Miriam Barker

Greater Manchester Police arrested a 37-year-old wanted man after a two-day stand-off at a property on Reservoir Street in Salford. Officers found him asleep on the roof of a back porch and pulled him down before arresting him. He was wanted on recall to prison and was arrested on suspicion of public nuisance, criminal damage, public order offences, burglary and assaulting two police officers. Two officers suffered minor injuries, while police said the incident caused disruption and damage to some local properties.

A wildfire on Llanwonno mountain near Ferndale in Wales has been treated as a major incident since Saturday. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service reported pockets of suspected deliberate fire-setting while crews worked in difficult conditions to contain the blaze and protect nearby homes. Smoke affected local residents, a rest centre was opened, and road closures remained in place. A specialist firefighting helicopter could not be used because of poor weather, and firefighters warned that operations could continue for several more days.

Former BBC journalist Martin Huws has won the National Eisteddfod Crown and £750 for a free-verse poetry collection addressing abuse and violation. Writing under the pseudonym “Fan-go,” Huws drew inspiration from Gareth Potter’s account of abuse by a former teacher. The competition attracted 41 entrants and was judged anonymously. Former newsreader Huw Edwards also entered, prompting criticism from child sexual abuse survivor and actress Sera Cracroft, although the Eisteddfod said judges did not know contestants’ identities in advance. The festival is taking place in Llantwd, Pembrokeshire, and Huws’s Crown was designed by Bowen Jewellery founders Elen and Dylan Bowen.

Nursing student Ellie Atkins-Tate fears she may not secure an NHS Wales job after graduating in October, despite overcoming bereavement, psoriatic arthritis and the demands of raising a child while completing her training. The Royal College of Nursing Cymru warned that up to half of new nursing graduates could be left without work, while nearly 150 graduates from the current cohort reportedly remained without NHS jobs. Health Education and Improvement Wales attributed the mismatch to pandemic-era workforce forecasts, improved staff retention and funding constraints, although it said nearly 100 additional Band 5 roles had since been identified, covering about 92% of the cohort. Graduates are calling for clearer pathways into employment, while the Welsh Government says it is coordinating support and working with health boards to expand opportunities.

Emma Roberts, a Quaker chaplain and content creator from Swansea, has gone viral on TikTok after users compared her appearance to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Embracing the joke, she renamed herself “Mandy Burnham” online and hopes to speak with Burnham about his Catholic upbringing and public communication. She praised his communication strategy and pub-snacks video but strongly objected to his method of making tea.

A signed copy of Paul McCartney In His Own Words donated to an Oxfam shop in Aberystwyth was discovered by manager Joan Randle and later sold at auction for £950, raising funds for the charity. The article recounts the discovery, the book’s provenance, and the Beatles’ enduring legacy, while Oxfam emphasizes the importance of donations in supporting its emergency appeals.

A signed copy of Paul McCartney In His Own Words, donated anonymously to an Oxfam shop in Aberystwyth, was sold at auction for £950 after staff discovered the musician’s signature. The book had been overlooked for months before manager Joan Randle found the inscription. Oxfam highlighted the donation’s impact as it launches an emergency appeal, while background on McCartney and The Beatles underscores the enduring significance of his legacy.