We have put together a round-up of all the latest news, weather, and travel information for Monday, April 25, as one in three adults believe their mental health has deteriorated over the past year, survey results suggest. Some 37% of adults are also more concerned about their mental health due to coronavirus, and 40% are worried about their physical state, according to a poll of 8,000 people in the UK by Nuffield Health.
Despite this, 42% of respondents said they spend no time looking after their mental health and 15% admit they have not done any exercise in the last year. Most adults, 85%, do not meet the NHS recommended 75 minutes a week of “vigorous exercise”, which could include walking up the stairs, aerobics, swimming and running.
In other news, a Welsh man who has spent nearly five years in a Yemen jail for having a British passport has been freed and is set to be reunited with his family. Luke Symons was accused of being a spy when he was found with a British passport in Yemen.
Luke, from Cardiff, had travelled across the Middle East when he was 20 and met his now-wife in Yemen. Now aged 30, the former barber had been held by the Houthi authorities in the capital Sanaa ever since his arrest at a security checkpoint in the southwestern city of Ta’iz on April 4, 2017. His family claim he had been mistreated in prison.
On Sunday UK Government foreign secretary Liz Truss said: "Delighted that Luke Symons, who was unlawfully detained, without charge or trial since 2017 in Yemen by the Houthis, has been released and will shortly be reunited with his family. I pay tribute to our Omani and Saudi partners and our team for securing his release."
Wales news headlines
The top 10 places to live in Wales right now ranked by the experts
The top places to live in Wales in 2022 have been revealed. Property finder company, Garrington’s, recently published their marketing report for this year's best places to live in Wales, Scotland and England. The property market has changed a lot over the last two years, not only has it become more fast paced but more and more people are searching for a home that offers everything, including a place to work and nearby green spaces.
According to Garrington's research report, the historical city of Bath in Somerset retained its number one position in 2022. The seaside town of Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire was ranked in fifth position after the Lancashire village of Caton and above the Cornish village of Fowey. The Welsh town, which boasts an amazing Norman castle and a beautiful seafront, was ranked 166 last year.
The report ranked various towns, cities and villages on 12 measures that covered four categories, which were physical environment, quality of living, architecture or heritage, and going green. Kidwelly ranked the highest in the 'quality of living' category.
Although the Carmarthenshire town was the only Welsh place to make it in the top 10 ranking, the report also showed the best places to live in Wales. Following Kidwelly, the second best place to live in Wales was Tenby in Pembrokeshire, which ranked the highest in the 'going green' category. In third place was the Meirionydd town of Porthmadog in Gwynedd, which like Kidwelly, ranked the highest in the 'quality of living' category. You can find the top 10 places to live in Wales here.
Major emergency services response after house set on fire
Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a house in Newport. Emergency services were called to the Greenwood area of the city on Saturday night. Following a joint investigation by Gwent Police and South Wales Fire and Rescue a police spokesman said "the cause of the fire was deemed to be deliberate". The alarm was raised at 11.05pm and crews were called to Beaufort Road, where the fire was put out quickly.
A 45-year-old man from Newport was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and remains in police custody. Chief Superintendent Tom Harding said: "Fortunately no injuries were reported as a result of the fire, which was quickly extinguished by firefighters.
"Following reports of the fire our officers swiftly attended to reassure members of the community and begin our investigation. We’ve arrested a man on suspicion of arson and he remains in police custody for questioning. As our investigation continues residents in Beaufort Road will see extra officers on patrol and we encourage you to speak directly to them if you have any concern."
Police are appealing for anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage that could help with the investigation to get in touch. They also want to speak to anyone who was in the area between 10.30pm and 11.30pm. Chief Supt Harding added: “We’re working closely with Newport City Homes, the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and other partners to ensure the safety of those living in the area. Anyone who is found to deliberately start a fire, which can cause people to lose their lives and significant destruction and damage to people’s livelihoods, will be prosecuted.”
Today's forecast
There will be a few showers today but the rest of the week looks dry, according to the Met Office forecast.
Today:
After a chilly start, Monday will be another largely dry day with sunny spells. Isolated showers may develop by the afternoon, mainly in the east, but many places remaining dry. Lighter winds than of late but a little cooler too. Maximum temperature 16 °C.
