Gair Rhydd 1188- February 6th 2023

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gair rhydd

Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Inside: Wales' £12 million package for Ukrainian Refugees (Page 3)

A rich history of print student media in Cardiff

even the occasional crossword puzzle.

Gair Rhydd is Cardiff University's current student newspaper, which has been published since 1972. It has undergone numerous transformations as each editor-in-chief has passed the torch to someone new, year after year. Many aspiring writers, designers, and photographers who want to gain practical experience alongside their studies have used it as a steppingstone into journalism.

Whilst there is much to explore about the history of Gair Rhydd, a long history of student media in Cardiff precedes it. The most exciting of which happened between the 1960s and 70s; a time marked by economic turmoil, industrial strikes, and social change.

Journalism is a lifeline in times of political and social upheaval, as seen during the 2020 pandemic. It provides crucial information to keep people informed, on which the public is heavily reliant in times of uncertainty. Student journalism is no exception.

The explosion of student media around the 1970s shows the importance media had upon the lives of students—a section of people who often feel left out of the general media.

Cardiff University, as it is known today, was born out of a merger between University College Cardiff (UCC) and the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (UWIST). The merge was seen as a solution by the British government to UCC’s financial struggles. It officially merged with UWIST in 1988 and later adopted the name Cardiff University in 1999.

Broadsheet was a student newspaper produced by UCC students and is a direct predecessor to the Gair Rhydd (unlike the Gair Rhydd it was not free). The special collections at Cardiff University indicate that the paper was produced from 1946 to 1971. It reported local student news and featured articles on art, sports, music, politics and

The headlining article from a January issue in 1970 was entitled ‘make love not obstacles’. A spin on the popular anti-war slogan ‘make love, not war’, which was later made infamous in a song sung by John Lennon. It usually took a more serious tone than its competitor, Impact.

Impact was a free student publication founded by UWIST students. Copies date back to 1960, and production continued even after the two universities merged. The publication's exact end date is unknown, but it would have ended by the time the merger was completed in 1988. Each issue's cover featured an eye-catching, brightly coloured font spelling out 'impact' (very characteristic for the 1970s). The magazine's tone was often comedic, and it covered local student news, music gigs and events, sometimes politics, sports, and included the occasional recipe section.

In the publications own words from 1977, ‘Impact is essentially a non-political magazine […] It normally contains news features rather than “hot” news, essentially because Impact is published every three weeks. By which time “hot” news has normally gone cool.’—the satirical tone is self-evident.

In a letter to the editor published in an edition from 1977, one student vents the feeling all students have, old and new, when someone sets the fire alarm off in student halls in the early hours of the morning.

The merger gave birth to Colossus, a student newspaper that attempted to merge Broadsheet and Impact—but failed.

According to John Hartley, who co-founded the Gair Rhydd with his friend Dave Aldridge (both students at UCC studying English), the Y Gair Rhydd was born from the ashes of Broadsheet and the failure of Colossus.

To read Jasmine's article about the university's print history , turn to page 6

UCU announces 18 days of strike action

The University College Union (UCU) has announced 18 days of strike action across February and March, meaning more than 70,000 members of staff across 150 universities will walk out as part of a dispute over low pay, poor working conditions and cuts to members’ pensions - including several staff at Car-

Cynnydd i gyllid myfyrwyr Cymru

Nansi Eccott

Pennaeth Taf-od

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru a Gweinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg, Jeremy Miles, wedi cyhoeddi cynllun i gynyddu cyllid myfyrwyr Cymru gan 9.4% ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd nesaf.

Golyga hyn, yn y flwyddyn academaidd 2023-2024, bydd cyllid myfyrwyr Cymru yn cynyddu o‘r £10,710 presennol i £11,720. Daw’r cynnydd mewn ymateb i’r argyfwng costau byw presennol er mwyn sicrhau cymorth a chefnogaeth i fyfyrwyr y wlad yn ystod y cyfnod hwn.

I ddarllen erthygl Nansi am y newidiadau, trowch i dudalen 13

diff. This follows three days of strike action in November, prompted by a pay increase offer of just 3%, equivalent to a 6% real-terms pay cut. The UCEA (the body responsible for negotiating university staff’s pay) has made a revised pay offer in light of this upcoming action, an increase of between 4% and 5%. The UCU described this offer as falling “well short” of their demands in a press release on January 26th. The union’s General Secretary,

Jo Grady, argued that the offer “will do little to protect our members in a costof-living crisis”.

The UCEA, by contrast, has claimed any increase in pay will put jobs at risk, and that this limits any offer they can make.

To read Zacchaeus' article on the reasons behind action, turn to page 9

The

Budgeting Blues Equal Pay deal announced by FAW

Megan Shinner Head of Advice

We had someone write in about budgeting tips – and we have answered. Even though budgeting is generally ideal to start thinking about at the start of the academic year, it’s also helpful to re-evaluate your finances and saving methods at the beginning of a new year. After the most financially stressful time that we know as Christmas, we can stop worrying about what hasn’t been placed under the tree, and start focusing on our own saving goals.

To read Megan's tips on saving money, turn to page 19

Ryan Harris-Jewell Sport Editor

The FAW have agreed a deal with Wales women’s national team’s guaranteeing equal pay.

Both the men’s and women’s national team will receive the same salary from the FAW whilst on international duty.

The agreement means that Wales will now be joining the United States of America, England, Brazil, Norway, and New Zealand in paying their international players equally.

To read Ryan's article on the historic agreement, turn to page 23

Over 70,000 members across 150 universities will take part in strikes. Image: Magnus Hagdorn (via Flickr)

Jasmine Edge Contributor

Zacchaeus Hayward Contributor

Gair Rhydd 2022/23

Coordinator

Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief

Beth Alaw Williams

Deputy Editors

Jasmine Jones

Katherine Seymour Nansi Eccott News

George Symonds

Shivika Singh

Lowri Powell

Luis Atkinson

Beca Dalis Williams

Features

Ruhaab Khalid

Grace Robson

Taf-od

Nansi Eccott

Lowri Davies

Anest Williams

Efa Ceiri

Megan Haf Davies

Millie Stacey

Politics

Katherine Seymour

Francesca Ionescu

Jade Heath

Comment

Clelia Frondaroli

Evan Johnson-Charteris

Frances Marsh

Advice

Megan Shinner

Lucy Matthews

Shaniece O’Keeffe Review

Alice Moore

Billy Edwards

Haris Hussnain

Science and Technology

Edward Sutton

Aditi Kallanagoudar Girish

Freya Shepherd

Welsh Editor

Malen Meredydd

Sport

Jasmine Jones

Ryan Harris-Jewell

Eloise Martin

Rohan Kakar

Social Media Editors

Emily Smith

Jack Darlington

Haris Hussnain

Copy Editors

Alanya Smith

Alice Fox

Alys Mai Walters

Charlotte Grant

Claudia Titcombe

Efa Prydderch

Elliw Williams

Lois Campbell

Lily Barry

Maisie Granger

Katie Bowen

Scarlett Carpenter

Write to the editor

gairrhyddeic@gmail.com

A note from the Editor Nodyn gan y Golygydd

Are 4-day working weeks the future?

A wythnos gwaith

4-diwrnod yw’r dyfodol?

At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards. We may occasionally make mistakes, however if you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email gairrhyddeic@gmail.com.

You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints.

Opinions expressed in editorials and opinion pieces are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance.

Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.

Pulling a Sickie:.Today is the day that the most people will phone-in sick to work. Image: JESHOOTS.COM (via Wikimedia Commons)

Beth Williams Editor-in-Chief

The 6th of February has been coined as National Sickie Day 2023.

Statistically, the first Monday in February marks the day that most people will phone in sick to work. In 2020, the phenomenon waspredicted to cost employers £45 million in wages. While the physical symptoms may be fabricated, is there more to National Sickie Day that meets the eye?

In a survey, 46% of people revealed the real reason behind their phone call was feeling tired, with 40% saying ‘they just weren’t feeling it’. The cold winter months also mean that mental health plays a role in absences. Is there anything that can be done to protect workers from burn-out, as well as benefit the companies they work for?

The Welsh government is said to be considering a four-day working week, where workers will still receive the same wages as they did for working five days.

MS Jack Sargent, who sits on the Petition’s committee said; ‘People in Wales work some of the longest hours in Europe. Despite these long hours, the UK lags on productivity, once we break that

link of ‘hours worked equalling productivity’ we can start to look at a four-day week differently’.

Spain, Scotland, and Ireland are all devising a four-day working week pilot scheme to start next year after the positive results of Iceland’s scheme.

Despite losing a day, encouraging a better work-life balance meant employee productivity was boosted significantly, as well as a general improvement in physical and mental health. The scheme also saw company revenues increase. The environment was also positivley imapcted, with a reduction in commuting decreasing air pollution and lowers carbon emissions.

Almost 75% of UK workers are in favour of a 4-day working week, with 100 companies already signing up for a permanent four-day working week. With 88% of companies in pilot schemes noting positive impacts so far, will a four-day working week be the new normal in Wales?

Tynnu ‘Sickie’: Heddiw ydi’r diwrnod mae’r nifer fwyaf o bobl yn tebygol o ffonio fewn yn sal i’r gwaith Image: JESHOOTS.COM (via Wikimedia Commons)

Beth Williams Prif Olygydd

Mae Chwefror 6ed wedi cael ei alw yn ‘National Sickie Day 2023’. Yn flynyddol, mae Dydd Llun cyntaf y mis yn nodi’r diwrnod mae’r nifer fwyaf o bobl yn ffonio fewn yn sâl i’r gwaith. Yn 2020, wnaeth y ffenomenon gostio £45 miliwn i gyflogwyr. Efallai nad yw’r symptomau corfforol yn wir, ond oes mwy i National Sickie Day?

Mewn holiadur, datganodd 46% o bobl fod y rheswm go iawn du ôl i’w galwad oedd y ffaith oeddynt wedi blino, gyda 40% yn cyfaddef i fod yn ddiamynedd. Mae misoedd oer y Gaeaf hefyd yn golygu fod iechyd meddwl yn chwarae rôl mewn absenoldebau. Oes yno unrhyw beth all gael ei wneud i warchod gweithwyr rhag gorflino, yn ogystal â bod o fydd i’r cwmnïau maent yn gweithio i?

Mae sôn fod Llywodraeth Cymru yn ystyried treialu wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod, ble fydd gweithwyr yn parhau i dderbyn yr un cyflog ac maent yn bresennol. Dywedodd yr aelod seneddol Jack Sargent; ‘ Mae pobl yng Nghymru yn gweithio rhai o’r oriau hiraf yn Ewrop. Er yr oriau yma, mae Prydain tuol iddi pan ddaw i gynhyrchi-

ant. Unwaith rydym yn chwalu’r meddylfryd fod oriau yn y gwaith yn hafal i gynhyrchiant, allwn gychwyn edrych ar yr wythnos pedwar diwrnod yn wahanol.”

Mae Sbaen, yr Alban ac Iwerddon i gyd yn dyfeisio cynllun peilot wythnos gwaith pedwar diwrnod i’w gychwyn blwyddyn nesaf ar ôl canlyniad positif cynllun Gwlad yr Ia.

Er yn colli diwrnod, wnaeth annog cydbwysedd cartref a’r gwaith mwy iach gynyddu cynhyrchiant cyffredinol gweithwyr, yn ogystal â gwelliannau i iechyd corfforol ac meddyliol. Gwelodd y cynllun incwm y cwmnïau yn gwella drwy hefyd effeithio ar yr amgylchedd, gyda llai o deithio yn lleihau allyriadau carbon.

