Author: Rhys Gregory

Pupils from St Martin’s School in Caerphilly will travel to Silverstone today (Friday, 4 July) for a special behind-the-scenes visit, after winning an international STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) challenge. The school took part in the British Council’s Learning Sectors programme, supported by Formula1, which connects schools across the UK, South Africa and India to solve real-world STEM challenges. Partnered with Hoërskool Koffiefontein, located in the small farming town of Koffiefontein, in the Free State Province of South Africa, the students were challenged to explore urgent issues affecting their respective communities. The South African pupils highlighted a particularly serious…

A sharp rise in potentially misleading health research articles could be due to the use of artificial intelligence tools, a new study suggests. Researchers from Aberystwyth University and the University of Surrey analysed 341 studies published over the past decade that used a large publicly available US dataset to link individual predictors – such as diet, lifestyle, or environmental exposures – to specific health outcomes. The investigation found that many of these studies followed an almost identical structure: isolating one variable, testing its association with a health condition, and publishing the result, often without accounting for confounding factors or correcting…

Cwmbran-based Amotio has completed a pre-seed funding round of £810,000, led by a £500,000 equity investment from the Development Bank of Wales. The funding will be used to advance technology that will support better post-operative care and recovery times for joint-surgery patients throughout the global healthcare market. Using methods pioneered by a team of surgeons and biomechanical engineers in Utrecht, medtech business Amotio has developed a new medical device to remove surgical cement during hip operations. The Development Bank’s investment includes £350,000 from the Technology Seed Fund and £150,000 from the Wales Flexible Investment Fund. The Development Bank was joined…

Children and families looking to join in all the action of the Cardiff Half Marathon can now help kick start race weekend. Registration is now open for the junior events which will include something for all ages and abilities. Cardiff Half Junior will take place on Saturday 4 October and will mark the start of the Cardiff Half Marathon weekend with the main race set for the Sunday. The event is part of R4W Next Gen, a re-imagined series of family events that aim to inspire a future generation or healthy, active adults. There will be a no-pressure, family-focussed 2.4K…

A man from Swansea has been jailed after he broke into several houses with the intention of committing a sexual offence. 20-year-old Evan Powell, from Brynmill, was identified using retrospective facial recognition software following reports that addresses had been targeted in the Brynmill area on October 31 2024. Powell was arrested later the same day. On May 1 he was found guilty of four counts of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence, and has today been handed an extended sentence of nine years, comprising five years in custody and four years on licence. Detective Inspector Stuart Prendiville said:…

Another tenant has been announced for a major new office development in Swansea city centre that’s now officially open. Financial company Futures First have been confirmed for the 71/72 Kingsway scheme that will accommodate up to 600 jobs. This follows on from the announcement of flexible workspace provider IWG and travel and leisure company TUI as building tenants earlier this year. Developed by Swansea Council, the 104,000 square foot scheme is being part-funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal. Futures First will take up over 4,300 square feet at the development. Tenant fitouts will now take place at the development…

On Sunday, 13 July, nearly 60 professional triathletes will head to the south coast of Wales for the first time to compete in the IRONMAN® 70.3® Swansea triathlon, the 12th event in the 2025 IRONMAN® Pro Series. The event will offer a maximum of 2,500 points towards IRONMAN® Pro Series standings, a $50,000 USD event total pro prize purse, and two slots per gender for the 2026 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship triathlon in Nice, France. The event can be viewed live in person and will be broadcast across multiple platforms for viewers around the world, including proseries.ironman.com, Outside TV in the US and Canada,…

Applications to receive up to £200 per learner to help with the cost of the school day are open. The School Essentials Grant is available for families on lower incomes and who qualify for certain benefits. Schools also receive additional funding as a result of claiming this grant. Eligible families can apply for a grant of £125 per child per year. Families with children entering year 7 can apply for £200 to help with increased costs associated with starting secondary school. All looked after children qualify for the grant. The School Essentials Grant can be used for school essentials such…

More people will be seen, diagnosed and treated at Swansea’s Morriston Hospital following a £4.8m investment in new equipment. The Welsh Government is funding the replacement of a new CT scanner to replace a 14-year-old machine. This will improve productivity and help reduce waiting times for scans. The new and advanced scanner will be more reliable and deliver clearer images quickly – meaning more people can be scanned and assessed. Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles said: “By replacing outdated equipment with cutting-edge technology, we are ensuring the NHS can deliver better outcomes for people and work…

Work to transform the Wrexham to Liverpool line has been given the green light, with upgrades on the line at Padeswood confirmed as the first major step to realise more rail services between the two cities. Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates and Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens visited the site today to see the planned upgrades. The UK Government committed to supporting the work at Padeswood as part of last month’s Comprehensive Spending Review. The overall UK Government investment in Welsh rail, worth at least £445 million, will see people across Wales benefit from…