Archive

  • Welsh leaders pay tribute to Nelson Mandela

    WELSH political leaders have paid tribute to Nelson Mandela on the night the former South African president and leader of he anti-apartheid struggle died. The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones said: "Nelson Mandela can be truly described as

  • Hughes wants to celebrate ton with a clash against Cardiff City

    NEWPORT County defender Andrew Hughes has raised his bat for a ton, but now he’s got his eyes on cup glory, writes Michael Pearlman.The County academy graduate returned from injury at the weekend to help the Exiles to three vital points over Chesterfield

  • Road to be named after Pontypool war hero

    FOLLOWING the hard work of Pontypool veterans to uncover the grave of a Rorke's Drift defender from under brambles, a road will be named after the Private. The work was undertaken by The Veteran Association, Pontypool Branch, after its chairman, Michael

  • Former County player charged with match-fixing

    FORMER Newport County AFC player Michael Boateng is one of two footballers charged over match-fixing allegations, the National Crime Agency said. Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun, both 22 and from the Croydon area of south London and both now at Conference

  • Jolley confident he'll be back among the goals soon

    NEWPORT County striker Christian Jolley believes he’s on the verge of rediscovering his goalscoring touch, writes Michael Pearlman.The 15-goal striker last term is back to full fitness after six weeks on the sidelines, but as yet he’s failed

  • Hundreds enjoy Chepstow Christmas lights switch on

    AROUND 500 people gathered in Chepstow town centre to see the annual Christmas lights illumination on Saturday.The High Street was closed to traffic for the day to allow for the festive celebrations to take place. Before the Town Mayor Councillor Stephanie

  • Defendant late to court as he was locked in toilet

    A DEFENDANT failed to show up to his scheduled bail hearing at Newport Crown Court on time today because he was locked in a toilet in Wilkinson. Adam Smith, 21, of Monnow Way, Bettws, is charged with maliciously wounding Peter Robinson on August

  • SCHOOL OF THE WEEK: Magor Church in Wales Primary

    YOUNGSTERS at Magor Church in Wales Primary are excitedly looking forward to Christmas. JOHN PHILLIPS reports.PRIMARY schoolchildren are in a festive mood as they take part in a series of fun-packed events celebrating the arrival of the central figure

  • Blackwood shoppers asked to join the celebration

    TRADERS in Blackwood’s indoor market are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the building today.A lick of paint and more units opening in recent years has brought a new atmosphere to the indoor shops and traders are calling for shoppers to come

  • Pontypool steam engine dug up in Forest of Dean

    THE Coal Authority is in the middle of excavating a large beam engine in the Forest of Dean that was made in Pontypool. These pictures were captured by Mark Turner, a taxi driver in the Forest of Dean. He said: “I take pictures of things that

  • Usk woman fights for life after Ebbw Vale crash

    A WOMAN was fighting for her life in intensive care last night after being injured in a crash which killed a man in Ebbw Vale last week.Ann Webb was returning home from visiting an elderly uncle in hospital when the car was involved in a crash which killed

  • Keys eyeing another big scalp against Leinster A

    AFTER recording one of the great Premiership away wins Cross Keys have been challenged to go up another level for Saturday's Dublin date with Leinster A. The Pandy Park outfit have enjoyed the perfect build-up to the crunch encounter in Pool One

  • YOUR AM WRITES: South Wales East AM, Jocelyn Davies

    It is with great disappointment that the latest international educational rankings – known as the PISA test – show that Wales has slipped further behind in terms of standards of reading, mathematics and science. The PISA tests compare the

  • 'Keep the noise down' - Caerphilly council's plea

    CAERPHILLY County Borough Council is asking residents to be good neighbours and keep the noise down.Noisy neighbours can be a nuisance, and the council is able to act against people who make excessive noise and ignore warnings to control volume levels

  • Torfaen could get 5,000 homes

    A PLAN for thousands of homes to be built across Torfaen has been given the go-ahead.An extraordinary meeting of the local authority was held yesterday afternoon over the adoption of the Torfaen Local Development Plan (LDP) 2006-2021, following approval

  • Ebbw Vale traders claim council is ruining Christmas trade

    EBBW VALE business owners are claiming Blaenau Gwent council is ruining Christmas business for them due to the ongoing roadworks. Keith Pritchard, 58, from Ebbw Vale, has owned Sweets and Things on Bethcar Street for almost three years. His partner

  • Parks to retry Antarctic record bid

    NEWPORT adventurer Richard Parks will make his second attempt at his Antarctic speed record challenge, after having to stop the first attempt due to severe weather. The Argus reported on Tuesday how the former Welsh rugby international had to postpone