Mae bron i 75% o weithwyr ym Mhrydain o blaid wythnos weithio pedwar diwrnod, gyda 100 o gwmnïau yn bwriadu fod yn rhan o wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod parhaol. Gyda 88% o gwmnïau mewn cynlluniau peilot yn gweld newidiadau cadarnhaol, a fu’r wythnos waith pedwar diwrnod yn normal newydd i Gymry?

Welsh Government £12 million refugee spending scheme

Lowri Powell News Editor

The Welsh Government’s “super sponsor” scheme spent over £12 million to house 3,028 refugees from Ukraine. Figures show that £5.17 million was paid to the Urdd to use one of its facilities as a welcome centre. Whilst they also spent £5.4 million on a total of 27 hotels to house the Ukrainian refugees temporarily.

The super sponsor scheme by the Welsh Government was launched to pair refugees with sponsors who housed them anywhere in the UK. Initially, the Welsh Government agreed that they would offer up to 1,000 Ukrainians accommodation and care in Wales. This scheme was launched in addition to the Homes for Ukraine scheme by the UK which launched in March 2022. The Homes for Ukraine scheme allows citizens, charities, groups and businesses to bring Ukrainian refugees to safety.

The initial plan was to house the refugees in welcome centres before moving to long-term accommodation. The welcome centres were made to provide “wrap-around support” as they kick start their new life. To help find work, enrol

children into schools, and find any financial support they are eligible for. The main welcome centre was at the Urdd facilities, whilst also at accommodation at universities, holiday parks and the site of a former school in the Vale of Glamorgan. The school thanks to the council and Welsh Government for the “significant investment”. To date, this cost the Welsh Government £864,410 for this short-term accommodation for the refugees.

The Welsh Government anticipated that the refugees would take weeks to kick start their new life, instead it was mostly months. Due to the longer settling in period, refugees now have to contribute to their costs after five weeks. From 2023, the refugees will undergo a three-phase approach: starting with a five-week welcome phase in temporary accommodation, free of any payments. This will be followed by a second five-week support phase where they are expected to pay from £25 per week or £37 for a family of four if they decline further accommodation. Their Universal Credit payments from the Welsh Government will most likely cover this. During the final phase, the refugees will leave their temporary accommodation and settle into their own homes.

Many refugees have settled into life in Wales, especially 22-year-old Iryna Matuseyych and her sister Lina Matuseyych who arrived at the Urdd centre in the summer months of 2022. Iryna, a biology and chemical engineering graduate who holds a Masters in ElectroCoagulation Processing, was spotted by Power and Water, a wastewater treatment company in Swansea. Harry Cowen, CEO of Power and Water, approached Iryna to offer her a job. He said “She was exactly the candidate we had been looking to employ. Her knowledge and attitude is remarkable and we have no doubt she will make a major contribution to our business”. Iryna now works as a graduate process engineer for Power and Water, said: Iryna, who has now found her own place to live and settled into her new job, said: “I would like to say a massive thank you for the welcome I have had to Wales and for being given the opportunity to build a new life here. If I hadn’t been given support when I first arrived here it doesn’t bear thinking about.” Despite this thorough plan, volunteers became broken and housing options became bleak. A housing shortage and a lack of interest among households in Wales to house refugees has prolonged the rehousing process for refugees. 1,500

remain in hotels, holiday parks and other temporary accommodations. One refugee said, “They call it a welcome centre because they say it’s temporary, but it’s not. There is such a shortage in housing options that the only viable option is to make those who have arrived through the scheme stay in the hotels.”

Sponsors are also struggling with the change of homing Ukrainian refugees have on their families. A sponsor said, “It was certainly more challenging than we anticipated. I think when you take someone into your home you perhaps don’t know just how difficult the situation is going to be for everyone and each family.” Especially with the rise of the cost of living, many sponsors didn’t feel sponsors were receiving sufficient financial support. One told WalesOnline, she had to start charging rent to those staying with her due to the rise of bills.

Despite the struggles Wales has faced, Jane Hutt, Minister for social justice said Wales is committed to being a Nation of Sanctuary. “More than 500 people have now moved on from initial accommodation into a place of their own.

“We are continuing to work with local authorities and the third sector to support moving on.”

Andrew and Tristan Tate facing arrest in Romania

Michal Lewis Contributor

Brothers Andrew (36) and Tristan (34) Tate are now facing arrest in Romania, due to allegations of rape, exploitation, and human trafficking.

Former professional boxer and social media persona Andrew Tate was arrested on the twenty-ninth of December last year in Romania. The arrest happened due to allegations that include rape, exploitation, and human trafficking. Along with Tate his brother, Tristan, and two Romanian women who are said to be their accomplices were also arrested. They are all claimed to have participated in: the exploitation of several women for the making of pornographic content, in human trafficking, rape, and in forming an organized crime group. To seduce the six vic - tims identified so far, the brothers are said to have pretended to be romantically interested in them before leading them to different properties on the outskirts of Bucharest where they were

made by force to produce pornographic content, which was then uploaded online and gave the four suspects a large profit.

On the thirty of December, the Romanian court decided to extend the brothers’ arrest for thirty more days until the twenty-seventh of February.

The police also released pictures from the properties in which the crimes allegedly took place, which is said to be one of the five properties linked to all four suspects.

Both brothers denied all crimes that are attributed to them and appealed the decision to keep them in prison, but this attempt was declined. Meanwhile, their lawyer Eugene Vidieneac said that no new pieces of evidence were presented since the start of the investigation aside from the rape victim’s statement, and keeping the two in custody is not justified. Vidieneac also argued that the defense team was not granted access to the criminal investigation file in order to make a proper defense strat-

egy.

Aside from the decision to keep them in custody, the police also seized fifteen luxury cars and ten properties, saying that due to the Tates’ high financial status, there is a high possibility that, once they are out of arrest, they will try to flee the country before the investigation is completed.

Andrew Tate is previously known for his misogynistic opinions which he posts regularly on different social media platforms and got banned from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Many of his videos preach misogynistic messages to the millions of followers he gained on all platforms, and contain very controversial, sexist statements. In the videos, he also advises men on how they should behave. Some have already named him the ‘king of toxic masculinity’ and expressed worry that his controversial sayings have damaged young men’s behavior toward women. A lot of education professionals also publicly ex-

pressed their fear that Tate’s extreme views were radicalizing young men.

Now, from his jail cell, the influencer sent his followers an email, in which he complained about the conditions of his imprisonment. Tate wrote that his room is full of “cockroaches, lice and bed bugs” and stated that the authorities are “trying to break my Iron Mind with unjust imprisonment”. His Twitter account stayed active after the arrest, but it is not clear whether it is he or his representatives who are posting the Tweets on his page.

The investigation team now has a tight schedule to prove that a crime has occurred to keep the suspects in custody any longer, as neither of the brothers is yet to have been charged.

Alec Baldwin to be charged with manslaughter

Luis Atkinson News Editor

Renowned US actor Alec Baldwin is reported to be charged with involuntary manslaughter, following an incident on set of the film Rust in October 2021 within Santa Fe, New Mexico which resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The District Attorney for Santa Fe, Mary Carmack-Altwies, announced the charges on Thursday 12th December, claiming that the charges would be filed by the end of January. The statement said “actor and producer Alec Baldwin and armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter… I have determined that there is sufficient evidence”. Moreo-

ver, the District Attorney added, “on my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice”.

Additionally, according to prosecutors, the film’s assistant director David Halls will serve six months’ probation due to the charge of ‘negligent use of a deadly weapon’.

In contrast, however, Mr Baldwin’s lawyer, Luke Nikas, labelled the decision “a terrible miscarriage of justice”.

It was reported by the BBC that the actor was rehearsing a scene for the film, and the actor was unaware of the live rounds contained in the gun.

According to Mr Nikas, Baldwin had “no reason to believe there was a live bullet in the gun - or anywhere on the movie set”. He had relied on personnel such as the film’s armourer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed – also charged with manslaughter – on ensuring the gun’s safety.

Following the incident, Mr Baldwin had argued that the gun was misfired, that he did not pull the trigger and was unaware of the fact that it was loaded. He said “I don’t know what happened on that set. I don’t know how that bullet arrived in that gun. I don’t know”.

It was reported that after the shooting, Ms Hutchins passed away in hospital a short time after she was shot in the chest by the same gun Mr Baldwin had allegedly misfired.

In addition to the criminal cases ensuing after the shooting, Mr Baldwin has also allegedly filed a lawsuit against personnel involved in the film, including Ms Gutierrez-reed and Mr Halls, on the grounds of alleging that they failed to check the gun properly for safety.

Baldwin and the production companies involved in the film, had pre-

viously reached a settlement with the Hutchins family, claiming that all parties believed that her death was an accident; the terms of the settlement are undisclosed.

In response to the charges, Todd Bullion, a lawyer for Ms. GutierrezReed, denounced the announcement as the culmination of a “very flawed investigation and an inaccurate understanding of the full facts”. Mr. Bullion also said, “Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident… but she did not commit involuntary manslaughter.”

Prosecutors overseeing the case have claimed that both parties involved could face up to 18 months in jail and a $5,000 (£4,040) fine if convicted and that the cases will be tried in the presence of a jury.

Shivika Singh

Luis Atkinson

George Symonds

Beca Dallis

Anglesey Menai Bridge partly reopens after repairs

Swansea Airport to open in the Spring

Jasmine Jones Contributor

For the first time since 2004 passenger flights will depart from Swansea Airport in the Spring.

In a series of regeneration plans for South Wales air travel, Swansea Airport has announced it will start providing a Swansea to Exeter direct route in the coming months after two decades of no passenger travel. The statement was made on its social media pages this week, explaining its long-term goals for the airport.

In an attempt to provide increasing access to holiday travel for people residing in and around the Gower area, the move allows for easily interchangeable travel with connecting flights from Exeter going onto popular destinations such as Spain, Ireland, and the Channel Islands.

A statement read: “Scheduled services are back! Swansea Airport are pleased to announce that Scheduled Services will re-launch from Swansea Airport this year. The end of March will see the start of services between Exeter and Swansea, joining the airport with Exeter provides interchange access to airports across the UK as well as the Channel Islands, Ireland, and Spain. This is the first step in a long planned improvement plan for the airport which will see further infrastructure and services returning to the airport over the year.”

The airport, which is little more than an airbase, has been described by Swansea Councillor Chris Evans as being in “a very, very sorry state”. The new Swansea to Exeter flights hope however to be just the first step in the plan to revamp the Airport, with further infrastructure and passenger services to return in the next few years.

Swansea Council, who currently own the site, have expressed their desire to find new ownership for the airport citing “costs” and the “significant” carbon emissions involved. Currently the council is aiming to be net carbon zero by 2030, seemingly a tough ask with the reintroduction of local passenger flights.

The move does however bring some positivity for travellers in the area, especially with the recent news that Wizz Air is to pull all its planes out of neighbouring Cardiff Airport. Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds has said serious questions need to be asked about the future of the airport. She stated that “With a bill of £210m since the Welsh government purchased the airport and no sign of things improving, taxpayers will rightly be asking what value for money they are getting.”

The state of air travel in and out of Wales needs to be continually evaluated, but the reopening of Swansea Airport to passengers has ultimately been met with confidence from the public .

