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Wales Online
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Football fans stuck in hotels after historic match hit by travel chaos
Football fans stuck in hotels after historic match hit by travel chaos Wales' team is set to face off in their first Euro 2025 match but fans might not be able to make it to the venue Wales' Angharad James getting a picture at with young fan at the Cardiff Airport (Image: PA ) Welsh football fans are facing disruption ahead of a historic match, as French air traffic control strikes continue to cause chaos for those headed to France. Welsh women's team made history after qualifying for the Euro 2025 tournament last year. They are set to take on the Netherlands this weekend on July 5 in their first match of the tournament but some fans are now having to deal with an unexpected snag. As the strikes by air traffic controllers in France continue to cause flight delays and cancellations, fans who hoped to see players battle it out on the field in Switzerland are now stuck. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Daniel Davies, a fan from Rhondda Cynon Taf, said he was due fly from Heathrow Airport to Basel at 8.20 BST but his flight was cancelled on the night of July 3. He was supposed travel with his family including his wife, three children, and parents. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here However, he is now stuck at a hotel in London, worried about how the family will make it to the match. He told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: "My brother was on the flight last night, that was also cancelled, due to air traffic control strike in France. Article continues below "They've managed to get on a flight from Bristol but their car's in Gatwick and we're planning to get on that flight, but that's full so at the moment I don't think we're able to get to Switzerland." Daniel added that there is lack of flights to Switzerland owning to the strike, and he's not left with many options due to the cost. Strikes by workers in France means that hundreds of flights in the country have been cancelled with planes flying over France also being grounded or diverted. Airlines like easyJet, Ryanair, HOP! and Air France cancelled nearly 500 flights at the start of the strike action which is taking place on July 3 and July 4. Ryanair has announced that cancellations will impact flights to and from France in addition to flights over the country that are headed to places like the UK, Greece, Spain and Ireland. The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) has requested a decrease in airport capacity nationwide, which would mean airlines having to cancel flights. This comes just as the school summer holidays are about to kick off in France, a time when air traffic typically reaches its peak. According to the DGAC, these dates are among the busiest of the year, with many people setting off for their summer holidays. Despite the strike action continuing into Friday, only one of the two unions is participating, which should result in less disruption. The strikes could also affect 'overflights' or those that pass through French airspace. Article continues below This could potentially mean aircraft have to be rerouted around France, leading to delays. Flights to and from Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Morocco have been among the most severely impacted during previous ATC actions in France.
Wales Online
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Wales Online
Welsh activist recalls terrifying moment she was arrested abroad
Welsh activist recalls terrifying moment she was arrested abroad D. Murphy, a Swansea resident, was detained in Palestine of at the end of last month D. Murphy, a Swansea resident, was arrested by Israeli authorities while she was in a village in Palestine (Image: International Solidarity Movement ) A Swansea woman has recalled the moment she was arrested by Israeli police in an early-morning raid while volunteering in the occupied West Bank. D. Murphy, who is originally from Cork in Ireland, has lived in Swansea for more than 40 years and had been visiting the West Bank as a human rights observer with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) when she was arrested last month. She has been going to the West Bank, particularly the village Khalet Al-Daba'a in Masafer Yatta, for more than 20 years. