Cymru

Four members of the Welsh government's cabinet have resigned at the same time, calling for Vaughan Gething to go.

Three ministers - Jeremy Miles, Lesley Griffiths and Julie James - and the government's top legal adviser - counsel general Mick Antoniw - all announced their resignations on X, formerly known as Twitter.

It follows months of rows since Mr Gething was installed in March, including a week of drama over a sacked minister, complaints over Mr Gething's campaign donations and a lost confidence vote.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/14672143

Latest Star Wars TV series The Acolyte proves that the Force is strong in Wales - after pivotal scenes were shot across Bannau Brycheiniog.

Starring Amandla Stenberg and Lee Jung-jae, the new Star Wars show brought a glimpse of sci-fi action to the national park - also known as the Brecon Beacons - as well as the south Wales valleys as the production spread across several locations in the country.

"We shot a lot in Wales," said showrunner Leslye Headland. "What was incredible about Wales was that, you know, you could shoot in a beautiful wooded area, but then if you moved up further, you’d be in snow."

Welcoming both Jedi and other Force users, Wales has officially become part of the galaxy far, far away for the very first time.

The Welsh Government promised to introduce a law banning lying politicians before the next Senedd election after striking a last-minute deal to avert defeat.

Mick Antoniw, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government’s chief legal adviser, reached an agreement with Adam Price just before a key vote on creating an offence of deception.

Under the elections bill, Mr Price proposed a four-year disqualification for Senedd members, ministers or candidates found guilty of deliberate lying.

Mr Antoniw stopped short of supporting criminalisation as he invited the Senedd’s standards committee, which is holding an inquiry on accountability, to make proposals.

He said: “The Welsh Government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deception through an independent judicial process.”

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/14030641

Sir Grumpus L Shorticus has been named as the Official Monster Raving Loony Party candidate for Ynys Môn.

Describing himself as ‘Half Man Half Biscuit’ Sir Grumpus is one of 22 Monster Raving Loony candidates standing across the UK for the Westminster Parliamentary election on 4th July.

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Sir Grumpus’ key policies include creating a unique time zone for Wales, building a third Menai crossing …. From Dublin and deporting illegal Grey Squirrels to Rwanda.

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Sir Grumpus L Shorticus’s SIX-STEP Plan for Ynys Môn

1. A UNIQUE TIME ZONE FOR WALES – Reduce the hour from 60 minutes to 40, fully reversing the 20mph speed limits back to what they were without the cost of changing all the signs – again; and creating a whole new industry in manufacturing Welsh time pieces.

2. BUILD THE 3RD CROSSING – FROM DUBLIN – But fiscal stewardship is key, so a return crossing will only be built when public finances allow.

3. GREY SQUIRRELS ENTERING ANGLESEY ILLEGALLY WILL BE SENT TO RWANDA – Badgers, to their county of origin.

4. YNYS MÔN TO RE-JOIN THE EU – Build Wylfa B, reverse the generated power into the wind-farms which would then propel Anglesey to an EU country of choice.

5. A PRIVATE MEMBER’S BILL TO MAKE THE MISUSE OR OMISSION OF APOSTROPHE’S A CRIMINAL OFFENCE – Improper grammar in text messages will also incur a Fixed Penalty, increasing Treasury revenues a trillion-fold – an App to be developed to make automatic payment on hitting ‘Send’.

6. A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO POLITICS – These pledges are sincerely held beliefs and promises, but may be changed on a whim.

7. IMPROVE MATHS EDUCATION FOR ADULTS

Tata is to take steps to cease operations at its steel plant in Port Talbot earlier than planned because of a strike by Unite, workers have been told.

The company had been planning to shut down one of the blast furnaces by the end of June and the second one by September.

But workers at the South Wales site have been told that because of the strike by members of Unite, from July 8 Tata can no longer be assured of sufficient resources being available to ensure safe and stable operations.

A message to employees said: “Therefore, we are left with no alternative but to take preparatory steps to cease operations on both blast furnaces and safely isolate them no later than July 7.”

Porphyra umbilicalis, Bara lawr, the Welshman’s caviar, Laver bread. A dark green – or is it red? – or pink or deep brown? seaweed that is simultaneously the crowning joy and sharpest point of division of all Welsh foods.

Crowning joy, because this is a true delicacy, with a deep umami flavour and a rich, smooth texture that fills your mouth.

Sharp point of division, because, like Marmite, this is a love-it-or-hate-it foodstuff, shunned and adored in equal measure even within the same family.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/13573179

A North Wales village has been mildly scandalised by four letters mown into grass onto a children’s playing field. At first glance they appear to spell "COOK" but residents insist the word is altogether ruder.