Services between Exeter and Swansea, joining the airport with Exeter provides interchange access to airports across the UK”

Church of England on same-sex marriage

Luis Atkinson News Editor

Same-sex marriage has been legal in England and Wales since 2013, yet the Church did not alter its teachings in accordance. However, the body has begun to consider giving blessings to samesex couples, should they wish to do so.

Despite representatives for the Church of England claiming that they want to offer blessings for same-sex couples, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has said that he will not personally follow suit.

According to the BBC, the Church of England has said, in the week beginning Monday 16th January, that the body wants to offer blessings to same-sex couples, but the body would not change its stance on prohibiting same-sex marriage.

Bishops had informed the BBC that the Church will offer “prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or God’s blessing”, although the body does not intend to change teachings to allow priests to marry same-sex couples. These proposals will be debated at the General Synod – the Church’s equivalent to parliament – next month.

Same-ex wedding blessings: The Church will offer “prayers of dedication, thanksgiving or God’s blessing” Source: Spencer Means via Flickr

Speaking to a press conference on Friday 20th January, Archbishop Welby said that he would “continue to pray for all those who come seeking prayer and to pray with love”, including people who identify as LGBTQI+, straight, or had relationship worries. He also said that “…because of my pastoral care and responsibility of being a focus of unity for the whole communion I will - while being extremely joyfully celebratory of these new resources - I will not personally use

them in order to compromise that pastoral care”.

In contrast, the Archbishop of York has said that he will offer the prayers as he believes that the practice puts the church in a “better place”.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, said that, in regards to the new proposals from the Church of England, “I’m really pleased it’s changing for my gay friends”, whilst also considering that the change may not be enough for some people.

Moreover, the Church has been reported to have issued a formal apology for the “shameful” times it has “rejected or excluded” LGBTQIA+ people.

Within the formal apology, the Church said “For the times we have rejected or excluded you, and those you love, we are deeply sorry. The occasions on which you have received a hostile and homophobic response in our churches are shameful and for this we repent.”

“As we have listened, we have been told time and time again how we have failed LGBTQI+ people. We have not loved you as God loves you, and that is profoundly wrong. We affirm, publicly and unequivocally, that LGBTQI+ people are welcome and valued: we are all children of God.”

In addition, the Bishop of Oxford Dr Steven Croft said that the church has “further to go” in embracing same-sex relationships, and called for a change in the Church’s teachings, so that gay marriage could be recognised.

Trump fined $1million to Hillary Clinton

Aimee Szulczewski Contributor

Former US president, Donald Trump has been fined just under one million dollars (£758,626) by a federal judge for his ‘frivolous’ lawsuit against his 2016 presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

Both Trump and his lawyer, Alina Habba, were fined by US District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks over the lawsuit, which targeted Clinton and harmed thirty individuals and organisations.

The lawsuit alleged that Clinton had orchestrated “a malicious conspiracy” to spread false information regarding Trump’s collusion with Russia during his 2016 presidential campaign. Middlebrooks called this lawsuit “completely frivolous, both factually and legally”, as the suit aimed to bring down Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party and former top FBI officials.

In addition, the judgement also evoked memories of Trump’s other lawsuits against major organisations and individ-

uals such as Twitter, CNN and the New York Times, who all published claims of interference during 2016.

The New York Times published reports over the interruption of the election, which suggested that Russian actors used internet trolls on social media sites to disseminate propaganda content. This was used to boost Trump’s candidacy and antagonise politics in the US, which enhanced the support for Trump and the Republicans. Despite being examined

by the Special Counsel in 2019, which concluded that there was insufficient evidence of Russian conspiracy, there are still suspicions that the election was hindered by Russian organisations.

Another one of Trump’s lawsuits was against New York Attorney General, Letitia James, who led a “politically motivated” investigation into the Trump Organisation’s real estate affairs. This was after their property values were claimed to be falsely reported, enabling them to

receive loans and tax benefits. James investigated claims that the organisation inflated the value of their assets to have access to higher loans, and then undervalued others to avoid taxation.

In the 2021 lawsuit, Trump claimed that James led a “witch hunt” and violated the constitutional rights of the organisation. However, since Middlebrooks’ fine, the lawsuit has since been dropped, which he commented on, stating, “this litigation has all the tell-tale signs of being vexatious and frivolous”. Here, the irritated judge implies Trump’s flippant lawsuits are only used to cause annoyance and lack serious claims since these have all been dropped.

Nevertheless, it is clear that this will not be the last we hear of the former president, especially after his announcement of running for President in 2024. The controversial businessman, TV personality, and politician has already started laying the foundations of support for his bid to be the Republican party’s presidential nomination.

Covid blamed for drop in Welsh speakers

Alys Jones Contributor

The fall in the number of Welsh speakers has been partially attributed to covid lockdowns as there were limited opportunities for young speakers to use Welsh regularly for almost two years. The results from the 2021 census illustrated a 5.7% drop in the number of school-age children able to speak Welsh compared to results from the 2011 census. In 2011, 168,000 school-age children were able to speak Welsh, compared to 146,000 in 2021, despite the number of pupils in Welsh-medium education rising by 11,000 during that period. Pupils from Ysgol Bro Teifi in Ceredigion have said that the pandemic has had an impact on their confidence when using the

language, with one pupil stating, “I’ve seen a decrease maybe around in the community since Covid and people have maybe lost the confidence to speak Welsh”. Results from the 2021 census illustrated that the largest decreases in the number of Welsh speakers were between the ages of 5 and 15. The number of school-age Welsh speakers decreased by 6% from 40.3% in 2011 to 34.3% in 2021. The number of speakers aged 3 - 4 fell from 23.3% in 2011 to 18.2% in 2021.

The government-imposed lockdowns which began in 2020 and extended into 2021 led to school closures, with many children having to learn from home. These closures had an impact on the number of opportunities available to children to learn and use the Welsh language regularly, especially if they lived in a home where

Welsh was not spoken by caregivers. Dr Rhian Hodges, a sociology lecturer at Bangor University stated that Welsh-medium education needed to be “accessible to everyone” and Welsh language commissioner Efa Gruffydd Jones said Welsh in all schools should be offered “better and more efficiently”. The first language immersion unit in Wales is set to open soon at Ysgol Panteg, Pontypool and it will allow 7 - 11-year-olds to have intensive Welsh lessons for 12 weeks before moving into mainstream Welsh-medium education. Headteacher Dr Matthew Dicken has said that the unit would offer another chance for parents to introduce their children to Welsh-medium education.

The recent 2022 census revealed that the number of Welsh speakers in Wales has fallen from 19% to 17.8%, a

decrease of 1.2% since the 2011 census. There were 562,000 Welsh speakers in Wales in 2011, compared to the 538,000 measured in 2022 which represents an estimated loss of nearly 24,000 speakers. The Welsh Government introduced the Welsh language strategy in 2017 which aimed for there to be one million Welsh speakers by 2050. The strategy also aimed to increase the number of primary teachers able to teach in Welsh from 2,900 to 3,900 by 2031 and to 5,200 by 2050.

Other aims within the strategy include increasing the proportion of each school year group receiving Welshmedium education from 22 percent to 40 percent in 2050 and the expansion of the Welsh-medium early years provision to 150 nursery groups over 10 years.

Trump furious at Clinton: The lawsuit alleged that Clinton had orchestrated “a malicious conspiracy. Source: BU Rob13, Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia

Controversy in the British Royal Family.

George Symonds Head of News

By now the news of the feuding between two royal brothers has spread. However, after the publication and release of Prince Harry’s book ‘Spare’ on the 10th of January; we have now been offered a glance into the not so idyllic life of the British Royal Family.

The biography details the life of Prince Harry, 38, with chapters focusing on his time in the British Army, his relationship with his departed mother- Diana, confrontations with his father and brother- King Charles III and Prince William whilst also detailing his life with his wife- Meghan. Whilst the biography has sold more than 750,000 copies in the UK alone with 400,00 being sold on its first day of release (making it the UK’s fastest selling memoir ever) many believe that the publication of private family moments should be kept private.

Despite public opinion, all was focused on how the British Royal Family would respond. A ‘Royal Source’ had told popular magazine US Weekly that “Charles is distraught. He’s angry and outraged that Harry’s aired so many embarrassing and damaging assertions, and

it’s put him in a terrible position with Camilla of course now that she’s been dragged into the equation,” the insider said. As of February 2023, there has been no official response from the British Royal Family and will “likely continue not to dignify his (Harry’s) comments”.

The British public has seemingly continued to be divided by the publication of ‘Spare’ with interviews from the BBC detailing that every moment and story within the biography can be debated to the extreme. An infamous moment where Harry and William had supposedly argued so much that the future king was “seething” leading to William “grabbing me by the collar, ripping my neck-

lace, and … knocking me to the floor” has left the public split. The issue many have with Harry’s biography is a matter of truth; Maanya Sachdeva for the Independent newspaper lists many “inaccuracies’’ within ‘Spare’. Moments such as when Harry recalled where he was when the Queen Mother died and how he enjoyed visiting TK Maxx for their “once-a-year sale” were both proven to be fabricated with documented evidence. In response to the British media’s clapback of his book, Prince Harry discussed with US comedian Stephen Colbert that he is not surprised saying that “this is the other side of the story and there’s a lot in there that perhaps makes people feel un-

comfortable and scared.” CNN reported that perhaps the British media were less focused on what was included in Harry’s biography and more centred on what the rest of the British Royal Family were doing in response. Instead of a fiery reaction, King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales visited local communities in Scotland, with photographs showing the monarch laughing with members of the public.

Now that the biography has been released for nearly a month, rumours on whether Harry and Meghan will attend, or even be invited, to King Charles III’s coronation on Saturday the 6th of May have circulated. Palace aides are reportedly in talks with the BBC about the King doing an interview with the broadcaster in order to “share his side of the story, as a follow-up to Prince Harry’s revealing Netflix documentary with his wife Meghan, his memoir Spare and his series of interviews given to different broadcasting outlets earlier this month.” (Ellie Muir Independent).

The King is supposedly in support of his son and daughter-in-law attending but whether or not the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the coronation in Westminster Abbey has not yet been confirmed.

Jacinda Ardern resigns as Prime Minister

Shivika Singh News Editor

New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern announced an unexpected resignation on 19th January, at the Labour party’s first caucus meeting of the year.

Ardern quitted citing burnout as she “no longer had enough in the tank” to do the job.

“I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility – the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple,” Ardern added.

This shocking announcement came ahead of New Zealand’s general election due to take place on 17th October this

YesCymru continuing to march in 2023

Beca Dallis News Editor

On the 20th of May YesCymru and All Under One Banner’s first march of 2023 will take place in Swansea. YesCymru states ‘we believe in a future independent Wales, which embraces and celebrates the full diversity of everyone who chooses to make Wales their home’. Supporters will come together in Swansea, starting at Wind Street on May the 20th at 11:30 -14:30.

The last march took place in Cardiff on the 1st of October 2022. There were 10,000 supporters in Cardiff marching for independence. Also, there were many enthusiastic and inspirational speakers at the end of the march in the rally at Windsor Place. These included; Dafydd Wigley previous Plaid Cymru MP, actor and author Ffion Dafis, actor Julian Lewis Jones, singer Eädyth Jones, actor Tadhg Hickey, chief of YesCymru Gwern Gwynfil, Welsh business man and campaigner Agit Chevis and young political activist Harriet Protheroe-Soltani. Icon Dafydd Iwan made a surprise appearance to sing Yma o Hyd, which the marchers were thrilled about.

year. Ardern’s term as prime minister will now conclude no later than 7 February but she will continue as an MP until the election this year.

