World Open snooker final: When is Ronnie O’Sullivan playing and how can I watch? | Wales Online
Need to know
Ronnie O’Sullivan takes part in the World Open final on Sunday after making a world-record 153 break in the quarter-finals
Ronnie O’Sullivan is into the 2026 World Open final(Image: VCG via Getty Images)
Everything you need to know about Ronnie O’Sullivan’s World Open final showdown:
Date of the final: The 2026 World Open final is scheduled for Sunday, March 22, 2026. The match follows a best-of-19 frames format, split into two sessions across the day at the Yushan Sports Centre in Yushan, China.
Start of first session: The match begins with its opening session at 6am UK time (2:00pm local time). This segment will include the first nine frames.
Start of second session: The concluding session will start at 11:30am UK time (7:30pm local time). Play will continue until completion, with the first competitor to reach 10 frames being crowned champion.
O’Sullivan’s opponent: “The Rocket” will face Thailand’s Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the final. Un-Nooh saw off Judd Trump in the semis, beating the Englishman 6-4.
Journey to the final: O’Sullivan advanced to the final after edging a dramatic 6-5 victory over Wu Yize. Facing a 43-0 deficit in the last frame, Ronnie produced an outstanding 89 counter-clearance to silence the crowd and reach his 66th ranking final.
Record-breaking feat: Earlier in the competition, O’Sullivan captured global headlines by recording a 153 break – a world record – during his quarter-final whitewash of Ryan Day. A free ball at the beginning of the frame allowed him to go beyond the standard 147 maximum.
What’s at stake: Winning on Sunday would see O’Sullivan take home the £175,000 top prize and secure his first ranking title in two years. It would also strengthen his standing at the very top of the sport.
How to watch: Viewers in the UK can catch all the action live on Eurosport and discovery+. Worldwide coverage is also provided through the World Snooker Tour’s broadcast and streaming partners.
“I did not always agree with everything that Robert Mueller did,” Andrew Weissmann, a member of Mueller’s team, told BBC’s Carl Nasman. “I think it’s really important for people to know how much integrity and how much thoughtfulness went into his decision-making and how much faith he had, maybe more than I did, in the American people, in citizens and in Congress.”
Senior figures from across Scottish public life have been appointed to the group, the Scottish Government has confirmed.
Craig Meighan and Ruth Suter Chief Live News Reporter
00:01, 22 Mar 2026
Senior figures from across Scottish public life have been appointed to a group set up to propose a permanent memorial in Scotland to honour Queen Elizabeth II, the Scottish Government has announced.
The Scotland Legacy Group will make recommendations to the First Minister, who will take the ideas to the King. Funding for the memorial in Scotland, along with similar projects across Britain, will be met by the UK Government.
Dr Joseph Morrow, the Lord Lyon King of Arms, will chair the group. He will be joined by: Dr Anna Keay, member of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee and director of the Landmark Trust; St Andrews modern history Professor Chandrika Kaul; retired Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Stewart; Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee; Anne Lyden, director general of the National Galleries of Scotland; and Helen Webster, deputy director for cabinet, parliament and governance and secretary for commissions at the Scottish Government.
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Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Queen Elizabeth meant so much to so many people in Scotland and it is right that we pay tribute to her remarkable 70-year reign and life of public service.
“The scenes as Her Majesty’s cortege made the journey from Balmoral Castle, where she died, to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, demonstrated how much she was loved in the country where she spent so much of her private time.
“I am very grateful to the group for taking this opportunity to deliver a fitting tribute from the people of Scotland to Her Majesty The Queen.”
Dr Morrow said: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to develop and advise on a Scottish memorial to Queen Elizabeth to celebrate her extraordinary reign and dedicated life of public service.
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“I am determined to create the space for a truly Scottish memorial and delighted to be working alongside such a talented group of individuals to do so.
“The group will engage with communities across the country to allow us to envisage a Scottish memorial and a lasting symbol of remembrance and gratitude for the late Queen. Queen Elizabeth had a deep affinity for Scotland, and it is a privilege to create a legacy that can inspire generations to come.”
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“While the early part of the period brings warm sunshine for many, it’s not unusual to see colder spells and even some wintry showers in March,” he said. “As we head into next week, a shift to a cooler north‑westerly flow will bring a drop in temperature and more unsettled weather, including some hill snow in the north and brisk winds at times.”
It is a huge clash in the battle to stay in the Premier League, with Igor Tudor’s side just a point clear of the dreaded drop zone.