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here. Ms Murphy and fellow activist Susanne Björk, 48, a Swedish citizen, were arrested by Israeli police on May 31 after being accused of being in a closed military zone. She has since returned home to Wales after reportedly being detained for 10 days. Recounting her arrest Ms Murphy told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: 'I've explained to you how the place was demolished. "But violent, despicable Israeli settlers, armed settlers, came and forced two families out. They're untouchable and they know it. Article continues below 'And just to see grown men and women and grandparents having to sit there and take it because if you raise a finger against a settler you're under arrest. We stayed the night.' Describing the moment she was arrested Ms Murphy said she got up to use the toilet and "heard from the bathroom shouting shouting, shouting, and glass being broken". She has been going to Palestine since 2004 (Image: International Solidarity Movement ) She added: 'So the soldier smashed the glass of the door and he was like: 'Get out' pointing guns at us, you know. 'Passports, passports', which we gave. "How would you not when someone's pointing a gun at you, like, a rifle at you? And then they said: 'You're detained until the police come'.' The duo faced deportation and though Ms Björk returned home Ms Murphy spent 10 days trying to fight the decision, according to ISM, which also alleged that she was initially denied legal counsel. However her lawyer was later able able to speak to speak to Ms Murphy who eventually made the decision to return as she said that communication was difficult from the prison. She said she felt "outrage combined with a kind of heartbreak" at the fact she had "walked away from my friends when they really needed us there." She added: 'I really wanted to [stay and fight the deportation] but things didn't work out for me. Article continues below "Communication was impossible so it didn't feel like it would have achieved anything. 'So,I made the very sad decision to leave of my own accord at the end of the day.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Men return home after 100 days in Guinea prison
A search and rescue specialist hired to recover a downed research balloon in what was supposed be a four-day job has finally returned home after spending more than 100 days in a West African prison. Paul Inch, 50, from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, and colleague Richard Perham, 29, from Bristol, had gone to Guinea to recover the equipment for a firm when they were arrested and accused of spying. "It was scary - the worst thing I have ever experienced," said Mr Inch. Lord Collins of Highbury, UK government Foreign Office minister for Africa, welcomed the men's return after their "lengthy ordeal". The Guinean government has been asked to comment. "We were threatened with all kinds of abuse," said Mr Inch, who works as a mountain bike guide, water safety officer, and as a volunteer with the Aberglaslyn Mountain Rescue. He described the conditions in the Conakry prison as "horrific", with 80 men sharing a toilet and shower. "Sleeping through the night you'd have rats and mice and cockroaches crawling over your body," he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast. Mr Inch said the water was contaminated so they washed with a disinfectant and were concerned about becoming unwell. He explained how he and his colleague had believed they "had the right permissions to be [in Guinea]... and then quickly found out that we hadn't". "We were in court and then told 'you're going to prison'," he said. Guinea's ex-military ruler pardoned over stadium massacre Tourist in US chained 'like Hannibal Lecter' Timothy Spall's new crime drama filmed entirely in Wales Mr Perham said: "We had to literally fear for our lives each day. "After we had been there for two months, the UK ambassador walked us to the prison gate, believing we were finally being released but a phone call to the prosecutor stopped it. "We had to turn around and walk straight back in for another month. It was devastating." After their release on 11 April, the pair were stuck in Guinea for 42 more days. Mr Inch's partner, Cheryl Potter, said: "Every single day has been a constant battle worrying about him." Mr Inch has thanked his supporters, the British Embassy and his local MP, Liz Saville Roberts, for their help to get them home. Ms Saville-Roberts said the organisation that hired the pair had informed Guinean authorities that Mr Inch and Mr Perham "had no role in operating the balloon, no knowledge of its technical contents, and no involvement in its flight or descent". "Their assignment was purely logistical: retrieving equipment under the understanding that all permissions had been granted," said the Plaid Cymru MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd. "This has been a nightmare for the two men and their families and friends who have been focused, resourceful and determined to ensure that never a day went by without seeking their release."
