Latest News from Rhyl Journal
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Former EastEnders star Joe Absolom joins Emmerdale cast
The 46-year-old will play Ray, an old contact of Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb), in the ITV soap, having previously played Matthew Rose in BBC soap EastEnders from 1997 to 2000. ITV says Ray will arrive at the farm claiming to be selling farm machinery, but it is not long before his true drug-dealing ways become clear. Absolom said of his new role: 'Well, what an honour to join such a talented team at Emmerdale. It's an iconic show and I'm grateful to be part of it. I can't wait to see what's in stock for Ray.' ITV says Absolom's character will have a 'calm and collected exterior' with a hidden 'menacing streak'. Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said: 'We are thrilled to welcome Joe Absolom to the cast. It's fantastic to have such a high-calibre and immensely talented actor join our wonderful team to play the role of Ray. 'Charming, charismatic and effortlessly likeable, Ray is an extremely complex character who very quickly shows his dark and villainous side to some of our most loved villagers, leaving them in no doubt as to what he's capable of.' The actor also appeared as Al Large in the ITV comedy drama Doc Martin between 2004 and 2022, and most recently played the role of Braden Moore in Code of Silence. It comes after ITV announced it was to air its first ever crossover between Coronation Street and Emmerdale, with fans able to vote for the characters they would like to see meet and interact. The hour-long crossover episode will air in January 2026 as ITV and STV announce a new hour of soap schedule, which will see half hour Emmerdale episodes air at 8pm, followed by 30-minute episodes of Coronation Street at 8.30pm. Emmerdale airs on weekdays at 7.30pm on ITV1 and STV, or from 7am on ITVX and STV Player.
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- General
- Rhyl Journal
Man reunited with father's wartime documents found hidden in desk drawer
Martin Reid bought the desk at auction four years ago but only discovered the folder of documents recently when he was moving furniture and found them behind a drawer that had been stuck. Mr Reid discovered the papers had belonged to the late Ian Rodger, from Glasgow, who served with 2 Squadron of the 6th Armoured Division Signal Regiment, a unit of the British Army, and fought in Italy and Tunisia during the war. After hearing about the discovery following an appeal for information made through the Church of Scotland, Mr Rodger's son Sandy came forward to claim the documents. He travelled from his home in Rye in East Sussex to meet Mr Reid in Edinburgh on Thursday and to thank him personally as he collected the folder. Mr Rodger, 62, said he had a collection of his father's old papers and letters from the war but had never seen the contents of the folder before, and he thanked Mr Reid for his 'kind return' of the documents. He said: 'In January 2021, with my 90-year-old mother Isabel's health fast deteriorating, I travelled from home in Sussex to Glasgow to help her move into a care home. 'Under lockdown rules this allowed little time for preparation or even a proper goodbye, and then I was left with less than two days to clear her flat, trying to preserve the memories of her own and my father's long and rather remarkable lives. 'In the process I missed a folder of papers which had fallen behind a desk drawer, and, but for Martin's kindness and initiative, they would have remained lost. 'I am hugely grateful to Martin and to Cameron Brooks from the church for their detective work, and to the multiple people who saw articles about the appeal and got in touch to let me know.' The folder contained photographs, letters and maps relating to the British Army's involvement in the campaign known as the Liberation of Italy between 1943 and 1945. Ian Rodger held the rank of captain during the war and can be seen in a wartime photo which appears to feature Major Jack (John) Profumo – who later became a secretary of state but whose political career ended after an affair with Christine Keeler came to light in the 1960s. After being demobilised, Mr Rodger practised as a solicitor in Glasgow, co-founded Scottish Opera and was involved in the Scouts and Wellington Church of Scotland in Glasgow where he was an elder. He died aged 91 in 2007 and in March 2021 his desk was put up for sale at McTear's Auctioneers in Glasgow. His widow Isabel died in February 2023. Mr Reid, from Lanark in South Lanarkshire, bought it for £110 and used it regularly at his home over the years, not knowing the historic papers were hidden inside until he found them in late March this year. Mr Rodger, a business consultant, said: 'The papers add to a fascinating collection of letters maps and photos, telling the story of the 8th Army's advance through North Africa, Italy, and into Austria in the last three years of the war, defeat of the Germans turning into the race for Berlin which shaped Western Europe for the next 50 years. 'The perspective of a signals officer, constantly on the move, keeping troops connected to their command, offers an amazing overview of the conflict. 'There isn't much mention of the human cost of the war, and my father never really spoke of this, perhaps typically. 'But it's a proud and detailed account of an extraordinary endeavour, told by a young man who, with the benefit of hindsight, survived and could be said to have had a 'good war'. Mr Reid said he is delighted to have been able to reunite Mr Rodger with his father's papers. 'This was a story that certainly captured the imagination of many people and Sandy got in touch with the church the morning the article was published, which was rather astonishing given he lives on the south coast of England,' Mr Reid said. 'The maps, letters and photographs are utterly fascinating and provide a really important insight into the British Army's involvement in the Italian campaign against Adolf Hitler's Germany. 'Sandy is a lovely guy and very proud of his father and it was very moving seeing his reaction as he leafed through the folder and shared anecdotes.'
