Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales) back issues from March 2009:
Pregnant teen dies in triple road tragedy; Families lead the tributes to friends killed in horrific Anglesey collision.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Darren Devine A PREGNANT teenager was among three young people killed when the car they were travelling in smashed into a tree, it emerged last night. The families of the three teenagers killed in the horrific accident paid tribute to their children while the ...
Picture perfect artist has focus on a licence to thrill; Diver's depictions of fish to be used on new hi-tech angling permits.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Sally Williams YESTERDAY he was a little-known artist from Carmarthenshire who spent his time diving into rivers to take photographs of his muses: the nation's freshwater fish. But today David Miller will become the most widely distributed wildlife artist in ...
Dead woman is named as police renew appeal.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... A WOMAN found dead at her home on Friday was named yesterday as 58-year-old Susan Williams. A 23-year-old woman arrested by police investigating the death has been released on bail by Gwent Police. Two other people, a 17-year-old youth arrested on suspicion of ...
Plaid split as youth wing calls for AMs to defy Ieuan over top-up fees; Concern as ministers to join Labour vote to end student tuition-charge exemption.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Martin Shipton Chief Reporter THE first signs of a rift between Plaid Cymru's grassroots and the ruling coalition have emerged with calls for the party's AMs to defy their leader and vote against the introduction of student top-up fees. Ieuan Wyn Jones and ...
Python pair to attend town's first showing of Life of Brian.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Antony Stone TWO Monty Python stars will attend the first-screening of their classic Life of Brian film in a town which banned it 30 years ago. Michael Palin and Terry Jones will travel to Aberystwyth later this month for the town's first screening of the ...
Row over national park waste plant bid.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... RESIDENTS are threatening to take a national park authority to the High Court if it pushes through a plan to build a huge waste plant. The row over a proposal to build an "anaerobic digester" facility at Talgarth is the latest planning dispute to hit the Brecon Beacons National ...
International tag grounded to give airport more 'Welshness' Bilingual logo to be used as part of rebranding.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Sarah Miloudi and Rachel Quigley WHEN is an international airport not an international airport? The answer, it seems, is after an extensive rebranding exercise. After months of speculation about a new name for Wales' only major airport - suggestions ...
Medicines 'do not work' on children under 12.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... PARENTS will be told that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines do not work on children under 12 and can even cause side effects like hallucinations under new advice. Areview of remedies such as Lemsip powders, Day Nurse and Sudafed by the Medicines and Healthcare products ...
140,000 jobs could go, says report.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... MORE than 140,000 manufacturing jobs will be lost this year in the wake of a "dramatic" downturn which is cutting deeper into British industry, a report warns today. The Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) said research among almost 800 companies made "grim reading", with a ...
Study in co-operation will see biggest universities in unison; St David'sDay declaration aims to help bring Wales out of recession.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Moira Sharkey THEY once formed the key pillars of the University of Wales. But, while the umbrella body that once held Wales' seats of learning together has now ceased to exist in all but name, a declaration of co-operation will today pave the way for the ...
Thousands turn out to fly the flag on parade for St David.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Rachel Quigley PILGRIMS from across Wales gathered in the capital yesterday to celebrate St David's Day. Thousands of people who took part in the annual March 1 parade on the streets of Cardiff were joined by a group who travelled from St Davids Cathedral to ...
Fans wait for hours to see Tennant and Duncan film Doctor Who special.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... FANS of Doctor Whowere treated to a glimpse of the Time Lord's new assistant as filming for a new special episode got under way in Wales. Around 60 diehard fans of the hit BBC One Wales show queued overnight to see Lindsay Duncan's performance as the Doctor's assistant. ...
pounds 20m injection in NHS will cut waiting times with new works and equipment; A&E departments and diagnostic services to benefit from payout.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Madeleine Brindley HOSPITAL departments will be extended and patients will have access to life-saving equipment as part of a pounds 20.7m boost to the NHS. The Welsh Assembly Government will today announce funding for a series of capital works at hospitals ...
