Hello, and welcome to WalesOnline’s live blog for Saturday, July 4. We’ll be bringing you all of the latest news from across Wales – whether you’re on the move, at home or at work – as well as the latest traffic and travel.

We’ll also be keeping you informed of major news stories from the UK and overseas.

Contribute to the live blog by posting your comments below, or tweet us @WalesOnline to share the news that’s breaking in your area. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

The sell-out event, which was due to take place in Northallerton, had to be moved to Harrogate to accommodate the significant demand from Conservative supporters.

Consistently named as the most popular Party Leader in Britain, Kemi Badenoch’s favourability ratings have been constantly increasing according to opinion polls, the Conservative Party says.

Ms Badenoch addressed Party Members at the Pavilions of Harrogate within the Great Yorkshire Showground to set out the Conservatives’ vision for the country on both local and national levels.

RECOMMENDED READING:
Kemi Badenoch slams Reform and Labour over Linton-on-Ouse

Yorkshire Conservatives’ Regional Chair, George Jabbour, said: “Hosting such a successful event has been a thrilling experience.

“The demand to attend the lunch with our Party Leader was so high that we had to move the venue from Northallerton to Harrogate so we can accept as many requests as possible.

“Even with this much larger venue, we had a long waiting list. It just goes to show how interested people are in listening to what the most popular Party Leader in Britain has to say.”

Conservative-run North Yorkshire and East Rising of Yorkshire Councils are facing all out elections in May 2027.  In addition, voters in a number of local authorities in West and South Yorkshire will be heading to the polls at the same time.

Earlier today, as previously reported, Kemi Badenoch visited Twisted Automotive in Thirsk, where she toured the car factory, which adapts Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles to a much-higher specification.

Accompanied by Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake, Ms Badenoch also held a business roundtable session with a group of local businesspeople, including celebrity chef Tommy Banks, before giving media interviews, including to The Press.

The coffee house on Darlington Retail Park, Yarm Road, was closed for nearly two weeks while refurbishments were carried out.

The shop was closed from June 12 to 25.

Costa Darlington Yarm Road reopen after closing for refurbishments. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

A Costa Coffee spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to welcome customers back to our Darlington Drive Thru store following its recent refurbishment.

“The refreshed store features a new look and feel, including updated décor, an improved layout and a new counter, creating an even better experience for customers to enjoy.”

The Costa store announced that they had re-opened on their social media accounts alongside pictures showcasing their new look.

The caption said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to all of our loyal customers for your patience and support while our shop was closed for refurbishment.

“We truly appreciate everyone who has waited for us to reopen, and we’re so excited to welcome you back into our fresh new store.

“Whether you’re a familiar face or visiting us for the first time, we can’t wait to serve you and share our brand new Costa with you.”

The store is open seven days a week.

The Briton added that he was “very surprised” by the pace of Ferrari.

“They have been on the back foot with the PU [power unit] and energy management and today they look the best,” he said. “We’ve always known they have a great chassis. Some things are not quite making sense. Ferrari have had the upper hand all day.”

Russell’s comment about things “not quite making sense” may be a veiled reference to Ferrari’s recent spate of upgrades. Both Russell and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff have spoken recently about the number and speed of upgrades emanating from Maranello, with Wolff seemingly questioning whether it was possible within the budget cap.

Fred Vasseur, the Ferrari team principal, admitted he had been unimpressed with those comments. “I found it quite ironic from Toto, coming from Toto and Mercedes,” he said in Friday’s press conference.

“When Red Bull is developing, or when Mercedes is developing, they are geniuses. When we are developing, we are cheating. I think you have to calm down with this. We didn’t bring more parts than Red Bull or another one. I don’t know if it was a joke, but…”

Silverstone’s fans will not care if it means another British Grand Prix win for Lewis Hamilton this weekend.

Kazaliou Balde’s parents started worrying about him when as a small child he avoided eye contact and had difficulty communicating.

First, the family in the West African nation of Guinea turned to a traditional healer who suggested protective amulets. Then, as the boy dragged himself along the ground instead of walking, they took him to a hospital in the capital, Conakry, where he was diagnosed with autism — something the family had never heard of before.

