DRAGONS ace Michael Owen is emerging as a favourite for a Test spot against the All Blacks. Owen, who shone in yesterday's 36-14 win over Taranaki in New Plymouth, received high praise from coach Ian McGeechan and is being heralded by the British media
AFTER a long consultation process and much debate, Torfaen councillors took the final vote on the controversial primary school review programme yesterday. The cabinet voted in favour of education chief Mike De Val's recommendation to close Ponthir VC
DRAGONS ace Michael Owen is emerging as a favourite for a Test spot against the All Blacks. Owen, who shone in yesterday's 36-14 win over Taranaki in New Plymouth, received high praise from coach Ian McGeechan and is being heralded by the British media
EMOTIONS ran high as parents were told of the decision. At Ponthir, they vowed to keep fighting "all the way to the end". Sue Sheppard, of the Ponthir Action Group, said parents were disappointed but not disheartened. "Although the news was expected it's
THE weight of the Church is firmly behind the battle to save an under-threat Newport leisure centre. A bodybuilder- turned-Baptist minister is spearheading the campaign to save Underwood leisure centre, where he once won a muscle- man title. In November
YESTERDAY, Tony Blair was asked to step into a row over the threatened closure of Ponthir School - and he promised to examine why the local council wants to shut it down. His intervention came after Monmouth's new Tory MP, David Davies, questioned why
PONTHIR Action Group member Steve Price called for the council to look at the situation again. He said the school offered excellent faith-based education, and suggested ways to keep Ponthir open and make capital savings of £170,000 and revenue savings
THERE was sadness and anger yesterday as a Gwent council voted to axe two primary schools. After a series of meetings between 10.30am and 6pm, Torfaen councillors voted to close Pentwyn Primary School in Abersychan and Ponthir VC primary in July 2006
Newport Gwent Dragons lock Luke Charteris has been handed his second successive cap on Wales' North American tour. Coach Mike Ruddock has decided not to pair first choice locks Brent Cockbain and Robert Sidoli for Saturday's match against Canada in Toronto
IN her presentation Pentwyn campaigner Jean Church told the council the consultation process was "severely flawed". She said: "This decision is reckless, unfounded, irresponsible and incomprehensible." She said the school was chosen by the Assembly as
SHE is a ship full of mystery, sailing out of the far past into the future with a cargo of dreams. The time will come when what has been dubbed the Newport Ship will be resurrected in the form she had over 500 years ago when her prow was cutting the waters
WITH the US Open at Pinehurst teeing off next week, several of the top guns in the European Tour have decided to opt out of the KLM Dutch Open at Hilversums which started this morning in order to prepare. It does fall at a rather awkward time, with a
WALES outside half Stephen Jones makes his first start for the British Lions in a powerful team chosen to take on the formidable New Zealand Maoris on Saturday in a match unofficially dubbed as 'the fourth Test'. Wales' Grand Slam hero Jones arrived late
POLITICIANS are lining up to back a campaign aimed at saving 900 acres of ancient Gwent woodland. Wentwood Forest is Wales' largest ancient woodland, and as reported in the Argus, nearly a third is up for sale. The Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland
An absolute joke. I'm afraid that is the only way I can describe the ECB's verdict on the Steve Kirby ball tampering case. He has been found guilty on two counts of attempting to tamper with the condition of the ball, yet as far as I can see there is
WALES outside half Stephen Jones makes his first start for the British Lions in a powerful team chosen to take on the formidable New Zealand Maoris on Saturday in a match unofficially dubbed as 'the fourth Test'. Wales' Grand Slam hero Jones arrived late
THE Brookfield campaigners told councillors the site could be developed to accommodate pupils from nearby Oakfield as part of an amalgamation of both schools, cutting down the surplus places and ensuring staff and pupils from both schools stay together
