Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have said that they will not get bored at Wrexham as they build a “sustainable business” at the newly-promoted club. Wrexham ended a 15-year absence from the English Football League last month, with the pair taking over the club from the Wrexham Supporters Trust in February 2021 and investing heavily on infrastructure and strengthening Phil Parkinson’s squad since. Reynold has made it clear that he wants to take Wrexham to the Premier League and admitted that his involvement in football has become an “addiction”.
Following its review of the academy structure to ensure high-quality provision throughout Wales, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) has withdrawn licences for five academies and downgraded others. As a result, hundreds of players aged 12 to16 have been left with limited opportunities to continue playing academy football and parents are concerned that the number of grassroots teams will also be reduced. Taff's Well FC chairman, Lee Bridgeman, has argued that the removal of licences could be seen as a “draconian measure” because the clubs were given no action plans or support to help them improve their academies.
Residents in Northern Ireland will elect 462 councillors on Thursday with powers over areas including leisure services, planning and arts, heritage and cultural facilities. Councils have the authority to accept or reject most proposed developments and have leadership responsibility for community planning, which links together council statutory, government and community partners to improve local area's social, economic and environmental wellbeing. An increased role in public spending and decision-making could be in the offing with the development of Northern Ireland's Belfast region, Derry and Strabane city deals and Mid South West "economic engine."
Regulator Ofwat has increased demands for water companies in England and Wales to invest more into sewage infrastructure, following public pressure to reduce pollution levels in rivers, lakes, and seas. Despite paying out £1.4bn in dividends last year, water providers have been slow behind on spending targets with only three-fifths of the £2.2bn allocated to wastewater infrastructure for 2025 having actually been spent. The increased demand comes just as construction, finance, energy and labour costs are rising, which threatens the delivery of desired investment. Last month, Ofwat made the proposal to reapportion £1.6bn of expenditure planned for 2025 to 2030 to the next two financial years. More than £1bn of this is aimed at reducing the number of annual average spills from storm overflows, which was 301,091 recorded in 2022. The UK’s investment in water infrastructure is also reported to be lagging behind Europe.
Police will use facial recognition tech at the Cardiff location for Beyoncé's upcoming tour but not at the stadium itself, say South Wales Police. The technology will support policing of the concert, they add. Such technology has drawn concerns from privacy advocates who have called for a ban. The Metropolitan Police was criticised for its use of facial recognition technology during the Notting Hill Carnival in 2019.
The accuracy of bowel cancer screening tests sent to the many people in England aged between 50 and 74 could be increased from 84% to almost 100% through the use of two tests, say researchers at the University of Edinburgh. The tests, known as the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), look for blood hiding in faeces. In the study, 2,260 patients took just one FIT test, while 3,426 took two. The second test reduced the numbers of cancers missed by the first by 50%, and almost 20% of those taking two tests had a change of care plan due to test variations.
The UK needs a clear and workable plan to ensure that the court system can efficiently hear and process possession cases, according to Ben Beadle, CEO of the National Residential Landlords Association. Freedom of Information data from Scotland shows the number of administrative officer grade caseworkers in the country's Housing and Property Chamber increased 72% between 2017 and 2021, and Beadle called for a similar increase in staff for England and Wales. He said tenants should have access to legal advice when possession cases are being heard, while the Renters’ Reform Bill should enable both rogue landlords to be challenged and responsible landlords to deal with issues regarding rental properties. The cross-party housing select committee recently warned the government that an "unreformed courts system" could undermine its tenancy reforms.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified a number of baby clusters in South Wales and Southwest England suffering myocarditis, of whom at least one has died and three are hospitalised. WHO said there had been 15 babies identified with myocarditis in Wales and England between June 2022 and March 2023. Nine tested positive for the enterovirus. Sepsis was identified in each baby. WHO said that of the cases, only one was identified in Wales in the six years before 2022. UK Health Security Agency, which is set to release an update, has said one infant died.
The new Disney film version of The Little Mermaid, set to be released in cinemas next week, features a scene in which the prince guesses the name of the protagonist, Ariel, and his second guess is Catherine, the first name of Princess Diana. This has led to accusations of the film mocking the late princess. The Duchess of Sussex previously drew parallels between herself and Ariel in an interview with Oprah Winfrey earlier this year. Disney has not commented on the specific scene.
A Telegraph Sport investigation has found that female athletes are not receiving sufficient support when they become mothers. Para-cyclist Lora Fachie, who won two Paralympic gold medals, is among those who have spoken out, claiming that British Cycling made her feel “unwelcome” on her return from pregnancy. Sailor Clarisse Crémer was dropped by her sponsor following the birth of her child. Other sporting figures to have spoken on the subject include Icelandic footballer Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir, who won a case against former club Lyon for failing to pay while on maternity leave, and former Wales rugby player Jade Knight. The UK Sport organisation announced pregnancy guidelines last year, but Fachie and others maintain more support is necessary. The Rugby Football Union and the Football Association have created maternity policies, but the RFU’s policy applies only to contracted England players.
