A warning has been issued to dog owners who may be walking their pets

A dog has died after it “ingested cannabis” at a Cambridgeshire town park. Soham Town Council have confirmed that three dogs have reportedly “ingested cannabis” after being walked at Drayton Meadows in Soham.

According to the council, as a result, one of the dogs has died. A spokesperson for Soham Town Council said: “We have found that cannabis gummies are being left behind which is a serious concern for young children as they resemble real sweets like Haribo. Please be vigilant if you are there with your children or dogs.”

At least one of the cases has been confirmed to be Cannabis by a vet.

The council has advised dog owners to make sure that dogs are on leads to avoid them “running into any overgrown areas where things may have been thrown”.

The police and local youth services are aware, and the council are hoping to patrol the area if volunteers are available. In a statement by Soham Town Council, a spokesperson added: “We are unable to close the area completely as it would still be accessible by climbing over the gate, so would likely not act as a deterrent for those hanging around there.”

“As the National Party of Wales, the party’s aims shall be: to secure independence for Wales in Europe.”

Since its founding in 1925, independence has remained a core principle of Plaid Cymru – the above quote even forms the second line of its constitution. For the first time, Plaid secured the most seats in the next Welsh parliament as Labour lost control of the Senedd for the first time since devolution in 1999, with even first minister Eluned Morgan a casualty of Labour’s catastrophic losses. Yet in a change of tone from previous decades, Plaid’s leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has not led with an independence campaign, and more talk of a referendum has come from his political rivals, who have tried to warn voters that the party will introduce it through the “back door” once in power.

At Plaid’s annual conference in Newport in February, the topic was not raised once in ap Iorwerth’s speech, nor was it mentioned at the manifesto launch in Wrexham. At the last Senedd elections in 2021, the party promised to hold a referendum if it won a majority – a pledge that was quietly dropped from this year’s campaign.

Yet for the first time in history, Westminster is faced with the prospect of having a nationalist party running each of the devolved nations, all pushing for greater powers – so what are Plaid Cymru’s plans for independence?

Professor Laura McAllister, of the Wales Governance Centre, said: “Given that independence is the primary aim of Plaid Cymru, it is inconceivable that the party internally has not considered a longer-term strategy for advancing that goal. Having said that, the party leader, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has been categorical that the first term of a Plaid-led government would not be focused on independence.”

Instead, ap Iorwerth has prioritised the cost of living crisis; the state of the NHS, which has failed to meet targets to cut waiting lists; housing and a better deal for Wales under the current constitution. Their next steps do include a national commission, which would cost half a million pounds of the annual £27bn Welsh budget, which it says would “lay the foundation” for any future independence plans.

Recent polls have not shown much support for Welsh independence, with only 32 per cent in favour and 52 per cent against. While he remains a personal believer in the cause, ap Iorwerth admitted during his campaign: “I do not think now is the time to have that referendum, because the people of Wales are not telling us that it’s that time.” However, Prof McAllister noted that this tactic “is very much out of the SNP playbook from 2007”, and that polling support for independence is similar to the position in Scotland two years before the 2014 referendum that rejected independence.

With Labour suffering a humiliating defeat on Thursday, slipping to third place in its former red heartlands, Plaid Cymru had pinned the election as a “two-horse race” between itself and Reform UK, which is staunchly opposed to further devolved powers.

Many have viewed it as an election between those who view themselves as more Welsh-aligned, and others who view themselves as more British – with Nigel Farage even describing the Welsh language as “foreign”.

“In terms of voters motivated against independence, at present I think those will already be captured by Reform UK,” Prof McAllister said. “It’s harder to predict in the future as we do not know what a Plaid-led government might do and when. But were independence to become a defining issue in Welsh politics, as it is in Scottish politics, then I think we would see a fundamental realignment that cuts across left-right lines.”