Ardern rose to prominence as a young and progressive leader worldwide since becoming prime minister in 2017. She became the world’s youngest female head of government on her election as the prime minister at the age of 37. Just a year later she became the second elected world leader to ever give birth while in office, after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

She has led New Zealand through some difficult times during her time in office including Covid-19 pandemic, a series of disasters including the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, and the White Island volcanic eruption.

Ardern candidly spoke on the crisis her government faced while in the office

and also highlighted her achievements as she spoke about legislation on housing, climate change and child poverty.

Ardern’s meteoric rise as an empathetic leader started with her handling of the Christchurch terrorist attack. The attack not only marked a defining moment of Ardern’s leadership, but her rapid response gained widespread praise globally as she swiftly introduced gun law reforms, wore a hijab to show her respect for the Muslim community and publicly said she would never speak the name of the alleged attacker.

On being asked how she would like New Zealanders to remember her leadership, Ardern said “as someone who always tried to be kind”.

Ardern’s popularity extended overseas, with her gracing the covers of Vogue and Time magazine, and hosting American TV personality Stephen Colbert at

her suburban Auckland home.

While her resignation brought into limelight the pressures of leadership and importance of prioritising one’s mental health in a position of responsibility, it also ignited a series of sexist assumptions regarding her departure from the office. From BBC World News publishing a story with the headline: “Jacinda Ardern resigns: Can women really have it all?” to Fox news late night show host Tucker Carlson taking jabs on her appearance, mainstream news media covered sexist news stories.

In the midst of speculations and discussions, Jacinda Ardern leaves behind a complicated yet overwhelmingly positive legacy, serving as an example for modern female leadership and the importance of empathy in politics.

Japan’s Ageing Population Affecting Economy

Dilichi Dieobi Contributor

With the longest life-expectancy in the world, the lowest murder rate, very little political conflict, and their incredible high-speed rail network, Shinkansen, it is absolutely valid to assume that Japan’s economy was about to skyrocket a few years ago. The same way in which Europe and America currently fear the growing power of China’s economy, they once feared the economic growth of Japan, but now they no longer do –so what has happened?

After the Second World War, Japan dominated global manufacturing. This made them a money magnet which then ignited a property boom and people were buying anything and everything, including sections of forest. By the mid-1980s, the bubble era had begun, or as the

Japanese call it – “Baburu Jidai”. In this era stock market prices and real estate skyrocketed, however, early in 1992 this bubble burst, and the country’s economy is still yet to recover.

The bureaucracy of Japan has spent large amounts of public money on things of little utility. For example, in the Japanese Alps the manhole covers are embellished with designs of elephants and flowers to commemorate the 1924 discovery of an ancient elephant species in a

nearby lake. The Japan Society for Manhole covers claims there are over 6,000 different designs of these covers and they are stunning, but at 900 dollars apiece, are they really what the country currently needs?

It’s a sign to why Japan has raked up a huge public debt and is not helped by an ageing population who are still employed due to increasing pressure on pensions and healthcare.

Japan’s hostile attitude towards immigration is a key contributing factor to their ageing population too,

as youths from all around the world long to move there but their own native young people are reluctant to be in relationships. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan was quick to shut its borders, even to permanent residents with homes and businesses there.

The foreign ministry was asked why foreigners who lived there were being treated like tourists and their response was short and simple: “they are all foreigners.” With a third of their population being over 60 (making it the second-oldest population in the world after Monaco), the Japanese need to increase fertility or it is projected that by 2050 one fifth of their population could be gone.

Stock market prices and real estate skyrocketed,

Alexa Price, member of YesCymru and YesCymru Caerdydd, which is also an English Literature student at Cardiff University is looking forward to the march. AUOBCymru’s Llywelyn ap Gwilym said: “The march in Swansea will be the sixth march for independence and the most important march so far”.

Alexa Price feels it’s ‘important for Wales to win its independence and to run like the wind from the government in Westminster as soon as possible’. She also added ‘the pandemic highlighted the need for independence and a drastic change in British Governance.

Previous to the Cardiff march Alexa distributed pamphlets and newspapers by YesCymru around Cathays and Roath. She also volunteered to steward in the march last year, and noted ‘that it was a lovely feeling to contribute to the campaign for independence’.

During the march in Cardiff in October there were also objectors to the ideation and campaign of YesCymru. But Alexa reacts to this by saying ‘to look at the history, which there is enough of, it’s not hard to understand and it’s quite straightforward’.

It has been made clear by campaigners that independence will have to be won by a public vote. The UK government does doubt this idea. Liz Truss, former British MP, did declare that the vote for independence, ‘yes’, would have to be 60%. Although Lord Frost, a British diplomat, does want to increase the ‘yes’ percentage. Alexa is ready to remain strong amidst objectors.

Elfed Williams, Chair of YesCymru stated that ‘the cry for independence increases week by week as the people of Wales realise that the only way our country can thrive is to break away from this crumbling union’. YesCymru looks forward to the march in Swansea which will begin at 1pm on the 20th of March.

Pirnce William and Harry’s secret feuds: “this is the other side of the story” (an interview with Stephen Colbert) Source Carfax2 via Wikimedia

Japan’s Older Generation: After the Second World War, Japan dominated global manufacturing Source: Romain Guy via mason.gmu

however, early in 1992 this bubble burst”

Dilichi Dieobi offers an insight into the harmful consequences of an ageing population

Feature: A Rich History

Jasmine Edge explores the legacy of student media in Cardiff

Jasmine Edge Contributor

Gair Rhydd is Cardiff University's current student newspaper, which has been published since 1972. It has undergone numerous transformations as each editor-in-chief has passed the torch to someone new, year after year. Many aspiring writers, designers, and photographers who want to gain practical experience alongside their studies have used it as a steppingstone into journalism.

Whilst there is much to explore about the history of Gair Rhydd, a long history of

Cardiff University, as it is known today, was born out of a merger between University College Cardiff (UCC) and the Univer- sity of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (UWIST). The merge was seen as a solution by the British government to UCC’s financial struggles. It officially merged with UWIST in 1988 and later adopted the name Cardiff University in 1999.

Broadsheet was a student newspaper produced by UCC students and is a direct predecessor to the Gair Rhydd (unlike the Gair Rhydd it was not free). The special collections at Cardiff University indicate that the paper was produced from 1946 to 1971. It reported local student news and featured articles on art, sports, music, politics and even the occasional crossword puzzle.

student media in Cardiff precedes it. The most exciting of which happened between the 1960s and 70s; a time marked by economic turmoil, industrial strikes, and social change.Journalism is a lifeline in times of political and social upheaval, as seen during the 2020 pandemic. It provides crucial information to keep people informed, on which the public is heavily reliant in times of uncertainty. Student journalism is no exception. The explosion of student media around the 1970s shows the importance media had upon the lives of students—a section of people who often feel left out of the general media.

Cardiff City: Source: GregMontani (via Pixabay.com)

Broadsheet and Impact

The headlining article from a January issue in 1970 was entitled ‘make love not obstacles’. A spin on the popular anti- war slogan ‘make love, not war’, which was later made infamous in a song sung by John Lennon. It usually took a more serious tone than its competitor, Impact.

Impact was a free student publication founded by UWIST students. Copies date back to 1960, and production continued even after the two universities merged. The publication's exact end date is unknown, but it would have ended by the time the merger was completed in 1988. Each issue's cover featured an eye-catching, brightly coloured font spelling out 'impact' (very char- acteristic for the 1970s). The magazine's tone was often comedic, and it covered local student news, music gigs and

events, sometimes politics, sports, and included the occasional recipe section.

In the publications own words from 1977, ‘Impact is essentially a non-political magazine […] It normally contains news features rather than “hot” news, essentially because Impact is published every three weeks. By which time “hot” news has normally gone cool.’—the satirical tone is self-evident.

In a letter to the editor published in an edition from 1977, one student vents the feeling all students have, old and new, when someone sets the fire alarm off in student halls in the early hours of the morning.

Broadsheet was a student newspaper produced by UCC students and is a direct predecessor to the Gair Rhydd

Love Not Obstacles’ story, 22nd

The creation of Y Gair Rhydd

The merger gave birth to Colossus, a student newspaper that attempted to merge Broadsheet and Impact—but failed.

According to John Hartley, who cofounded the Gair Rhydd with his friend Dave Aldridge (both students at UCC studying English), the Y Gair Rhydd was born from the ashes of Broadsheet and the failure of Colossus.

Both had been editors at the predecessor Broadsheet. When the amalgamated paper Colossus was not much of a success, they decided to launch a new title. The Y Gair Rhydd. Hartley recalls, “It was free to readers – production costs were met by the Joint Student Union, and of course labour was ‘free’.”

“Dave and I were Co-Editors for a while, then he went solo while I did production and photography work, and I also worked on a “Colour Supplement” (as was the fashion then!), called Hard Times, which lasted a few issues under the editorship of Howard Blumenthal and Louise Earwaker.”

Hard Times was a colour magazine that was inserted into the Y Gair Rhydd and ran for a short time in the 1970s. It was a little more artsy than the rest of the paper, with reviews on music, literature, theatre, and television. It was also dedicated to Welsh language activism during a period of resurgence. Under each article in Hard Times, a summary in Welsh (and sometimes entire reviews) could be found.

Hartley explains that there were, “few Welsh-speakers available (they had better things to do). So [in the Y Gair Rhydd] we featured stories in Welsh when we could get them. And some in English about the politics of the Welsh language, including a full-page spread in the first issue.”

Over time, the ‘Y’ was dropped from the name that Hartley bestowed—becoming simply Gair Rhydd. Its significance, however, was not lost. The Welsh title translates as 'free word'. This can be interpreted in two ways. Either literal, because the paper was free for students to read. Or it could be metaphorical, a nod to the free press.

Ruhaab Khalid

Grace Robson gairrhyddfeatures@gmail.com

‘Make

Letter to editor from a student complaining about early morning fire alarms, 2nd Dec 1977Jan 1970

Years of Gair

History of Print Student Media

The bigger picture

Student publications continued to pop up throughout the 1970s and those that already existed remained steadfast.

Existing pre-internet, it is difficult to trace the exact history of each, but here are parts of what is known.

Ar Daf was a Welsh-language student publication that included essays, poems, prose, and reviews. It was founded in 1963 as a joint venture between UCC and UWIST and may have ended as a result of the subsequent merger. The publication ceased in 1983.

The Link also popped up as a competitor to Gair Rhydd and Impact in the 1970s and belonged to Cardiff Technical College.

Furthermore, The Wail, a RAG mag, was another publication that just missed out on the media boom of the 1970s. It was a yearly publication for RAG week (meaning Raise and Give). Every year, rag mags were created and sold to stu -

John Hartley- the father of student media in Cardiff

Hartley’s own journey during and after university carved out a path for Journalism and cultural studies in Cardiff.

He co-founded the Gair Rhydd which provided students that succeeded him a place to pursue their interests in journalism.

In 1997 he was also the founding head of the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies (JOMEC)—which he coincidentally named as well! Many present editors at the newspaper belong to the school; it is now regarded among academics as one of the best media research facilities in the UK.

When asked about his time at the paper, Hartley paints a vivid picture of the social and political landscape of the 1970s (which contains many parallels to today’s social and political climate).

“It was a time of political tension in Higher Education, with ‘Mag -

gie Thatcher the Milk Snatcher’ as Minister of Education and then PM, so there were plenty of protests and demonstrations to cover.