Neither had their neighbors. Some of them made rude comments about the child.

“Some suggested that I take him to the bush and throw him away,” said his mother, Kadiatou Diallo, a 55-year-old trader.

Misconceptions are common around children with autism in parts of Africa that lack reliable data, awareness and government support. Some mistakenly attribute autism to evil spirits. Experts say the misconceptions have often delayed diagnosis and brought stigma for children and their families.

Autism is a complex developmental condition now known as autism spectrum disorder that affects people in different ways. It can include delays in language, learning or social and emotional skills. For some people, profound autism means being nonverbal and having intellectual disabilities, but the majority of people experience milder effects.

Guinea’s government does not keep records around autism. The World Health Organization says about one in 127 people worldwide had autism in 2021, but it notes that the prevalence in many low- and middle-income countries remains unknown.

Diallo decided to stand up for her son and seek better care. She said she has four children but loves him especially “because I’ve suffered so much with him.”

There is little support for autism in Guinea

In Guinea, a nation of about 15 million people, only a few schools cater to children with autism and they can cost up to $300 per month. Not many families can afford it in a country where the minimum wage is 550,000 Guinea francs ($63) a month, and where 43.7% of citizens live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

“In Guinea, the care for autism is very poor,” said Dr. Alhassane Cherif, a psychologist and clinician in Conakry. “Private organizations and nonprofits are the only ones addressing this disorder and training staff to try to identify children.”

Balde first attended both private and public schools, but none fit him. His teachers did not introduce him to writing and reading, his mother said, recalling their comments that her son “has no provision for school.”

“I refused to consider these negative judgments. I refused to take him out of school,” Diallo said.

She said her late husband “went to every corner of the country” looking for assistance for their son before dying in a road accident.

The solution appeared in their own hometown.

In 2023, Balde enrolled in the newly opened Salim Foundation for Children with Autism, a rare free school for children with autism. The school’s authorities were conducting an outreach program when they learned of Balde and visited his family.

The school teaches him and 14 other students in a large house with three teachers. It has toys in bright colors and pictures of animals on the walls.

The school, registered with Guinea’s educational authorities but not receiving government funding, is the brainchild of Mariam Aisha Barry, a social worker and philanthropist who said her daughter with autism was her inspiration.

At the school, children are taught basic things like identifying objects and assembling toys as well as everyday skills such as operating a TV remote.

Last year, the school organized what it called the country’s first international seminar on autism.

“Our mission is to break the stigma surrounding autism through awareness-raising, family training and advocacy for better care. These children deserve acceptance, understanding, education and unconditional love,” Barry said.

Still, the now-15-year-old Balde has had to spend his life outside school away from many community members because they still attribute his condition to an unknown “evil” and want him shunned.

“I categorically refused,” his mother said.

A teacher says many other children are kept hidden

Studies on autism are often conducted in high-income countries, with less attention to places like Guinea. That makes it difficult to identify risk factors or plan effective intervention strategies, experts say.

Sub-Saharan Africa is “critically understudied” in autism research, according to a 2023 study in the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, which said the region’s “rich genetic diversity” could improve understanding of autism globally.

The gap has kept many parents from seeking help.

“We have 15 autistic children here, but there are several hundred in this city. Some parents hide them in their homes to avoid mockery and stigmatization,” said Hassanatou Diallo, advocacy officer at the Salim school.

Balde’s mother said that despite the challenges, she will not give up on her son’s education.

“My most ardent wish is that he knows how to read and write,” she said. ___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Need to know

England have been at the centre of a World Cup controversy ahead of facing Mexico, which even saw the BBC comment on accusations they were involved in FIFA discussions

Here is everything you need to know about what happened in the World Cup overnight following some England vs Mexico kick-off time chaos…

