Author: Rhys Gregory

Welsh councils will benefit from £50m in additional capital funding this financial year, helping them manage rising costs and invest in vital local services. The funding, distributed to all 22 local authorities using the general capital formula, can support a wide range of priorities — from fixing potholes and repairing highways to supporting community schools and flood defence schemes. Councils can use the money to replenish reserves drawn on during the year or reduce borrowing, easing pressure on future budgets. First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “Local authorities provide essential services, so I’m really pleased the Welsh Government is able to provide additional funding this year to help our councils invest in…

People in Wales will benefit from clearer standards for mental health and self-harm services across the NHS and social care. Two new quality statements are being published today. They define the outcomes and standards which services must deliver, from same-day open access support to trauma-informed care for people who have self-harmed. They support the delivery of the actions in the ambitious Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Suicide Prevention and Self-Harm Strategy and will help Wales to become the first nation to deliver same-day, open access mental health care. Some 20 pilot projects across Wales have been set to…

Patients across Wales will benefit from faster and more accurate diagnoses as nine hospitals receive new scanning and X-ray equipment. The Welsh Government is investing more than £12m to replace ageing imaging systems at hospitals including Royal Gwent, Bronglais and Wrexham Maelor, helping more patients to be seen and treated more quickly. New CT, X-ray and bone density scanners will replace equipment that had become unreliable and increasingly difficult to repair, reducing the time lost to breakdowns and maintenance. Aneurin Bevan University health board will receive more than £2.7m to replace a SPECT-CT scanner at the Royal Gwent Hospital to…

The Vale of Glamorgan Council has secured funding for transport schemes that will boost health and wellbeing, benefit the environment and improve street safety. Nearly £2.5 million from Welsh Government awarded via the Cardiff Capital Region, will be spent on a variety of projects across the County. The funding will include construction of a walking, wheeling and cycling route through Parc Bryn y Don alongside Cardiff Road to connect Barry to Dinas Powys. Average speed cameras will be installed through St Nicholas and Bonvilston to improve road safety in these areas. Alongside this, a full review of the A48 is…

North Wales Police have issued an appeal for witnesses following a police pursuit involving a motorcycle in Anglesey. The incident happened on Wednesday, 19 March, when an officer on an unmarked police motorcycle attempted to stop a green Kawasaki motorbike carrying a male rider and a female pillion passenger. The motorcycle failed to stop, leading to a pursuit between 3.44pm and 4pm. The route included the A4080 entering Llanfaelog and continuing into Rhosneigr. Officers are now asking anyone who may have seen the motorcycle, particularly those travelling along the A5 through Bryngwran towards Treban Crossroads, as well as between Engedi…

The daily British commute has historically been a period of dead time, defined by grey landscapes and the struggle for a reliable cellular signal. However, as we move through 2026, the nationwide rollout of robust 5G infrastructure has turned the UK rail and bus networks into high-bandwidth entertainment hubs. This digital shift is most evident in the way travellers consume interactive media during their journey. No longer restricted to simple offline puzzles, commuters are now engaging with complex, feature-heavy applications that require instantaneous data transfer. Within this new “commuter economy,” high-intensity titles like Great Rhino Megaways have become staples of…

The United Kingdom has long been a hub for sports enthusiasm, with football, rugby, cricket, and horse racing deeply embedded in its cultural fabric. Alongside this passion for sports, betting has emerged as a significant aspect of the UK’s sporting landscape. From placing wagers at local bookmakers to exploring online platforms, the betting scene has evolved dramatically in recent years. In this guide, we’ll take a step-by-step look at modern betting trends in the UK and provide actionable tips for navigating this exciting world responsibly. Understanding the Growth of Online Betting in the UK The rise of digital technology has…

Six of the last seven Grand Nationals have been won by Irish-trained horses, with only Lucinda Russell sparing Britain further blushes through One For Arthur in 2017 and Corach Rambler in 2023. Willie Mullins is seeking a third consecutive victory, but with Grand National odds reflecting an unusually competitive field for the 2026 renewal, the Britain versus Ireland narrative has rarely felt so evenly balanced. So, who has the edge? The Irish hand Ireland’s dominance of the race in recent years is hard to overstate, and the depth of their 2026 squad makes another home victory entirely plausible. I Am…

A Royal Navy warship bearing the Welsh Dragon has begun operations in the eastern Mediterranean as the UK steps up its military presence in the Middle East. Defence Secretary John Healey updated MPs in the House of Commons this afternoon, confirming that HMS Dragon has now arrived in the region and will play a key role in ongoing defence efforts. He told MPs the vessel “tonight begins operation and integration into Cyprus’ defence”, following its departure from Portsmouth on 11 March. The Type 45 destroyer has been deployed to help defend RAF Akrotiri, which was targeted by an Iranian-made drone…

The way Brits take holidays is changing. Shorter, more spontaneous, and closer to home – the ‘microcation’ is fast becoming the UK’s travel trend of the moment, with Brits increasingly swapping the long-haul for meaningful breaks of under five days*. For those looking to make the most of the Easter holidays, Celtic Manor Resort offers an ideal base. Set among the rolling hills of the Usk Valley in South Wales, the five-star resort’s Welcome to Feel Good initiative has been designed around exactly this need: rest, connection and the freedom to slow down, without having to go far to find it. Jenna Carr,…