Forest, meanwhile, occupy that third-bottom spot beneath the dotted line, but they are hoping to leapfrog their relegation rivals this weekend.
Spurs looked to have turned a corner on Wednesday night with the first victory of Tudor’s interim reign.
They beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, but ultimately crashed out of the competition after a 7-5 aggregate loss.
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Simons notched two goals in a free role as a No10, with Pedro Porro, a natural right-back, more advanced as a right winger.
Mathys Tel was also on-song, causing Nahuel Molina problems down the Tottenham left, and it was the Frenchman who teed up Randal Kolo Muani for the opener with a sumptuous cross.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest is scheduled for a 2.15pm GMT kick-off on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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The match will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Where to watch Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting at 2pm GMT ahead of the 2.15pm kick off.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Sky Go app.
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Live blog: You can follow all the action on matchday via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest team news
Tottenham’s injury woes are easing for a huge relegation clash, but Guglielmo Vicario is set for a month on the sidelines following this game.
Conor Gallagher, Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall all stepped off the bench during the win over Atletico Madrid, and are in contention for Sunday.
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Joao Palhinha was able to train with his team-mates on Friday, and Igor Tudor is confident Dominic Solanke will also be available after training on Saturday.
But Vicario is set for hernia surgery, ruling him out of international duty with Italy, on Monday.
Longer-term misses include Wilson Odobert, James Maddison and Ben Davies, all of whom are unlikely to feature again this term.
Mohammed Kudus and Rodrigo Bentancur could make comebacks from their respective quad and hamstring problems after the international break, while Dejan Kulusevski’s patella issue continues to keep him out.
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For the visitors, they have five out.
Goalkeeper John Victor is one, and Nicolo Savona, the wing-back, is another, with both not expected to return before the season is out.
The same can be said of Willy Boly’s knee injury, while fellow centre-half Jair Cunha is sidelined with an ankle problem.
Chris Wood is still recovering from his serious knee issue, but could be back in action before the end of the season.
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Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest prediction
Immediate form favours Spurs – incredibly – but Forest are tricky customers, as City found out.
It really does depend on which Spurs side turns up, and whether they will be able to channel that European fight into domestic competition.
They are going to need to – with their top-flight status at stake – but will they?
Experts say inhaling helium can displace oxygen in the lungs with fatal consequences
Husna Anjum Senior Live News Reporter
22:18, 21 Mar 2026
A sister endured unimaginable heartbreak years ago when her brother, 5, died after playing with a simple party decoration. Karlton Noah Donaghey was only away from his mum’s gaze for a couple of minutes.
Sadly that was all it took for the boy to get hold of a helium balloon, with fatal consequences. Now his elder sister Kaitlin is raising awareness of the fatal consequences of breathing in helium products, which can all too quickly result in brain death.
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Experts have warned that just one breath of the colourless gas could prove fatal, with oxygen displaced from the lungs, in turn depriving vital organs of oxygen. The Mirror reports how the hours leading up to what the coroner would later describe as “every parent’s nightmare” were completely normal.
It was June 23, 2022, a bright, hot day, and like many children, young Karlton was out enjoying the glorious sunshine. At a loose end, his sister Kaitlin, now 29, had taken her twin daughters, then both eight months old, over to the family home, to bask in her mother Lisa Donaghey’s “sun trap” of a garden.
The family nibbled contentedly on sandwiches and cherries, while young Karlton played in the pop-up swimming pool. Speaking with the Mirror, Kaitlin recalled how, as the baby of the family, Karlton harboured the usual sort of childhood jealousy towards his baby nieces, so used was he to being the centre of attention.
After getting out of the pool, he asked for a cuddle, but at that point, his mother and sister were busily feeding the twins, while seated on the rocking chair.
Kaitlin, from Gateshead, remembered: “My mam said, ‘Well, just let us feed one of the girls, and then I’ll give you some you time and me, and you can have a cuddle’.” It was then that Karlton headed to the toilet instead.
As they fed the babies, neither Kaitlin nor Lisa had any idea that they would never hear him speak again. As the minutes wore on, the family began to wonder what was taking Karlton so long.
But Kaitlin initially assumed the little lad was spending time washing his hands, something he “loved” to do. Kaitlin shared: “He took so much care.
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“He loved doing his hair, his aftershave, and his teeth brushing. He would go over the top.
