Category: news

England’s 2018 World Cup bid is viewed as low risk by Fifa, though the world governing body raises concerns over training camp and hotel provision.

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A soldier from the 6,500-person town of Hiawatha, Iowa, is the first living recipient of America’s highest military decoration since the Vietnam War.

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Anglesey is probably the least likely first home for any newly-wed royals in recent memory.

This island on the north-west tip of Wales is a long way from London or the English shire counties traditionally favoured by princes, princesses, dukes and their like.

So as Prince William and his bride Kate settle into married life next year on Anglesey, what does it have to offer the royals – and any new visitors tempted to follow their path?

First of all, new visitors will realise that Anglesey is not its only name.

Most people on the island speak Welsh, and to them it is Ynys Môn, or just Môn.

Its motto is also Môn Mam Cymru, or Anglesey, the Mother of Wales.

The language also gives Anglesey the distinction of the UK’s longest place name. It is a 63-character tongue-twister which the people of Wales are regularly required to recite to impress visitors.

Here goes.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch translates as “The church of St Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St Tysilio’s of the red cave”.

Of course, you could save time by following the locals and just say Llanfair PG.

Many of Anglesey’s attractions are seasonal because the economy depends heavily on tourism, although there has been a big push to establish the island as a year-round holiday destination in recent years.

Some would argue, though, that outside the main tourist season the beauty of the island comes into its own.

Award-winning beaches, 125 miles (200km) of coastal path and the “fantastic weather” can often best be enjoyed without other people around. It should be pointed out, however, that “fantastic weather” was said to me by a local with tongue definitely in cheek.

If William and Kate are foodies, they will be catered for by a number of small intimate restaurants around the island serving locally sourced produce.

And should those meals lack a little flavour, they can sprinkle on a little Anglesey Sea Salt. Its producers claim it is “making its way onto the menus of top restaurants throughout the world”.

Jane Blakey, the chair of the Anglesey Tourism Association, unsurprisingly described it as a wonderful place to live.

“I think we are custodians of what there is here and are very lucky to preserve and keep this beautiful place,” she said.

She added that tourism was key to the island, which offered the bustle of towns such as Beaumaris or Llangefni, as well as areas of “breathtaking scenery” and “solitude”.

As if that were not enough, she called the people of Anglesey “very warm and welcoming.”

William and Kate are already pretty familiar figures on the island. But despite the potential publicity of a royal couple on the doorstep, the tourism association said it had been careful to “respect their privacy”.

“I think this is true of the people on the island too, as he is entitled to his privacy and if he goes out here he won’t be hassled,” she added.

Ms Blakey said she was “thrilled to bits” with the wedding announcement, adding: “It’s just what the country needs at this time of doom and gloom”.

The economic downturn has not spared Anglesey, with heavy job losses over recent years.

Some 390 lost their jobs when Anglesey Aluminium shut down its smelter plant at Holyhead – the main port town on the island – last year.

One possible saviour on the jobs front – although not everyone agrees – is the inclusion of the island as a possible location for a new nuclear power station.

The current Wylfa power station has been given permission to carry on producing electricity until 2012.

And what of those who imagine that Anglesey is “out in the sticks”?

Well, locals will argue that no fewer than three capital cities can be reached quite easily.

First, there is the traditional ‘Irish Mail’ train route to London, some 270 miles (434 km) away.

Second, there is a ferry from Holyhead on which to hop the 91 miles (146 km) over the Irish Sea to Dublin.

Finally, there are the twice-daily 140 miles (225 km) flights to Cardiff, which wags have dubbed “Ieuan Air”.

This, political novices should know, is a jibe at Ieuan Wyn Jones. He is the island’s Welsh Assembly Member who no doubt finds the air service useful on his travels as deputy first minister in the assembly government, and as leader of the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru.

But transport links are a prosaic topic at such a time.

If the royal couple were looking for a romantic location, they have found the perfect Welsh spot.

Just off Anglesey is Llanddwyn, which you can walk to at low tide. It is known as the Welsh island of love, and was home to Santes Dwynwen, the patron saint of Welsh lovers.

The exact history of Dwynwen has been lost since the 5th century, but legend has it that she was the daughter of the son of an Irish king who devoted her life to the happiness of lovers.

The remains of a church are still at Llanddwyn, where a service is held each year to mark the Welsh equivalent of Valentine’s Day.

And who knows? If William and Kate have a little space in the diary next 25 January, perhaps Llanddwyn may receive an extra couple of visitors hoping to receive an Anglesey blessing from a royal of a very different era…

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Two men have been jailed for life for murdering a shopkeeper during a robbery at his village store in West Yorkshire.

Gurmail Singh was hit over the head with bottles of wine from the shelves of Cowcliffe Convenience Stores in Cowcliffe, Huddersfield, in February.

Huddersfield men Muawaz Khalid and Nabeel Shafi were previously convicted of murder at Bradford Crown Court.

Khalid, 20, was told he must spend at least 21 years in prison while Shafi, 18, was given a 20-year minimum term.

As the two men were sentenced Shafi shouted: “That’s not right. I’m innocent. I never touched anyone. You’ve got the wrong guy.”

His supporters joined in the shouting before they left the court.

During the trial the prosecution said Mr Singh, 63, was attacked on the night of 20 February after he refused to “meekly hand over his property, his hard-earned money” during the robbery.

He died in hospital the following day.

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US car giant General Motors says its offer of shares to the public could raise $18bn – $5bn more than first hoped.

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Police in the Irish Republic have arrested a man after two women and two children were found dead in a house in County Limerick on Tuesday afternoon.

It is believed they were stabbed. One of the dead is thought to be the mother of the children, aged one and five.

It follows the deaths of two children and their father in County Cork.

