Wales coach Steve Tandy gave the choirs his nod of approval as he arrived at the stadium with the squad, who went on to end a 15-game losing streak

Wales brought their Six Nations losing streak to an end with a hard-earned victory over Italy at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, March 14. But unseen footage has emerged capturing the goosebumps moment the Welsh team arrived at the stadium, serenaded by two male voice choirs.

The result on the pitch sparked emotional scenes in Cardiff, but one of the most powerful moments of the day happened well before kick-off, and largely out of sight.

As the Wales squad arrived beneath the stadium, they were met by the sound of two choirs singing in the concourse as players stepped off the team bus. Don’t miss a rugby story, sign up for our newsletter

The renditions of Calon Lân and Bread of Heaven echoed through the corridors – a warm welcome for the team and staff ahead of the match.

One of the choirs, Morriston RFC Male Choir, suggested their performance may have even played a small part in the game result. Performing alongside Cowbridge Male Voice Choir, they described a “great atmosphere” as the squad arrived, adding that they received a thumbs-up from Wales coach Steve Tandy.

For those who witnessed it, it was a fitting pre-match moment – one that set the tone for a long-awaited Welsh win.

The win was the first Welsh victory in the Six Nations competition for three years, and ended a 15-game losing streak.

Wales were in control for long spells in Cardiff, with Aaron Wainwright crossing twice and Dan Edwards adding the extras. Dewi Lake then powered over for a third converted try before the break.

Edwards got on the scoresheet himself early in the second half, going over for a converted bonus-point try as Wales pulled clear in what became a relatively comfortable afternoon for Steve Tandy’s side.

Though it was not a flawless performance as Wales faded somewhat after a strong start – the result was never seriously in doubt.

If nothing else, the game served as a reminder that this group is more capable than many had previously thought. And, perhaps most importantly, it offered something Welsh rugby has been short of for some time: a sense of hope.

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“The fact that we can extend to another DEA is great, but I would if possible like to see it rolled out across the entire council area.”

Rural patients of two health trusts could benefit from “vital” hospital transport across Northern Ireland amid concerns of a “postcode lottery” for vulnerable people.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s environment committee this week signed off on £45k of funding for voluntary drivers across three of its district electoral areas (DEA).

The community scheme will now expand after a recent consultation paper in chambers showed one DEA with over 70% of its pensioners living alone and 55% of them having missed a hospital appointment due to transport issues.

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Slieve Gullion UUP councillor David Taylor said: “This is a vital scheme and it has been very helpful to my constituents who are very vulnerable.

“It can be a very worrying time for them when they need to go for a hospital appointment, so this is a very important service for them.

“The fact that we can extend to another DEA is great, but I would if possible like to see it rolled out across the entire council area.”

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The transport scheme is currently provided free of charge in the DEAs of the Mournes and Slieve Gullion with a pilot scheme to start this September in Crotlieve DEA.

Slieve Croob Alliance councillor Helena Young said: “We absolutely support this very valuable service extending to Crotlieve.

“It is my understanding that there is no volunteer driver scheme or community bus for Annalong, Newcastle and the hinterlands.

“If they continue to not be served it would be preferable to join up the existing services to prevent it turning in to a postcode lottery.”

The expansion of the transport initiative has come about after a council paper addressed concerns over multiple public transport journeys, high cost of taxis and a non-emergency ambulance services being “rarely available.”

Multiple health care connections for vulnerable people in rural settings have been made possible including appointments for Belfast, Craigavon, Downpatrick and Tyrone from the NMDDC area.

Mournes DUP councillor Henry Reilly added: “Our home to hospital service seems to concentrate on the Southern Trust area, though areas like Newcastle are in the South Eastern Trust area.

“If you need to go to the Royal in Belfast, it’s three bus journeys and a taxi.

“If you want to go to Craigavon it’s four bus changes from Annalong.

“It is disappointing they don’t have access to the home to hospital service.”

A council officer responded: “A consultation was carried out in Crotlieve and the funding has now been provided.

“That would be something that we could look at if we were going to expand into Annalong and Newcastle and I can pick up on that with councillors.

“It will just take resources to fund that, which will take some time.”

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Durham Johnston School at Crossgate Moor has sent all students home after the outage caused issues on site, including reduced access to essential facilities.

In a statement on the schools website, the school said: “There is a power cut that has affected the wider area.

“Updates indicate that we will not be able to provide a full lunch service and we have limited running water and limited functioning toilets. We have therefore made the difficult decision to send pupils home.”

Sixth Form students who were able to do so had already left the site to continue their studies remotely.

However, arrangements for younger students required additional coordination. The school said: “Sixth Form students who are able have already left to work from home. We cannot allow younger students to leave without parental consent.

“We will allow children to use their phones to contact home to seek consent. If you see this message and you consent for your child to go home please send them a text to confirm this.”

Transport arrangements were also put in place, with buses being notified to assist with getting students home safely.

The statement added: “We have alerted school buses who will be arriving shortly to take students home. If you need to collect your child please communicate with them directly.

“This is logistically very complicated and our phone system is also down and we have no Internet. Please bear with us and we will provide further updates if needed. Thank you for your support.”

Asked how bad the results could be for her party, she said: “The world has changed, we are in in a multi-party system, it’s quite clear it’s not as it used to be, so we will have different types of election results, but what I’m saying is that when there are many parties anything can happen.”

Bolton-based Carrs Pasties is expanding beyond its hometown and opening a new shop in Bury town centre, located between The Rock and The Mill Gate Shopping Centre.

Carrs Pasties Bury Bakehouse will be the company’s first shop outside Bolton.

The new store had initially planned a ‘soft launch’ on Wednesday (March 18), but a spokesperson at the store told the Bury Times that this could not take place.