Nurse, Primrose James, has gone on trial accused of slapping an elderly patient in the face while he lay in his hospital bed. The patient, 80-year-old Dennis Warlow, who suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, had been a patient on the hospital’s orthopaedic ward since January 2022 after fracturing his hip, and was said to have been at times disruptive and violent. The incident occurred after Mr Warlow hit out at healthcare assistant Holly English and James who were working together to change his bed linen.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were followed by a half dozen vehicles with blacked-out windows, during a trip to New York with Meghan's mother. The royal couple's office described the pursuit as "near catastrophic" as it resulted in near collisions involving other drivers, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. The September 2021 incident echos the circumstances of the death of Harry's mother, Princess Diana, when she died in a car crash in Paris while her driver attempted to evade the paparazzi.
The UK government is releasing Albanian criminals from its jails a year early and giving them £1,500 to be deported. The scheme, which fast-tracks the deportation of Albanian offenders and illegal immigrants, was negotiated with the state and depends on criminals agreeing not to appeal their deportation back to Albania. The criminals are warned that, if they return to the UK without permission, they will immediately be sent back to a British prison to serve the remaining time of their sentence. At the time of writing, there were 1,336 Albanians in prisons in England and Wales, the highest represented nationality of foreign inmates.
The UK is set to deport up to 200 Albanian criminals to serve the remaining parts of their sentences in Albanian jails, with the deal being paid for by the UK. Many of those set to be deported include murderers, gangsters and drug barons. The move is part of a wider drive in the UK to expel Albanians who have been convicted of crimes and imprisoned in the country. Those jailed for more than four years will eligible for the transfer, costing the UK a fraction of what it would to hold them in high-security facilities.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a bombshell statement alleging that they were "involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi.” However, the NYPD denied the hyperbole, stating only that there were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging and "there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard." It may be worth reflecting that Harry and Meghan's safety was never compromised when living in Windsor Great Park as they are currently suing no less than three British newspaper groups.
Australian Waratahs and Wallabies winger Mark Nawaqanitawase will remain in Sydney for at least another 12 months after signing a one-year extension until the end of next season. The 22-year-old made his international debut against Italy in 2020 and said he was keen to make a lasting impression with the Waratahs before eventually considering a move overseas or to rugby league. Waratahs coach Darren Coleman described Nawaqanitawase as an “exceptional talent” and said his electric attacking play had already made a “significant impact”.
The Royal family's new documentary, 'Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers,' will be aired in the UK on 22 September to mark what would have been the Prince's 100th birthday. It has been put together over several months and contains reflections on Prince Philip's life and service as well as previously unseen materials. The BBC documentary has also been produced to mark the end of the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards programme, the charity he set up in 1956 to help young people from all backgrounds to improve their self-esteem and acquire the skills they need for adult life.
The Welsh government and the Green Man festival have entered discussions to lease Gilestone Farm in Powys. Taxpayers’ money funded the purchase and objections were raised at the time as no full business plan was drawn up prior to the investment. Despite continued developments occurring at the farm, the Green Man festival organisers will keep it as a working farm and host smaller events there. This marks a push towards a “sustainable rural enterprise” and the Welsh government is keen to support such ventures in pursuit of a flourishing and accelerating creative sector.
Arsenal midfielder Lia Walti sustained an ankle injury from Everton's Aggie Beever-Jones' reckless challenge during a Women's Super League match at Goodison Park on Wednesday. Walti is unlikely to play for Switzerland in the upcoming World Cup. Beever-Jones, a loan player from Chelsea, apologised to Walti and Everton over social media after being shown a red card and leaving the pitch in tears. The Arsenal football club's manager called the challenge reckless, stating they were assessing its effect on Walti's World Cup performance.
A study presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Dublin found that NHS patients who are of healthy weight cost 54% less than those who are overweight or obese. In total, patients who were a healthy weight cost the health service an average of £638 each per year, which is less than the £1,375 a year spent on the most obese patients with a BMI over 40. Across the study, just one-third of participants had a healthy weight. The extra costs of those who are not of a healthy weight is primarily due to treating obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases. A ban on buy one, get one free offers for unhealthy food and drinks is due to come into force this autumn. Restrictions on television and online advertisements for junk foods are scheduled for 2025 after a series of delays. The findings suggest that the NHS could save nearly £14 billion a year if everyone was a healthy weight.