Also, the University went into the crisis that resulted in the UCCUWIST merger, and a lot of money went into development and expansion, not to everyone’s liking.

It was an epic time for great music, which we covered enthusiastically if not well. Dave Aldridge had an immense (room-filling) record collection, so he did the gigs and interviews, and I took the photos.”

Hiccups may have been made along the way, but the paper was nonetheless an exciting project where students could try and capture what was happening in the world around them, either in writing or photographs.

Hartley’s own journey during and after university carved out a path for Journalism and cultural studies in Cardiff

dents to raise money for various charities, and they usually contained humorous and purposefully incorrect information. From 1926 to 1965, The Wail was an annual tradition.

It was a time of political tension in Higher Education [...] so there were plenty of protests and demonstrations to cover.

John Hartley - co-founder of the Gair Rhydd

Newspapers: Source: Pexels (via Pixabay.com)

Gair Rhydd - a recent history

The Cardiff student media boom may have peaked in the 1970s, but students at Cardiff University have since established the university as the city's hub of student media, inspired by the long legacy of publications that came before it, and have continued to push for exciting developments.

Quench began as a magazine insert in the Gair Rhydd around the turn of the century. In 2003-2004, it broke away from the newspaper. However, it advanced under the watchful eye of the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Gary Andrews, who served as executive editor of the magazine until Quench had its own official editor. His efforts were not unnoticed. The magazine won ‘best student magazine’ and the newspaper won ‘best student newspaper’ at the Guardian awards in 2005.

Also noteworthy, Taf-Od, the newspaper's first Welsh-language section, debuted in 2009. Previ -

The future of Cardiff Student Media (CSM)

Elaine Morgan, student media co-ordinator, started her career at Cardiff Students’ Union in 2003 and has been dedicating her time to CSM for 20 years. Though her title may have changed over time her key role has remained consistent—to support and guide current and new editors at the paper.

Elaine shares her hopes to rebuild the CSM community postpandemic.

“As a long-standing staff member of student media, I’ve

seen many changes, but none more so than the pandemic. For the whole of 20/21, Gair Rhydd and Quench were produced from students’ homes and published on-line. This was a huge departure from the usual buzz and excitement that could be felt in the media office on deadline day, when the room would be full of section editors and contributors finalising their pages.

In 2021, when we were allowed back into the workplace, most of our contributors had no experience of using the office

and the transfer of experience had been lost.

We wanted to recreate that atmosphere again and bring back the sense of drive and community that coming together in one space can provide.

It has taken time, but we are seeing a turnaround in the use of the media office and beginning to see all the PCs in use in the days leading up to deadline day and that great sense of togetherness and community is beginning to emerge once again.”

ously, it featured the occasional Welsh language article here and there. Then, with its move online a few years later in 2012, the Gair Rhydd officially entered the digital world.

Trophy: Source: Mimzy (via Pixabay.com)

Young People: Source: StockSnap (via Pixabay.com)

POLITICS

Nadhim Zahawi Sacked after being fined for taxes

The Conservative Party Chairman asserted his innocence until the report release

Katherine Seymour Head 0f Politics

Nadhim Zahawi was sacked by Rishi Sunak on Sunday (29th January) following revelations about his tax affairs not having been up to date when he became Chancellor following Sunak’s resignation from the position last July.

Rishi Sunak commissioned a report by his new ethics advisor (Sir Laurie Magnus) following growing reports into Zahawi’s tax affairs at the start of 2023. The report found that while HMRC began conversations with Zahawi in April 2021, the then vaccines minister maintained that he was not under investigation for his tax affairs until July 2022despite reports coming out just 5 days before which he had described as “smears”. The settlement, which was to come in August 2022, has been reported to have cost Zahawi £5m by the BBC. Sir Laurie Magnus ultimately found that Zahawi broke the ministerial code on several occasions by failing to report the updates around the HMRC investigation which he was under.

The report found that Zahawi had

The report found that (he)... maintained that he was not under investigation for his tax affairs until July

-MPs have passed minimum service legislation

ELSEWHERE IN POLITICS

-Mark Drakeford’s wife Clare has passed away suddenly Clare Drakeford, wife of Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford, has died suddenly at the age of 71. Tributes have been paid by leaders across the political spectrum.

-MPs have passed minimum service

The bill passed by 315 votes to 246 but will face further scrutiny in the House of Lords before it becomes law.

-IMF predicts UK only major economy to shrink in 2023

The UK economy will shrink and perform worse than other advanced economies, including Russia.

gairrhyddpolitics@gmail.com

“shown insufficient regard for the general principles of the ministerial

code, under the requirements in particular … to be honest, open and an exemplary leader through his own behaviour”.

Sunak quickly sacked Zahawi, announcing it by 9am on Sunday, about 2 hours after he received the report. However, it has been argued that Sunak could have easily come to this conclusion a few weeks ago with senior officials carrying out a few hours of work which would have allowed him to dodge days of damaging headlines and backbenchers questioning his judgement as Prime Minister by keeping Zahawi in post. Following the announcement of the decision, David Cameron’s former director of communications Sir Craig Oliver said: “Rishi Sunak knew nothing this morning that he didn’t know a week

ago – he will be lamenting feeling unable to stand up to some backbenchers.”

However, Sunak defended himself the following day saying that “It relates to things that happened well before I was prime minister, so unfortunately I can’t change what happened in the past,” he said. “What you can hold me accountable for is: what did you do about it? What I did, as soon as I knew about the situation, was appoint someone independent, looked at it, got the advice and then acted pretty decisively.” On the other hand, Deputy leader Angela Rayner called Mr Sunak a “hopelessly weak” prime minister who had “been dragged kicking and screaming into doing what he should have done long ago”. She continued, “Rishi Sunak

Gove’s ‘Thatcher Spirit’ in levelling up plans

Francesca Ionescu Politics Editor

At the Convention of the North, a one day meeting aiming to identify the challenges and solutions regarding regional inequality, Michael Gove has stated that he will channel the “spirit” of Thatcherism in the mission of ‘levelling up’. The convention gathered important political and business figures, including the mayors of Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region and North of Tyne.

Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, praised Margaret Thatcher’s “active” mode of governing. He claimed that her simple solution of ‘just cut taxes and deregulate’ is what transformed London’s docklands after 1979.

“Government created the environment, the private sector created the jobs,” Gove stated, before referring to his 2022 Levelling Up White Paper, aiming for a “head on” approach”. The

Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, praised Margaret Thatcher’s “active” mode of governing ”

initiative of ‘levelling up’ was a huge part of Boris Johnson’s 2019 campaign which aimed to increase funding for public services such as education and transport, and to help reduce the gap between high and low income areas. However, this scheme has since been criticised for being centralised. Andy Street - the Conservative mayor for West Midlands - complained that the funding decisions are made by London-based civil servants, instead of a

Sunak’s premiership began with a promise of “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level” of government”.

shouldn’t have needed an ethics adviser to tell him that Nadhim Zahawi’s position was untenable”. Angela Rayner and Aneliese Dodds wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to “come clean” about when he really found out about Zahawi’s tax affairs. The opposition responses suggest that this will be a political issue for some time. Many have argued that the speed at which Sunak took action was simply not quick enough as he spent a week defending Zahawi’s actions. Sunak’s premiership began with a promise of “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level” of government. However, the loss of two cabinet members since he became Prime Minister are in direct conflict with this assertion. With an ongoing investigation into Dominic Raab, his deputy Prime Minister, and the loss of two cabinet members (Nadhim Zahawi and Gavin Williamson) in his first 100 days in office, his promise to the nation has been seen to be truly under threat. With many holding the belief that Raab will go too, it has been questioned whether Sunak’s promise could have been listened to as he presides over what many have seen as a cabinet culture full of sleaze allegations.

to 1990, was a controversial leader and especially divisive in the North of England and Wales where her policies severely affected mining communities. Nandy has called Gove’s promises ‘threatening’ and promised that a possible future Labour Government would expand devolution, giving more decisive power to local authorities and town halls.

range of opinions from various locations across the country. His comments have been met with backlash as the Institute for Public Policy Research said ‘the UK is the most regionally unbalanced large, advanced economy’. In addition, the Shadow Secretary for Levelling Up, Lisa Nandy, has called the comments ‘extraordinary, after the devastation of the Thatcher years on the North of England’.

Thatcher, Prime Minister from 1979

His speech comes shortly after Northern leaders have called for Levelling Up to be made part of law, as a replacement to the “begging bowl” bidding system. Through the system, the South East of England received more out of the £2.1 billion pot of funds, than the North East. Meanwhile, London Boroughs have been allocated more than Yorkshire and the North East. Rishi Sunak has defended this allocation. He states that many southerners are just as deprived, and that the north receives the highest funding per person. Some funding has been allocated for new projects this round, aiming to improve tourism and infrastructure around the UK. £19m is being spent for improvements to public spaces in Hackney Central, £50m is funding an eco-tourism attraction in Morecambe, Lancashire, and £50m is going towards a new train line between Cardiff Bay and Cardiff Central.

Francesca Ionescu

Jade Heath

Katherine Seymour

A key figure in recent governments? :Zahawi has served as vaccines minister, Chancellor and others before becoming Tory party chairman Source: UK Government (via Flikr)

legislation

Blast From the past?: Gove praised Margaret Thatcher’s style of government while on a trip. Source: UK Government (via Flikr)

Liberal Democrats Plan to target the blue wall

The Lib Dems have set their sights on the blue wall following polls show torys losing many seats

Jade Heath Politics Editor

The general election is currently at the forefront of Liberal Democrat issues. To gain more seats, candidates at a recent Staffordshire conference were encouraged and determined to oust Conservatives in commuter belt areas”. For reference, a ‘commuter belt’ area is one that surrounds a city to which people travel to work - in this instance, it can be deduced that the Liberal Democrats are referring to London. The strategy Lib Dem leader Ed Davey is now adopting differs from his predecessor Jo Swinson, whose aims aligned more with outright winning a general election. The 2019 election saw the party take a pro-Remain Brexit stance, where

they promised to revoke it without a referendum. This strategy ultimately failed and resulted in Swinson losing her East Dunbartonshire seat. 10 other MPs also lost their seats which left the Liberal Democrats with only 11 MPs.

Davey instead wants to target the “blue wall”, which generally refers to Conservative constituencies in the South of England. They want to position themselves

as the main Tory opposition in areas where Labour are unlikely to be successful. These areas are “key battlegrounds”. In showing their support for this strategy, Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon has labelled it as “very focused” on “seat-by-seat”. Lib Dems have also proved to be popular in these areas in by-elections which indicates that this detail-oriented approach

could generate more success than previous strategies. However, there are concerns that their by-election success was due to negative feelings towards previous Conservative leader Boris Johnson, rather than the party itself. A former Lib Dem special advisor, Sean Kemp, has stated that current leader Rishi Sunak is considered “less naturally divisive” and that he “gives off a more friendly face”. Nevertheless, Davey has been consistently outspoken against the Conservative party as a whole, which could help combat this problem. In November, he argued that the party’s political infighting should be considered a “betrayal of the British people”, given the current cost of living crisis. In the same speech, he stated that the Lib Dem political focus will be on domestic issues that the Conservatives have arguably neglected or worsened: the economy, windfall tax, the NHS, and social care.

UCU Announces Strike Action: What, Why, So What?