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Morgan right to push our government
It is the first minister's "job" to "push for more" from the UK government, according to a senior member of Keir Starmer's cabinet. First Minister Eluned Morgan has said Wales should be "at the front of the queue" for further investment from Westminster. She has also challenged some decisions taken by UK ministers, accusing Welsh Labour MPs of failing to stand up for Wales. Pat McFadden, minister for inter-governmental relations, insisted Welsh concerns were "high on the agenda" in London. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast he said the "best deal for Wales is a Labour government in the Senedd working with the Labour government at a UK level". "That's already getting results for Wales and it can get a lot more in the future," he said. Morgan rejects 'divisive language' on immigration Labour 'a family' says MP amid Morgan-Starmer differences Wales' Labour first minister says she'll call out Starmer However, in recent weeks questions have been raised about the much-heralded "partnership in power" between the two Labour governments. In a major speech last week Morgan said she would "not stay silent" if Sir Keir Starmer's UK government took decisions "we think will harm Welsh communities". She called on UK ministers to halt part of the plan to cut disability benefits and to rethink cuts to the winter fuel allowance. And she repeated Welsh Labour's calls for for a shakeup of the way Wales is funded by the UK government and the transfer of powers over the Crown Estate to Cardiff. Securing rail investment for Wales in light of the UK government's spending on HS2 in England is another priority for Morgan. Asked about the first minister's demands, McFadden said: "When it comes to investment, there's a spending review coming up. Welsh concerns will be there. "Spending reviews are always competing concerns from around the country. "It is absolutely right for the first minister to be pushing for more." "The chancellor of the exchequer, [Rachel Reeves] she gets lots of demands from ministers, first ministers, cabinet ministers for funding, and the art of government is to work through those things in the best way possible." McFadden was speaking as the UK government announced plans to relocate thousands of civil service jobs from London. He was not able to say how many of those jobs would go to Cardiff. BBC Wales political editor Gareth Lewis Next month's UK government spending review - where and how much funding it allocates over the coming years - is a big deal for Welsh politics, especially with the next Senedd election looming. On the weekend we learned that the first minister had requested detailed discussions with the prime minister on rail funding, devolution of the crown estate, coal tip safety and other issues. This morning we had an insight from one of the UK government's "big beasts" into how things might go. There was a mix of optimism if you are Eluned Morgan - Wales high up the agenda; but also realism - there are plenty of others trying to bend the ear of the chancellor and PM too. For Eluned Morgan the stakes are high as she tries not only to show that Welsh Labour is subtly different from the UK party, but also tries to secure extra funding and extra powers for the Welsh government. If she comes away empty-handed or even with not a lot to show, opposition parties will immediately argue that it debunks Labour's claim of a "partnership in power" working better for Wales.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wales' first minister hopes to 'jolt' Downing Street
Eluned Morgan says she hopes to "jolt" Downing Street into meeting her demands for Wales. The first minister said she would meet Sir Keir Starmer on Thursday - two days after she called on him to rethink some benefit cuts. BBC Wales was later told a formal meeting had not been scheduled, but both leaders were taking part in VE Day commemorations in London. Morgan gave a speech on Tuesday that in which she promised to follow a "red Welsh way", even if that meant criticising the UK government. Labour's Welsh government also wants increased funding and for Wales to see more financial benefits from wind power. Asked on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast why the UK government had not agreed to her demands yet, the first minister said: "Let's see if this will jolt them into action. "They've only been in power for less than a year. They inherited a terrible legacy from the Tories and they've been trying to stabilise the ship in the face of some massive international political headwinds. "So I understand why we haven't got to the top of the list yet, but I'm saying 'we need you to focus on us, we need you to deliver for us because we've been hard done for'." With a year to go until the Senedd election she said "we know we've got work to do". "We know we've got to focus on delivery. That's what I'm doing," she added. Morgan told the programme: "I'll be meeting Keir Starmer tomorrow [Thursday] in London just to start that discussion of how they are going to help us to turn this around." However, a spokesperson for the first minister later clarified that no formal separate meeting has been scheduled. Both leaders are due to attend a VE Day service at Westminster Abbey. When voters go to the polls Labour will be defending a 27-year record of leading Wales' devolved government. During that time it has been responsible for the NHS, which has seen waiting times rise to record highs in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic. Waiting lists were coming down thanks to a "huge injection" of cash from the UK government, the first minister said. Plaid Cymru on Tuesday accused Morgan of making a "floundering" attempt to reset her first ministership. The Welsh Conservatives said it was a "last ditch, desperate attempt to save the Labour party's bacon". Reform, which is hoping to win its first seats in the Senedd next year, said Labour was "more focused on slogans than solutions".