“He was the most hygienic five-year-old boy who really looked after himself and be handsome.”
Lisa decided to go on inside and check on him anyway, and in a matter of moments, the happy household descended into scenes of complete horror. Kaitlin recalled the frantic seconds: “I just heard the most awful screeching noises I’ve never experienced before.
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“And automatically, I just assumed that someone had my mam at knife point in the passage or in the house. When I walked in, my mam had him in her arms, lifeless. He was already dead.”
In the small window of time it took for Kaitlin to follow on into the house, her mother walked in upon a scene no parent should have to witness. Karlton was lying motionless on the floor, the helium balloon he’d been given at a fair over his face.
As explained by Kaitlin, her brother had never really cared for sweets; he’d just wanted the balloon. Heartbreakingly, his mother had tried to make the innocent treat safer by cutting the string away, ensuring that it wouldn’t end up coiled around his neck.
Like many parents, she hadn’t been aware of the dangers of helium. The balloon had been “floating in the air”, but he had managed to climb for it, just as any “five-year-old adventurous child would”.
Upon finding her son, Lisa “immediately” pulled the balloon away from his face. The traumatic shock of the situation left her initially unable to comprehend what had happened to her beloved son, remembered as such a “happy, genuine little boy” by those who knew him.
Kaitlin told us: “She was in such a state of shock. I don’t think she’d put together what was actually happening.
“She’s just screeched, and she couldn’t get words out.
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“She couldn’t talk, she couldn’t phone an ambulance. She just completely dropped to her knees.
“So I picked Karlton up off my mam. I’ve put him on the floor, and I’ve shook his shoulders, and I said, ‘Karlton’, and then I just looked at his face.
“His eyes were wide open. His colour had completely gone, and I knew at that minute he needed CPR.”
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With her devastated mother in a terrible state, and her daughters too young to help, Kaitlin knew it was down to her alone to do what she could for her brother. Showing extraordinary strength, she endeavoured to “ring the ambulance, put it on speaker, start CPR”.
It only took four minutes for the ambulance to reach the house, but it proved to be a harrowing wait. Kaitlin recounted: “The ambulance was taking their time, and they were saying, ‘Is he breathing?’, and I just screamed at them, and I said, ‘He’s not breathing. He’s dead.
“I’m telling you, he’s dead. Like he’s already gone’.”
Hearing the agonised screeches, a neighbour, Aimee, who was trained in first aid, rushed in from outside to take over in CPR and didn’t stop until help arrived. Kaitlin’s gratitude towards her neighbour, whose kindness may well have given her a few more precious days with her brother, is evident.
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Karlton was taken to the hospital in a gravely serious state, and it was down to Kaitlin to break the news to their grandmother, all while making sure to get her own children home. It was, she says, a “surreal” time, and, despite Karlton’s serious condition, they held out hope that such a “strong” boy would pull through.
Kaitlin had wanted to wait until her other brother got home to break the news, fearing for him driving after such a shock, but sadly, neighbours got there first, expressing sorrows over his loss before he learned what had happened. At this point, Karlton was still alive, but in a “dangerous situation”.
In the days that followed, Kaitlin remained hopeful, but it eventually became clear that her little brother, with his curious spirit, wouldn’t be coming back to them. The family spent six days with Karlton in the hospital, after which he suffered seizures, resulting in global brain damage.
At one point, the lad stopped breathing altogether while he was being transported for scans due to a machine failure. Kaitlin believes that, even in her brother’s severe condition, he could still hear them talking to him, noting how his heart monitor would “go through the roof” when certain words were said.
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But then things took another devastating turn. It was towards the end of the fifth day that medics broke the news the family had been dreading.
Kaitlin disclosed: “They said, ‘You know, there’s really nothing we can do, and it will be kinder to turn the machines off’. Still, I presumed that he would still breathe.
“I just thought, ‘He’ll do it. He’s only five. He’s strong. He’s healthy’. Prior to all this, he was just such a strong, willing little boy. I thought he would fight it.
“But then we decided to turn the machines off.”
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Reflecting on her mother’s final moments with Karlton, while the rest of them waited in the family room, Kaitlin said: “She spoke to him, she made him promises. She made sure to clean his hair, and brush his teeth, and wipe his face, and change him into fresh PJs and socks with his aftershave on, and all his teddies.
“She turned his machine off, and he just didn’t pull through.” She added: “I know that my mam promised him, ‘If you need to go now, I’ll let you go.