1. In the last few hours, England arrived in Mexico and were greeted by boos and shouting from the co-host nation’s supporters. It was not quite the level of atmosphere they will face at the Azteca, but it was certainly a hostile welcome ahead of their last-16 tie.
2. The Three Lions had been hoping the location of their hotel would remain unknown, but it has seemingly been leaked almost immediately.
3. The BBC, meanwhile, have been forced to deny they were involved in any talks to have the kick-off time changed of England and Mexico’s match. A spokesperson for the broadcaster confirmed that they were ‘not involved in these discussions’ after reports in Mexico claimed they were.
4. FIFA held an emergency meeting over bringing the clash forward by six hours to a new time of 12pm in Mexico (7pm BST). Both England and Mexico were against the proposed alteration with FIFA later performing a U-turn on their potential plan.
5. Though there are thunderstorms forecasted, The Athletic have claimed that FIFA’s talks to change the kick-off time centred around fan safety, with those in attendance more likely to be involved in pre-game drinking and post-match gatherings if it were played in the evening.
6. All of the last-32 matches have now taken place, with Colombia and Argentina the final two to confirm their spot. The Three Lions could face either of these teams in the semi-final, but will first have to get past one of Brazil or Norway, assuming they beat Mexico.
7. The latter beat Ecuador in convincing fashion to get to this point, but the South American nation are still far from pleased over their treatment ahead of that clash. They have since released a new statement demanding a “detailed investigation,” issuing a clear warning to England about the disruption they might face.
8. Paraguay’s surprise win over Germany was very nearly overshadowed by Cape Verde in the early hours of Saturday morning. They took Argentina to extra-time courtesy of two stunning strikes before an unfortunate own goal eliminated them.
9. Lionel Messi was key in two of his side’s goals and he was extremely complimentary of Cape Verde both on and off the pitch. Following one of his interviews, the footballing icon was more than happy to pose with some players from the national team that had pushed Argentina to the absolute limit.
10. He stated to Tyc Sports: “They asked for my jersey, everything… On the field, they kick the crap out of me, ha.” And that statement was certainly proven as being the case with Messi fouled five times in the game.
11. Earlier in the day, Argentina discovered they would be facing Egypt, assuming they advanced, with Mohamed Salah scoring in their penalty shoot-out victory. When the final spot-kick was converted, he showed his true colours by shaking hands with several Australian players before joining the celebrations.
12. READ MORE: England route to World Cup final clearer as Thomas Tuchel handed worst-case scenario

A licensing application lodged by Valhalla would see the bar open outside its current premises in Patrick Pool, in the city centre.

The Viking-themed bar’s application stated it would operate during busy times of the week and year.

Plans for the bar would see it allowed to open from 11am to 11pm daily if City of York Council approves Valhalla’s application.

RECOMMENDED READING:

It would be placed in the rear courtyard area behind St Sampson’s Community Centre.

Valhalla’s application is open for public comments until Thursday, July 30.

The application is among those which have recently been submitted to the council.

Others include an application to licence a padel club set to open at Clifton Moor Retail Park this month.

Chicken Cabins Ltd, the franchisee of Blossom Street’s KFC, has applied to extend its delivery hours to 1am from Sunday to Tuesday and until 2am between Wednesday and Saturday.

The outside of Valhalla, in Patrick Pool, York (Image: LDRS)

Scottish-based international whisky seller The Dormant Distillery Company has applied to licence the former Smiggle store in Coney Street.

The firm plans to open its flagship store in England in the vacant children’s stationary and accessories store.

Cocktail bar The Langton, next to York’s medieval Barley Hall, has applied to change its opening hours to 8.30am to 12.30am daily and until 1.30am on Christmas Day and New Years.

It comes after the venue opened in the autumn.

Thomas Tuchel’s men take on the co-hosts in a clash at the Estadio Azteca with kick-off scheduled for 6pm local time (1am Monday in the UK).

Talks took place with relevant stakeholders about moving the game forward due to possible adverse weather conditions in Mexico City, with a new time of 12pm local (7pm Sunday in the UK) being widely reported.

FIFA sources indicated no decision was taken to reschedule and the relevant stakeholders will continue monitoring relevant factors.

Under safety rules, games face an automatic 30-minute delay if lightning strikes within eight miles of the stadium, with the clock resetting each time there is a new strike.

FIFA’s World Cup regulations say the governing body has “the right to cancel, reschedule or relocate one or more matches…for any reason at its sole discretion, including as a result of force majeure or due to health, safety or security concerns”.