Without a clear contender, ready to go, the prospect of forcing Starmer to lay out a timetable now for leaving No 10 would, these allies say, look crackers to already-fed-up voters. They feel it would send the message: “Dear country, we can’t make a decision, so we want a bit more time ’til we do.”

All of the results have now been announced

Results came in thick and fast across Cambridgeshire today (May 8) for this year’s local elections. All the results have now been declared, with two seats in Huntingdonshire being the last to be announced.

Cambridgeshire County Council had its elections last year so only residents with a lower tier council election voted yesterday. Across the country different councils hold their elections in different stages. Some have a third of councillor wards up for election, others have them all up and others have had no elections at all.

For South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, all wards have been up for election. Cambridge City Council had a third of seats up for election. East Cambridgeshire District Council and Fenland District Council do not have elections this year.

Take a look below to see the results across all of the council which held elections.

In Peterborough, the following parties were elected with Independents having overall control of the council.

• Independent – one elected – a loss of five
• Conservative – six elected – a gain of three
• Labour – two elected – a loss of three
• Lib Dem – three elected – no change
• Greens – two elected – a gain of one
• Reform UK – four elected – a gain of four

In Huntingdonshire, nobody managed to get a majority.

• Conservative – 15 elected
• Greens – two elected
• Independent – four elected
• Labour – one elected
• Liberal Democrats – 20 elected
• Reform UK – 10 elected

In Cambridge, only a third of seats were up for election, but still no parrt managed to achieve overall control. A total of 15 seats were up for election.

• Labour – four elected
• Liberal Democrats – four elected
• Greens – seven elected

In South Cambridgeshire, the Liberal Democrats secured a huge majority, winning 43 out of 45 seats.

Liberal Democrats – 43 elected

Conservative – two elected

To see the full results when they come in look at the widget below and enter your council’s name to see the latest.

Keep an eye on our live blog for the latest updates

Legacy Live 2026 promises a full day of entertainment at Chester-le-Street Town FC on Saturday, May 30, with all profits going to Melanoma-Me, a skin cancer awareness and support charity based in Washington.

The festival will feature a mix of tribute acts, live music, children’s activities, trade stalls and a fully licensed bar, making it one of the North East’s major summer events.

Legacy Live (Image: Supplied)

A spokesman for the event said: “Legacy Live is set to be one of the North East’s biggest feel-good music events of the summer.

“Whether you’re coming for the music, the atmosphere, the family fun or just an unforgettable day out with friends, Legacy Live has something for everyone.”

The line-up includes tributes to P!NK, Fleetwood Mac, Sam Fender and Arctic Monkeys, plus BOYZLIVE performing boyband hits.

Legacy Live (Image: Supplied)

Attendees can also enjoy a special appearance from Dene Michael, the former lead singer of Black Lace.

Family-friendly entertainment will be on offer throughout the day, alongside a selection of food vendors and market stalls.

The event aims to raise funds and awareness for Melanoma-Me, which provides vital support services for individuals affected by skin cancer.

Legacy Live featuring tribute acts, family entertainment and community activities (Image: Supplied)

Tickets for Legacy Live 2026 are available at legacylive26.eventbrite.co.uk.

Organisers remind attendees that the event is held outdoors and no food or drink may be brought in.

Chairs and blankets are allowed.

There is no on-site parking, and visitors are advised to plan their travel in advance.

Legacy Live featuring tribute acts, family entertainment and community activities (Image: Supplied)

Legacy Live (Image: Supplied)

Legacy Live featuring tribute acts, family entertainment and community activities will take place at Chester-le-Street Town FC (Image: Supplied)

Digital techniques like projection mapping, holograms and interactive performance now define the Eurovision contest’s production values. But this year’s UK act Look Mum No Computer has a more retro approach to technology.

A musician and YouTuber, Look Mum No Computer builds experimental synths from vintage equipment, sometimes even parts from toys and games consoles. His past projects include synths built into Sega Megadrives and Gibson Les Paul guitars, an orchestra of Star Wars robots, and his most popular YouTube video, a Furby orchestra.

