After a bloodless start, the day will be drier with lots of misty sunshine. Near-average temperatures for the time of year with lighter winds. Maximum temperature 8 °C.
Winds will kick in tonight as clouds thicken from the west overnight, with some rain and drizzle rays, especially over the hills. Minimum temperature 6°C.
Hello and welcome to the Wales Online live blog for Thursday 1 February. We’ll bring you the latest news from across Wales, whether you’re on the road, at home or at work, as well as the latest traffic and information.
We’ll also keep you up to date with key news from the UK and overseas. Contribute to the blog by posting your comments below or tweet us at @WalesOnline to share the latest news in your area.
That’s it for our news blog tonight. We’ll be back in the morning and you can keep an eye on our website, app, and social media for the latest news.
The A4042 has reopened following the accident investigation.
A Christian preacher from Wales appeared in court in London over a sign he held up outside an abortion clinic. Stephen Green held a pro-life sign with a religious on it in a zone where protests are prohibited by law, the PA news agency reports.
Learn here.
The A4042 north of Newport is blocked southbound, with queueing traffic due to an accident from A4051 (Croes-y-mwyalch roundabout) to A4042 (Grove Park roundabout). Inrix says the northbound side is also partially blocked.
Reports of whistleblowing incidents to Vale of Glamorgan Council are increasing compared to previous years, according to a recently published report. The board’s annual whistleblowing report for 2022/2023, published ahead of a governance and audit committee meeting next week, shows the number of reported incidents is “significantly higher” than the board’s eight-year average.
Full story here.
A homeowner woke up shocked by his wife in the middle of the night after hearing a loud bang and seeing that much of his lawn had collapsed into the river. Kevin Davies has lived in Ystradgynlais most of his life and says he has asked Powys County. Council and Natural Resources Wales to do something about the crumbling border wall between the end of its lawn at Llys Tawel in the city and the swift River Tawe below. for years.
Full story here.
A trial date has been set for a man accused of murdering William Bush, who died after sustaining multiple stab wounds to his neck and body. The 23-year-old was found injured at an address in Cardiff and was declared dead in hospital. Dylan Thomas, 23, has been charged with murder and was due to appear at Cardiff Crown Court on Thursday. He was not produced from prison and did not enter a plea.
Full story here.
More than 70 more people were hospitalized with coronavirus in the week leading up to Jan. 28, new data revealed.
In the seven days leading up to Jan. 28, 74 more people were hospitalized with coronavirus. Four more people were admitted to intensive care, according to Public Health Wales data. Learn more here.
A dog rescue centre in Wales says its team is “really devastated” after putting an XL Bully puppy to sleep following a new law banning the relocation of the breed.
Hope Rescue, a charity organisation based in Llanharan, took to Instagram to share the reality behind their decision to euthanise Coconut, a 10-month-old girl who was formally assessed as an XL bully by police after she wasn’t claimed by her owners.
The roof of the Principality Stadium will be open this weekend for the Six Nations between Wales and Scotland.
The Six Nations rule stipulates that both sides will have to accept that the roof will be closed, and Warren Gatland revealed that Scotland insisted it remained open on Saturday.
Police were called to an underpass outside a school in Barry following reports that a teenage woman had threatened students with a knife on their way home.
Parents also reported threats of violence on social media against young people from the same school, St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School, which allegedly included photographs of weapons. Learn more here.
The Bank of England left UK interest rates unchanged for the fourth time in a row.
The Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept interest rates at 5. 25%, a resolution that was widely followed. Six members voted in favor of keeping the rate in place, while two voted in favor of a 0. 25% increase and one in favor of a 5% relief.
Neath Port Talbot Council has approved an “ambitious” new strategic plan following an unprecedented increase in the number of homeless people in the district. Demand for housing in the region is lately outstripping supply, with a report revealing that there has been a 108% increase in the number of families living in transitional housing since 2019.
The report warns that if the numbers continue to rise at the current rate, there will be a 244% increase over the next five years, resulting in 2,233 families needing transitional accommodation per year at Neath Port Talbot, at a cost of £4. 4. million consistent with the year to 2027-28. Learn more here.
Warren Gatland has unveiled his 23-man squad to face Scotland on Saturday, with George North absent through injury and youngster Cameron Winnett making his overseas debut at full-back.
