Author: Rhys Gregory

The Cardiff Business Awards has revealed the winners for 2025, shining a spotlight on the vision and ambition driving the city’s business scene. Now in its 11th year, the event drew a record number of finalists and filled the Holland House Hotel, marking its most successful ceremony yet. A standout moment saw Nick Saunders of the DEPOT Group receive the Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of his work transforming Cardiff’s live events scene and helping put the city on the UK live music map. BESL/CMB Engineering took centre stage, securing the top title of Cardiff Business of the Year as…

A 33-year-old man has pleaded guilty to selling a substance online to assist with the suicide of others. Mold Crown Court yesterday, Tuesday 18 November, Miles Cross, of Wrexham city, admitted four charges of intentionally doing an act capable of encouraging or assisting the suicide of another, contrary to Section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961. Two deaths are being investigated in connection with four packages containing a substance sold online. He was arrested in Wrexham in January 2025 following a North Wales Police investigation into a business selling a substance via an online forum to assist with suicide. Cross…

A man from Swansea has been jailed after he was found sleeping in a car full of illegal drugs. 34-year-old Jason Grove, from Clase, was arrested in June as officers attended a report that he was intoxicated while asleep in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Upon searching Grove and his vehicle, quantities of Class A drugs (heroin), two mobile phones, scales, foil and other drug paraphernalia were found. Also found in the car was a lock knife. Grove later confessed during interview to possession of amphetamine for personal use. However, he denied having any involvement in the sale of…

Drivers are facing steady delays on several key routes this morning, according to Traffic Wales. On the M4 eastbound, traffic is slow from J28 Tredegar Park through to J23A Magor. Commuters are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys. The A470 southbound is also busy between Nantgarw and Coryton, with congestion building as morning traffic peaks. Further west, the A4232 northbound is seeing delays from Culverhouse up to J33 Capel Llanilltern. Motorists are urged to plan ahead and check for updates before setting off.

Supported by the Welsh Government, the Development Bank of Wales has announced that it has reached a significant milestone with £1 billion invested in equity, debt, and property since 2017. £323.4 million of this funding has gone to 1,399 businesses in Mid and West Wales, unlocking a further £143.2 million in private sector co-finance. The £1 billion investment has supported 51,089 jobs and generated £5.8 billion in jobs-based GVA – an almost sixfold return in economic value. The Development Bank’s contribution to the nation’s economy has unlocked a further £636 million in private sector co-finance, amplifying its overall impact. In…

A pioneering North Wales TV company is aiming to sell Welsh language programmes internationally after appointing an industry high flyer to a key role. Olivia Simove, who has developed programmes for celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and the Hairy Bikers, has joined employee-owned Cwmni Da in Caernarfon as its new Content Director. The Cardiff-born TV executive, whose career has taken her from Disneyworld in Florida to working in London with top production firms says her mission is to help Cwmni Da “spread its wings internationally while staying true to its Welsh roots”. The development specialist, who also developed Channel 4 formats…

Tickets flew out within hours across the country when Super Furry Animals announced their first live dates in 10 years. Now, fans of Wales’ most offbeat musical icons have another chance to catch the psychedelic legends back in action when they headline TK Maxx Presents Live at Llangollen Pavilion on Thursday July 2. They will be joined on the night by two very special guests – the explosive five-piece punk band Panic Shack and the eccentric psychedelic six-piece Melin Melyn. Formed in Cardiff in 1995, Super Furry Animals — Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Daf Ieuan, Guto Pryce and Gruff Rhys…

A family-run cheese crafting business, which has been maturing for two years, has taken on a new production premises, ripe for scaling production, with support from a Start Up Loan. Thirty-four-year-old Ethan Parry, and his parents Bann and Steven, are co-owners of award-winning artisan cheesemaker Usk Valley Cheese Company which started life two years ago at food technology start-up hub Food Centre Wales in Ceredigion. The popularity of their range of three semi-hard cheeses – which are sold online, at markets, and in delis across Wales and the South West, and which celebrate the local landscape, flavours, and culture of…

As freezing temperatures hit Wales, Dogs Trust is warning that rock salt and grit, often used on roads and pavements at this time of year, could cause health issues in our canine companions. Ice-melting salt, often spread as grit, can lead to soreness, cracking, and burns on dogs’ paw pads, as its abrasive texture may cause dryness, cracking, redness, or bleeding. Dogs can also experience tummy problems if they ingest too much salt. Even small amounts of rock salt can irritate the digestive system, which could happen if they lick their paws after walking on salt. Symptoms of salt poisoning…

Mind Cymru is calling for support for the third sector to be prioritised in delivering on Wales’ strategy for preventing suicide and self-harm, as figures show men now account for more than three quarters of deaths by suspected suicide in Wales. Welsh Government published the 10-year strategy in April, alongside data from Public Health Wales showing that 350 people die by suspected suicide in Wales each year, with 76% of those deaths in the year 2023-24 attributed to men. Responding to the figures, and during Men’s Health Month, Mind Cymru is urging the Welsh Government to put community-based services, including…