“You go to sleep now, and don’t worry about mam. I promise I’ll be strong’. […] And she’s kept that promise.
“She’s been strong. Had she not, I don’t know what situation she would be in now.”
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Nearly four years on, and Karlton’s bereaved family are still working their way through “a massive range of emotions”. Kaitlin said, “One minute you can be having a good day, and then you’d feel guilty for even smiling because then you’re missing them.”
For Kaitlin, her brother’s death still feels as though it was “just yesterday”, and she doesn’t believe any family members have really adjusted to the loss. She still thinks about his voice “all the time”, and sometimes thinks she can still hear him shouting out, “sister!”
She also feels his presence in one of her daughters, who shares Karlton’s fascination with all things dinosaurs, despite being too young to remember how her late uncle could remember and pronounce all the different names perfectly.
She said: “I think small things, a song, a sound, a smell, everything jogs your memory back to him. I was 18 when my mam had him, it was the best thing ever.
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“I was old enough to look after him. I could do my own thing with him. He was a part of me, but also my brother.”
Going forward, Kaitlin hopes to highlight just how dangerous the popular party treat, so often seen as a harmless bit of fun, actually is. She told the Mirror: “It’s too large of a risk to take, you’re dicing with death.
“You might make it and just have a silly voice, but you don’t know which way it’s going to turn out.”
Kaitlin has heard of two other children who’ve died after inhaling helium since Karlton’s passing, and is determined that no more lives be lost. And while she has become all too aware of the risks in the most terrible way imaginable, there are still far too many who don’t understand just how quickly and irreversibly the effects can take hold, both for children and adults.
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On April 2, 2021, eight-year-old Luke Ramone Harper, from Dublin, was declared dead at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, the day after he placed a partially deflated helium balloon over his face. As reported by Metro, Luke’s heartbroken parents brought him out into the fresh air and attempted chest compressions, but to no avail.
The youngster suffered a cardiac arrest after being rushed to the hospital, with coroner Cróna Gallagher returning a verdict of accidental death. Then, on April 27, 2024, while loved ones were celebrating his eighth birthday at his Merseyside home, Joshua Dunbar was discovered unconscious in his bedroom, beside a helium balloon shaped like a figure of eight.
Although Joshua was rushed to the hospital, he sadly didn’t survive, with a post-mortem confirming his death as “consistent with asphyxia involving a helium balloon”. During the inquest, coroner Andre Rebello emphasised that, while helium is not poisonous, “the breathing of helium prevented oxygen getting into his body, and without oxygen, within minutes, life is not achievable.”
For Kaitlin, reading about such cases is agony. She remarked, “To find that this is continuing to happen after trying to raise awareness is absolutely gut-wrenching; it hurts so much to hear that another life has been lost due to inhalation of helium.
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“I feel a huge responsibility to make everyone aware, just in case I can possibly save a life, I wish I could scream it from the rooftops and let the whole world hear me.
“I won’t ever be able to hear my brother’s voice or feel his touch again. Life is now filled with pain and will never be the same.
“I don’t want any other family to feel this way.”
Kaitlin is now greatly concerned by a current trend of people sucking gas out of nitrous oxide cans, and has urged them to think of their families at home before doing something “so so deadly” for a “two-second buzz”. She’s also concerned about reports of this being used as a method of suicide.
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Describing one such instance, she explained: “I’m in touch with another lady. Her brother was only 25, and he just bought it and put a bag over his head and just kept breathing, and he didn’t know he was dying.
“Your body thinks you’re breathing because you’re not struggling for breath, but you’re actually just breathing in helium, and that displaces oxygen.
“So before you know it, a couple of seconds, and you’ve got no oxygen in your brain, so you die without knowing. You generally don’t know until you’ve entered cardiac arrest.”
Having learned such awful facts the hard way, she’s “tired” of people thinking this sort of thing “won’t happen to them”, when really, what happened to Karlton could have happened to any family. Kaitlin told us: “Everyone questions, why has your son got hold of helium and why was he unattended?
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“But in reality, five-year-olds can go to the toilet unattended.”