  • Calzaghe so proud to be first ballot Hall of Fame entrant

    WELSH boxing icon Joe Calzaghe has expressed his honour at being announced as a first ballot Boxing Hall of Fame entrant.The 41-year old retired in 2008 and having been out of the ring for half a decade, now qualifies for the prestigious Hall of Fame

  • Newport fashion students set ethical challenge

    FASHION students at the University of South Wales' city campus have accepted a challenge to create an new ethical Welsh fashion brand. Following the devastation caused by the Rana Plaza building collapse in Bangladesh earlier this year, where garment

  • Man released after incident on Chartist Bridge, Blackwood

    THE man being held by police after an incident on Chartist Bridge in Blackwood late last night has been released. The 55-year-old man was brought to safety from the bridge and then arrested under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. Gwent

  • Torfaen MP urges students to aim for top universities

    TOP students in Gwent are being encouraged by an MP to apply to the UK’s best universities. Students from Coleg Gwent’s Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone and Cwmcarn High School met Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen and the Welsh Government’s specially-appointed

  • Lee Beach inspires Newport sea change

    A TONGUE-LASHING at half-time by Newport captain Lee Beach seemed to do the trick last Friday after his side staged a remarkable comeback to beat Neath. The Black and Ambers skipper hopes he won’t be forced into giving his troops another verbal

  • Pontypool gran Brenda set for Phillipines mission

    A 72-YEAR-OLD grandmother is heading to the Philippines to help survivors cope with the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.Pontypool mother-of-three Brenda Manley will travel to the city of Cebu on January 9 to help re-open schools and care for children after

  • What does it do?

    NEWPORT has about ten to 14, Torfaen quite a few, and Monmouthshire has dozens of community councils and town councils. Although they have minor local powers compared with county councils, they are an important part of democracy and have an organisation

  • Double your gift

    OLDER people’s charity Royal Voluntary Service is taking part in the Garfield Weston Foundation Christmas challenge on December 5, 6, and 7. For those three days only, any donation made to the RVS will be doubled by the foundation. Christmas can

  • Deserving praise

    WE hear so much criticism of the NHS and Social Services that I feel I must give them a few words of praise. I have been a patient at both the Heath in Cardiff and the Royal Gwent (and my son is, at present, a patient in the latter) and I could

  • Not so smart

    I READ with interest your article (Argus Dec 2) on David Davies asking about the cost of the Smart Meters scheme. Could I warn your readers that these meters are just not so smart. They can be used to tell the operators how many people are in a

  • One was best

    WHEN the unitary authorities were introduced to the old county of Gwent, the public were assured this was the way forward. Time has shown this is not the case. Every unitary authority is in serious financial difficulty exacerbated by the number

  • Council to fund burial of popular Pontypool man, John Reeder

    TORFAEN council is to pay for the burial of a popular Pontypool man found dead on the roadside in Pontnewynydd.John Reeder, 63, from Pontnewynydd, was found lying face-down on the A4043 near George Street at 6am on August 7. He was taken to Newport&rsquo

  • Expert evidence challenged in M5 crash trial

    EVIDENCE alleging that smoke from a fireworks display obstructed the view of drivers moments before a massive pile-up on the M5 near Taunton, in which a Newport couple died, has been questioned. A jury heard that statistics compiled from spectator statements

  • Newport RFC pay tribute to Mary Vile

    TRIBUTES have been paid to Mary Vile, daughter of Black and Ambers legend Tommy Vile, who has died aged 93 after a short illness, writes Iwan Gabe Davies.On their website, Newport RFC said she would be “remembered fondly by all” at the club.A

  • Returning skipper Andrew Coombs feeling the heat

    NEWPORT Gwent Dragons captain and lock Andrew Coombs confesses he fears his starting XV place is under threat after his absence on Wales duty. The 29-year-old is back to skipper the region in tomorrow night’s Amlin Challenge Cup group clash with

  • Mother Goose, Blackwood Little Theatre

    IT’s panto time again in Blackwood and as usual Blackwood Little Theatre have excelled themselves with this two and a half hour extravaganza. Directed by Neil Maidman, Mother Goose has something for all the family, with its endless stream of jokes

  • LIVE: Chancellor's Autumn statement

    UPDATE: 12.28pm The Wales Office said as a result of today's announcement the Welsh Government would see a net increase of around £100 million in funding over the next two years.   FOLLOW live coverage of Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn

  • Rodney Parade factor is key – Kingsley Jones

    NEWPORT Gwent Dragons forwards coach Kingsley Jones is urging the “fantastic” Rodney Parade faithful to play their part in tomorrow night’s do-or-die clash with Bordeaux-Bègles. His side must beat the French Top 14 side if they want to progress

  • Usk on song at Welsh finals

    USK Valley Trampoline Club entered some of its competitive squad into the Welsh Schools Trampoline Championships recently with some great results.This competition is a major yearly event open to schoolchildren from all over Wales and winners qualify to