The guerilla graffiti in Ewloe, Flintshire, has become the talk of the village, causing widespread shock and hilarity. The culprit’s identity is a mystery but he or she has been labelled Deeside’s answer to Britain’s best-known subversive artist. “Has Banksy bought himself a lawnmower?” wondered one local when he shared pictures online.

Now one knows exactly why the 50ft-long letters were mown neatly in grass on Big Park playing fields in the St David’s area of Ewloe. As they are so neat, it’s assumed a ride-on mower was used - and that confusion was created by the tyre tracks it left when adding a second letter “C”. “It definitely doesn’t say “cook,” confirmed one resident.

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Later aerial photos confirmed the word as being obscene or poultry-related.

There are calls for a school to be investigated after promoting creationism and an evangelistic Christian course.

The National Secular Society (NSS) said it had obtained images of wall displays at Llanidloes High School in Powys showing marine life and the solar system beneath lines from the Bible such as “great are the works of the Lord” and “God created the creatures of the sea”.

The NSS is calling for a ban on teaching creationism in schools in Wales, saying "it undermines teaching about evidence-based theories such as evolution".

The Welsh government said community schools "are not permitted to have a religious leaning".

While teaching creationism as a scientific theory is banned in England, the promotion of creationism is not prohibited in schools in Wales.

The NSS claims the promotion of creationism at the school is being led by head teacher Daniel Owen, who is also an elder or spiritual leader at an evangelical church in Newtown, about 14 miles from Llanidloes.

Wales has the highest rate in the UK of working age people not in employment or looking for a job, according to new estimates.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that 28.4% of 16-64 year olds in Wales were economically inactive in the three months to April, compared to a UK average of 22.3%.

But the jobless rate in Wales of 3.5% was lower than the UK average of 4.4%.

The ONS has warned that the figures should be treated with caution because of shrinking response rates to its survey.

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Long-term sickness is the biggest reason, followed by studying and home-making.

First Minister Vaughan Gething has lost a vote of no confidence in his leadership in the Welsh Parliament.

29 voted in favour of the resolution, while 27 voted against.

Mr Gething is not obliged to quit, as the result is not binding, but it places him under additional pressure after weeks of criticism.

The Senedd vote was called by the Conservatives over donations made to Mr Gething’s leadership campaign by a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental offences.

There are 60 members of the Welsh Parliament - Labour holds exactly half of the seats with 30 members, while there are 16 Tories, 13 Plaid Cymru members and a solitary Liberal Democrat.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/12676188

A large fossil discovery has helped shed light on the history of dinosaurs in Wales. The find is reported in Proceedings of the Geologists' Association.

Until recently, the land of the dragon didn't have any dinosaurs. However, in the last 10 years, several dinosaurs have been reported, but their life conditions were not well known.

In a new study by a team from the University of Bristol, important details have been revealed for the first time. The researchers found that early Welsh dinosaurs, from more than 200 million years ago, lived on a tropical lowland beside the sea. Dinosaur trackways are known from Barry and other sites nearby, showing that dinosaurs had walked across the warm lowlands.

The discovery was made at Lavernock Point, close to Cardiff and Penarth, where the cliffs of dark-colored shales and limestones document ancient shallow seas. At several levels, there are accumulations of bones, including the remains of fish, sharks, marine reptiles and occasionally, dinosaurs.

Wales' First Minister Vaughan Gething looks set to face a vote of no confidence when the Senedd returns next week.

The Welsh Conservatives are said to be very likely to table one ahead of a deadline of 18:00 BST on Wednesday, with the vote to take place on 5 June.

Mr Gething has faced unrelenting pressure after accepting £200,000 of donations to his recent Welsh Labour leadership campaign from a company whose owner was convicted of environmental offences.

Labour holds 30 of the 60 seats in the Senedd, so for the vote of no confidence to succeed at least one Labour Member of the Senedd would need either to vote in favour of the motion or abstain.

On 17 May the Senedd Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said it was "odds-on" that a no confidence motion would be called.

He was speaking after Mr Gething sacked one of his ministers, Hannah Blythyn, for leaking messages to the media, something she denies.

Plaid Cymru has challenged Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to a Wales specific TV debate with Senedd leader Rhun ap Iorwerth to give a “full picture” of choices faced by voters in the upcoming General Election.

Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts made the call in letter to the leaders of the Conservative Party and the Labour Party saying that any televised debate that excludes Plaid Cymru will “mislead viewers in Wales”.

