The man in his twenties is seeking treatment in hospital

A man in his twenties has been taken to hospital after a collision early on Friday, May 15 morning. Gwent Police received reports of a collision on Old Hereford Road, Abergavenny at around 6.15am on Friday.

A pedestrian, a man in his twenties, has been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries following the incident. Officers have closed the road between Rother Avenue and Underhill Crescent including the footpaths.

Residents in the area have reported seeing an air ambulance land near the scene as the pedestrian was taken to hospital.

Officers currently remain at the scene while enquiries are ongoing. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

Anyone with any information, including dashcam or CCTV footage, is asked to contact Gwent Police quoting log reference 2600151351.

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Imagine a holiday that takes you from exploring ancient temples and spotting wild elephants to gorgeous overwater villas and some of the world’s dreamiest stretches of sand.

The shores of the Indian Ocean offer it all, and by twinning lush Sri Lanka with the tropical idyll of a private island in the Maldives, you get a holiday that offers double the unforgettable experiences.

Sun Siyam has unforgettable escapes in both destinations. This collection of 24-hour premium all-inclusive resorts is 100 per cent Maldivian-owned, offering an authentic way to immerse yourself in the rich cultures and pristine scenery that define Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Choose your escape

In Sri Lanka, Sun Siyam Pasikudah is a boutique hideaway that forms part of Sun Siyam’s Privé Collection, a group of small romantic resorts for an intimate, authentic experience, where barefoot simplicity merges with gorgeous design and a richly intuitive service.

In the Maldives, the Privé Collection continues with Sun Siyam Vilu Reef, where you can snorkel the colourful house reef and take your pick from tropical villas tucked among the coconut palms or set on stilts over the dazzling waters.

And then there is Sun Siyam Iru Veli, another boutique hideaway where hand-thatched villas all come with private pools and dolphins frolic offshore.

For the ultimate indulgent experience, Sun Siyam Iru Fushi is a Luxury Collection property, ideal for couples and families. It combines private island exclusivity with a jungle spa and signature experiences. Walk from one world-class restaurant to another, where the only choice is between which sunset view is the most heavenly and what to ask your butler for next.

Families and active couples will want to choose a resort from the Lifestyle Collection. Siyam World is a tropical realm of constant wonder where no two days look the same, offering 24-hour premium all-inclusive adventures in a stunning setting. Splash with the kids in the region’s largest floating water park or go horse-riding on the beach, trotting through the surf.

Spread across three islands, and only 40 mins by speedboat from the airport, Sun Siyam Olhuveli should be at the top of your travel list. Arrive by zipping over the waves, before taking a trip to dive under the waves to discover marine life.

Where are you going to choose for your twin-centre Indian Ocean escape?

Sri Lankan soul

Start your journey on the north-east coast of Sri Lanka, where Sun Siyam Pasikudah invites you to immerse yourself in the island’s vibrant culture and relax on jungle-fringed beaches.

At this secluded hideaway, there is an expansive infinity pool along the white-sand shoreline and an Ayurvedic spa. And once you’ve drunk your fill of those amazing views, bespoke experiences will help you discover the local area.

Join the Sun Siyam chef in the local market, selecting the catch of the day for lunch in a cooking class teaching you about the rich spices and exotic fruits that mark Sri Lankan cuisine.

Explore the ancient temple complex of Dambulla or the ruins of Polonnaruwa, both Unesco World Heritage Sites, meet locals at a nearby village or spot wild elephants and a kaleidoscope of bird species at Minneriya National Park.

A secluded escape

Once you’ve had your fill of Sri Lankan history and culture, it’s time to find tranquillity in the Maldives.

At Sun Siyam Vilu Reef, you can snorkel right out to the reef from your beach villa, a hideaway beneath a green roof of palm fronds. Or opt for a water villa, set right over the lagoon, so you can simply dip into the water from your private deck.

Wellness treatments at the spa are rooted in traditional wisdom, and dining options combine Indian and Italian flavours, fresh fish and plant-based cuisine featuring fresh ingredients sourced from island veggie gardens.

Explore more of your surroundings through immersive island experiences, from Cinema by Moonlight and breakfast in a traditional Maldivian village to early-morning fishing on a local dhoni, dolphin spotting at sunrise, visits to neighbouring islands or even a hands-on Maldivian cooking class.

Head out at dawn on a traditional Dhoni fishing boat and catch a glimpse of dolphins frolicking in the surf, visit neighbouring islands or take a Maldivian cooking class.