Working for the past two years on our book Designing Eurovision: Performance Scenography on an International Stage, we have had the opportunity to track the history of Eurovision design and its current innovations.

Eurovision’s rules on musical performance and on-stage instruments would not always have accommodated an act like Look Mum No Computer, who tours with his own modular synth. In its early days in the late 1950s and 60s, all entries had to be performed by a live concert orchestra – limiting how far composers could follow transatlantic rock’n’roll trends.

The contest’s rules are determined by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which has overseen the annual contest for its member broadcasters since 1956. In 1973, the EBU began allowing prerecorded backing tracks, but insisted all instruments had to appear on stage. This rule allowed bands, like Yugoslavia’s Korni Grupa in 1974, to perform with their guitars and drums or to combine these with orchestral accompaniment like ABBA’s winning 1974 performance.

Electronic dance music was not such an easy fit when it started appearing in the 1990s. In 1996, the requirement for all instruments to be on camera meant Gina G’s UK entry Ooh Aah, Just A Little Bit had to bring PCs on stage.

Phasing out live orchestras altogether after 1998 upset some fans but modernised Eurovision’s sound. This move gave contest producers more space to employ new digital stage technologies, including video walls and LED floors. These made the broadcast more spectacular but dramatically increased its costs and environmental impact. It also caused issues of competitiveness since better-funded nations could invest in high-end digital staging with international creative teams, while those with lower budgets must be much more resourceful to be competitive.

Well before this transformation into a mega-event, however, musical instruments that were likely new to many Eurovision audiences were made focal points in how performances were staged. Switzerland’s 1976 entry by acoustic folk band Peter, Sue and Marc featured a clown playing a barrel organ. The Guadeloupian steel drums on Joëlle Ursull’s 1990 French entry White And Black Blues anticipated the staging of many percussion-driven pop acts that used traditional ethnic instruments in the 2000s.

Since on-stage instruments are played to prerecorded tracks and not wired for sound, Eurovision performances can feel different for instrumentalists than vocalists, who must always sing live – one rule that has endured throughout Eurovision’s history. All backing vocals also had to be live until 2021, when the EBU first allowed recorded backing during COVID.

Instruments on stage today are part of a much more complex scenography, harnessing the latest in lighting and digital design. The Norwegian folk metal band Gåte in 2024 presented a full digital spectacle, including video wall effects of crashing waves, dramatic lighting, and camera angle switches synced to their drum blasts. It also included the physical feat of guitarist Magnus Børmark throwing his instrument two metres into the air.

Eurovision’s “liveness” as a broadcast depends on complex technical programming and weeks of rehearsal to ensure every version of a contest performance is consistent, and meets competition rules. Asking how Look Mum No Computer’s work might translate to the Eurovision stage underlines how the contest’s relationships between musical instruments and digital design can make us reflect on what makes performances live and how technology has helped to visualise sound.

Ospreys host the Scarlets in their final home game of the season this evening, as Wales captain Jac Morgan signs off at the Brewery Field with a west Wales derby.

The penultimate match of the regular season sees the two west Wales sides meet in Bridgend, with this being Morgan’s last home game for the Ospreys ahead of a move to Gloucester next season.

Full-back Jack Walsh will also bid farewell to his home supporters ahead of a move to Montauban in France.

The Scarlets, bidding to avoid finishing as the lowest-placed Welsh side in the United Rugby Championship, are boosted by the return of Wales internationals Josh Macleod and Tom Rogers from injury.

As for the Ospreys, they will lift the Welsh Shield should they win today.

The match kicks off at 5.30pm, with the match being broadcast on Premier Sports 2 and S4C.

Or you can follow the action in the live blog below.

Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Iestyn Hopkins, Owen Watkin, Keiran Williams, Luke Morgan; Dan Edwards, Kieran Hardy; Steffan Thomas, Sam Parry, Tom Botha, Rhys Davies, Ryan Smith, James Ratti, Jac Morgan (c), Morgan Morris.