At the time of the coroner’s report, Kaitlin was hopeful that a course would be introduced for anyone working with helium and that warning signs would be displayed alongside the balloons. In their report, coroner James Thompson outlined matters of concern in a letter addressed to The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), namely, that “the balloon which caused the death are freely available to purchase without restriction, particularly at locations of places of entertainment for children”, “Parents and those responsible for supervision of children are not fully aware of the risks posed to young children of helium filled balloons”, “the balloon in question displayed no warning as to the potential risk to young children”
Four years on, though, and Kaitlin says she’s yet to see a single label, and feels that much more needs to be done. Kaitlin continued: “Regardless of how safe you want to be about it, the only way to ensure your child doesn’t inhale helium is to just not buy it.
“No parent can be with their child 24/7. It’s impossible. It really is impossible.
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“You can just go to the toilet upstairs, and your child can be doing something else downstairs. To take that risk away, just don’t buy them.
“You can get the balloon stacks that are filled with air and are spectacular-looking. It doesn’t have to be helium.”
The Mirror has reached out to the British Standards Institution, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the British Toy and Hobby Association and the British Retail Consortium for comment.
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Carrs Pasties made their grand debut in Bury this weekend with free pasties for the first 100 customers to mark the occasion.
Managing director Joe Carr said the move had been “a long time coming” shortly before the ribbon was cut at 10am on Saturday (March 21).
He said: “We’ve had some attempts to open in Bury over the years but it’s finally happened.
“It feels like we’re coming home – like a wonderful extension to who we already are and what we’re trying to achieve.
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“Bury is our homeland and we’re so excited to be here.”
Joe Carr (Image: Newsquest)
Joe said the family-owned business, with more than 80 years of heritage, has already been serving the people of Bury for years.
He said his grandad used to own The Three Arrows – now a Toby Carvery – on Bury and Bolton Road where they sold pasties.
He said: “So we’ve been serving the people of Bury for decades and decades for weddings, birthday parties and all kinds of family get-togethers.
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“We’re so excited to actually have a store here where we belong, so it’s like completing the puzzle.”
Terence Kenny (Image: Newsquest)
Terence Kenny, 43, was first in line for the opening and the Bury man said he was “very excited”.
He said: “I think their pasties are absolutely amazing. I didn’t even know I was getting a free one – I was just on my way to get a pasty really!”
Mike, Colin and Eileen Heywood (Image: Newsquest)
Mike Heywood, 46, also expressed his excitement that he’s finally able to pick up a Carrs Pastie without leaving Bury.
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He said: “We’re here because we found out there’s a Carrs Pasties opening – we’ve been to the Bolton one a few times and they’re absolutely the best pasties ever.”
Andrew McCarthy (Image: Newsquest)
Andrew McCarthy, 33, said: “I’ve been wanting to try these pasties, I’ve been very excited about it all day!”
Jimmy, 70, and Libbie Fong, 69, came from Manchester to see the Shaun the Sheep sculpture trail when they heard the new shop was opening.
Jimmy said: “We saw the queue but it looks interesting!”
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Carrs Pasties Bury Bakehouse, located between The Rock and The Mill Gate Shopping Centre is 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.
The Bury store’s opening hours are from Wednesday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm, but these may change over time.
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Carrs Pasties (Image: Newsquest)
It is 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 Bury location serves 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.
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.
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Frozen products can be ordered nationwide via a delivery service, and a catering service is offered locally for fresh from the oven products.
LONDON (AP) — Iran has launched missiles at Diego Garcia, an Indian Ocean island that is home to a strategic U.K.-U.S. military base.
Britain condemned “Iran’s reckless attacks” after the unsuccessful attempt to hit the base. It’s unclear how close the missiles came to the island, which is about 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) from Iran.
Here is what to know about the remote but strategic base.
Hub for U.S. operations
The U.S. has described the Diego Garcia base as “an all but indispensable platform” for security operations in the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa.
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Home to about 2,500 mostly American personnel, it has supported U.S. military operations from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, the U.S. acknowledged that it also had been used for clandestine rendition flights of terror suspects.
Britain initially refused to let the base be used for U.S-Israeli attacks on Iran, but after Iran lashed out at its neighbors, the U.K. said that American bombers could use Diego Garcia and another British base to attack Iran’s missile sites. On Friday, the U.K. government said that includes sites being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Kingdom says that British bases can only be used for “specific and limited defensive operations.”
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But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer “is putting British lives in danger by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran.”
Iran previously has put a self-imposed limit on its ballistic missile program, limiting their range to 1,240 miles (2,000 kilometers). Diego Garcia is well outside that range. However, U.S. officials long have alleged Iran’s space program could allow it to build intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at defense think tank the Royal United Services Institute, said that the attempt to his Diego Garcia may have involved improvised use of Iran’s Simorgh space launch rocket, “which could offer greater range as a ballistic missile,” though at the cost of reduced accuracy.
