News about Wales: events, facts and developments on tafs uz.
21 stories
At Newport Coroners' Court, a 14-year-old boy from Blaenau Gwent denied the murder of Lilly Jones, whose body was found in Duffryn Park in Blaina on 22 June. The court scheduled the hearing for 23 November.
Aziz Karimov29-year-old Jamie Miller from Cardiff has become the first Welsh artist since 2011 to top the UK Singles Chart with the viral TikTok hit Babydoll. He is also the first Welsh male solo artist at the top of the chart in 41 years — since Shakin' Stevens. The track, released on 7 August, gained popularity after a video by Jennifer Love Hewitt and entered the Billboard Hot 100.
Javlon TursunovBrother Titus Keith, 78, who lived on the private island of Caldey off the coast of Wales, is accused of sexually assaulting a visitor and harassing an abbey employee. He handed women nude photographs of himself but denies all allegations. Dyfed-Powys Police investigated the claims, but no further action was taken. In 2024 the monk was forced to leave the island.
Javlon TursunovIn Wales, a drone filmed a fin whale feeding at the sea surface. Morgan, an oil refinery worker who enjoys fishing, flew the drone and captured the whale up close. A specialist from Bangor University explained that such behaviour is natural for fin whales, but its appearance near the shore is surprising.
Javlon TursunovClifford Foster, 61, from Bridgend, has been charged with the murder of 47-year-old Eleanor Barnfield, a housing association employee, who died in hospital after a crash. Police said she had stab wounds not connected to the collision. The ambulance service has denied rumours that the woman was driving herself to hospital due to a long wait for help.
Sevara Azamova59-year-old Michael Glover left a note on the door of Labour MP Henry Tufnell's office in Haverfordwest stating he knew where he lived, and the next day brought an axe to a pub. The court in Swansea sentenced him to six months' imprisonment suspended for 12 months, a five-year restraining order and a £154 fine.
Javlon TursunovOn the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, which claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults, King Charles III, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales laid wreaths at the memorial garden and met with survivors and bereaved families. The King called 21 October 1966 'the most tragic day imaginable'. The official inquiry of 1967 placed blame on the National Coal Board, but no one was held accountable.
Javlon TursunovThe UK regulator ICO reprimanded Ogi Networks Limited and Data Cymru following an attack on 1 November 2024, in which the personal data of 3,300 people, mostly children, was exposed. The cause was a test account that had existed for more than 12 years and was protected by a weak password.
Javlon TursunovKing Charles III, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales will travel to the Welsh village of Aberfan on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, to honour the memory of the 144 victims — 116 children and 28 adults — killed when a coal tip collapsed onto a school on 21 October 1966. The programme includes the memorial garden, meetings with survivors and bereaved parents, prayers and a minute's silence.
Sevara AzamovaExactly 60 years later, on 21 October 2026, the BBC publishes recollections of witnesses to the disaster in Aberfan, Wales: on 21 October 1966 a coal-tip landslide engulfed Pantglas school and houses, killing 144 people, including 116 children. Survivors and those who lost loved ones speak of rescues, losses, and how the day changed their lives.
Sevara AzamovaJane Dodds, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, announced on 20 October 2026 that she is stepping down as leader, while remaining the party's only Member of the Senedd. She said the work of strengthening the party's presence must be led by a 'new generation'. The only possible candidate to replace her so far is MP David Chadwick.
Sevara AzamovaIn Bridgend (Wales), a 47-year-old woman crashed her car into a wall on Coity Road and died. South Wales Police said her injuries were not connected to the collision; a 61-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Armed police cordoned off the Ger-y-Nant sheltered housing complex, where the arrest was made.
Javlon TursunovIn Newport, Wales, on the morning of 20 October, a double-decker school bus struck a railway bridge near Maindee West, tearing the roof off the bus. Three children, pupils of St Julian's School and Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, were injured, with injuries that, according to Gwent Police, are not believed to be life-threatening. Rail services between Newport and Hereford were disrupted for most of the morning. In Newport (Wales) on the morning of 20 October, a double-decker school bus struck a railway bridge near Maindee West, tearing the roof off the bus. Three children, pupils of St Julian's School and Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, were injured, with Gwent Police saying their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. Train services between Newport and Hereford were disrupted for most of the morning.
Javlon TursunovThe charity Kaleidoscope reports a sharp rise in referrals to the Birchwood detox centre in Wales: from two people in 2021 to 112 in 2026, with most clients aged 18–24. The University of South Wales is researching the specific needs of this group, as harm from chronic ketamine use develops faster than from alcohol or Class A drugs.
Sevara AzamovaPrime Minister Andy Burnham laid a wreath at the Aberfan memorial garden ahead of the 60th anniversary of the disaster of 21 October 1966, when a coal tip collapse killed 116 children and 28 adults. He met survivors, acknowledged that the authorities treated the community wrongly at the time, and announced around £140 million for tip safety. On Wednesday the community will be visited by King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Prince William.
Aziz KarimovIn the new BBC documentary 'Unseen: The Aberfan Portraits', residents of the Welsh village of Aberfan spoke about portraits of the children killed in the 1966 disaster, which artist William Richardson created from school photographs and parents' descriptions. Around 100 paintings were kept in families' homes for decades and helped them cope with grief. Now the question of the portraits' future arises: some are carefully passed on to the next generations, while others were buried together with the mother of a family.
Shahnoza ErgashevaNurse Rebecca Louise Burwood, who worked as deputy manager of the Bryn Yr Haul care home in Mold (Flintshire), has been found guilty of misappropriating £750,000 from a 99-year-old resident. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) found her unfit to practise and struck her off the register. According to the hearing, between 2017 and 2023 she obtained power of attorney, withdrew more than £370,000 from the account, obtained the victim's £400,000 house and spent the money on renovations, cars and, it was claimed, cosmetic surgery.
Otabek YusupovFor the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster (21 October 1966), Nancy Williams, who died shielding five children, will be honoured with a purple plaque. Survivor Paul Harris has spoken to the media about her heroism for the first time.
Aziz Karimov
