We have put together a round-up of all the latest news, weather, and travel information for Sunday, April 24, to prepare you for the start of the weekend. In the latest news boxer Tyson Fury has said he wants his next fight to be at the recently-announced WWE event at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. He was speaking after beating Dillian Whyte on Saturday night to retain WBC heavyweight title.
In other news Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has praised Britain's efforts in training his military. He told a press conference in Kyiv that the UK, along with the US, was supplying the "biggest military aid" in its struggle against Moscow's invading forces.
In Wales Cardiff City manager Steve Morison has condemned a fan's behaviour after the club's doctor was the victim of what has been described as vile abuse. Meanwhile the forecast is for another day of dry and bright spells.
Wales news headlines
Cardiff City boss fumes as doctor is abused
A furious Steve Morison branded one fan's behaviour "an absolute disgrace" after he claimed vile abuse was hurled towards Cardiff City's 65-year-old club doctor during the match with Sheffield United. During the first half of the match with the Blades Morison and his assistant Mark Hudson were seen talking to a member of Bramall Lane's security after Bluebirds wing-back Cody Drameh had just received treatment for a knee injury by Len Nokes, the club's chief medical officer.
The Bluebirds' coaching staff members singled out a supporter in the crowd butr it was difficult to ascertain the root cause of the issue. However after the match, which they lost 1-0, Morison alleged that what the supporter was shouting towards Dr. Nokes was unacceptable. Read more here.
High school head teacher runs one of Britain’s best chip shops
You’ll usually find him in a suit running a busy high school but in the evenings head teacher Lee Humphreys rolls up his sleeves, dons an apron, and gets frying at a fish and chip shop. Lee bought the premises on a whim when he drove past one evening and saw it was up for auction.
When he first opened Fish Kitchen 1854 in Maesycwmmer in 2018 Lee was deputy head at Llanishen High in Cardiff and went straight from school to work in the chippy five nights a week. Now head at Barry’s Pencoedtre High he can be found making fish suppers two nights a week and is manager of the now multi-award-winning chip shop. Read more here.
It was by chance that Lee, a father of two and self-confessed lifelong fish and chip fan, saw a former Chinese take away up for auction as he drove home with daughter Scarlett, 14, one night. Now his venture is listed in the UK's top 50 chippies which you can read more about here.
Today's forecast
Largely dry today with sunny spells. Here is the full forecast for Wales:
This morning will start with plenty of sunshine, however cloud will bubble up as we move towards lunchtime. This afternoon may then see the odd shower develop, mainly across the far northeast. In the sunshine it will feel pleasant. Maximum temperature 18°C.
Most of the cloud will tend to melt away this evening, leaving a dry and largely clear night across the country. A patchy frost is possible under the clearer skies. Minimum temperature 0°C.
Here is how the roads and rail are affected at 8am
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Buses run instead of trains on Transport for Wales between Aberdare and Pontypridd due to engineering works.
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Buses run instead of trains on Transport for Wales between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth due to engineering works.
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No service on Avanti West Coast between Rhyl and Bangor, and between Rhyl and Holyhead due to engineering works.
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Broken-down vehicle on the A55 westbound between junction 28 Waen and junction 27A St Asaph. One lane is closed.
National news headlines
Ukraine leader praises UK amid claims London denied Kyiv arms
The Ukrainian president has praised Britain's efforts in training his military amid accusations the UK blocked requests to strengthen Kyiv's defences after Russia's first strike eight years ago. Volodymyr Zelensky told a press conference in Kyiv that the UK, along with the US, was supplying the "biggest military aid" in its struggle against Moscow's invading forces.
In a phone call earlier on Saturday he personally thanked Boris Johnson for Britain providing training on home soil with Ukraine's armed forces being taught how to use armoured vehicles that are being given to boost the war effort in eastern Europe. But it comes as a former defence secretary accused previous Downing Street operations of being reluctant to support Kyiv in the aftermath of Russian president Vladimir Putin's annexing of Crimea in 2014.
Michael Fallon told The Sunday Times that, when serving under former Conservative prime minister David Cameron, he was told to turn down requests for assistance in upgrading Ukraine's defences despite the Ministry of Defence wanting "to do more". "We were stymied and we were blocked in Cabinet from sending the Ukrainians the arms they needed," Mr Fallon told the newspaper.
"Some in the Cabinet felt extremely strongly that we should do nothing to further provoke Russia. I felt that was absurd. The Russians didn't need any provoking. They were already there sending people across the border."