John Butler died when his car crashed near Ballycotton on Tuesday morning. His daughters, Zoe, 7, and Ella, 2, were later found at his home.

He died when his car burst into flames after hitting a tree.

Concerns were raised after Zoe did not turn up at a local primary school.

Police went to the home of Mr Butler, who was in his 40s, and discovered the bodies of the two girls inside.

It is not yet known how they died.

It is understood the children’s mother had left for work in Cork city at about 0730 GMT, just over two hours before the car crash.

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Scotland take on the Faroe Islands in an international friendly at Pittodrie.

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Sinn Fein are set to choose Gerry Adams’ successor as a Stormont MLA at a meeting on Tuesday.

The party president has announced he will step down as both an MP and MLA to stand for election to the Irish parliament.

He will remain as an MP until the Irish election when he will stand in Louth.

Sinn Fein currently holds five out of six Assembly seats in west Belfast and its choice will automatically succeed Mr Adams.

The party also has five MPs, including Mr Adams, and four members of the Irish parliament.

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Burglars stole more than £6,000 from a Chelsea Pensioners’ club on Remembrance Sunday.

The thieves stole takings from a safe in the veterans’ club at their base in the Royal Hospital, central London, on Sunday night.

The elderly war veterans had earlier been in the club after attending services to remember British war dead.

The club suspects it may have been targeted because the thief knew there would be high takings.

Major-General Peter Currie, lieutenant governor of the Royal Hospital, said: “It is terribly sad, coming at the end of Remembrance weekend and it is not the first time.

“If somebody was going to do it at any time, the end of the weekend of remembrance is a good one.

“At the Royal Hospital it is a moment of great significance, a lot of people end up in the club visiting us.”

He added: “If anyone was looking at it through a burglar’s pair of spectacles you might think that it was a good time.”

A police forensics team has visited the club.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police were called to the Pensioner’s Club, the Royal Hospital, Chelsea Gate, to reports of a burglary. Inquiries continue.”

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The Duchess of Cornwall reacts to the announcement of Prince William’s engagement to his long term girlfriend, Kate Middleton.

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The engagement of Prince William to Kate Middleton has given this most classless of names a royal warrant.

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Former Labour immigration minister Phil Woolas will begin a legal bid to overturn a ruling that he should be banned from politics for three years.

He is seeking a judicial review of the ruling of a special election court, which stripped him of his Commons seat.

It found he had made false statements in his campaign to hang on to his Oldham East and Saddleworth seat.

Last week the High Court rejected his initial request for a judicial review, but Mr Woolas is making a fresh bid.

He is due at the Royal Courts of Justice at 1400 GMT and the case is likely to continue into Wednesday.

A decision about a by-election in Oldham East and Saddleworth is on hold until the legal process has finished.

The election court was told Mr Woolas stirred up racial tensions during a campaign which saw him retain his Oldham East and Saddleworth seat by just 103 votes from Lib Dem candidate Elwyn Watkins.

It ruled he was guilty of breaching the Representation of the People Act 1983 and barred him from standing for elected office for three years.

Labour deputy Harriet Harman has suggested he would not have a future in the party, even if he won an appeal. She told the BBC: “It is not part of Labour’s politics for somebody to be telling lies to get themselves elected.”

But that annoyed many Labour MPs who accused her of pre-empting the outcome of any appeal by the former MP.

Mr Woolas is raising cash for the next stage of his legal challenge to the election ruling and has reportedly received the backing of a number of prominent Labour figures.

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The government has apologised to the families of dead nuclear workers whose body parts were taken for testing without the knowledge of families.

The Redfern Inquiry was ordered when it emerged in 2007 that tissue was taken from 65 workers at Sellafield in Cumbria between 1962 and 1992

Publishing the report, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said it was “regrettable” that tissue was taken.

Families have demanded to know who authorised the tissue testing.

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The husband of a woman killed on honeymoon in South Africa has denied that they acted in a reckless way.

Shrien Dewani said the decision to drive into a township of Cape Town at night had not been ill informed.

Police in South Africa said they have arrested a man in connection with the death of 28-year-old Anni Dewani.

The couple, from Bristol, were kidnapped near Cape Town on Saturday. Mr Dewani was released unharmed.

Surrounded by family and friends, Mr Dewani, 31, said it was his new wife who had made the decision to go to one of the city’s poorest areas.

Mr Dewani said on Saturday night, after dinner in a suburb and a walk on the beach, they got in a taxi to head back to Cape Town.

He said that, on the way, Mrs Dewani said she would like to see some of the “real South Africa” and the taxi driver left the motorway and headed towards Gugulethu township.

The plan was simply to drive through but, two miles outside, their vehicle was carjacked by armed men.

The taxi driver and then Mr Dewani were forced from the vehicle. The car with Mrs Dewani’s body inside was found on Sunday morning.

Mr Dewani said: “It was an impulsive decision to drive through the township but for anyone to suggest it was reckless or careless is unfair.”

He said his wife’s death meant “my life is ruined”.

A spokesman for the South African police said: “A 26-year-old man from Khayelitsha was taken in for questioning this morning in connection with the hijacking of the UK couple that occurred in Gugulethu on Saturday evening.

“A murder case was opened in connection with the death of 28-year-old Anni Dewani whose body was found in Khayelitsha on Sunday.

“Police are working around the clock to ensure that the perpetrators of the crimes are brought to book.

“Several leads are currently being followed in a bid to solve the case.”

The couple from Westbury-on-Trym, had been married for two weeks.

Mr Dewani is reported to own PSP Healthcare, which operates eight nursing homes in south-west England.

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World champion Sebastian Vettel clears the air with his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber after a season of intense rivalry.

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