A contested island chain
Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, a chain of more than 60 islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean off the tip of India. The islands have been under British control since 1814, when they were ceded by France.
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In the 1960s and 1970s, Britain evicted as many as 2,000 people from Diego Garcia, so the U.S. military could build the base there.
In recent years, criticism has mounted over Britain’s control of the archipelago and the way it forcibly displaced the local population. The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have urged the United Kingdom to end its “colonial administration” of the islands and transfer sovereignty to Mauritius.
Trump criticism
After long negotiations, the U.K. government struck a deal last year with Mauritius to hand over sovereignty of the islands. Britain would then lease back the Diego Garcia base for at least 99 years.
The U.K. government says that will safeguard the future of the base, which is vulnerable to legal challenges. But the agreement has been criticized by many British opposition politicians, who say giving up the islands puts them at risk of interference by China and Russia.
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Some of the displaced Chagos islanders and their descendants also have challenged the deal, saying they weren’t consulted and it leaves them unclear on whether they will ever be allowed to return to their homeland.
The U.S. administration initially welcomed the deal, but U.S. President Donald Trump changed his mind in January, calling it “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” on his social media platform Truth Social.
Starmer’s initial refusal to let the U.S. attack Iran from Diego Garcia further angered Trump, who said earlier this month that “the U.K. has been very, very uncooperative with that stupid island that they have.”
Passage of the U.K.-Mauritius deal through Parliament has been put on hold until U.S. support can be regained.
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Jon Gambrell contributed to this report from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
They have devoted over 50 years to a sport that this week has been banned
01:30, 22 Mar 2026
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Before he died in December last year, Malcolm Tams dedicated more than 50 years of his life to greyhound racing. The 70-year-old from Blackwood was introduced to the sport at the age of 18 by his uncle, who always kept racing dogs when Malcolm was growing up.
From the very first moments, Malcolm was hooked, and his love for these animals compelled him to make a career in the racing industry. His grandson Joe said he devoted his every waking moment to the sport until the day he took his last breath.
Valleys Greyhounds, in Hengoed, is the last greyhound racing track in Wales. Malcom took over the track in 2008.
Malcolm sold the track in 2021 to Dave Barclay, but continued to manage the track like it was his own until his death. His family hoped to carry on his legacy and to honour Malcom’s love for the sport.
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This will no longer be possible. On March 17, the Senedd voted in favour of a ban on the sport. The ban was agreed as part of a deal with sole Liberal Democrat Senedd member Jane Dodds so the Labour government could pass its budget for 2025-26. Ms Dodds, a greyhound owner, has been a vocal advocate of a ban.
Malcom’s grandson Joe Tams, 21, has described this decision as “devastating” for his family and their community, and questioned whether the incentives behind the decision were for the good of Welsh communities and Welsh people, or instead for politicians personal agendas’. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter
Joe said: “The majority of the ministers that voted for the ban, have never even been to the track. They have probably never interacted with a greyhound, to be honest. For me, the ban had already been decided as soon as a proposal was announced, serving Jane Dodd’s personal agenda as opposed to the actual views of Welsh communities.
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“We are the only Greyhound racing group in the country yet to this day we still have never been contacted by the Welsh government at any point in their process.
“A lot of the facts they have stated as part of their research behind this decision are questionable, such as the petition from Hope Rescue, where half of the signatures came from outside of the UK, and from other charities that have inflated figures without being challenged.
“I can’t understand how you could ban something without engaging with the very thing you are banning. You should not be able to vote to ban something you do not understand.
“For our family, it is devastating really. Obviously this has been my grandfather’s track for 20 odd years. He brought me up here and everyone at the track helped to bring me up. He spent pretty much every waking moment here until he fell ill at the track.
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“We assumed that the Welsh government would contact us to speak to our trainers, and see what exactly they do, and how well our dogs are looked after. My advice for them would be to actually interact with the communities that they’ve targeted.
“As things stand, all of our trainers could be out of a job within a year. We still have absolutely no idea what that means, how that’ll be funded, and how all the racing hounds will be rehomed, as looking after them is a full time job that needs to be paid for. They need to be fed, warm, looked after.