Pension scheme deficit grows by 50%.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... DEFINED benefit pension schemes were collectively pounds 45bn in the red at the end of February after seeing their deficit balloon by more than 50% during the month, figures showed today. The funding shortfall faced by the UK's 200 biggest defined benefit pension schemes rose by ...
uk news bulletin: Oscar winner Boyle takes Oscar home.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... DIRECTOR Danny Boyle popped into his local club yesterday to toast his Oscars success. The 52-year-old director of Slumdog Millionaire was joined by his father Frank, 87, and twin sister Maria at St Mary's Catholic Social Club in Radcliffe, Bury, Greater Manchester. ...
uk news bulletin: Prime Minister set to meet Obama.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... GORDON BROWN pledged to forge a "global new deal" with Barack Obama when he meets the US President for talks in Washington this week. Mr Brown said the two countries' historic "partnership of purpose" should be directed at fighting the downturn as well as terrorism, poverty and ...
uk news bulletin: Fat Duck shuts to solve illness mystery.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... HESTON BLUMENTHAL said he was baffled by what may have caused a health scare that saw him close his award-winning restaurant. The "culinary alchemist" temporarily shut The Fat Duck as a precaution while tests are carried out after about 40 customers were taken ill over the past couple of ...
world news bulletin: 'Tehran could build nuclear bomb'.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... IRAN has enough nuclear material to build a bomb, America's most senior military commander said. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: "Iran having a nuclear weapon, I've believed for a long time, is a bad outcome for the region and for the world." ...
world news bulletin: Holocaust bishop may be arrested.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... GERMANY may issue an arrest warrant on hate crime charges against the British Holocaust-denying Catholic bishop Richard Williamson, the justice minister said yesterday. It is illegal to deny the Holocaust in Germany and several other EU countries. Brigitte Zypries ...
world news bulletin: Border guards charged with murder.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... BANGLADESHI police have charged more than 1,000 border guards with murder and arson after amutiny in the capital that left as many as 148 people dead or missing, most of them army officers. The government announced plans to form a special tribunal to try the border guards who ...
Losers 'have no desire' for quiz show rematch; BBC probe after claims University Challenge winners broke the rules.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Nathan Rees THE losing finalists in this year's University Challenge said yesterday they do not want a rematch despite claims a member of the winning team may have broken the rules as he was no longer a student. The BBC has launched an investigation following ...
Amanda's support for dogs who've had a 'woof' ride.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... TELEVISION star Amanda Holden launched the UK's first dog-walking "tag-team" challenge yesterday in a bid to raise awareness of abandoned dogs. The Britain's Got Talent judge kicked off the 246-stage relay, beginning at Land's End in Cornwall and finishing at John o' Groats, ...
Modellers' Hart and soul put into tribute for TV star Tony.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... A FLASH mob of tiny Plasticine figures yesterday honoured the memory of one of Britain's favourite television presenters. Nearly 200 of the small orange models drew an even larger crowd of human onlookers at the Tate Modern gallery on London's South Bank. Each one was ...
Harman warns of law change as Goodwin row rumbles on; Commons Leader hints at action on ex-RBS chief's pension payout.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Joe Churcher and Ben Padley SIR Fred Goodwin will not get his pounds 650,000-plus pension even if he is legally entitled to it, Commons Leader Harriet Harman vowed yesterday in the strongest Government attack yet on the former banking chief. In what appeared ...
Goody is facing op to help control her pain.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... CANCER-STRICKEN Jade Goody was last night facing the prospect of an operation to relieve her "awful pain", her publicist Max Clifford said. The 27-year-old Big Brother star was set to be admitted to the Royal Marsden Hospital, in Fulham, south-west London, after spending the ...