How will the strike action impact Cardiff and other Universities

Zacchaeus Hayward Contributor

The University College Union (UCU) has announced 18 days of strike action across February and March, meaning more than 70,000 members of staff across 150 universities will walk out as part of a dispute over low pay, poor working conditions and cuts to members’ pensions - including several staff at Cardiff. This follows three days of strike action in November, prompted by a pay increase offer of just 3%, equivalent to a 6% real-terms pay cut. The UCEA (the body responsible for negotiating university staff’s pay) has made a revised pay offer in light of this upcoming action, an increase of between 4% and 5%. The UCU described this offer as falling “well short” of their demands in a press release on January 26th. The union’s General Secretary, Jo Grady, argued that the offer “will do little to protect our members in a costof-living crisis”.

Rishi Sunak Receives Fine for Not Wearing Seatbelt

Megan Huws Contributor

On the 20th of January, Rishi Sunak received a Fixed Term penalty notice for his failure to wear a seatbelt in a levelling up campaigning video. This follows the fines which both he and Boris Johnson received for gatherings which were held during lockdown.

During a trip to northern England, to promote the government ‘levelling up’ fund, which promises millions of pounds of grants, Sunak filmed a video to promote the fund.

In this video posted to Sunak’s Instagram, the Prime Minister talked about the grant while a passenger in the back of a car. Followers were quick to notice that he was not wearing a seatbelt, resulting in the Lancashire Police announcing that Sunak has been fined. Whilst the amount of the fine has not been released, it could be up to £500 if the case goes to court. The video has since been deleted from his Instagram account.

over a third of academics are working on fixedterm temporary contracts, with no guarantee of security or stability.”

many of whom feel overworked and underpaid in their unstable employment.

Whilst Sunak was fined for a law which passengers over the age of 14 are expected to understand and follow, those around him were quick to point out that it was a human mistake. No. 10

Sunak was fined for a law which passengers over the age of 14 are expected to understand and follow”

more than 70,000 members of staff across 150 universities will walk out as part of a dispute”

The UCEA, by contrast, has claimed any increase in pay will put jobs at risk, and that this lim -

its any offer they can make. Furthermore, the pay body has suggested that the structure of their proposed pay increase - which favours larger increases for those on the lowest salaries - is fair and equitable. Representatives from UCEA have supposedly likened the UCU’s conditions to an “April Fools’ joke’’ as negotiations continue. Grady has responded to this, saying that the current offer is not “the limit of what a sector with over £40bn in reserves can afford.”

Furthermore, UCU spokespeople have argued that universities’ failure to address widespread use

of temporary contracts and the consequences of below-inflation pay rises for over a decade mean that the offer simply does not address the union’s concerns. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reveals that over a third of academics are working on fixed-term temporary contracts, with no guarantee of security or stability. Additionally, a report commissioned by the UCU found that university staff are working an average of two unpaid days a week to meet the goals universities are demanding of them. These factors combine for a tangible frustration from staff,

What does all this mean for students? In short - cancelled lectures and disrupted learning. However, while some students have criticised the strikes, many have been more supportive - the Student’s Union AGM voted to back striking staff in December. In a powerful speech to a UCU rally on the steps of the Senedd, Cardiff student Nathan Mintz captured this supportive spirit: “this cycle of universities demanding more and more from their lecturers and their staff without providing the benefits and the means to warrant it - it’s time that ends”. It appears many students are willing to stand by their lecturers, on the principle espoused by National Union of Students Vice-President Chloe Field - that “teaching conditions are learning conditions”, and that well paid lecturers in good conditions provide a better education than they could on the proposed pay deal.

has said that Sunak “fully accepts this was a mistake and has apologised” and emphasised that he will pay the fine. Dominic Raab supports the PM, explaining that he was “a human being doing a demanding job” and had “put his hands straight up” and apologised. The Conservative MP for Blackpool South, Scott Benton also supported Mr Sunak, explaining that “everybody makes mistakes”, and went on to say that the police should focus on more serious crimes, as millions of Britons make the same mistake.

However, many have criticised Sunak’s actions, as he actively chose to dismiss the law about seatbelts. The Liberal Democrat party has highlighted that he has “shown the same disregard for the rules as Boris Johnson”. Whilst not wearing a seatbelt may not be on the same level of disregard as Boris Johnson’s breaking of lockdown rules, many argue that this mistake still shows that Sunak believes himself to be above the law.

By-election wins fuelling the party: They have been encouraged by recent results in blue wall seats Source:Liberal Democrats (via Flickr)

Supported by students?:The Cardiff University AGM voted in December in support of lecturers strikes Source: Magnus Hagdorn (via Flickr)

candidates at a recent Staffordshire conference were encouraged and determined to oust Conservatives in commuter belt areas”.

India hosts its maiden G20 Summit amid global concern

Akash Dhanurkar Contributor

India kickstarted its one-yearlong presidency, taken on from Indonesia in 2022, of the G20 group by hosting a summit. New Delhi hosted its maiden summit on the 17th of January 2023 in Pune, a town in the Maharashtra state of India. The two-day meeting was hosted under the flagship theme of “Financing Cities of TomorrowInclusive, Resilient and Sustainable”.

Discussions at the meeting included: making cities economic hubs for growth, funding urban infrastructure, creating future-ready infrastructure, the contribution of cities to achieving sustainability goals, managing fiscal investments to unlock private financing for energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable infrastructure, and reducing social inequalities.

G20 members, which contribute around 85% of the global GDP and 75% of the global trade, have been hosted by 17 presidencies. India assumed the role from 1st December 2022 and is expected to hold over 200 meetings across 50+ locations

G20 members...contribute around 85% of the global GDP”

in the country in 2023. The finance track built for the G20 summit and meeting concentrated on important topics such as finance for sustainable growth, funding for health care, financing for infrastructure, and financing for policy changes in the financial sector. In addition to two initiatives, G20 EMPOWER (which aims to empower women and accelerate their leadership in the private sector by leveraging alliances between business leaders and G20 countries) and RIIG, the dedicated Sherpa Track shed light on thirteen issues, including anti-corruption, agriculture, the digital economy, and climate change (Research and Innovation Initiative Gathering aims to enhance and strengthen research and innovation collaboration among the G20 member countries).

India assumed the presidency at a time when the post-pandemic global economic crisis and war in Ukraine by Russia, which is a part of the G20, left the geopolitics in turmoil. The reports suggest that there have been no discussions at the summit on building diplomatic solutions to scale down tensions between Russia and the western powers. The Russian delegation, which was a part of the summit in India, was earlier expected to snub the event amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine, followed by tension with NATO countries.

Concerns grow over ‘seunsetting’ of EU Laws

The Government wants to repeal EU law and concerns are growing around social issues

Megha Roy Contributor

The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has sparked a wave of uncertainty and tension over the future of EU-derived laws in the country. There are growing concerns about the fate of over 4,000 EU laws that currently govern various aspects of life in the UK, including human rights, environmental protection, and consumer protection.

The UK Government has proposed a plan to sunset these laws, which would see them automatically repealed after a certain period unless they are specifically re-enacted by the UK Parliament. However, this proposal has been met with fierce opposition from many groups, who

argue that it could lead to a rollback of workers’ rights and environmental protections, among other things.

Labour party has been the most vocal critic of the government’s plans, arguing that it is crucial to ensure that EU-derived legislation is not automatically discarded in the post-Brexit landscape. The party has announced plans to force a vote in the House of Commons on the sunsetting of EU laws, which would give MPs the opportunity to scrutinize the proposed changes and vote on whether they should be implemented.

Trade unions have also expressed

The UK Government has proposed a plan to sunset these laws, which would see them automatically repealed after a certain period.”

concerns about the government’s plans, arguing that it could lead to a downward spiral on workers’ rights and protections. They have praised the Labour Party for taking a stand on the issue and for their efforts to ensure that EU-derived legislation is not simply discarded without proper scrutiny and debate.

On the other hand, proponents of the government’s plans argue that it is necessary to review and potentially repeal EU laws that are outdated or burdensome for businesses and individuals in the UK. They argue that it will help to reduce red tape and make the UK more competitive in the global marketplace.

The tension over the sunsetting of EU laws has also been exacerbated by concerns about the UK government’s plans for post-Brexit trade deals. Many are worried that such

The tension over the sunsetting of EU laws has also been exacerbated by concerns about the UK government’s plans for post-Brexit trade deals ”

deals could lead to a further erosion of workers’ rights and environmental protections, as the UK seeks to negotiate more favourable terms with other countries such as the United States.

The rising tension over the sunsetting of EU laws in the UK highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of the Brexit process, and the importance of ensuring that any changes to existing legislation are made with the input of elected representatives and with the best interests of citizens in mind.

International officials deny UK strike bill Support

Rubie Barker Contributor

On 11 January of this year, Rishi Sunak told the Commons that “The International Labour Organization supports minimum service levels” when discussing the controversial anti-strike bill. Since then the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) and the US labour secretary have distanced themselves from this claim and the UK government’s stance.

The anti-strike legislation would apply across all 4 nations of the United Kingdom and require minimum service levels

for critical industries when they are striking, without agreement from the unions. Such industries affected would include nurses, doctors, the education sector and the transport industry, forcing workers to go against their unions, and potentially leading to unions being sued.

US Labour secretary Marty Walsh commented that he was against the idea of “minimum service agreements” as it could be detrimental to the intentions of the workers. His comments go against the claims that Sunak made that the anti-strikes bill was supported internationally. Sunak also referred to the presence of legislation to support minimum service levels in France, Italy and Spain. But in a blog for the LSE, Dr Ewan McGaughey stated that the laws in France ‘simply require 48 hours’

notice for transport unions to strike, or five days for health workers, whereby ‘there is no sacking or suing’. In Italy and Spain, he explained that the rules were less rigid than the UK were planning on implementing.

The Director General of the ILO, Gilvery Houngbo, told the BBC that if British trade unions were being sued they would be able to file a complaint with the ILO which would investigate whether International worker rights laws were being breached by the UK.

The UK government has claimed that the legislation is in place to ensure that the strikes do not put the public’s lives at risk and ‘prevent people getting to work, accessing healthcare, and safely going about their daily lives’.

Even in September 2022, HR

Hancock defends post-jungle donations

Katherine Seymour Head of Politics

Matt Hancock has defended his I’m a celebrity stint saying that his £320,000 pay wasn’t “primarily” about the money.

The total - which he donated to charities following his payday - was £10,000. 3% of his total fee.

He defended it as a “decent sum” following his promises to donate to dyslexia focussed charities. In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday (31st Jan), he argued the dona-

The total - which he donated to charities following his payday - was £10,000. 3% of his total fee. ”

tion amounted to “more than my MPs’ salary” during the time he was in the jungle.

The former Health Secretary said that he wanted to reach voters in more unique ways and felt that he could show his true self in the jungle.

In response to criticism, Hancock has asserted that he “certainly would have considered” doing the programme for £10.

Although admitting there had been “discussion and negotiation over the fee”, he denied that he turned down initial offers to get more money.

Hancock came third on the reality show behind Owen Warner and Queen of the Jungle: Jill Scott. He lost the Conservative whip as a result of his appearance, meaning that he now sits as an independent MP in the House of Commons. Prime Minister Ri-

shi Sunak had said that he was “very disappointed” in his former cabinet colleague’s move.

Since appearing on I’m a Celebrity, the register of MPs interest shows that Hancock has received £48,000 for his book, Pandemic Diaries, and £45,000 for taking part in Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

On Good Morning Britain, Hancock was also quizzed about the allegations that he broke lockdown rules in carrying out his affair with Gina Coladangelo which had been revealed by security camera footage in his office. While he maintains that he broke guidance, not the law itself, Susanna Reid asked him how this was the case when the law stated that indoor gatherings without social distancing were only allowed when it was necessary for work.