England playmaker Morgan Rogers said of any potential change: “It’s just another obstacle to overcome. We’ll be ready regardless of the time.

“I’m not concerned about it, but won’t be happy if it wakes me up, I’ll be honest. We’ll deal with it as best as possible. It’s another obstacle to get over.”

England team-mate Marcus Rashford also downplayed the impact of a potential kick-off change.

“I think for us it’s the same, how we prepare for the game,” the forward said. “It has to be the same, we have to be focused, we have to be ready for anything.

“I think it’s one strength of the group, everyone included, the players, the staff, we’re ready for whatever challenges get thrown at us. Obviously it’s not ideal, but also it doesn’t matter.”

The prospect of the fixture time moving shocked former England right-back and coach Gary Neville.

“For our players it’s worse, it’s a sporting disadvantage to England,” he said on ITV. “There’s a sporting integrity issue here as well because I’ve never seen a League Two game moved, I’ve never seen a Sunday League game moved.

“FIFA are just willy nilly making it up and moving a game. It just feels a little bit sort of strange.”

A kick-off alteration would only add to what England boss Tuchel knew would be “a lot, a lot, a lot of obstacles” awaiting them in Mexico.

An intimidating atmosphere awaits at the Azteca, while the visitors are braced for hostility outside the team hotel.

But altitude could be the biggest challenge, with the match taking place more than 2,000 metres above sea level.

Tuchel said: “My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude.

“That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have. It just takes too much time.

“We have only three days in between (the last-32 win over DR Congo and the Mexico game). This is physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude, which is quite high.

“We knew that before, so this is just something, it’s just a disadvantage, with which we will have to deal.”

Casper O’Brien died last November after first responders were called to the family’s home because he’d stopped breathing. His parents — Damien O’Brien, 40, and Jessica O’Brien, 41 — have now been charged

The parents of a seven-year-old boy who weighed 255 pounds (116 kilograms) when he died have been charged with murder, torture and child abuse, prosecutors said.

“Clearly the parents were feeding the child improperly, to say the least,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Monday. “He wasn’t getting the nutrition he needed.”

Casper O’Brien died last November after first responders were called to the family’s home in Flint because he’d stopped breathing, prosecutors said. His parents — Damien O’Brien, 40, and Jessica O’Brien, 41 — have each been charged with second-degree murder, torture and three counts of second-degree child abuse.

The couple were arraigned last week and are being held on no bond in jail in Genesee County, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit. A probable cause hearing is set for Thursday.

Casper, who was 4 feet, 2.5 inches (128 centimeters) tall, was medically classified as obese, according to the Genesee County Medical Examiner’s report. His cause of death was listed as dilated cardiomyopathy, with his weight being a contributing condition. Dilated cardiomyopathy happens when the heart becomes enlarged and weakened and can’t efficiently pump blood, which can affect other body systems including the lungs.

According to the criminal complaints, the parents failed to take Casper for treatment even though the family had health care.

Elias Fanous, an attorney representing Damien O’Brien, said in a statement that he wouldn’t speculate on the case’s circumstances and had no comment beyond saying that his client was “innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.” An attorney for Jessica O’Brien did not immediately return a request for comment Monday.

Leyton said authorities believe Casper just consumed “a steady diet of snack foods.” He said Casper, who was nonverbal and bedridden, had severe bed sores and various rashes.

The autopsy report said law enforcement and Child Protective Services reported there were piles of trash in the home, and Casper was not enrolled in school. Leyton said the hoarding in the home was “terrible.”

One of the child abuse charges relates to the couple’s 5-year-old daughter, who was placed in foster care.

Casper last saw his primary care provider in February 2024, according to the autopsy report, when he was diagnosed with a cough, congestion and metabolic disease. At that visit, he weighed 104 pounds (47 kilograms), and his mother was given information on a healthy diet and exercise, according to the report, which said he was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist but never saw one. The report said the metabolic disease wasn’t specified in available medical records.

“It’s a very, very sad and tragic situation,” Leyton said. “I’ve been the prosecuting attorney for 22 years and I thought I’d seen it all but I’ve never seen anything quite like this.”