  • Dragons women are on the up

    NEWPORT Gwent Dragons intend to show that they are a side on the up when they take on the Ospreys in the WRU Women's Regional Championship, writes Chris Kirwan. The Dragons go up against the champions on Sunday after being edged out by Cardiff

  • Exiles ace Chris Zebroski could be out for the season

    NEWPORT County AFC striker Chris Zebroski may not play again this season.The 27-year-old has been a big hit since arriving at Rodney Parade in the summer and is still the club’s joint leading scorer with seven goals – despite being sidelined

  • Two will face no further action in Kyle Vaughan inquiry

    GWENT Police have confirmed two people arrested in the Kyle Vaughan inquiry have been released with no further action to be taken. Another two arrested have had their bail extended. A 22-year-old woman from Newbridge who was arrested on suspicion

  • CHRIS KIRWAN SAYS: Balance being struck in the Premiership

    BEFORE jetting off to Japan with Wales last summer Andrew Coombs was guest of honour at the Principality Premiership awards.The Newport Gwent Dragons lock presented the player of the year award, an honour that he received in 2010, the same year that Cross

  • Coleg Gwent students to represent Wales

    STUDENTS from Coleg Gwent's Crosskeys Campus recently booked their places at the British Colleges Sport National Championships at Bath University in April.The students competed in the Welsh FE Colleges Championships held at the Sport Wales National

  • CHRIS KIRWAN SAYS: Regions are up against it... again

    IT'S hard to decide what was more predictable last weekend, Wales losing to Australia again or the regions suffering RaboDirect Pro12 disappointment.Cardiff Blues fought hard for a draw at Treviso, Newport Gwent Dragons showed spirit in defeat to

  • 'Relief' from relatives at care home abuse review

    THE GROUP campaigning for an investigation into care home abuse in homes across Gwent spoke of their “great relief” at news an independent review would be held into the police probe into the case. The “Justice for Jasmine” group, which represents

  • Film maker's appeal after Brynmawr cinema laptop stolen

    A GWENT filmmaker is appealing for the return of a laptop stolen from Brynmawr Market Hall Cinema which contains “hundreds of hours of work”.Peter Watkins-Hughes said he was “disappointed” after the laptop was taken from the office

  • Three vehicle crash on A465 in Abergavenny

    FIRE crews from Abergavenny and Ebbw Vale attended to a car crash on the A465 in Abergavenny this morning. The crash, close to Abergavenny Fuels Limited, involved three vehicles. Passengers in two vehicles were able to get out of them before fire

  • Glory for Newport in British Championships

    THE hard training paid off for Newport School of Tae Kwon-Do when the won a number of medals at the British Championships.With thousands of martial artists attending from across the UK, the competition in Cardiff was immense. Having undergone rigorous

  • Warning over Gwent boxer's scan

    GWENT boxer Robbie Turley has won his crusade to resume his boxing career, but his family are warning his case can’t open the floodgates for other boxers without medical clearance to fight, writes Michael Pearlman. Turley had been out of the ring

  • SDR re-opens after oil spillage cleared

    UPDATE: 8.27am The SDR has now re-opened. UPDATE: 8.00am THE SDR is closed on Newport this morning due to an oil spillage and large piece of metal in the road. The incident happened between Beatty Road (Beatty Road Roundabout) and Cot

  • Newport sixth form on show after £1 million revamp

    A NEWPORT high school opened the doors to its new sixth form facilities this week with an official ceremony to commemorate the school’s £1 million redevelopment. Lliswerry High School, on Nash Road, Newport, opened the facilities yesterday with

  • Newport church delivers 100 food hampers to Gaer

    KING’S Church, Newport, delivered more than 100 food hampers to Gaer Community Centre as part of their ongoing Jesus Cares campaign. The hampers – worth between £20 and £25 – were delivered to the centre by volunteers, to be distributed to people

  • Gwent hoping for boost from ‘shop local’ Saturday

    SHOPPING hubs will bustle with activity this Saturday thanks to a trading initiative which could help boost the local economy by millions of pounds.Independent traders will encourage consumers to back a Shop Local campaign by choosing small business over

  • Newport pupils in the Christmas spirit

    PUPILS at a Newport primary school got in the Christmas spirit when they performed their nativity play. A total of 85 year one and two children performed in Rockin’ Robin Around the World, which used contemporary settings and Bible stories, at St

  • Edinburgh hopes to sign Naylor

    COUNTY manager Justin Edinburgh has admitted he does have one January transfer target, a deal to keep on-loan midfielder Tom Naylor.The Exiles manager, who this week turned down the chance to talk to his ex-club Portsmouth over their vacant managerial