The UK government has claimed that the legislation is in place to ensure that the strikes do not put the public’s lives at risk. ”

Magazine reported that UN intervention on the UK’s approach to dealing with strikes was likely, in light of Liz Truss’ comments in her campaign to be Prime Minister. And the international response has shown just this. With unions still planning strike action and the UK seeing a record level of sectors on strike, it does not seem like the government is backing down, despite union claims that this could break international workers’ rights laws. If the legislation is implemented it could lead to a shake-up in the waves of strikes the UK is currently experiencing.

The register of MPs interest shows that Hancock has received £48,000 for his book... and £45,000 for...Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. ”

Hancock has said that he will be standing down at the next General Election to focus on other endeavours - which he believes will be more efficient in reaching the electorate. Many have speculated that he wants a career in the media. Despite this, he has said that he is not interested in any more reality TV, but would like to present documentaries.

The former Health Secretary said that he wanted to reach voters in more unique ways ”

The anti-strike legislation would apply across all 4 nations of the United Kingdom”

Tom Walker

The Lathums Mogwai

TAF-OD

Llywodraeth San Steffan yn gwrthod bil ar ddiwygio rhyw

Pob hyn a hyn profwn ddigwyddiad gwleidyddol sy’n atgoffa gwledydd datganoledig y Deyrnas Unedig o’r brawd mawr sy’n hofran wrth eu pennau, a’n dangos bod y pwerau datganoli ddim wir mor rymus a hoffai’r gwledydd hyn iddynt fod. Ganol mis Ionawr, penderfynodd Llywodraeth San Steffan wrthod

dyma ymosodiad blaengar ar Lywodraeth yr Alban, a’r bwriad felly yw gwrthwynebu penderfyniad San Steffan.”

bil yr Alban oedd am hwyluso’r broses o ddiwygio rhyw yn gyfreithiol, gan leihau’r cyfnod y gellir gwneud hyn o ddwy flynedd i dri mis. Dyma bŵer nad yw Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig erioed wedi ei ddefnyddio o’r blaen: penderfyniad sy’n “tanseilio” datganoli yn ôl cyn-ysgrifennydd gwladol Cymru, Peter Hain. Mae gan yr Alban fwy o bwerau datganoledig na Chymru, felly ni fyddai Cymru yn medru cyflwyno bil tebyg i’r un hwn. Mae Deddf yr Alban 1998 yn diffinio’r cyfyngiadau ar bwerau’r Llywodraeth: cyflwynwyd y bil ar ddiwygio rhyw gan fod gan yr Alban hawl i ddeddfu mewn unrhyw faes, dan yr amod nad oedd y ddeddf yn ymyrryd â chyfraith a chyfyngiadau’r Undeb Ewropeaidd. Nid yw pwerau

datganoledig Cymru yn caniatáu deddfu cyn rhwydded. Serch hyn, mae Mark Drakeford wedi mynegi ei gefnogaeth dros egwyddor y bil. Dadl San Steffan dros ei wrthod a cheisio atal cydsyniad brenhinol arno yw ei fod yn effeithio ar gyfraith ehangach y Deyrnas unedig, a’n effeithio’n benodol ar y ddeddfwriaeth gydraddoldeb.

Yn ôl Nicola Sturgeon, dyma ymosodiad blaengar ar Lywodraeth yr Alban, a’r bwriad felly yw gwrthwynebu penderfyniad San Steffan. Mae hi o’r farn bod y broses o newid rhyw yn rhy gymhleth ac yn straen ychwanegol ar bobl trawsryweddol. Mae sawl yn gweld gweithredoedd San Steffan fel ymosodiad ar y grŵp lleiafrifol hwn yn ogystal ag ar Lywodraeth yr Alban. Mae’n ‘ddiwrnod du’ i

ddemocratiaeth a hawliau trawsryweddol yn ôl ysgrifennydd cyfiawnder cymdeithasol yr Alban, Shona Robison. Fel ymateb i’r gwrthdaro gwleidyddol hwn, dywedodd Peter Hain y dylid newid y system ddatganoli yn gyfan gwbl, gan roi’r grym o ddewis pa feysydd i’w datganoli yn nwylo Cymru, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon. Mae’n amlwg felly bod y gwrthdaro hwn wedi sbarduno sawl trafodaeth ynglŷn â pherthynas y gwledydd datganoledig gyda San Steffan. Felly, ai conglfaen gwleidyddol y ceir yma? Ysgytwad i’r gwledydd datganoledig gan y ‘brawd mawr’ i’w hatgoffa o’i awdurdod? Yn sicr, mae’r Alban wedi’i chythruddo. Ai dyma ddechreuad perthynas mwy chwerw rhwng San Steffan a’r gwledydd datganoledig?

Cyhoeddi cynllun codi ffi i hybu ailgylchu

Bydd cynllun newydd o’r enw ‘Cynllun Dychwelyd Blaendal’ yn cael ei lansio yng Nghymru yn 2025, ynghyd â Gogledd Iwerddon a Lloegr.

Yn ôl llywodraeth Cymru, mae Cymru yn drydydd yn y byd am ei chyfraddau ailgylchu ac mae ganddi darged gosodedig newydd o gyrraedd cyfradd ailgylchu o 100% erbyn 2050.

Mae’n golygu, wrth brynu diod mewn cynhwysydd un-tro, y bydd ffi ychwanegol fach i’w thalu. Gellir ad-dalu’r ffi hon pan ddychwelir y pecyn gwag. Mae’n rhan o ymdrechion Llywodraeth Cymru i wella cyfraddau ailgylchu a lleihau sbwriel a gwastraff sy’n mynd i safleoedd tirlenwi.

Yn dilyn yn ôl troed Norwy, yr Almaen a’r Ffindir, mae Cynl-

luniau Dychwelyd Ernes debyg wedi cyflawni cyfraddau ailgylchu o fwy na 90% mewn gwledydd. Bydd y rhaglen yn golygu y gall pobl brynu diod ym Mangor, Gwynedd, a’i ddychwelyd ym Mryste neu Belfast.

Mae Cymru wedi bod ar ei gorau ers tro byd yn y DU o ran cyfraddau ailgylchu, gyda

ffigurau’n dangos mai 65.2% yw’r gyfradd ailgylchu genedlaethol. Bydd yr Alban yn lansio cynllun tebyg yn ddiweddarach eleni, lle bydd cyfradd ad-daladwy o 20c yn cael ei hychwanegu at bob cynhwysydd diod. Nid yw llywodraeth Cymru wedi penderfynu eto faint y bydd yn ei godi, ond maen nhw wedi dweud eu

Prisiau gwyliau yn cynyddu eleni

trefnu gwyliau Haf yn gyfan gwbl.

Gwelwn ar y wefan “Which?” sydd yn cymharu prisiau gwyliau fod lleoliadau cyffredin a phoblogaidd fel Sbaen a’r Eidal wedi profi cynnydd o 20% o gymharu â llynedd, gyda Groeg yn ymddangos fel y drytaf gyda chynnydd o 30%. Mae’r ystadegau brawychus hyn yn peri gofid i lawer.

Marco Verch (via Flickr)

Wrth i’r argyfwng costau byw presennol barhau, nid

yw’n syndod bod prisiau cyffredinol yn cynyddu bob dydd. Ond, a fydd hynny yn effeithio ar ein cynlluniau Haf eleni?

Sylwn fod prisiau gwyliau Haf wedi cynyddu yn

esbonyddol ers y llynedd. Dengys ymchwil fod lleoliadau poblogaidd wedi cynyddu eu prisiau eleni, ac o ganlyniad i hynny fydd mwy o rwystrau i lawer wrth drefnu gwyliau yr Haf hwn.

Mae’n ddisgwyliedig i bobl fod yn llym gyda’u harian ac efallai bydd y pryder a daw yn sgil y biliau uchel yn ddigon i rwystro pobl rhag

Achosir y prisiau hyn gan alw uwch am wyliau tramor yn dilyn y Pandemig. Ar ôl treulio gymaint o amser yn ein tai dros y tair mlynedd ddiwethaf, mae’r ysfa am wres tramor a seibiant haeddiannol yn amlwg ymysg y mwyafrif. Yn ddiddorol, mae prisiaullefydd fel Portiwgal wedi aros yn sefydlog gyda chynnydd o 7%yn unig. Felly, mae’n werth gwneud ymchwil i mewn i’r llefydd gorau i deithio yng nghanol yr argyfwng costau byw presennol,

bod yn disgwyl i’r swm amrywio yn dibynnu ar faint yr eitem a’i deunydd. Bydd manwerthwyd yn gyfrifol am benderfynu sut y maent yn gweithredu eu man dychwelyd, gan ddewis naill ai cael peiriant gwerthu o chwith neu wasanaeth cymryd yn ôl â llaw. Bydd cynwysyddion diodydd wedi’u gwneud o blastig, gwydr, dur ac alwminiwm i gyd yn cael eu cynnwys yn y cynllun. Mae llywodraeth Cymru wedi datgelu bod ganddyn nhw hefyd obeithion i gyflwyno cynllun dychwelyd blaendal digidol yn ddiweddarach, y cynhaliwyd peilot ohono yng Nghonwy yn 2020.

Mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru darged gosodedig newydd o gyrraedd cyfradd ailgylchu o 100% erbyn 2050.”

er mwyn sicrhau’r gwyliau gorau am y pris rhataf. Mae’n bosib hefyd i deithio tu fewn i ffiniau’r Deyrnas Unedig, a phrofi’r un fath o hwyl a sbri. Mae’n ddisgwyliedig y bydd ein heconomïau lleol yn gwella’r Haf hwn gyda llawer yn dewis i aros yn lleol, neu i deithio i leoliadau fel Dinbych y Pysgod a Chernyw. Felly, beth yw’r datrysiad? A oes disgwyl i ni dalu’r prisiau uchel yma er mwyn mwynhau ein Haf?

Y cyngor gan Rory Boland, golygydd “Which?”, yw i drefnu gwyliau Haf mewn digon o amser eleni er mwyn sicrhau bod gennych chi ychydig fisoedd i arbed eich arian. Mae’n werth ystyried buddsoddi mewn gwyliau “all-inclusive” i’ch cysgodi chi rhag prisiau uchel yr economi yn y wlad benodol y byddwch yn teithio iddi.

Yna, gewch chi’r sicrwydd o fwyd a diod heb bryder o’r

prisiau anrhagweladwy. Mae cyngor ychwanegol yn nodi eich bod, pan fo’n bosib, yn trefnu gwyliau o fewn cyfnodau tawelach. Er enghraifft, os nad yw’n angenrheidiol, mae’n well osgoi’r wythnosau lle fydd yr ysgolion wedi cau am yr Haf, gan fod cwmnïoedd teithio yn hollol ymwybodol o’r ffaith y bydd llawer mwy o bobl teithio yn yr wythnosau hyn, ac felly yn cynyddu’r prisiau. Er gwaetha’r ffaith y bydd gwyliau Haf yn profi’n anoddach eleni o ganlyniad i’r ansefydlogrwydd economaidd, mae’n bosib ichi barhau i fwynhau eich Haf, din ond i chi fod yn ddigon trefnus a pharatoi o flaen llaw.

