Listed building consent is being sought for works to the White Bridge in Berw Road, Pontypridd

Works are planned to secure the long-term structural integrity of a bridge in Pontypridd. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is seeking listed building consent for a series of works required to secure the structural integrity of Berw Road Bridge, also known as the White Bridge

The works include the removal of waterproofing applied to both abutments as well as removal or potential relining of the gunite to both abutments of the bridge.

They also include a new lighting arrangement on the bridge, masonry repairs to the northwest retaining wall, and footway improvements on the south side of bridge.

Of the works included within the listed building consent application the removal of waterproofing to the abutments is retrospective as is the new lighting arrangement.

A planning committee report for Thursday, May 21, says it is understood informal agreement was sought by Cadw prior to the works commencing.

A heritage impact assessment has indicated recent works have mitigated the immediate risks to the structure’s integrity and repaired the bridge to ensure that it can remain open and functional.

It also states additional works are proposed to maintain and restore the structure to reduce ongoing deterioration to the structure and further prolong the life of the bridge.

The bridge is a Grade II-listed building which is listed primarily for the rarity of the construction method used to create the bridge with the bridge belonging to the first generation of reinforced concrete construction. Get the latest Ponty news first by signing up to our newsletter here

The type of structure is considered to be rare within Wales with few examples present.

In recommending the application be approved subject to a favourable referral to Cadw planning officers at the council said: “The works are to Berw Bridge which is a historic structure that is at risk of becoming compromised as a result of water ingress and seepage into the structure.

“As the works proposed are intended to ensure the long-term structural integrity of the bridge as well as to protect the special historical and architectural significance of the bridge it is considered that the works would be acceptable.”

They add: “The proposed works requiring consent would be in keeping with the special architectural and historic importance of the listed building.

“The works are required to ensure the structural integrity of the structure and would provide greater protection from water seepage.”

Greater Manchester Police have confirmed, Christopher Henry, 57, of Thornhill Road in Tameside, faces three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The charges relate to a collision on July 21, 2025, in which a double-decker bus struck the Bridgewater Canal Aqueduct on Barton Road, Eccles.

A 19-year-old woman and two men, one in his 20s and another in his 40s, were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Seventeen other people were treated at the scene for injuries described as non-life threatening or life-changing.

Emergency services were called to the scene at around 3pm.

Greater Manchester Police said the bus had travelled off its expected route before colliding with the low-level aqueduct.

The bridge had height restriction warnings, including hanging chains and signage.

The impact tore the roof off the top deck and caused one passenger to be ejected from the bus.

Mr Henry has been bailed and is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 15 September 2026.

A man in his 40s was arrested at the scene

A woman has been left with potentially life-changing or life-threatening injuries following a three-car crash near the Cambridgeshire border. The crash happened at around 10.53am on Sunday, May 17, on the A47 near Terrington St John in Norfolk.

The crash involved a grey Audi, which was travelling in the direction of Wisbech, a grey VW Tayron, and a red Vauxhall Corsa, that were travelling in the same direction. The driver of the Tayron, a woman in her 50s was taken to hospital by air ambulance with potentially life-changing or life-threatening injuries. The drivers of the other two vehicles had minor injuries.

A road closure was put in place on the slip road at Terrington St John while emergency services attended to the scene. A man in his 40s, who was driving the grey Audi, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was taken to King’s Lynn Police Investigation Centre. He was bailed to return to the police on Monday, May 25.

Norfolk Police would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the collision or has information about the manner of driving before the incident as well as anyone with dashcam footage. You can contact the police via the force website quoting the reference NC-17052026-141.

You can also call 101. If you want to report anything anonymously, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800555111.

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Britain is expected to edge closer to inking in a long-anticipated free trade agreement with the oil-rich Gulf nations. The six Gulf Cooperation Council states – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait – are on the verge of signing the deal after two years of talks with the British government. Jasem al-Budaiwi, secretary-general of the GCC, in London this week, is likely to finalise the remaining detail before returning to brief the members ahead of a formal signing. It will be seized upon by both sides as a welcome boost. Here, Sir Keir Starmer’s regime is under pressure, while the GCC members are having to contend with the US-Israeli war against Iran, drone and missile strikes and disruption to oil and gas shipments, and harm to their previously booming economies. UK principal beneficiaries are likely to be luxury cars, financial services, industrial goods, food and drink.

New figures from HM Revenue and Customs reveal that more than 30% of parents fail to claim Child Benefit during their baby’s first year.

That means huge numbers of families could be losing out on vital support at a time when household bills, childcare costs and everyday expenses are soaring.

HMRC is now urging parents who welcomed a baby this spring to act quickly and submit a claim online or through the HMRC app.

The warning comes as more than 6.8 million families across the UK already receive the payments – worth up to £1,406.60 a year for a first child.

Parents can also receive £930.80 a year for each additional child, with no limit on how many children can be included in a claim.

But there is a catch many families do not know about.

Child Benefit can only be backdated for three months, meaning parents who delay too long could permanently lose money they were entitled to.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, said: “Spring is a wonderful time to welcome a baby and claiming Child Benefit as soon as possible means your family can benefit from much-needed financial support.

“It is quick and easy to claim Child Benefit via the HMRC app at a time that suits you.”