Multi-island adventures

Perhaps you’d like to combine Sri Lanka’s cultural immersion with the endless possibilities offered by Sun Siyam Olhuveli, an idyllic haven, spread over three islands, that combines the tranquil beauty of villas and bungalows on white-sand beaches or poised over the waves, with an invigorating adventure destination.

Here, you can swim with manta rays or whale sharks – the gentle giants of the deep – windsurf across the glassy-clear waves, go jetskiing, or go scuba diving at any of the 50 dive sites.

Families and couples will find plenty to entertain them here, from whizzing over the crystal waves on a kiteboard to swimming laps in the Maldives’ longest pool. You can even zip across the lagoon on a sporty jet car.

And when you return, laughing and windswept, enjoy an island-inspired wellness ritual in one of the three spas: one set in lush jungle, another overwater and the other on its own island.

And you’ll love the foodie options, too, with 24-hour premium all-inclusive, you have access to 20 restaurants and bars that take you from relaxed beach eats to fine dining and bars that combine crafted cocktails with sensational views.

Sun Siyam makes it effortlessly easy to enjoy the best of both worlds in a single holiday. It’s the perfect Indian Ocean escape where you can enjoy cultural immersion, gorgeous scenery and everything wrapped up in your all-inclusive stay.

Find out more and book your holiday at SunSiyam.com

Actress Kelly Reilly keeps her life away from the cameras mostly under wraps, but we do know some details about the Dutton Ranch star

Dutton Ranch is the latest Yellowstone spin-off hitting Paramount+ this week and will finally continue the story of Beth Dutton (played by Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).

Almost two years after the thrilling conclusion to the flagship Western drama starring Kevin Costner as notorious rancher John Dutton, the hit Western franchise created by Taylor Sheridan will finally return.

Beth and Rip are once again carving out their destiny in the new series premiering today (Friday, 15th May), which sees them moving to Texas and purchasing a new ranch.

As the highly anticipated new series, helmed by director and executive producer Christina Alexandra Voros, gets started, fans will want to know more about the beloved stars behind their favourite characters.

Lead actress Reilly keeps her personal life relatively private, but we do know some surprising titbits about what she has gotten up to away from the cameras.

Early Life

Kelly Reilly was actually born Jessica Kelly Siobhán Reilly, shortening her name when she began her acting career.

The British star was born in 1977 in Chessington, in the borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London, making her 48 years old.

Her mother was a hospital receptionist while her father Jack was a police officer. Her grandparents on her father’s side were Irish, hailing from County Galway.

Reilly has even credited her grandmother as being one of the first people in her life to nurture her love of acting.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, she recalled: “She’d come around and pick me up, probably when my brother was at football or something, and we’d go off to church. And I remember thinking that was my first taste of theatre.

“The stage and the costumes and the ritual and the incense. I had no idea really what was going on other than I loved the experience of it. It was like I was observing it, rather than being part of it.”

Romantic History

Reilly has been married to financier Kyle Baugher since 2012, having met two years previously at a wedding in Texas.

While Baugher is not involved in the entertainment industry, Reilly’s previous relationships have been a little more high-profile.

She was previously engaged to Israeli actor Jonah Lotan in 2007. Lotan is best known for appearances in hit TV shows such as Hostages, Foyle’s War and 24.

A year later, Reilly was involved with director Guy Ritchie, going on to star in his 2009 film Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr as the famous detective.

Marriage to Kyle Baugher

A touching Instagram post from Reilly in 2023 confirmed she and Baugher were married in Somerset. She has called the event, which took place on 5th June, 2012, “a magical afternoon”.

Speaking about her husband on The Drew Barrymore Show, Reilly explained that they met each other at his brother’s wedding, to which she was her friend’s plus-one.

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“I thought he was Texan… he’s from Long Island,” she revealed. “He’s the love of my life. The most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me is my marriage.”

It’s believed that the couple do not have children together, though they do have a schnauzer dog.

They split their time between Long Island, New York and a 300-year-old cottage in rural Sussex, England.

Dutton Ranch continues Fridays on Paramount+.

During the live show, Look Mum No Computer, whose real name is Sam Battle, performed his song Eins, Zwei, Drei, while dancing energetically with people dressed as computers.

At one point, Battle attempted to get the crowd to sing with him, chanting: “When I say eins, you say drei.”

