Author: Rhys Gregory

Cardiff has officially welcomed the Fiji national rugby squad to the city at a civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff on Friday 26 June. Held at the Hilton Hotel, the reception brought together players, coaches and senior representatives from Fiji Rugby Union alongside civic leaders, diplomats and representatives from Wales’ sporting and business communities. The event marked the start of Fiji’s visit to the UK ahead of their Nations Championship fixtures, including the inaugural match at the Cardiff City Stadium, where Fiji will be the designated home side. The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Councillor…

Neath Port Talbot Council is asking residents and visitors for their views on proposed rules for dogs and their owners at Aberavon beach and promenade. The consultation focuses on new Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs), which aim to maintain the safety, cleanliness and enjoyment of the popular seafront for everyone. The proposed orders would replace the existing measures, which are due to expire. Under the proposals, the current seasonal restrictions on the main beach would remain in place, meaning dogs would continue to be prohibited from the main section of Aberavon Beach between 1 May and 30 September each year.…

Pembrokeshire County Council is set to explore removing the booking system for its waste and recycling centres following a commitment from Council Leader Cllr Tessa Hodgson. Cllr Hodgson has asked the Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, Cllr Rhys Sinnett, to work with council officers to bring forward a report outlining the available options. The move comes after concerns raised by residents about the current booking system. Cllr Hodgson said: “Pembrokeshire is consistently one of Wales’ best performing local authorities when it comes to waste and recycling and I thank our staff and the people of Pembrokeshire for helping us continue…

Four new pilot projects are being launched in Newport to support people who do not engage with traditional employability schemes, helping them overcome barriers to work and improve their wellbeing. Newport City Council has worked with local organisations to bring the Trailblazer programme to the city. Funded by the UK Government in collaboration with the Welsh Government, the initiative aims to help tackle economic inactivity. The projects will be delivered by Hedyn, Llamau, Codi and BRIGHT Options, which will work with individuals and small groups using Communities for Work+ funding. Councillor James Clarke, Newport City Council’s cabinet member for regeneration…

More than 100 children from schools across Merthyr Tydfil are set to compete in The Great Merthyr Schools Chess Tournament when it returns to Dowlais Community Centre on Friday 3 July. Running from 9.30am until 3pm, the event has become a well established fixture in the local schools calendar, featuring both a school team competition and an individual championship. Players will have the chance to compete for honours for both themselves and their schools. This year’s tournament will also welcome Stephens and George Chess Ambassador Michael Adams, one of the UK’s greatest ever chess players. A former World Championship finalist…

Welsh farming businesses will be able to access affordable, long-term finance to invest in sustainability and productivity through a new £5 million pilot scheme launching on 1 July 2026. The Sustainable Agriculture Loan Scheme (SALS) will offer fixed-rate loans at 3% interest, repayable over up to 15 years. Eligible farm businesses in Wales can borrow between £25,001 and £1 million to fund improvements in energy efficiency, renewable energy generation, waste management, land and buildings, and new equipment. The one-year pilot scheme delivered by the Development Bank of Wales will test market demand and is designed around the practical realities facing…

A leading plastic processing firm is creating 100 new jobs in South Wales and making a significant contribution to reducing Wales’ carbon footprint. J & A Young (Leicester) Ltd, known as Jayplas, received Welsh Government support in 2023 to establish a plastics reprocessing operation at the former Toyoda Gosei factory in Gorseinon, Swansea. And a second site operating at Tafarnaubach Industrial Estate, Tredegar, with over 100 jobs to be created across both sites by March 2028, when both sites are expected to be fully operational. This support will allow the company to more than double Wales’ reprocessing capacity for recycled…

If it feels like everyone knows someone who has swapped the drizzle for the desert, that is because the numbers are genuinely staggering. Dubai is currently welcoming around 470 new residents every single day, with its population crossing roughly 4.04 million in late 2025 after growing about 4.47 percent year on year. The emirate is on track to pass five million by 2030, and that growth is overwhelmingly driven by expats, with foreign residents making up close to nine in ten people in the city. British nationals remain the largest Western expat community there, so a professional from Cardiff, Swansea,…

Moneypenny has marked 10 years at its award winning Wrexham headquarters by treating team members to ice cream sundaes as part of a special celebration. The surprise event brought colleagues together to celebrate a decade since the company moved into its purpose built headquarters, which was designed around the needs and wellbeing of its people. Since opening in 2016, the headquarters has become well known for its distinctive working environment. Features include landscaped sun terraces and gardens, spacious dining areas serving freshly prepared lunches and snacks, wellbeing spaces, collaborative work areas, quiet reading nooks, a treehouse meeting room and its…

This year saw a record breaking sell out for the 2026 Brecon Carreg Porthcawl 10K. The event on Sunday 5 July is set to be its largest edition yet with more than 6,800 runners signed up to take part in the main event and supporting junior races. Spectators are expected to come out in their droves as runners head out on the course taking in all of the iconic sights of the area as well as the buzzing course entertainment. Afterwards they can relax in the vibrant event village and soak in the atmosphere, in what promises to be a…