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Warning over environmental ‘vapocalypse' despite ban on disposable versions
Shops and online retailers will be prohibited from selling single-use vapes from Sunday. The crackdown aims to curb their use among young people and reduce the litter and environmental impact. Disposable vapes are non-refillable, unable to be recharged, and are often thrown away with general waste in black bins or littered rather than being recycled. Green campaigners say vape producers have been developing new styles that are cheap but meet reusable criteria, meaning they essentially circumvent the ban. Material Focus, which advocates for circular economies, said increasingly popular 'big puff' vapes are cheaper per inhalation than disposable devices. The group also highlighted pod-based styles, some of which are rechargeable and refillable but remain cheap enough for consumers to have little incentive to reuse them. In many cases the products have a similar look, feel and price to disposable models, the campaigners said. Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, said: 'Without quick and extensive action, the threat of a 'vapocalypse' remains and new big puff and pod vape models are already contributing to an environmental nightmare.' He added that vape company design teams have been 'working their socks off to get new legal models on to the market' while the regulatory work was being carried out. 'To most users of these vapes, and shopkeepers even, they may not notice any difference in the old disposable vapes versus the new re-useable ones,' he said. Mr Butler said that while the ban will take some of the most environmentally wasteful products off the market, the UK may need more flexible legislation to tackle challenges around new models and waste. Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the incoming regulation on its own 'may be insufficient'. '(The) Government cannot expect leopards to change their spots,' she said. 'If they want a vaping market with products that have minimal impact on the environment, do not appeal to teens and are safe and effective to help adult smokers quit, then further regulations are needed.' Asked on Friday whether the legislation would be enough to stop vape producers flooding the market with similar products, nature minister Mary Creagh said: 'Well let's bring in the ban first. That's what I would say.' Ms Creagh said the tobacco and vapes Bill currently progressing through Parliament will look at further restrictions on vape sales and use, as she spoke to the PA news agency ahead of a visit to Sweeop Kuusakoski's vape processing facility in Sittingbourne, Kent. 'I'm confident that my colleagues in the Department of Health will not hesitate to use those powers should what we're doing this weekend not achieve the goals,' she said. 'But I'm confident that it is already sparking a conversation among young people … getting them to ask the questions, getting them to understand that there's no such place as 'away' and that these are really difficult to recycle.' She added that most big puff vapes on the market do not have replaceable coils so they are within the scope of the ban. The Government is considering further ways to drive up levels of separately collected electrical waste including vapes as part of reforms to waste electrical and electronic equipment regulations. Under current rules, vape producers already have a legal responsibility to finance their collection for recycling. Vapes contain valuable and critical materials such as lithium and copper that are regularly binned in household waste. If littered, they can also cause fires and other damaging or toxic impacts on the environment as well as wildlife. To help drive up recycling rates, Material Focus is calling for retailers to make more collection points available as well as the launch of a major communications campaign to drive public awareness about recycling the devices. Mr Butler said: 'The majority of vapers are either unaware of where to recycle their vapes or don't have a good experience of recycling them.' John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), said: 'This needs joined-up action from across the waste chain and more effort needs to be done to provide consumers with disposal points at the point of use and not just point of sale.' He said that while the UKVIA works to educate consumers on sustainable vape use and recycling initiatives 'more needs to be done'. 'We would encourage the Government to launch a national consumer education which includes responsible disposal of vapes, why vaping is much less harmful than smoking, and warning of the dangers of buying non-compliant products from the black market or other irregular sellers.' Claire Shrewsbury, director of insights and innovation at the Wrap charity, said single-use vapes have been a 'huge environmental issue'. 'This ban will help remove disposable vapes while giving people a reusable option,' she added. 'And with businesses which sell vapes legally obliged to provide recycling collections, awareness of this remains limited and needs to be better communicated.'
