We have put together a round-up of all the latest news, weather, and travel information for Tuesday, April 26, to prepare you for the day as it is being reported that the Chancellor will consider proposals to make new bank holiday in honour of the Queen a permanent addition to the calendar in the UK.
Britons are already set for an extra day off on June 3, 2022 to mark the monarch's Platinum Jubilee. But campaigners have been calling to make the holiday permanent from 2023 - with the move backed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Hospitality UK, the Archbishop of Canterbury and others.
Read more: The top 10 places to live in Wales right now ranked by the experts
In other news, the Welsh Government plans to tackle long NHS waits are due to be published later today Under the new plans, an extra £60m will be given to health boards over the next four years, bringing the Covid recovery NHS budget to around £1bn. And, Elon Musk has reached a $44bn deal to buy Twitter in a takeover that will give the world’s richest man control of a social network with more than 200 million users.
Wales news headlines
Wales plans to end NHS waiting times of more than a year by spring 2025
A strategy to "transform" planned care and cut waiting times over the next four years is set to be published by Health Minister Eluned Morgan on Tuesday. The Welsh Government has confirmed it will be supported by an extra £60m, £15m a year over the next four years, for health boards.
The plan, which will be unveiled at midday on Tuesday, aims to help the Welsh NHS manage the huge backlog of appointments and treatments which have built up during the pandemic. In February there were a record 691,885 patients on the waiting list, with more than a quarter of a million (251,647) of them on it for nine months or more. You can read the full story here.
The health minister said the recovery plan aims to ensure no-one will be waiting more than a year for treatment in most specialties by spring 2025. A series of stretching targets for health boards will also be set out in the plan. Read what the health minister has to say here.
Covid cases fall dramatically across Wales and the rest of the UK
The number of people with Covid in Wales has fallen dramatically, according to latest figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that 198,400 people in Wales had the virus in the week ending April 16 - equating to 6.53% of the population, or around one in 15 people.
That's a big drop from the 231,900 people (7.63%) with the disease in Wales during the previous week, or around one in 13 people. It was a similar picture across all UK nations, with each of them seeing a fall in their Covid levels. In England, around one in 17 (6.53%) had Covid in the week ending April 16, it was one in 19 (5.35%) in Scotland and one in 30 (3.56%) in Northern Ireland.
It's the first time since January 22 that infections have fallen simultaneously in all four UK nations, suggesting the recent surge driven by the Omicron BA.2 variant has peaked. However, the virus is still circulating at high levels in much of the country. You can get more health news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Across the UK, 3.8 million people in private households were estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to April 16, down from 4.4 million the previous week. Total infections in the UK hit a weekly record of 4.9 million in late March. Deaths involving Covid are continuing to rise slowly, but remain well below the numbers seen during the first and second waves. Read more here.
Today's forecast
Staying mostly dry with variable amounts of cloud and sunshine. Here is the latest weather for Wales:
After a chilly, locally misty start, this morning will be dry with plenty of sunshine. Some cloud is likely to develop this afternoon, with a small chance of a light shower. Feeling slightly warmer than yesterday, especially in the west. Maximum temperature 16 °C.
Cloud tending to break up through this evening with lengthy clear periods developing overnight. Turning cold with a frost possible in some rural areas. The odd mist patch forming too. Minimum temperature -1 °C.
Here is how the roads and rail are affected at 8am
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Train service suspended on Transport for Wales between Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil due to problems with the signals.
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Llanharry Road in Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, re-opened just after 6am after an earlier building fire from Sycamore Road to Aelfryn.
National news headlines
Chancellor set to consider proposals for permanent 'Thank Holiday'
The Chancellor will consider proposals to create a new bank holiday in honour of the Queen. Britons are already set for an extra day off on June 3, 2022 to mark the monarch's Platinum Jubilee.
But campaigners have been calling to make the holiday permanent from 2023 - with the move backed by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), Hospitality UK, the Archbishop of Canterbury and others. The Telegraph and The Express said the idea had now won the support of Rishi Sunak, as well as Boris Johnson and his wife, Carrie.
However, the PA news agency understands that Mr Sunak is yet to consider the proposals - although he intends to. The new "thank holiday" would recognise the Queen's "extraordinary service", as well as people's efforts to support their communities, especially over the last two years.
The Telegraph reported that Mr Sunak had asked the Treasury for formal advice on the suggestion. The newspaper also said Downing Street had asked the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) to carry out a review of the matter.
It cited a source as saying: "The Treasury is not saying no off the bat despite previously being institutionally allergic to the idea of a new bank holiday. Rishi is supportive of the campaign and the thought behind it and has asked for all the projected costs."
The Express also reported that the Chancellor was "looking at proposals carefully". It has previously been reported that Mr and Mrs Johnson are supportive of the move. No 10 and the Treasury have been approached for comment.
World's richest man buys Twitter
Elon Musk has reached an agreement to buy Twitter for about 44 billion dollars (£34.5 billion), promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the platform. The outspoken Tesla CEO, who is also the world’s wealthiest person, has said he wanted to buy and privatise Twitter because he thinks it is not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech. Mr Musk said in a joint statement with Twitter that he wants to make the service “better than ever” with new features, such as getting rid of automated “spam bots” and making its algorithms open to the public to increase trust.
“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” he said. The deal was cemented roughly two weeks after the billionaire first revealed a 9% stake in the platform. Mr Musk said last week that he had lined up 46.5 billion dollars in financing to buy Twitter, putting pressure on the company’s board to negotiate a deal.
Twitter said the transaction was unanimously approved by its board of directors. The 11-member board includes Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey, who has been planning to step down from the board in May.
Twitter said the deal is expected to close sometime this year and is subject to the approval of Twitter stockholders and regulators. Read more here.
Sport headlines
Young faces up to nightmare
Welsh rugby coach Dai Young has laid bare his frustration with Cardiff's struggles, describing his first full season back in Wales as "a nightmare". Young's team have now lost three Welsh derbies in a row, including Saturday's home defeat against the Ospreys and a humiliating 49-14 setback against the Scarlets at the Arms Park. They sit 14th in the United Rugby Championship table with only the Dragons and Zebre below them.
Young has cut an increasingly frustrated figure in recent weeks, admitting he is unable to give the squad an overhaul as players had their contracts extended during Covid after taking pay cuts. He returned to the region in January last year, with hopes high he could turn around the side's fortunes. Read what he had to say here.