Homing in on a new idea may unlock the sales door; Plans for open houses and try before you buy.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Sally Williams INNOVATIONS to kick-start Wales' stagnant property market could become the norm as the country continues to battle with the economic slump, experts have predicted. Figures released this morning revealed that average house prices in Wales fell ...
WAO says housing associations are 'failing to deliver' for tenants.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... MANY housing associations are letting their tenants down in crucial ways, according to a hard-hitting report from the Wales Audit Office released today. The report says unsatisfactory progress is being made towards meeting key policy priorities of the Assembly Government. ...
Interest rates set to drop for sixth month running.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... INTEREST rates are likely to be slashed again this week as the Bank of England embarks on a bid to revive the economy with newly-created money. Economists expect borrowing costs will hit a record low of 0.5% on Thursday as rates fall for the sixth month in a row. But ...
Farmers reap bigger rewards as a stronger euro and milk shortages in Europe pay them dividends; Agriculture leaves era of gloom but greedy supermarkets still under fire.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Clare Hutchinson AFTER years of scraping out a living on the poverty line, Welsh farmers are at last seeing a rise in their incomes, according to latest Assembly Government figures. But an average farming family - often comprising three generations - still ...
Garden sets costume record.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... THE National Botanic Garden celebrated bumper crowds yesterday by laying claim to a unique Guinness World Record. Hundreds turned out in traditional Welsh dress to mark St David's Day at the garden near Carmarthen. Crowds flocked to the sprawling venue which boasts a ...
Hands-free mobile ban backed.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... MORE than two in five motorists think hands-free mobile phone kits should be banned in cars, it was revealed yesterday. While drivers are not allowed to use hand-held mobiles at the wheel, hands-free kits are legal. But 71% of motorists polled by esure car insurance reckon ...
Welsh Italians moved to plan war memorial; Famous patrons back scheme to mark victims of ship's sinking.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Sarah Bunney AS A ship carrying 1,500 Second World War prisoners to a Canadian internment camp, the Arandora Star should have embarked on its transatlantic journey with a red cross on its side. But its failure to display one made it a target for German ...
Tory MP wins backing from Labour over banker expenses motion.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... THE MP often described as Wales' most right wing has formed an unlikely alliance with Labour left wingers to demand the publication of expenses paid to senior officials of banks that have received public money. Monmouth Tory MP David Davies said he was very pleased to have ...
Recession study on minority groups.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... A NEW drive to ensure minority groups do not get "left behind" during the recession was announced yesterday. Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will work with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to make sure ...
Evolution theory and religion can co-exist, say most in Wales.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... IT IS a debate which has fascinated mankind for centuries: science or religion? But the Welsh do not seem to know what all the fuss is about. A new survey shows people in Wales are prepared to accept science and religion together and do not see the two as mutually ...
Council apologises to family after teen's sexual assaults; Foster carers were not aware that 18-year-old had history of attacks.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: LIz Keen A WELSH council has been forced to apologise to a young family after a teenager put in their care under a placement scheme was jailed for abusing their two small children. The Vale of Glamorgan council admitted a "serious error of judgment" after the ...
Also-ran resort is looking to raise its profile with tourists; Ideas could see Saundersfoot emerge from Tenby's shadow.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Steffan Rhys FOR decades it has lived in the considerable shadow of its better known neighbour, but a Welsh seaside village is considering ways to raise its profile. Saundersfoot has always been a popular destination for the "bucket-and-spade brigade" but its ...
Mandelson Royal Mail outburst 'baffling'.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... LORD Mandelson remained on collision course with unions and Labour MPs last night after launching a furious attack on opponents of his plans to part-privatise Royal Mail. The Business Secretary criticised the use of union "scare tactics" and warned party rebels they risked ...
I hope these silly, half-baked edicts about pastry just crumble away; that's typical.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Steve Groves I MAY as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. So here's this week's admission. I've just eaten a pasty. Good too, it was. Tidy pastry, excellent chunks of steak, firm potato, well seasoned. It hasn't always been a crime. But following ...