Battle has already qualified for Saturday’s grand final as part of the big four, along with Italy, Germany and France, who contribute the most financially to Eurovision, as well as Austria as this year’s host nation.

The YouTube star wore a pink boiler suit during his song, as performers in fluffy headwear danced in a mock workshop while he played a synthesiser and later ended up in a cardboard box.

He later told Eurovision presenter Victoria Swarovski he chose a song title in German, despite it being Eurovision’s weakest-performing language, as “people liked counting to three”, before telling the crowd “I hope you liked that”.

Viewers react to Look Mum No Computer’s first Eurovision performance

Eurovision viewers took to X to share their thoughts on the British act’s first performance.

One person said, “Look mum no computer was fantastic.”

Another viewer wrote, “I love Look Mum No Computer. He’s lovable! I’m so glad he’s our representative this year.”

How many of these shocking Eurovision entries do you remember?

A third Eurovision fan said, “Look Mum No Computer has got to be the most creative entry we’ve seen tonight! He was jumping off tables, shouting to the crowd and still wasn’t out of breath!”

However, not everyone was a fan of the performance, as one person wrote, “Why does the UK do so bad at Eurovision? Look Mum No Computer is another car crash of a performance”.

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Battle began his YouTube career in 2013 and has amassed more than 85 million views, 1.4 million subscribers and followers across his social accounts.

He is best known for his homemade musical instruments, which include an organ made from Furby toys and a triple oscillator synthesiser made out of Nintendo Game Boy consoles.

Will you be watching the Eurovision grand final? Let us know in the comments.

Dave Allen shakes his head at how his homecoming against Filip Hrgovic came together but the British heavyweight hopes to snatch his “million-to-one shot” this weekend.

The affable, self-deprecating ‘White Rhino’ packs a punch although he readily accepts a fight against Hrgovic, who is ranked in the top 10 by all four major sanctioning bodies, is a mismatch on paper.

Hrgovic will be looking to use the bout as a springboard to challenging for a world title, with Allen simply grateful for a chance to fight at Doncaster’s Eco-Power Stadium, a 10-minute walk from his home.

“I don’t know how I got here, really, how I’m boxing Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, I’m still none the wiser, don’t know whose idea it was – mental isn’t it?” a grinning Allen told the Press Association.

“I hope we find out on Saturday when I chin him. It doesn’t make any sense. I’m actually quite chilled about it because anyone who knows boxing knows I’m a million-to-one shot and I love that.

“I’ve watched him and I feel like there’s things he does do which I feel like I can take advantage of. But at the same time, he’ll be watching me and thinking exactly the same thing.”

Allen (25-8-2, 20KOs) hopes home advantage will benefit him against the Croatian, whose only defeat in 20 professional contests was against recently-crowned WBO champion Daniel Dubois two years ago.

“I’ve been going to the stadium every day and walking round the perimeter just to get used to it,” Allen said.

“When you go to the arena on the night, you get a weird sensation – that nervous feeling like you need the toilet. So I’m just getting ready in anticipation for Saturday because it’s such a big night.

“I never thought I’d do too much with the boxing. I knew I had potential but I never really thought I’d live it and I always thought it would pass me by and I’d end up having a very normal average life.

“I haven’t done it the conventional way but here I am anyway so I’m very proud of it, as random as it is.”

Allen has used the fight to reconnect with old friends from school – although former classmate and One Direction star Louis Tomlinson will not be in attendance as he has commitments abroad.

“My old teacher gave me a yearbook, so I started making a group chat on Instagram and I added all these people and we’ve all been conversing,” the 34-year-old said.

“And I thought, ‘I’m not even the most famous person in this chat, it’s heartbreaking’. Louis is in Mexico but I’ve given tickets to some of them to come on Saturday, I haven’t seen them for 18 years!”

I have my regular band of merry-makers that come over for dinners, films and game nights. In my line of work, I’m fortunate to always be making new friends. From the moment I started working with Mason Alexander Park on Much Ado, I knew we were kindred spirits and we’ve had a lot of laughs this year. Felicity Blunt and her husband Stanley [Tucci] (who’s an excellent cook, as it happens) are the best hosts in town and wonderful to be around. When I first met Felicity 20 years ago, I slipped and went flying into some Soho rubbish bins. We’ve been friends ever since.

Amanda Holden has shared her thoughts on the rumoured Strictly Come Dancing presenters, as a number of stars confirm they missed out on the coveted hosting gig following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s exit

Amanda Holden has voiced her opinion on the rumoured Strictly Come Dancing presenters. Reports surfaced earlier this week suggesting Emma Willis could be lined up to front the popular BBC programme.

