Author: Rhys Gregory

Ali Mahmood Abdulmageed has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for rape, false imprisonment, strangulation, coercive and controlling behaviour and assault. His offending was exposed when members of the public intervened in an incident involving Abdulmageed in Cardiff in August 2022. Officers were called and Abdulmageed was arrested. The 34-year-old from Heath was found guilty following a trial and he was sentenced last week (Friday, December 13) at Cardiff Crown Court. Detective Constable Ian Booker, from South Wales Police, said:“Ali Mahmood Abdulmageed subjected the victim to a series of violent and degrading assaults. “We hope today’s sentencing brings some…

Rail passengers are being urged to check their journeys carefully as the most significant timetable change in decades start today. The timing of nearly every service across the South Wales Mainline, the Marches Line between Newport and Shrewsbury, and on other routes across the Wales and Borders network will bring more consistency for passengers, with trains departing at the same time past the hour and from the same platforms. The timetable changes have taken four years to develop and will see increases in the number of services on some routes and later evening services from Swansea and Cardiff. Transport for…

The Royal Welsh Show has been honoured as the Best Event in Mid Wales at the 2024 Mid-Wales Tourism Awards. This distinguished accolade recognises its outstanding contribution to the region’s tourism, culture, and heritage. Aled Rhys Jones, Chief Executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, shared his delight at receiving the award: “We are absolutely thrilled that the Royal Welsh Show has been named the Best Event in Mid Wales for 2024. This prestigious recognition is a true testament to the dedication and hard work of our incredible volunteers, stakeholders, partners, and staff, whose collective efforts have made this event…

A new primary school to serveCathays and parts of Gabalfa, Heath, Llandaff North and Plasnewyddhas been named Fairoak Primary School and will officially open in September 2025. Applications for Reception places are now open at the newly established school which will provide 420 English medium primary places and a nursery. Fairoak Primary School will bring together pupils, staff and communities fromAllensbank and Gladstone Primary Schools as part of plans to renew and improve primary school provision in the area. Chosen bypupils, parents, staff and governors following extensive consultation, the new school name has takeninspiration from nature and a 600-year-old ancient…

Milford Haven Youth Council, in partnership with Milford Haven Youth Centre, hosted a Christmas dinner to be enjoyed by local pensioners last week. On December 6th, Milford Haven Youth Centre was the venue for the event, which was the idea of the youth council. The youth council members wanted to support their community and successfully applied for funding from Pembrokeshire Youth Bank and Milford Haven Town Council. In light of the current financial difficulties and the growing loneliness among many individuals, the young people recognised the urgent need to kick off the Christmas season on a positive note. They delivered…

Local families are now benefitting from a modern new childcare space that has been created at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Castellau – which was made possible thanks to a major investment in new facilities at the Beddau school. The £1.5m Welsh Government-funded investment has enabled the refurbishment of two classrooms at the Welsh Medium school, to create a modern Nursery and Reception unit fit for the 21st Century – as well as remodelling several other areas of the school to accommodate a new single storey-extension. This complements existing outdoor areas which now have brand new play equipment. The new spaces have…

Work is continuing to take place behind the scenes to progress a flagship redevelopment project at Pentrebane Street, Caerphilly. Caerphilly County Borough Council is working with housing provider Linc Cymru to transform the site into an exciting mixed-use development.  Work is currently underway to prepare for demolition of the existing dilapidated buildings on the site, which is likely to begin in the new year. Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Caerphilly Council’s Deputy Leader, said “The re-development of Pentrebane Street is much needed. The project will bring a mix of commercial, retail and much needed affordable housing to the top end of the…

The Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant, recently visited the Lido Ponty and Ynysangharad Park to see and hear about the impact of recent flooding caused by Storm Bert. Following weather warnings for both rain and wind, Storm Bert caused significant damage and flooding to more than 600 properties across Wales. Pontypridd was one of the hardest hit communities, with the storm affecting homes, businesses and commercial buildings commercial premises, including the Grade II listed Lido Ponty. During the visit, the Cabinet Secretary heard about the damage to the Lido and the recovery work already completed by staff. The Cabinet…

A partnership working to address hoarding in the Caerphilly borough has been recognised with a UK Housing Award. Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Supporting People and Holistic Hoarding received ‘Partnership of the Year’ at the prestigious annual event, hosted by Inside Housing. Judges commented “This innovative and uniquely deep partnership tackles hoarding: a challenge that affects every housing provider, but one that can be hidden from sight. We were really impressed by the longevity of the support provided, with some residents being helped over a period of years. The partnership’s notion that support will be provided for as long as it…

The miniaturisation of computers has helped humanity achieve technological prowess beyond what early generations could ever have imagined. From systems that were once the size of rooms we now carry in our pockets machines millions of times more powerful. While we might not expect further leaps on the same level, there’s no question that future tech will continue to shrink, and become more capable. The question is, where is this tech going? In a world where mobile computing is increasingly important for work, communication, and entertainment, the need for transportable systems will only grow. What forms will they take, and…