She warns that the election – set for July 4 – is so far being framed “through an English lens” due to Wales’ “weak media landscape”.

In her letter to the party leaders, she wrote: “Broadcasters have a duty to give an accurate reflection of the choices at the ballot box in all countries across Britain. But as your parties call the shots when it comes to broadcasters’ decisions for debates in this election, you must show leadership.

“I therefore invite both of you to make clear that you would be happy to debate Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth in a Wales-specific TV debate. Come and defend and debate your own parties’ record here in Wales: from the chronic mismanagement of our NHS to the severe underfunding of our public realm.

“A multi-party leaders’ debate is the only way to reflect the democratic choice facing people in this election. I implore you to accept our offer, so that voters in Wales can have a true sense of the choice facing them in this election.”

From the people I've talked to, admittedly pension age, they feel reluctant to vote Labour but can't deny the damage done by the Tories over the last ten years.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/12281929

A Covid vaccination centre has been closed after two snakes were spotted in the building.

The snakes, named Cwm and Cou after the centre in Ceredigion they were found in, are believed to be an adder and a grass snake.

The adder is said to have left the building and Hywel Dda health board said it was seeking help from experts to remove the one remaining reptile.

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It said they were found on Monday afternoon by staff and joked neither of the animals qualified for a vaccine.

A spokesman said: "Cou has made a break for it and is no longer in the building. Cwm is still at large."

Wylfa on Anglesey has been chosen as the preferred site for a large-scale nuclear power plant, the UK government said.

The site was bought by ministers for £160m from previous developers Hitachi who abandoned plans for a new reactor in 2019.

International energy companies have begun talks with the UK government to start building the new Wylfa plant.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/12167391

A hidden gem engulfed in greenery has revealed more of its mysteries as volunteers uncover hundreds of ornate Mediterranean-style structures. Volunteers at the site, dubbed the "Little Italy" of southern Eryri , have been astounded by the number of replica buildings nestled within a small woodland.

"Every time I pulled away more ivy I thought: 'Bloody hell, there's another one'," said Jonathan Fell, the site's colourful curator. To date approximately 200 "objects" have been discovered a collection that includes not only buildings but also statues, plaques, and various curiosities. Before the conservation efforts started a few years back only about 30 structures were visible.

The area is dotted with iconic Italian structures ranging from the Duomo of Florence to the Rialto Bridge of Venice. Among the more recent finds are some unexpected elements: a miniature English village, a cat cemetery, and what appears to be a Venetian canal, which may have once carried flowing water.

Each discovery further amplifies the admiration Jonathan holds for the site's creators, Mark Bourne and his wife Muriel. He views their homage to Italian architecture, located on the fringes of Corris, between Dolgellau and Machynlleth, as a testament to their obsession, perseverance, and creativity.

He dismisses those who refer to it as a model village and has little patience for any comparison with Portmeirion, the renowned Italianate village in Porthmadog. "I absolutely love this place," Jonathan said. "I don't like to call it folk art because it's much more than that. It's such an important site – one of the most important in Wales, far more so than Portmeirion, which had all that money thrown at it."

Mr Bourne previously ran a caravan site and poultry unit. He would often vanish to Italy for weeks on end, coming back with sketchbooks brimming with architectural drawings. Donning his signature baggy corduroys he would then get stuck into his recreations, occasionally aided by local volunteers. Old materials, from wash boilers to hub caps, were repurposed to provide structure then wrapped in moulded chicken wire ready for concreting.

Over a quarter of a century Mr Bourne hauled thousands of buckets of water and ballast from the Afon Deri in the valley below to be mixed with concrete to make mortar. A modest Datsun 4x4 and trailer did some of the heavy lifting but, for the final stretch, up through the garden, sheer physical strength was required.

Jonathan still finds it hard to grasp the magnitude of the task. "This guy spent 25 years carrying hundreds of tonnes of concrete, water and ballast up a hillside with a slope that ranges from 30 to 45 degrees," he said. "At its steepest, it's hard to walk up and he had to build paths up there before erecting a workshop, laying foundations, and starting on the objects.

"With a job like this, I would have used winches and flywheel to lift everything up the slope. I certainly couldn't have carried all those buckets up there. It was a huge amount of work just building the steps. Probably his wife helped him. I remember Muriel still walking up the track from Corris, carrying two shopping bags, at the age of 84.

The launch of Wales in the metaverse hopes to give virtual visitors from all over the world the chance to see what the country has to offer.

Tourism body Visit Wales has created the immersive experience with the aim of platforming some of Wales's experiences and attractions.

Around 600 million people visit the metaverse each year, across a number of platforms.