This follows Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s announcement that they were stepping down from the show after the previous series concluded. It’s now believed that Strictly professional Johannes Radebe might join Emma as co-host.

However, speculation has also emerged that comedian Josh Widdicombe could be set to secure a presenting role on the programme. The 43-year-old is reported to have “blown producers away” during rehearsals.

Heart Radio host Amanda, 55, had high praise for 50-year-old Emma. She said: “I love her, she’s going to smash that. I’ve always thought there could be a dancer, like a roving [reporter], so then they know what they’re talking about, that would be fantastic.”

Heart co-presenter Jamie Theakston, however, confessed he “didn’t get” why Josh was being considered for the position. Amanda added: “He’s kind of quite droll and dry like Claudia, he’s got the same sort of humour I would say, and he’ll wear the same type of outfits as Claudia.”, reports the Mirror.

“She loves a suit, a cool suit with a turned up collar. I could see Josh in that.”

Several celebrities have recently revealed they were unsuccessful in securing the sought-after Strictly presenting role. Zoe Ball acknowledged she went through “seven stages of grief” after being turned down for the position. The 55-year-old had been considered one of the frontrunners for the role, having previously hosted the companion programme Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. During an episode of her Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley, Zoe said she was thrilled to be “in the mix” for the role.

“I didn’t get it, but it’s okay,” said Zoe. “I have worked through the seven stages of grief and rejection over the last couple of days. I was so chuffed to even be in the mix. There were some pretty amazing people who didn’t even make it into the mix.

“So I made it in the mix, and I had a really fun time having one last little play at a show that I love and adore. And I’m so thrilled for the gang that has got it. I think there’s been so many eyes on this whole process, everyone’s quite relieved now that a decision has been made and the right ­decision has been made.”

Former contestant and It Takes Two presenter Fleur East also admitted she was “kind of bothered” at missing out on the main programme. Speaking on Hits Radio, she said: “All right, I’m going to say it. I did say initially, after Tess and Claudia announced they were leaving Strictly you know, it’s probably not going to happen [for me] and I’m happy for whoever gets it.

“And we were just talking about Emma Willis being announced and I was like, yeah, great, amazing and I’ve kind of lied to myself that I’d be all right with not doing it or not being considered for the job. But I’m kind of bothered…” The BBC is yet to announce the presenting team for Strictly. This week, fans have speculated they may have “figured out” an alternative third host, rather than Josh.

According to The Mirror’s earlier reporting, Mel Giedroyc is believed to be under consideration for the role. One fan highlighted that Mel has previously hosted the Strictly tour and presented segments of Children in Need broadcasts and the Eurovision Song Contest.

Mel’s diary also appears to have availability at present. The BBC has stated the presenting line-up will be revealed in “due course”.

The summit between Chinese president, Xi Jinping, and US president, Donald Trump, reportedly covered a lot of ground. The two leaders are said to have discussed trade, technology and the war in Iran, agreeing that Strait of Hormuz should be kept open. But the most potentially hazardous issue they covered was the future of Taiwan, which Xi said if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation”.

The danger is not simply that Xi and Trump disagree over Taiwan’s future. It is that actions one leader may see as defensive could easily be interpreted by the other as evidence of hostile intent. It’s a security dilemma that is well known in international diplomacy.

For Washington, arms sales to Taiwan, including a recent multibillion-dollar package, are intended to strengthen deterrence and reduce the likelihood of conflict by making coercion more costly for Beijing. But even ostensibly defensive arms sold to Taiwan appear immensely threatening to the Chinese government, given Beijing’s determination to restore Taiwan to Chinese sovereignty.

Chinese fears that Washington’s arms sales will embolden the Taiwanese leadership to seek independence are mirrored in US fears that China will seek to use force to reunify Taiwan. In the weeks and months before the summit, in a clear signal to Trump and the leaders in Taipei that China means business, Beijing ramped up the scale and frequency of its military exercises and drills.

À lire aussi :
Trump-Xi summit: US president says he will discuss arms sales to Taiwan – breaking decades of US policy

The danger is not that either side necessarily wants war. It is that both sides may believe they are acting defensively while interpreting the other side’s defensive moves as preparation for aggression.

History suggests that the danger of a superpower clash can sometimes be reduced through direct leader-to-leader diplomacy. One important example came during the final decade of the cold war.

