ French examination

SPREYS have made one change to their team ahead of a huge European quarter-final this evening.

2 mins

Warburton: Media role and regions stance prompted decision to step away

SAM WARBURTON says the demands of his media commitments and his staunch belief in reducing the number of regional sides in Welsh rugby were key factors in his decision to step down from the board at Cardiff Rugby.

2 mins

Former Dragons chief not surprised by plight

CARDIFF falling into administration is a “symptom of successive mismanagement over a decade” by the Welsh Rugby Union, former Dragons chair David Buttress has said.

1 min

'He's been around for a while and picked up a bit of anger. I'm excited for people to see that'

As he returns for his second spell as the Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa along with showrunner Russell T Davies and the rest of the cast reveal what to expect from the new series - including a new companion.

4 mins

There has never been a harder time to be a young person – and we've only got ourselves to blame

The stats are stacked against youngsters now, but it isn’t just poor pay and opportunities wrecking the lives of young people, as Jonathon Hill reports

8 mins

Trying to ignore Trump tantrums

HERE are certain things that should never be seen together. Trump's white hands and his orange face, for example. Raw chicken and cooked. Trump with a cardboard noticeboard. Big dogs and my crazy cockapoo. Trump with... OK I'll stop now.

4 mins

Art on the waterfront

FEATURING all 147 shortlisted artworks, the Wales Contemporary / Cymru Gyfoes 2025 exhibition at the Waterfront Gallery in Milford Haven is a wide-ranging show featuring 2D and 3D artworks by artists from around the world.

3 mins

Diving into the healing waters

Clare Gogerty’s new book, The Water Remedy, will inspire you to get out and visit some of Wales and the UK’s most magical watery places, writes Jenny White

3 mins

How Carey Mulligan's brother found himself dodging bombs and bullets in Iraq

THE irony of his sister Carey Mulligan's glamorous film career compared with his own Army experience dodging bombs and bullets in war-torn countries isn't lost on Owain Mulligan, genial and witty sibling of the famous movie star.

5 mins

The Michelin star menu you can now eat on trains

A TRAIN might not be the first place you expect to find a Michelin-starred meal. If you are imagining such a meal on a train, you are probably thinking Orient Express and Flying Scotsman, not a Transport for Wales (TfW) service.