“This will affect 100s of people just in Wales. For our track, we have 10 to 15 staff at the track, 10 trainers, all who will have a couple of staff themselves, and then you’ve got, obviously, the punters and the regulars who’ve been coming to the track their whole lives.”
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WalesOnline visited the track previously in March 2025, almost exactly a year ago. While there we spoke to Malcolm Tams before his death.
Malcolm said the Valley, which has been in Ystrad Mynach since 1975, should be compensated sufficiently before anyone walks away. “I sold this for a million in 2022 but I’m still here everyday making sure everything is perfect and making sure future development is going on here.
“We had planning permission to build a community hub here for people to come and have a cup of tea and coffee. But we’ve not been able to build that because of all this hanging over us in terms of the future of the sport.
“In 2010 I went down to the Senedd and had meetings with them and we came out with a paper called The Better Bet for Greyhounds. We all signed it and 100% of what was in that paper has been carried out.”
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He said a ban won’t stop greyhound racing in Wales. “It’ll go back to what they used to call flip meetings and they’ll be racing in farmers’ fields. It’d go underground.”
We also spoke to others like Mark Gibson, who has been coming here for 40 years.
“It’s a release,” he says. “To get away from your mundane life. The adrenaline you get from watching the dogs is second to none.
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“Once you get into it I suppose it is, to use an old cliche, a bit of a drug. It’s the thrill of the chase isn’t it? I got out of the game for a bit but this track opened on my doorstep and I was hooked again. Now I’ve got three greyhounds. My grandchildren love it too. They’ll tell you everything about the dogs and their form. It’s good for their maths.”
Vet Simon was checking over a young bitch named How’s My Ria who has a problem with her toe when we he told us what he thought.
“I’m not against greyhound racing at all,” he says. “You’ve got an athlete there and it’s what they’re bred to do. They are absolutely fine-tuned to do it.
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“Everything about a greyhound is about speed. You’ve got a nice deep chest with big lungs and a big heart. You’ve got a slim-lined body even to the point their ears are folded back against their head. They’re really impressive animals. Without a doubt most of them enjoy it. Those that don’t enjoy it don’t tend to stay racing.
“I think the ban is rather inappropriate. It’s clearly political. I’m not sure it’s actually that much of a contentious or divisive issue in Wales. I don’t see exactly why they want to ban it because I don’t see lots of people rushing to the Senedd calling for this. It’s the sort of thing that weeks later people will have forgotten about so to me it’s an odd one.
“It is difficult to eliminate all injuries but they do get them and there are occasionally freak incidents like if two dogs collide. But the things we can do, like making sure they’re fully fit prior to racing and making sure the track is in perfect condition, are all covered.”
Plumber Marcus May, who is a trainer and has three of his five dogs racing, has been travelling from Neath to Ystrad Mynach to race his dogs since the Swansea track closed in 2009. Prior to that he raced his dogs at Skewen which closed in 1993.
“It’s been in my life since I was six,” he says. “It’s been my family’s life. I don’t know what I’d do without it to be honest. My father who got me into greyhounds died when I was 21 and then my brother died in 2016. After that I’ve suffered from depression and training the dogs has helped me through it massively. Without this I do worry how I’d be.
“The problem is we’ve all been tarred with the same brush. I’ve always looked after my animals – they mean everything to me and they’re part of the family. They’re not just machines. I’ve got a dog who has hurt his wrist – he’s not broken his wrist but he’s been off since September. It’s not about money. I earn enough plumbing. It’s the love of the dogs and a love of the sport.”
Back to the here and now Joe Tams says he wished people could “come and see what we actually do.”
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“On a race day, every dog is checked over by a vet before it races. Every dog is weighed, to make sure it’s healthy. Beforehand, they are kept in air conditioned kennels, then they race for maximum of 30 seconds.
“Back off the track, they get washed down by their owners or trainers, checked by the vet again, and then put back into the kennels for a minimum of 15 more minutes to make sure they are all good to go – and they’re always completely healthy after racing.
“There’s no way to force a greyhound to run. You put them in the traps, the traps open, they run. It is completely unlike horse racing, where you’ve got a jockey sat on a horse, whipping it. The dogs are doing it off their own back.
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“They’re told to go, but they don’t have to go, obviously. We often have dogs who decide on the day they don’t fancy it. We also have retired racing dogs that return to the track for open days and things with their families that hear the starter and want nothing more than to go onto the track to chase it.
Joe explained that when the dogs are not racing, they are usually with their trainers or families walking and keeping fit.