Ministers' love-in leaves grassroots feeling jilted; Western Mail COMMENT.(Leaders)
Mar 02, 2009 ... PLAID Cymru is finding that being in government has a down side as well as the obvious advantages. The unrest within the party over its ministers' decision to abandon opposition to student top-up fees is not surprising, given that the policy has been a major plank of successive ...
Letter: Plaid has two views on nuclear power.(Letters)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: ALBERT OWEN MP SIR - I was interested to read the "clarification" by the Plaid Cymru Chair and the party's Environmental spokesperson on new nuclear build (Letters, Feb 20). They boldly stated the party's total opposition to the construction of any new ...
Letter: Electrify the trains.(Letters)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: JON PORTER SIR - Your readers will no doubt have read that the Government is due to announce the decision on the electrification of the Great Western main line between London and Oxford, Swindon, Bristol, South Wales and the South West. Apparently a "do ...
Letter: True Wales' integrity.(Letters)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: IAN WILLIAMS SIR - Reading the Wednesday Essay (Feb 25) by the Oxford academic Patrick McGuinness left me feeling quite angry. His diatribe against True Wales was to say the least infantile in its narrowness, and fails to accept that there are those who have every right ...
A POSTCARD FROM WALES.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Send your pictures together with contact details to Saffron Jenkins at wmreaderpics@mediawales.co.uk ...
Wales get Sir Clive's endorsement; RETRO REPORT March, 2005 How we covered...(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Edited by Tony Woolway LIONS coach Sir Clive Woodward has delivered a ringing endorsement of Wales under Mike Ruddock, labelling them "wonderful, fantastic ... and a joy to watch". Woodward says he has been bowled over by the thrilling brand of rugby served up ...
Letter: Saving the language.(Letters)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: H JOHN SIR - Margaret Phelps says that the Welsh language should be saved by "cultural means" rather than by the WAG following a bilingual policy (Letter, Feb 25). While transparency is needed on how much money is spent on translation costs for the Welsh ...
Letter: Why the fuss?(Letters)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: M THOMAS SIR - Jack Harris of Swansea writes with annoyance (Letters, Feb 19) because there was only one Welshman, Jonathan Davies, on the review of the Six Nations rugby! Jonathan looks after Wales well and is excellent ...
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to ...
Box Office: Helen's life goes full circle as she again fits the bill in classic; In recent years Helen Fraser has been best known as 'the prison warden from hell' in Bad Girls, but her latest role engages her humanity in a very real way, as she tells Gavin Allen.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Gavin Allen BILLY LIAR has done much for Helen Fraser's career, but its significance runs much deeper. Keith Waterhouse's 1959 book has been turned into a play, a film, a musical and a TV series, and Fraser's first professional contact with it came when she ...
Box Office: Artists' creations on the way to Europe as part of Brussels show to mark Welsh Week.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Edited by Karen Price TWO Wales-based artists have been invited to showcase their work at a gallery in Brussels. Following a successful visit by foreign art curators to Wales in 2008 - organised by Wales Arts International, British Council and the Artes Mundi ...
arts news bulletin: Mr Producer to be PR director.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... THE Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod has appointed Cardiff-based Mr Producer as public relations director for this year's event. The company is led by Stifyn Parri who has also produced a number ...
arts news bulletin: Sale to raise funds for Kenya school.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... AN ART exhibition and sale of paintings, etchings and sculptures will take place in Cardiff this month to raise funds to help build a ...
arts news bulletin: Play explores reconciliation.(News)
Mar 02, 2009 ... CARDIFF-BASED Blunt Instrument Theatre will present Joanna Murray-Smith's play Love Child at Chapter Arts Centre from March 5 to 7. Love Child follows the reconciliation between a mother and the daughter she gave away at ...