The Welsh metaverse is being hosted on platform Spatial.

Organisers say they believe Wales is also the first European nation to use this approach to market itself as a tourism destination.

The announcement comes after a report by a committee of MPs published last July found Wales "lacked a coherent brand" to attract overseas visitors.

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Visitors to the virtual Wales can take on quests including building an interactive itinerary which includes real-life Wales-based activities.

Evidence has emerged that Vaughan Gething misled the UK Covid Inquiry and the Senedd by concealing the fact that he deliberately deleted records of conversations he had with other ministers.

As a witness to the Inquiry, the First Minister insisted that messages had been deleted from his mobile phone not by him, but when it was serviced by the Senedd’s IT department.

But a previously undisclosed message that has been leaked to Nation.Cymru proves that he admitted deleting conversations he had with ministerial colleagues on a group chat.

In a text message posted to the ministerial group chat on Monday August 17 2020, when he was Health Minister, Mr Gething wrote: “I’m deleting the messages in this group. They can be captured in an FOI [Freedom of Information request] and I think we are all in the right place on the choice being made.”

The message was written at a time when Wales was still subject to Covid restrictions following the first lockdown, and when ministers were making decisions about the level of interaction between people that should be permitted.

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On March 11 he gave oral evidence to the Inquiry when it was sitting in Cardiff. Immediately before doing so, he made this declaration: “I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

Telling lies at a statutory public inquiry, such as the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, amounts to the criminal offence of perjury, which on conviction can lead to a prison sentence of up to seven years.

A teenage schoolgirl will appear in court charged with attempted murder after a stabbing at a school in Carmarthenshire.

Pupils at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman (Amman Valley School), in Carmarthenshire went into lockdown just after 11.20am on Wednesday after the stabbing at the end of morning break.

Two teachers and a pupil were hurt in the incident but have since been released from hospital.

The 13-year-old, who cannot be named, was remanded in custody to appear before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court.

Emergency services are in attendance at an incident at a secondary school in west Wales.

There have been reports of a stabbing at Ysgol Dyffryn Amman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire on Wednesday.

Wales Air Ambulance have confirmed two helicopters attended the incident, with one now en route to University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

Concerned parents have posted online that the school is locked down, with pupils being held in their classrooms.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/10906937

A poodle had to be rescued by specialist firefighters after it became trapped under a home.

The crew were forced to tunnel under the property in Parkmill in Swansea, South Wales, to reach the three-year-old black dog named Jock, after being called out at 7.11am on Tuesday.

They removed a large number of patio slabs at the rear of the home, hoping to get to the poodle.

Unable to find him, specially trained officers from the Wales Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team were called in.

Using seismic detection equipment and technical search cameras they were able to help pinpoint the dog’s exact location and a second tunnel was dug under the property’s kitchen.

A grandmother is campaigning for more road signs warning of goats in and around Llandudno after a small herd of the animals was killed. Four goats were hit by a vehicle on the A470 at Wormhout Way earlier this month.

The goats have roamed Llandudno and Craig y Don since the pandemic lockdowns saw them venture from the Great Orme into the resort’s empty streets. Conwy Council has previously said it won’t fence in the goats due to the risk of the authority becoming solely responsible for the creatures’ welfare. But following the accident last week, some are calling for more road signs in and around Llandudno to warn motorists of the presence of the goats.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dweud eu bod nhw’n “cymryd o ddifri” eu targed o 1 miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050 ar ôl beirniadaeth.

Maen nhw’n wynebu haeriad gan un o aelodau pwyllgor iaith a diwylliant y Senedd y bydd “bron yn amhosib” bwrw'r targed nad oes digon o gyrsiau ar gael i gwrdd â’r galw.

Daw’r feirniadaeth ar ôl i Dona Lewis, Prif Weithredwr y Ganolfan Dysgu Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, gyflwyno tystiolaeth i’r pwyllgor.

Fe ddywedodd nad oes modd cyrraedd y twf “anferth” mewn darpariaeth yr oedden nhw wedi gobeithio amdano.

Some roads in Wales will revert to 30mph following backlash at the Welsh government's £34m default 20mph policy.

Transport minister Ken Skates said the changes will address the concerns that "a lot of people" have raised "on a consistent basis".

"We've put our hands up to say the guidance has to be corrected," he said.

Swansea council leader Rob Stewart welcomed the change, but said the government must help foot the bill to swap signage.

Mr Skates highlighted the almost half a million signatures to a Senedd petition opposing the policy, brought in under former first minister Mark Drakeford and his transport minister Lee Waters.