Joe said that all ministers who had visited the track for themselves before the final phases of the banning process voted against the ban, apart from Lindsay Whittle.
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“He reassured us that he found no issues, and reassured the trainers that there was nothing wrong with racing, and then voted for the ban. Which was very disappointing. Just before the Caerphilly by-election.
“He reassured everybody on this side, and then once he won the by election, just stabbed us in the back.”
In a statement, the Welsh Government said: “A transition period to allow the industry to wind down responsibly, strengthen rehoming arrangements for retired greyhounds, and prepare enforcement bodies and local authorities for the change which will see the prohibition brought into effect between 1 April 2027 and 1 April 2030.
“The Bill reflects a clear policy choice: that the injuries, fatalities, and poor post-racing outcomes associated with greyhound racing can no longer be justified. Despite efforts within the industry, harm to greyhounds has remained a consistent reality.”
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Opponents of the law pursued a judicial review of it. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s (GBGB) case was that appropriate consultation was not undertaken prior to the decision to ban, and that the decision and introduction of the bill was therefore unlawful.
Though on March 20, the High Court dismissed the GBGB’s judicial review challenging the Welsh government’s plan to ban greyhound racing, confirming that the legislative process, passed in the Senedd on March 17, 2026, was lawful. This decision solidifies the upcoming ban, which will gradually wind down the sport by 2030.
The latest available statistics for Greyhound racing in the UK are from 2024. They show that the total greyhound runs amounted to 355,682 and the total deaths following these races were 123, equating to 0.03%.
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Joe Tams hopes that further research into the sport will be conducted, and the decision be overturned for the sake of his family, friends and fellow staff.
The TV host was rumoured to be in talks with producers to join the hit BBC reality gameshow following the success of its first celebrity spin-off series.
This comes after it was rumoured that Hammond would appear in Netflix’s Bridgerton season 5.
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Emma Willis Zoe Ball Alison Hammond Alex Jones Fleur East Angela Scanlon Mel Giedroyc
Speaking at a Q&A with series four leads Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson, Alison teased to an audience full of fans: “You won’t know this yet, but we’ve just been speaking, and apparently there’s a new character!”
Will Alison Hammond appear on Celebrity Traitors?
But, speaking on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show, the 51-year-old said: “I can’t do it because I’m doing Bake Off.
“I think it’s the same time when I’m doing Bake Off, so that’s a definite no.”
Set in the Highlands and hosted by Claudia Winkleman, The Traitors follows a group of 22 contestants – the majority of whom are known as faithfuls – as they try to seek out the murderous traitors among them who kill off players in the middle of the night in an attempt to win a cash prize.
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Following the success of the civilian version of the show, the BBC launched its first celebrity spin-off series last autumn, which featured a star-studded cast including Sir Stephen Fry, Jonathan Ross and Paloma Faith.
The series brought in an average audience of 14.9 million people during its run – the biggest TV audience of 2025.
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Hammond continued: “I’m so sorry, I would love to do that.
“I wouldn’t want to be a traitor though, I’d want to be a faithful. I don’t want no stress.”
Instead, Hammond will be fronting the popular Channel 4 baking show alongside comedian Noel Fielding and TV cook Paul Hollywood as a judge.
The trio will welcome cookbook author Nigella Lawson to the show, who joins the judging panel following Dame Prue Leith’s departure from the role.
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Speaking about Dame Prue leaving, Hammond said: “It’s kind of bittersweet. We love Prue.
“She’s incredible – she’s given nine years of her time, but we also want her to go and enjoy life as well.
“I think she’s 86 now. She’s got a wonderful husband and they want to do more things.
“When you’re doing Bake Off, your summer’s gone, literally.
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“It’s very bitter that she’s going, but we’re very excited that we’ve got Nigella Lawson. I can’t wait – I’m actually meeting her next week. We’re going to have a coffee and a little chat. She’s really excited.”
The TV cook announced in January that she was stepping down as a judge after fronting it since 2017, a decision she said came from a desire to “work less and play more”.
The Jonathan Ross Show airs on Saturday at 10pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
He will be joined by: Dr Anna Keay, member of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee and director of the Landmark Trust; St Andrews modern history Professor Chandrika Kaul; retired Lieutenant Colonel Johnny Stewart; Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee; Anne Lyden, director general of the National Galleries of Scotland; and Helen Webster, deputy director for cabinet, parliament and governance and secretary for commissions at the Scottish Government.
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