Tonight:
Any lingering showers will die out this evening and the cloud will break up further giving largely clear skies overnight. Perhaps a touch of frost in prone spots. Minimum temperature 1 °C.
Here is how the roads and rail are affected at 7am
There are no issues to report.
National news headlines
France votes for Emmanuel Macron over Marine Le Pen in presidential election
Voters in France voted in Emmanuel Macron for a second term as the country's president following a heated national election. He beat out Marine Le Pen in the presidential run-off.
Le Pen has now conceded defeat with exit polls comfortably seeing Macron win the election. A second five-year term for Mr Macron, if confirmed by official results later on Sunday, would spare France and its allies in Europe and beyond the seismic upheaval of a shift of power in wartime.
Mr Macron’s rival, far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen, quickly conceded on Sunday night. Her campaign had pledged to dilute French ties with the 27-nation EU, the Nato military alliance and Germany would, had she won, have shaken Europe’s security architecture as the continent deals with its worst conflict since the Second World War.
Ms Le Pen also spoke out against sanctions on Russian energy supplies and faced scrutiny during the election campaign over her previous friendliness with the Kremlin.
Polling agencies’ projections released as the last voting stations closed said Mr Macron was on course to beat Ms Le Pen by a double-digit margin.
Five years ago, Mr Macron won a sweeping victory to become France’s youngest president at 39.
Sue Gray’s Covid parties review could spell ‘end’ of Boris Johnson premiership, says report
Boris Johnson could be forced to resign after the Sue Gray review into claims of Covid rule breaches in the Government is published, according to a report. Ms Gray, a senior civil servant, was forced to delay the publication of her investigation into alleged parties held in Downing Street and Whitehall during England’s coronavirus lockdowns due to the Metropolitan Police commencing its own inquiry.
In an interim report published in January, the Cabinet Office official said there had been “failures of leadership and judgment” in No 10 over the so-called partygate saga. The Times, citing an official it described as being familiar with the contents of the complete report, said Ms Gray’s full findings were even more personally critical of the Prime Minister and could end his premiership.
According to the paper, the official said: “Sue’s report is excoriating. It will make things incredibly difficult for the Prime Minister. There’s an immense amount of pressure on her - her report could be enough to end him.” No 10 declined to comment.
Sport headlines
Tyson Fury wants to fight Drew McIntyre at Cardiff's Principality Stadium WWE wrestling event
Tyson Fury has said he wants to fight Scottish wrestler Drew McIntyre at the recently announced WWE event at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. His comments came after he beat Dillian Whyte to retain his WBC heavyweight title - and appeared to announce his retirement from boxing.
During the post fight press conference The Gypsy King was asked if he would be at the September wrestling event - the first major WWE stadium event to be held in the UK since 1992. Fury replied: "Don't rule me out of fighting there. You might see me at Summer Slam, coming up soon.
I've got to speak to Vince [McMahon] and the boys and maybe make this happen. I know Drew McIntyre's being saying a lot of things about me - I'll have to knock him out, like I did his pal.
"You know. I'd love to be at Cardiff. I'd love to be back in the centre stage in the UK - especially for the wrestling. I enjoyed it last time in Saudi Arabia - it was fantastic, so to come here and do it would be phenomenal. We're definitely going to make a bit of contact and see if we can make that Summerslam thing a reality."
On the Cardiff event, WWE's Senior Vice President (Live Events) John Porco has previously said: "The weekend will be filled with a variety of WWE experiences that we believe will leave a lasting memory, on par with SummerSlam at Wembley Stadium in 1992."
Fury also appears to have set up a 'hybrid' fight with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. American broadcaster ESPN brought Ngannou - who is months away from the end of his UFC contract - into the ring with Fury after the Whyte fight.
"This is going to be one very special fight," Fury told ESPN. "It'll be something never before seen in the history of our sport. We're not talking two guys around 140lb, I'm 270lb, he's 270lb. It's going to be an explosive fight when it happens."
"I'm the boxing heavyweight champion, he's the UFC heavyweight champion, he's in great shape, look at the muscles on him," Fury continued. Ngannou added: "We are going to find out who is the baddest m************ on the planet," to which Fury replied "good man Francis".