Following the 1983 Able Archer crisis (when Soviet leaders reportedly feared that a Nato nuclear exercise might conceal preparations for a real nuclear strike) the then US president, Ronald Reagan, began to reconsider how Moscow interpreted US actions. Reading intelligence reports on Soviet fears, Reagan reflected that “maybe they are scared of us and think we are a threat”.

He concluded that he wanted to go “face to face” with Soviet leaders to explore whether the US-Soviet conflict was being driven by mutual fear and misperceptions.

That instinct helped pave the way for Reagan’s later diplomacy with Mikhail Gorbachev. Their meetings in Geneva (1985), Reykjavik (1986), and Washington (1988) did not erase geopolitical rivalry, but they did help create a degree of interpersonal trust between the two leaders. That trust mattered. It reduced the risk that every military move or diplomatic signal would automatically be interpreted in the most threatening way.

The lesson is not that Trump is Reagan or Xi is Gorbachev. Nor is it that personal diplomacy can magically solve a conflict as deep as Taiwan. The lesson is more modest, but also more urgent. Potential adversaries need leaders who can recognise when fear and misperceptions of the other side’s hostile intent might be driving a conflict, rather than genuine malign intent.

Communication and trust

In our upcoming book on interpersonal diplomacy and trust in international relations, we describe this process through the concept of “security dilemma sensibility”. This is the willingness to recognise that an adversary’s actions may stem from insecurity and fear as well as aggressive intent. Such moments are rare, but they can become critically important in preventing rivalry from sliding into catastrophe.

Direct leader-to-leader communication matters. It allows rivals to bypass some of the bureaucratic, political, and military filters through which signals are often distorted. The Biden-Xi summit in San Francisco in 2023 produced an important agreement to restore high-level military-to-military communications after relations had deteriorated sharply following Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Biden later remarked that both leaders had agreed they should be able to “pick up the phone and call directly and we’d be heard immediately”.

That kind of trusted communication channel matters enormously during crises, where silence, delay, or misinterpretation can rapidly intensify fears on both sides. But communication alone is not enough. Without at least some degree of mutual trust and security dilemma sensibility, even direct exchanges risk being dismissed as manipulative or deceptive.

That is the challenge now facing Trump and Xi over Taiwan. Trump’s transactional approach to diplomacy makes the problem especially acute. Beijing may wonder whether Taiwan is something Trump might bargain over. Taipei and US allies may worry that American commitments are less firm than Washington claims. And Trump himself may believe that personal rapport with Xi can substitute for the hard work of clarifying red lines, managing deterrence and reducing the risk of both inadvertent and deliberate escalation.

Exercising security dilemma sensibility would require both leaders to recognise that actions intended as defensive by one side are often experienced as threatening by the other. For Washington, this means appreciating why Beijing views growing US military and political support for Taiwan as a challenge to a core national objective. For Beijing, it means recognising that coercive military pressure around Taiwan deepens fears in Washington and Taipei that China is preparing to impose a solution by force.

If the summit produces only theatrical displays of toughness or transactional bargaining, the deeper dangers in the relationship will remain. But if Trump and Xi can strengthen channels of direct communication while demonstrating a greater awareness of each other’s fears and insecurities, they may reduce the risk that a future Taiwan crisis spirals through miscalculation into catastrophe.

The real test of the Trump-Xi summit is not whether either leader comes out as a winner in the eyes of their domestic constituencies and wider global opinion. They need to leave understanding that deterrence doesn’t just fail when leaders appear weak. It can also fail when they are so convinced of their own defensive intent that they can’t see how threatening they look to the other side.

Dorothy Bain is reportedly moving on after five years in the job.

The Lord Advocate is poised to quit after a controversial period in office.

Dorothy Bain has reportedly told the First Minister she intends to leave the role.

Bain was criticised this year over claims she tipped off John Swinney about details of the criminal case against former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell.

Swinney previously said he had “absolute confidence” in the Lord Advocate, but The Scotsman has reported she is standing down.

The new Scottish Parliament is set to swear in Swinney as first minister next week and one of his jobs will be identifying a new Lord Advocate.

Bain, like her predecessors, faced accusations the job amounted to a conflict of interest.

She is head of the prosecution service and the top legal adviser to the Government, which critics say is unacceptable.

READ MORE: Andy Burnham confirms bid for Parliament return – but hurdles still remainREAD MORE: Wes Streeting resigns as Health Secretary to force leadership contest against Keir Starmer

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