Women warned of ovarian cancer; HEALTH WALES.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Madeleine Brindley WOMEN are not aware of ovarian cancer or its symptoms, new research has found. A study by Ovarian Cancer Action revealed most women believe smear tests can detect the cancer. Ovarian cancer is the most fatal gynaecological cancer ...
Four Welsh councils still profiting from sunbeds; HEALTH WALES Health lobby urges removal of equipment from last leisure centres.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Madeleine Brindley Health Editor FOUR councils in Wales are continuing to profit from running sunbeds in leisure centres. An investigation by the Western Mail has found that Carmarthenshire, Flintshire, the Vale of Glamorgan and Wrexham are operating sunbeds ...
Breast cancer deaths are decreasing; HEALTH WALES.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Madeleine Brindley BREAST Test Wales has celebrated its 20th birthday with a fall in deaths associated with breast cancer. Figures from the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit shows the number of deaths from breast cancer in Wales has dropped from ...
Mental health issues are a priority for us all; Mental illness can affect any of us. Jonathan Morgan explains why services are ripe for review.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Jonathan Morgan AS chair of the Assembly's health, wellbeing and local government committee, I am delighted to announce that the committee will be undertaking a review of community mental health services. One in four - possibly one in three - of us will, at ...
ASK THE EXPERTS.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... WITH spring fast approaching, I'm sure many of us will be looking forward to getting back into our gardens. But, for an estimated one in five of us who suffer from some form of arthritis, pottering in the garden and other such activities may not be as enjoyable as they once ...
It's time to assess a real NHS headache - its pounds 500m backlog for maintenance; THE PROFESSIONALS.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Mike Ponton REPORTS that the NHS is facing a pounds 500m backlog of maintenance works made alarming news recently. The NHS faces a difficult task when it comes to carving up its resources. There are many conflicting priorities, of which maintaining ...
Appeal on future of dementia care facility.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... HEALTH Minister Edwina Hart has been urged to take action to save a care home offering respite care for dementia patients. The Hafan Croeso home in the Amman Valley faces closure by Easter after a pounds 60,000 grant application was refused. The money would have paid for the ...
The size of things to come; Swansea is set to become the leading centre for cutting edge nanotechnology research and development in Europe. Plans have been approved for a pounds 21.6m Centre for Nano Health at Swansea University. Health Editor Madeleine Brindley spoke to the experts at the forefront of this technology.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Madeleine Brindley NANOTECHNOLOGY may be the stuff of science fiction and futuristic visions of the world. But, in reality, it already plays a major part in our lives today - every mobile phone contains such minuscule technology. The wires inside the chips ...
Anti-cancer vaccine's uptake 'encouraging'.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... ALMOST nine out of 10 school girls have received an anti-cancer vaccine in the six months after it was launched. The first figures for the take up of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in Wales show that 88% of Year 8 school girls have had the first dose of the jab. And ...
The most dangerous place in the world to be pregnant... Angela Gorman, recently in Sierra Leone, reports on how the charity she founded, Hope for Grace Kodindo, plans to help turn things around for the country that suffers some of the worst risks for mothers and their babies in the world.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Angela Gorman SIERRA LEONE, a country of five million people on the west coast of Africa, is recovering from a brutal civil war. The country has the potential for vast wealth, with gold and reputedly the highest quality diamonds in the world. Sadly, the civil ...
Rugby ref tells of his battle with bulimia as photos celebrate real people rather than size zero celebs; Owens speaks out to raise awareness.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Madeleine Brindley Health Editor RUGBY referee Nigel Owens, pictured below, has revealed how he won his battle against bulimia after his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Speaking candidly about his eating disorder, the Welsh referee said it was a ...
The Friday-night experiment is one which didn't seem to work for me - or for the majority of fans.(Features)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Byline: Carolyn hitt SO why did we lose on Friday night? Don't ask me - I didn't see the match. That's not to say I Wasn't There, but when you're sitting in the front row behind the posts in the Stade de France your perspective is somewhat limited. I ...