📢 Parents – don’t miss out this summer! 🌞

If your child is over 16 and staying in education or approved training, your Child Benefit can continue – but you need to act. 🚨

Check and extend your claim now using the HMRC app or online now. 👇https://t.co/se9CKHarEv

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Cymraeg… pic.twitter.com/qNbyu7502s

— HM Revenue & Customs (@HMRCgovuk) May 15, 2026

Parents can apply just 48 hours after registering their baby’s birth.

To make a claim, families need their child’s birth or adoption certificate, bank details and National Insurance numbers.

Experts say many parents wrongly assume Child Benefit is only for low-income households – but millions still qualify even if one parent earns over £60,000.

Although higher earners may have to repay some of the money through the High Income Child Benefit Charge, claiming is still considered important because it protects National Insurance credits linked to the State Pension.

Failing to claim could also affect future entitlements.

Parents who claim Child Benefit automatically ensure their child receives a National Insurance number at age 16, while the award notice can also help families access other benefits and support.

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HMRC says most payments are made automatically every four weeks directly into a bank account once a claim has been approved.

The team has also released guidance videos online explaining how parents can apply digitally in minutes.

For many families struggling with rising living costs, experts say checking eligibility now could make a significant difference before valuable payments are lost for good.

Born in Leicestershire and educated at Stamford School, Smith represented his home county and Oxford University before joining Warwickshire.

He captained the Bears from 1957 to 1967 and scored 39,832 first-class runs in 637 matches during his county career, the 18th-highest total of all time.

Smith still holds the Warwickshire record for most runs in a single season after scoring 2,417 runs in 1959 and was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1960.

He remained involved with cricket after his retirement as a player, as chairman of Warwickshire and also as an ICC match referee, officiating in four Tests and 17 ODIs.

A dual international, Smith played rugby union for Oxford University and Leicester and won a cap for England against Wales in January 1956.

The industrial action, called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, is related to a dispute over plans to introduce a voluntary four-day working week, which would condense Tube drivers’ weekly hours.

The RMT union has called the plan “fake” and said it raised “serious concerns from our members about shift length and resulting fatigue impacting safety”.

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said union members had “approached negotiations with Transport for London (TfL) in good faith” but “TfL seem unwilling to make any concessions”.

Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, defended the proposal, saying it would allow drivers an extra day off and bring the Underground “in line with the working patterns of other train operating companies”.

“The changes would be voluntary,” she said. “There would be no reduction in contractual hours and those who wish to continue a five-day working week pattern would be able to do so.”

Mr Kennedy KC is now asking about the hospital attendance on May 25, 2023, when Preston was ‘floppy’ with ‘possible seizure activity’.

Medical notes said Preston had shortness of breath, increased work of breathing, was floppy, unresponsive and had a nosebleed, the jury is told. Shaking limbs and stiffness were also noted.

Preston was treated with seizure medication, the jury is told.

Two days afterwards, Mr Varley messaged a group chat with Preston’s former foster parents, saying the baby had been really poorly with a nosebleed and had a seizure in hospital, the court hears. He reported a chest X-ray came back with a bad infection, and blood tests showed low sodium.

Mr Kennedy asks Dr Gifford to confirm that low sodium is found in febrile seizures. Dr Gifford confirms when small children have a temperature spike it can cause this type of seizure.

This is not epilepsy – it only occurs when children have a fever, she says. A third of children will only have one febrile seizure, but others will go on to have further episodes, Dr Gifford adds.

The seizure is not a response to the fever, but parents are encouraged to undress the child to their nappy and give paracetamol to bring the child’s temperature down, she adds.

They are believed to have died while exploring a cave around 160ft underwater in Vaavu Atoll, according to Italy’s Foreign Ministry

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The remains of four Italian divers who vanished during a scuba-diving incident in the Maldives have been discovered.

Giorgia Sommacal, Monica Montefalcone, Gianluca Benedetti, Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri are thought to have perished while investigating a cave approximately 160ft beneath the surface in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, as stated by Italy’s Foreign Ministry. The permitted recreational diving depth in the Maldives stands at 98ft.

Recovery operations recommenced on Monday having been halted following the tragic death of a local military diver, Mohamed Mahudhee, during a perilous mission attempting to locate them.

The tragedy is understood to be the most devastating single diving catastrophe in the Indian Ocean nation’s history. Four of the Italian divers belonged to a University of Genoa expedition, comprising ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter and two research colleagues.

Mr Benedetti’s body, a boat operations manager and diving instructor, was discovered earlier beyond the cave entrance, reports the Mirror.

Three Finnish divers touched down in the Maldives on Sunday to devise a fresh approach for retrieving the bodies of the remaining four divers, who were thought to be trapped within the cave network. Italy’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that all four bodies had subsequently been located.

Maldives presidential spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef stated the search had been paused after Mr Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, succumbed to decompression sickness following his transfer to a hospital in the capital on Saturday.

Mr Shareef revealed that the Finnish divers, experts in deep-water and cave exploration, had teamed up with the Maldives coastguard to devise a fresh search strategy. Challenging weather conditions had consistently disrupted rescue attempts.

Previous search parties had successfully located and flagged the cave system entrance where the Italians vanished. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are still being examined.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed his sympathies: “These days of grief for Italy are compounded by the news that one of your brave soldiers… died while attempting to dive to reach the bodies of our fellow Italians.

“This tragedy unites Italy and the Maldives in grief and respect for the victims,” he added.

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