In the run-up to and during the current incursion the UK has emerged as one of Ukraine's closest allies in terms of supplying Nato-class weapons. Mr Zelensky expressed his gratitude in a conversation with the Prime Minister on Saturday and during a press conference in his country's capital.
Asked during a briefing about military support from the West he told reporters: "We want more than we're being given but we're satisfied. We cannot refuse or reject anything during the war from the biggest military aid, which is coming from the United States and the United Kingdom. There are many other friends in Europe but I'm talking about volumes of help and I'm grateful for it."
Mr Zelensky also announced that he will hold talks with the US secretary of state Antony Blinken and secretary of defence Lloyd Austin in Kyiv on Sunday – a meeting taking place more than two weeks after Mr Johnson made a similar trip east. When the Prime Minister was on a trade trip to India last week he revealed that Ukrainian forces were in the UK as part of British efforts to support the territorial defence. More than 20 soldiers arrived last week for training on 120 armoured vehicles, including the Mastiff, Wolfhound and Husky, that are being supplied to help resist Moscow's advances.
The battle for Donbas in eastern Ukraine continues to rage but Saturday also saw fresh attacks in the south with a missile strike in Odesa killing a three-month-old baby and another five people. In the besieged port city of Mariupol Ukrainian officials said Russian forces launched an offensive on a steel plant in an apparent bid to eliminate the last stand by Kyiv's defenders.
An estimated 1,000 civilians remain sheltered in the Azovstal plant alongside the remaining 2,000 Ukrainian fighters. Mr Putin only two days ago ordered that Russian troops not be sent into the plant but instead that the facility be blocked off in an apparent attempt to starve out the Ukrainians and force their surrender.
In footage shared online of the conditions in Azovstal one young girl said she and her relatives "haven't seen neither the sky, nor the sun" since they left home on February 27 with fears food supplies are running low after the two-month siege. During Mr Johnson and Mr Zelensky's telephone conversation No 10 said both leaders joined in condemning the attacks by Russian forces against civilian targets in Mariupol and Odesa as well as in the west of the country in Lviv.
Labour leader criticises Met for silence on partygate fines before elections
Sir Keir Starmer has hit out at the Metropolitan Police for failing to disclose how many partygate fines are being issued ahead of local elections. The force said they would not be giving an update on fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) before the local polls next month with the Prime Minister having already been fined once for attending his own birthday bash in June 2020.
Sir Keir said the Met "should continue to take their decisions and make those decisions public as they were before". "And the PM must disclose if he gets further fines. The Met police should not have changed their practice," the ex-director of public prosecutions added in an interview with the Sunday Mirror.
"Criminal charges are brought all the time, elections or no elections. It's in the public interest to know who has received fines, particularly those high up in Government."
According to reports fine notices have started landing in the email inboxes of officials who attended a "bring your own bottle" drinks do in the Downing Street garden on May 20 2020 during England's first Covid lockdown. A Downing Street source has told the PA news agency Boris Johnson had not received a fine in relation to the gathering.
Mr Johnson has been warned by a former Tory minister that his party will "reap the whirlwind" of the lockdown parties saga at the ballot box as the threat of more police fines hangs over him. Steve Baker told the Daily Telegraph partygate could hurt the Conservatives at the local elections on May 5 with his constituents expressing "fury" at reports of pandemic breaches in Downing Street. It comes after the influential backbencher turned on the Prime Minister in the Commons during the week, telling MPs the Conservative Party leader should have realised the "gig's up" after the Met concluded he had breached his own coronavirus rules.
Sport headlines
Tyson Fury wants to fight in Cardiff WWE wrestling event
Tyson Fury has said he wants to fight Scottish wrestler Drew McIntyre at the recently-announced WWE event at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. His comments came after he beat Dillian Whyte to retain his WBC heavyweight title and appeared to announce his retirement from boxing.
During the post-fight press conference The Gypsy King was asked if would be at the September wrestling event – the first major WWE stadium event to be held in the UK since 1992. Fury replied: "Don't rule me out of fighting there. You might see me at Summer Slam, coming up soon.
"I've got to speak to Vince [McMahon] and the boys and maybe make this happen. I know Drew McIntyre's being saying a lot of things about me - I'll have to knock him out, like I did his pal.
"You know. I'd love to be at Cardiff. I'd love to be back in the centre stage in the UK – especially for the wrestling. I enjoyed it last time in Saudi Arabia – it was fantastic, so to come here and do it would be phenomenal. We're definitely going to make a bit of contact and see if we can make that Summer Slam thing a reality." Read more here.