Winnett’s Cardiff team-mate Alex Mann is also in the running to make his debut in the dugout, while new captain Dafydd Jenkins gets a start to become the second-youngest player to lead Wales, Gareth Edwards. Learn more here.
A man will go on trial later this year accused of the murder of a 23-year-old on Christmas Eve in Cardiff.
Dylan Thomas, 23, is charged with the murder of William Bush. During a brief hearing at Newport Crown Court, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, Cardiff Registrar, set a trial for June 5 before High Court Judge Nicklin.
Thomas, of Chapel Street, Llandaff, Cardiff, excused himself from appearing and remained in custody in his absence.
Bush, who has been described as “loyal, funny and caring” by those close to him, was found wounded on a street in Chapel Street around 11:30 a. m. on Christmas Eve.
Shell said its annual profit fell in 2023 after declining oil and fuel prices hit its results.
The oil giant reported an adjusted profit, including taxes, of $28. 3 billion (£22. 4 billion) for 2023, down 29% from 2022, when rising oil boosted profits to a record high.
Underlying profit fell 19% to $68. 5 billion (£54. 1 billion), down 19% from $84. 3 billion (£66. 6 billion) a year earlier.
A woman is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a car in Swansea. Police were called to the scene of a serious collision at the Morriston estate at 6. 20pm.
South Wales Police said a 40-year-old pedestrian was hit by a white Chevrolet Captiva travelling southbound towards the Castle Bingo roundabout on the A4067 Neath Road.
A manhunt is under way after a young child was “slammed” to the floor before a suspected corrosive substance was thrown at her mother in an attack that left nine injured.
The Metropolitan Police said the woman and her two children were taken to hospital after a man threw the substance at them in south London at around 7.25pm on Wednesday.
Three members of the public who came to his aid and three Met officials who responded to the incident were also injured and taken to hospital.
The suspect fled the scene after the incident and no arrests have been made, the force said.
An iconic Welsh hotel has announced its closure as a consequence of the ongoing post-Covid and cost of living challenges. Holm House Hotel, in Penarth, was a well-loved and popular hotel with famous faces also enjoying a stay there.
Opened in 2004, Holm House has been temporarily converted into a premier hotel, restaurant, spa and wedding venue in the centre of Penarth. The hotel has been visited by celebrities such as David Hasselhoff, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Craig.
Warren Gatland will call up his 23-man squad to face Scotland in the opening weekend of the Six Nations.
This tournament has all the hallmarks of a new era for Welsh rugby, with veteran players moved, injured or unavailable and replaced by a generation of emerging talent. Follow the updates here.
Transport for Wales has warned that last night a major water utility near Tonypandy was hit while planning engineering works.
Dwr Cymru Welsh Water engineers are on site this morning performing the repair. They also showed that there may be some effects on the local water source this morning, with consumers experiencing low pressure.
A spokesperson for the railway company said: “We regret any disruption caused to the network and are fixing the issue as temporarily as possible. “
A Welsh RNLI rescue station has been closed after an investigation found a culture of distrust and disharmony. All volunteers at Pwllheli RNLI station have been told that volunteering arrangements with the crew are ending.
The investigation was launched after the all-weather lifeboat policy at the Llyn Peninsula lifeboat station was scaled back following complaints raised through volunteers. A full reset is underway and the policy will be provided through nearby rescue stations. Learn more here.
Former Welsh Vice President Alan Bates is reportedly on the verge of rejecting a rebate offer from the government, calling it “miserable” and “cruel. “The man who led the crusade for justice in the Post Office Horizon scandal won a bid 111 days after filing his application.
The government confirmed plans for “full and fair compensation” to sub-postmasters affected by the IT scandal in 2022. But Alan, from Llandudno, told the Daily Telegraph the offer was “offensive” and “cruel”, adding it is “around a sixth” of what he requested. Read more here.
Dry with light winds and misty sunshine. Here’s the full prediction for Wales today:
After a cool start, the day will be drier with lots of misty sunshine. Temperatures around average for the time of year with lighter winds. Maximum temperature 8°C.
Winds will kick in tonight as clouds thicken from the west overnight, with some rain and drizzle rays, especially over the hills. Minimum temperature 6°C.
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