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
£1.5bn in extra funding for military homes as part of defence review
The review, expected soon, will set out the money, which will be put towards work to improve housing and unlock further development. Cash will be used on urgent repairs such as fixing boilers and roofs, and other issues including tackling damp, the MoD said. Speaking on a visit to some military homes in Cambridgeshire, Defence Secretary John Healey said: 'I'm announcing through the strategic defence review a record increase – £1.5 billion in the next five years – to upgrade military family homes. 'Our forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe and to serve this country and yet for years, we've forced their families to live in substandard homes that you or I … just wouldn't tolerate.' He also said the review will 'recognise the fact that the world is changing, threats are increasing'. 'In this new era of threat we need a new era for defence.' It will be 'the vision and direction for the way that we've got to strengthen our armed forces to make us more secure at home, stronger abroad', he said. The strategic defence review was launched by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last year, as the Government looks to overhaul Britain's military in the face of rising global tensions. Ahead of the review, the UK has already committed to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product – a measure of the size of the economy – on defence from April 2027, rising to 3% during the next Parliament. Last month, the Government launched a consumer charter aimed at improving the living conditions for service personnel and their families. It commits to higher move-in standards, more reliable repairs and a named housing officer for every family. It also pledges a shorter complaints process and more freedom for families to be able to make improvements to their service homes. Liberal Democrat defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire called on the Government to go further in its pledge, by bringing military accommodation up to the decent homes standard – the minimum standards that social homes should meet. She said she was 'glad to see this Government has finally come to their senses and listened', and added: 'Those bravely defending our country deserve proper housing without leaks, mould, floods and freezing temperatures. 'But it's disappointing to see the Government refuse to commit to bring all military homes under the decent homes standard – a change the Lib Dems will continue to champion, so no military family has to suffer in a second-rate home.' Ms Maguire previously told the PA news agency that military families were 'struggling over the 80th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day', after the Government revealed it had logged 442 urgent repair requests for service family accommodation during the week which began on May 5.
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Disposable vapes ban to come into force in bid to improve health and cut litter
The crackdown on the devices, also known as single-use vapes, makes it illegal for any retailer – ranging from corner shops to supermarkets – to sell them. The ban applies to both online and in-store sales across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and all disposable vapes whether or not they contain nicotine. Retailers are still allowed to sell reusable vapes. It follows the soaring use of disposable vapes in schools and a flood of plastic rubbish from the discarding of the devices. Disposable vapes are non-refillable and unable to be recharged, and are typically thrown away with general waste in black bins or littered rather than recycled. Even when they are recycled, they need to be taken apart by hand, while their batteries are a fire risk to recycling facilities and can leak harmful chemicals into the environment. Rogue traders who continue to sell them risk a fine of £200 in the first instance, followed by an unlimited fine or jail time for repeat offending. Figures from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) suggests the number of vapers in Great Britain who mainly use single-use devices fell from 30% in 2024 to 24% in 2025, while the use of disposables by 18 to 24-year-old vapers fell from 52% in 2024 to 40% in 2025. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said usage among young vapers remained too high, and the ban would 'put an end to their alarming rise in school playgrounds and the avalanche of rubbish flooding the nation's streets'. Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: 'For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today. 'The Government calls time on these nasty devices.' Ash deputy chief executive Caroline Cerny said: 'It's promising to see that many people switched away from disposable vapes to re-usable products well ahead of the ban. This is particularly marked among young people, who were more likely to use disposable products due to their attractiveness, affordability, and heavy marketing. 'This new law is a step towards reducing vaping among children, while ensuring products are available to support people to quit smoking. It will be up to manufacturers and retailers to ensure customers are informed and able to reuse and recycle their products securing a real change in consumer behaviour and a reduction in environmental waste. 'If behaviour does not change then further regulations will be possible following the passage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.' Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: 'We have been working with retailers, the Government and Trading Standards for months on providing detailed guidance that sets out how to spot non-compliant vapes after the ban comes into force, as well as advising retailers on what they need to do with any stock of disposables left over on June 1. 'We strongly support robust enforcement activity, starting with the businesses that are already openly flouting the rules by selling illicit product and who will continue to sell disposable vapes once they're outlawed. 'It is essential that Trading Standards teams are given the resources they need to get illegal vapes and other products off the streets, as these rogue businesses undermine the work of responsible retailers across the country.' The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) said its members had moved quickly to bring new fully compliant products to market well ahead of the June 1 deadline, but warned of 'serious unintended consequences' of bans as a regulatory measure. UKVIA director general John Dunne said: 'Vaping was invented to help adult smokers quit and disposable products became the most successful vape products to do so because they are simple to use and most closely replicate the sensation of smoking. 'We are concerned that this ban will encourage former smokers who have already transitioned from cigarettes – which kill 220 people every day in the UK – to return to combustible tobacco or opt for unregulated vapes. 'We also have clear evidence, from countries including the USA and Australia, showing that black market, counterfeit and illicit vape sales spiked when vape bans and restrictions are introduced.' The separate Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently working its way through Parliament, also includes powers to potentially restrict the packaging, marketing and flavours of e-cigarettes.