Replacements: Lewis Lloyd, Garyn Phillips, Ben Warren, Huw Sutton, Ross Moriarty, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Keelan Giles, Evardi Boshoff.

Scarlets: Blair Murray; Tom Rogers, Joe Roberts, Eddie James, Macs Page; Joe Hawkins, Dane Blacker; Kemsley Mathias, Ryan Elias, Henry Thomas, Jac Price, Max Douglas, Taine Plumtree, Josh Macleod (capt), Fletcher Anderson.

Replacements: Harry Thomas, Josh Morse, Harri O’Connor, Dan Davis, Jarrod Taylor, Archie Hughes, Carwyn Leggatt-Jones, Ioan Jones.

Live updates below:

Peas aren’t often seen as a particularly exciting vegetable. They tend to be treated as a basic side dish or something people eat out of habit, rather than choice. But they’re also cheap, widely available and contain a combination of nutrients that can have a positive impact on our health.

While peas will not transform health on their own, when eaten regularly they can provide a useful contribution to daily protein, fibre and micronutrients intake.

Here are a few reasons why peas are worth including in your diet more often.

1. They’re a source of plant protein

Protein is essential for maintaining muscle, immune function and helping us feel full after meals. While not the highest protein food out there, they contain more protein than most vegetables.

Cooked green peas provide around 5g of protein per 100g, while dried peas contain closer to 8g per 100g. That is less than lentils (around 6g per 100g) or chickpeas (over 7g per 100g), but more than vegetables such as carrots (less than 0.5g of protein per 100g) or sweetcorn (less than 3g per 100g).

Pea protein has a well-balanced amino acid profile, containing all nine essential amino acids. These are the building blocks for protein, which the body uses for growth and repair, as well as to make enzymes, hormones and immune molecules.

However, like other grain legumes, peas are relatively low in sulfur‑containing amino acids – particularly methionine, which plays a key role in protein synthesis and growth.

This means that peas would not be ideal as your sole protein source. But since most people eat peas alongside other plant and animal proteins, this isn’t usually a problem – and peas can be a useful way to increase your protein intake.

Pea protein is also relatively easy to digest and absorb. Research suggests it has good bioavailability compared with many other plant protein sources, meaning the body can make good use of it.

2. Their fibre supports gut and metabolic health

Many people do not eat enough dietary fibre. Peas can help contribute to you achieving the recommended 30g of fibre per day. A 100g portion of cooked peas provides more than 6g of fibre, with dried peas providing even more (around 8g of fibre per 100g). Fibre plays an important role in digestive health, but its effects extend beyond the gut.

Peas contain both insoluble and soluble fibre. Insoluble fibre helps move food through the digestive system, reducing constipation. Soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel‑like substance, which slows digestion and helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Peas also contain prebiotic fibres, including galactooligosaccharides. These fibres feed beneficial bacteria in the gut, rather than being digested by the body. Supporting these bacteria helps achieve a more diverse gut microbiome, which has been linked to better metabolic health.

3. Peas contain iron and other beneficial plant compounds

Iron is essential for producing the blood protein haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body. But iron deficiency remains common worldwide, particularly among people who menstruate.

While vegetables are not usually major sources of iron, peas contain more iron than many commonly eaten vegetables such as carrots and peppers. However, it’s important to make sure you’re eating the right type of peas if you’re looking to get more iron in your diet.

For instance, mature peas tend to contain higher levels of phytic acid, a compound that can limit iron absorption in the gut. Green peas, which are harvested earlier, contain iron while having much lower levels of phytic acid. This gives garden peas and petit pois a more favourable iron‑to‑phytate ratio, which is associated with better iron bioavailability.

Peas also contain polyphenols, including flavonoids. These are plant compounds that have antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory effects, helping protect cells from damage and supporting overall health.