However, a grand opening on Saturday, March 21, is still taking place and was confirmed by the bakery on Thursday.

The company says the first 100 customers to visit on the day will receive a free pasty.

Director, Joe Carr and his team at their flagship store in Bolton. (Image: GM Business Growth Hub)

The Bury store’s opening hours will be from Wednesday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm, but these may change over time.

Joe Carr, Managing Director at Carrs Pasties, said: “We’re really looking forward to being part of the Bury community.

“It feels like a natural step as we branch out of Bolton, and it’s been great to see the response so far from customers who are ready to welcome us into the town.

“It’s a really exciting time for Carrs Pasties and we can’t wait to open the doors!”

The Bury location will serve the full range of pastry products, including the classic Meat & Potato Pasty, Cheese Pasty, Steak Pasty, Cheese & Jalapeño Pasty, Chicken Curry Pasty, Classic Vegetable Pasty, Sausage Rolls and Lancashire Potato Hash, along with cakes and hot drinks.

Carrs Pasties new look

Sandwiches and salads will be introduced to the range at the store in Bury at a later date, along with a Click & Collect service and delivery platforms.

This will be the fifth Carrs Pasties shop with The Original Shop on Halliwell Road opening back in 1938, followed by the Bakery Shop on Manchester Road, which is also home to Pasty HQ where products are made.

The Market Place Shop opened in 2016, and the Middlebrook Store followed in 2023.

The family-owned bakery business has over 80 years of heritage and serves customers across the north-west and beyond.

Frozen products can be ordered nationwide via a delivery service, and a catering service is offered locally for fresh from the oven products.

The controversial policy – widely blamed for pushing families into hardship – has been abolished, after the government passed new legislation.

Ministers say the move could lift around 450,000 children out of poverty by the end of this parliament—calling it the biggest reduction of its kind on record.

“A turning point” for families

The Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, said the decision marks a major shift:

“Today is a turning point for hundreds of thousands of children across Britain.”

He added the reform is about more than immediate support: “It’s about the Britain we’re building for tomorrow.”

Employment minister Dame Diana Johnson said the policy had unfairly impacted children: “It has held children back through no fault of their own.”

What the change to the two-child benefit cap actually means

The two-child limit, introduced in 2017, restricted support in Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit to a family’s first two children.

Its removal – under the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit Act) – will take effect from April 2026, with payments updated automatically for existing claimants.

The government estimates up to 1.5 million children could benefit overall.

Govt announced its ending the two-child benefit limit, but there’s a lot of confusion about what it is. So here is a bit of a primer…

1. It is nowt to do with Child Benefit, a universal payment for every child you have (clawed back from higher earners)

2. The two-child…

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— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) November 26, 2025

Most affected families were working

One of the most striking aspects of the policy is who it hit.

Around 60% of affected households have at least one parent in work, underlining that the cap largely impacted working families – not just those looking for work or who are sick or disabled.

Charities and campaigners have welcomed the move, while warning it is only a first step.

UNICEF UK said: “This is a landmark moment… one of the most powerful actions the UK can take to lift children out of poverty.”

Save the Children UK described the change as ending: “A cap on childhood.”

Meanwhile, Child Poverty Action Group said the reform would give children: “a better today and brighter tomorrow.”

Despite the change, the scale of the issue remains stark.

• Around 4.5 million children in the UK are living in poverty
• That’s roughly 31% of all children
• Levels have risen significantly over the past decade

Experts say removing the cap is one of the fastest ways to reduce poverty—but warn that housing costs, low wages and access to services still need to be tackled.

When will payments change for families?

For many families, the immediate impact will be simple: more support, automatically applied, from April.

The policy change forms part of a wider government strategy, including expanded free school meals and childcare support.

Taken together, ministers say these measures could lift up to 550,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament.

It’s hoped the introduction of the cameras at the hospital from next Monday will help to improve staff safety

Body worn cameras are to be introduced for staff working in a Northern Ireland hospital’s Emergency Department from next week in a bid to combat increasing violent attacks and abuse.

The South Eastern Trust recorded 1911 incidents of violence and aggression towards staff, between April to December last year, which it says is “completely unacceptable”. It’s hoped the introduction of the cameras in the Ulster Hospital’s ED will help improve staff safety.

The Trust said it does not tolerate any form of abuse, aggression or violence towards its staff, who are working hard to care for people when they are at their most vulnerable.

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Staff who choose to wear the devices from next Monday will attach them to their uniforms and can activate the cameras if they feel unsafe or if a situation begins to escalate. Once activated, the cameras will record both video and audio.

Staff who are wearing the cameras will announce when the device is being activated and when recording has stopped.

Clinical Manager for Emergency Medicine, Maggie Magowan said: “Every day, our staff come to work with one purpose, to care for people who may be frightened, in pain, or going through some of their most difficult moments of their lives. Providing safe, compassionate and respectful care is at the heart of everything we do.

“It is deeply distressing that we continue to see increasing levels of violence and aggression directed towards our staff. No one should ever feel afraid while doing their job, especially when that job is to support and protect some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Director of Unscheduled Care, Medicine & Cancer Services, Marc Neil added: “The introduction of body worn cameras is a supportive measure designed to help keep our staff safe. These cameras will only be activated if a member of staff feels unsafe or a situation begins to escalate.

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“Our goal is always to de‑escalate and to prevent harm and we hope the presence of these cameras will reassure staff, while also acting as a deterrent to aggressive behaviour.

“We want our teams to know that their wellbeing matters deeply to us. We are committed to doing everything we can to make their working environment as safe and supportive as possible. Staff deserve to feel protected, valued, and cared for, just as they care so tirelessly for others.”

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