Regularly consuming flavonoids has been associated with improved cardiovascular health, better blood sugar regulation, and a lower risk of several chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer.

4. They’re one of the most affordable healthy foods

Cost plays a major role in influencing what people eat. Peas remain one of the cheapest ways to add some extra protein and fibre to meals.

Frozen peas can be bought for around £1 to £1.50 per kilogram at most major supermarkets. They’re frequently cheaper than other frozen vegetables, and much cheaper than many fresh vegetables.

Frozen peas also generate very little waste. You can cook the amount you need, which makes them good value for households trying to eat well on a limited budget.

5. Peas are easy to store, cook and eat regularly

Convenience also has a strong influence on food choices. Peas are easy to keep and use in different ways. Fresh, frozen, tinned and dried peas all have a place, but frozen peas are particularly practical.

Frozen vegetables are usually harvested at peak ripeness and frozen quickly. This helps preserve nutrients and reduces spoilage. Studies show that frozen and canned vegetables are nutritionally comparable to fresh varieties, and sometimes even retain nutrients better during storage.

Because peas require little preparation, they’re easy to add to meals that families already eat. They may even be more of a hit with children. Research suggests that many children are more accepting of vegetables that are soft and slightly sweet rather than bitter or tough, which may explain why peas are often better received than other vegetables.

Keeping peas on hand also makes it easy to add to your and your child’s platess regularly. Research shows that the more children are given a certain type of food, the more likely they are to eat them.

Simple ways to eat more peas

Including peas does not require major changes to eating habits. Keeping a bag of peas in the freezer makes it easy to add them to pasta, rice, risottos or curries, or to serve them as a quick side.

Peas can also be blended into soups, stirred into sauces, or added into pesto. Dried, frozen or tinned peas work well in soups and stews.

Peas may not seem exciting. But as part of a varied diet, they’re a reliable way to add protein, fibre and nutrients without adding too much cost or complexity.

The former government minister is taking over as interim leader

Welsh Labour has appointed an interim leader, less than 24 hours after Eluned Morgan quit when she lost her seat in the Senedd Election 2026.

Ken Skates, the Senedd member for Fflint Wrecsam has taken on the role. The party slumped to an historic defeat in the election, ending up with just nine of the 96 seats. A number of candidates lost their seats, the most high profile of which was Eluned Morgan, the first ever sitting First Minister to fail in a re-election bid.

Welsh Labour has confirmed that following meetings of the Welsh Labour’s Executive Committee and the Welsh Labour group, Mr Skates will be interim leader.

First elected in 2011, he has held several Welsh Government roles including the transport brief and the economy portfolio.

He received unanimous support from the new Welsh Labour group, the statement said.

Mr Skates said: “Today is just the beginning of a process that will help us to understand what we got wrong. Because we did get it wrong.

“There is no reading of this result that endorses every action we have taken as a party, and our task now is to take the time needed and to work out what has happened. It is a task that will require every single one of us to take part in – every member, every councillor, every MS, MP, Lord and all roles in between but it is not a task that is beyond us.

“I believe today, as I always have, that Welsh Labour is at its best when we are the champions of the people of Wales, our role is to serve, to fight for the issues that matter most.

“We are the party that first sent Keir Hardie to Parliament, that created the NHS. We are the Party of devolution, the Party of free prescriptions, universal free school meals, social partnership and the future generations act.

“We are a party with an incredible history of serving Wales and her people, and we have so much more to give.”

Paying tribute to Eluned Morgan, he said: “I would like to thank Eluned for everything she has done over the past two years as our First Minister, and in her 30 years of service to Wales and the Labour Party.

2Her grit and determination in the face of true challenge is something we as a Party will always be proud of. She broke the glass ceiling, and her role in history as the first woman to lead our Party and country is an achievement second to none.”

He will serve as leader until a timetable is set for a full leadership election in line with Welsh Labour rules.

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