Tarddiad:

Nansi Eccott

Lowri Davies

Anest Williams

Efa Ceiri

Millie Stacey

Golygydd Taf-od

Anest Williams Golygydd Taf-od

Megan Haf Davies Golygydd Taf-od

Megan Haf Davies

Millie Stacey

62.5% yn unig yw’r gyfradd ailgylchu yng Nghymru. Tarddiad: Celinebj (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cynnydd i gyllid myfyrwyr Cymru

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru a Gweinidog y Gymraeg ac Addysg, Jeremy Miles, wedi cyhoeddi cynllun i gynyddu cyllid myfyrwyr Cymru gan 9.4% ar gyfer y flwyddyn academaidd nesaf. Golyga hyn, yn y flwyddyn academaidd 2023-2024, bydd cyllid myfyrwyr Cymru yn cynyddu o‘r £10,710 presennol i £11,720. Daw’r cynnydd mewn ymateb i’r argyfwng costau byw presennol

Fe fydd myfyrwyr o Gymru sy’n astudio cyrsiau addysg uwch llawn amser neu ran amser ers 1af Awst 2019 yn gymwys i dderbyn y codiad.”

Yfe COVID sydd ar fai am ddifetha fy swydd ddelfrydol?”

Mae llawer o fyfyrwyr prifysgol wedi drysu ar ansicrwydd ers cychwyn eu taith prifysgol yn ystod cyfnod COVID-19, yn sownd yn eu hystafelloedd gwely, darlithoedd ar Zoom a rheolau llym yn atal eu bywyd cymdeithasol.

Mae Celyn Davies yn un o rheiny, fe gychwynnodd hi gwrs Nyrsio ym Medi 2020. Er iddi fwriadu dal ati ar y cwrs am dair blynedd hapus a llwyddiannus, penderfynodd roi’r gorau iddi ar ôl tri mis.

“Pan wnes i gais am nyrsio,

Roedd gwrando a gwylio fy narlithydd ar Zoom yn hollol wahanol i fod ar leoliad gwaith yn Ysbyty.”

er mwyn sicrhau cymorth a chefnogaeth i fyfyrwyr y wlad yn ystod y cyfnod hwn. Fe fydd myfyrwyr o Gymru sy’n astudio cyrsiau addysg uwch

llawn amser neu ran amser

ers 1af Awst 2019 yn gymwys i dderbyn y codiad. Fe gadarnhawyd na fydd newid i drothwy incwm aelwyd sy’n galluogi i fyfyrwyr dderbyn y cyllid. Fe fydd cymorth ariannol i fyfyrwyr ôl-raddedig a’r benthyciad doethurol hefyd yn cynyddu gan 1.8% i fyfyr- wyr o Gymru. Fe fydd myfyrwyr o Loegr yn derbyn cynnydd o 2.8% yn unig i’w cyllid, sy’n cyfateb i gyfartaledd o tua £200 yr un (o’i gymharu gyda thua £1000 yr un i fyfyrwyr Cymreig).

Golyga’r cynnydd hwn fod Llywodraeth Cymru’n gyfrifol am ddarparu’r ‘system gyllid myfyrwyr mwyaf blaengar yn y DU’ gan fod y ‘pecyn hael’ o grantiau a benthycia -

dau yn golygu bod myfyrwyr o Gymru yn derbyn mwy ac yn gorfod ad-dalu llai na myfyrwyr o Loegr. Yn ôl Iwan Kellett, myfyriwr Cemeg ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, “Mae’r costau cynyddol mewn rhent, biliau, trafnidiaeth a siopa bwyd yn peri gofid i fi a fy nghyd- fyfyrwyr. Fe fydd y cynnydd hwn i gyllid myfyrwyr yn sicr o ddarparu cymorth i ni fyfyrwyr i ymdopi gyda’r argyfwng costau byw presennol.”

Dywed Orla Tarn, Llywydd Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr Cymru, “Rwy’n falch bod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dewis i gefnogi ei myfyrwyr.

“Mae gwaith i’w wneud o hyd yng Nghymru i leihau’r costau cynyddol sy’n wynebu myfyrwyr. Mae rhent myfyr- wyr yn parhau i gynyddu’n uwch na phrisiau tai, ac mae costau teithio yn ôl ac ymlaen i ddosbarthiadau yn creu ar- gyfwng costau dysgu hefyd.

Pryd o Daf-od Lowri Davies

roeddwn i’n disgwyl cwrs ymarferol yn helpu trin cleifion; dim i eistedd tu ôl i sgrin cyfrifiadur yn fy stafell wely,” dywedodd.

Nid Celyn oedd yr unig fyfyrwyr oedd yn anfodlon gyda’u profiad academaidd, nododd Swyddfa Ystadegau Cenedlaethol bod 29% o fyfyrwyr yn y DU yn dweud eu bod yn anfodlon a’u profiad academaidd oherwydd y ffyrdd cafodd yr addysg eu cyflwyno yn sgil y pandemig.

Fe benderfynodd Celyn roi’r gorau i’w breuddwyd pan gychwynnodd lleoliad gwaith yn yr ysbyty, “Roedd gwrando a gwylio fy narlithydd ar Zoom yn hollol wahanol i fod ar leoliad gwaith yn Ysbyty.”

Wrth roi’r gorau i’w breuddwyd o ddilyn gyrfa fel nyrs, mae Celyn yn rhannu teimlad a sawl myfyriwr arall ar draws y byd o

fod mewn “limbo.”

Mae Celyn yn dweud bod y cyfnod ar ôl gadael y brifysgol yn anodd iawn yn feddyliol, “Roedd gweld gweddill fy ffrindiau yn llwyddo a mwynhau eu cyrsiau filltiroedd i ffwrdd ohonof i, yn gwneud i fi deimlo fy mod i wedi methu mewn bywyd.”

Yn ystod y cyfnod yma dechreuodd Celyn ganolbwyntio ei meddwl ar fferm ei theulu, drwy helpu gyda’r anifeiliaid, a dyma lle sbardunodd ei diddordeb mewn ffermio.

Ers misoedd yr Haf mae Celyn wedi bod yn ffodus i ddatblygu ei diddordeb mewn ffermio i brentisiaeth gyda milfeddygon lleol fel nyrs filfeddygol. Mae hi wir yn mwynhau pob profiad yn y maes.

Fel Celyn, Bob blwyddyn mae myfyrwyr yn rhuthro mewn i radd yn brifysgol. Yn ôl ffigurau

Trafod gyda’r Taf-od Steff Evans

Beth wyt ti’n astudio ac o le wyt ti’n dod?

Dwi’n astudio Architectural Engineering ac yn dod o’r Bont Faen.

Vodka neu Gin?

Vodka! Mae gin yn afiach!

Beth yw dy farn amhoblogaidd?

Mae Gruff Ab yn rybish yn chwarae rygbi

Oes gen ti unrhyw arferion drwg? Cysgu trwy ddarlithoedd

Hoff albwm? AM - Arctic Monkeys

Beth wyt ti’n edrych ymlaen at wneud eleni?

Mynd i Gaeredin i wylio’r rygbi

“Profa’r cyhoeddiad hwn y math o feddylfryd hirdymor sydd angen er mwyn sicrhau cynaliadwyedd ein system addysg a bywyd myfyrwyr.”

Yn ôl Jeremy Miles “Ni ddylai costau byw fyth fod yn rhwystr i astudio yn y brifysgol. Bydd y cynnydd hwn yn y cymorth yn sicrhau bod myfyrwyr o bob cefndir yn gallu cael mynediad i addysg uwch. “Er gwaethaf pwysau parhaus ar y gyllideb, rwyf wedi sicrhau bod gwerth y cymorth yn cynyddu ar yr adeg hon o bwysau eithriadol ar gostau byw.”

Ni ddylai costau byw fyth fod yn rhwystr i astudio yn y brifysgol.”

Barn Y BoblA fydd Cymru’n llwyddo yn y Chwe Gwlad eleni?

Towyn Bevan Blwyddyn 3 Cyfryngau a Chyfathrebu

Oes siawns da gyda Chymru yn y Chwe Gwlad y flwyddyn yma? I fod yn swrth, nag oes. Ar ôl pencampwriaeth gwael y flwyddyn diwethaf a perf- formiadau hynod siomedig yn yr Hydref, dydy hi ddim yn syndod bod Wayne Pivac wedi colli ei swydd. Nawr mae Gat- land yn ôl yn ei swydd, mae’n anodd dweud bydd modd gweld gwelliant yn syth. Mae’n hyfforddwr hynod lwyddian- nus ond dydy e ddim yn gallu daparu gwyrthiau yn anffodus. Ar ben hyn, mae timau fel yr Eidal yn edrych yn gyffrous ac mae siawns uchel ganddynt i gael y llwy bren.

arolwg gan asiantaeth newyddion PA o ffigurau diweddaraf Asiantaeth Ystadegau Addysg Uwch, roedd 67% o sefydliadau’r DU wedi gweld cynnydd yng nghyfran y myfyrwyr sy’n gadael cyn cwblhau eu cwrs. Roedd yr arolwg yn cynnwys ffigurau dros gyfnod o bum mlynedd tan 2017. Mae effeithiau pandemig COVID-19 yn parhau ac o hyd yn cael cryn effaith ar bobl dros hyd a lled y wlad gan gynnwys myfyrwyr. Ai dyma realiti pobl ifanc ein gwlad? Am ba hyd welwn effeithiau’r pandemig ar y byd addysg?

nododd Swyddfa Ystadegau Cenedlaethol bod 29% o fyfyrwyr yn y DU yn dweud eu bod yn anfodlon a’u profiad academaidd.”

Jack Thomas Blwyddyn 1 Cyfryngau a Chyfathrebu

Mae pencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad eleni yn peri her enfawr i Garfan Cymru. Braf bydd gwylio Ken Owens, fy hoff chwaraewr fel seren y Scarlets a lej o fachwr, yn arwain y bois, ond yn anffodus mi fydd yn anodd mwynhau llawer mwy. Roedd 2022 yn heriol iawn i gefnogwyr rygbi Cymru, ac rydym yn symud mewn i oes newydd o dan arweinyddiaeth yr arfer-ddibynadwy, Warren Gatland. Ond ai’r Gatland arwrol arferol byddwn yn cael?

Mae nifer fawr o gwestiynau ynglŷn â’r garfan wrth i ni sy- mud rhwng oes euraidd mewn rygbi Cymru at ddyfodol braf (dwi’n gobeithio). Er hyn, dwi’n meddwl mi fydd Cymru yn gweld hi’n anodd yng ngemau’r Chwe Gwlad eleni, ond gob- eithiaf gallwn ddatblygu fel tîm a defnyddio’r bencampwriaeth i danio ein paratoadau at Gwpan y Byd ym mis Medi.

Hoff jôc?

Pa gymeriad yn Frozen sy’n colli pob ras? Olaf!

Sut wyt ti’n gwella hangover?

Archebu gormod o fwyd o Uber Eats

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Wolf of Wall Street

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Stacy’s Mom- Fountains of Wayne

Pwy yw dy seleb crush?

Dua Lipa

Pwy fydd yn trafod gyda’r

Taf-od wythnos nesaf?

Eben Pierce

Nansi Eccott Pennaeth Taf-od

Diwedd cyfnod: Gareth Bale yn ymddeol o bêl-droed

Er mawr tristwch i gefnogwyr Cymru, cyhoeddodd Gareth Bale, 33 ei fod yn ymddeol o chwarae pêl-droed i’w glwb ac i’w wlad mewn neges ar Instagram ar y 9fed o Ionawr eleni. Disgrifiodd y penderfyniad o ymddeol o bêldroed rhyngwladol fel y penderfyniad anoddaf yn ei yrfa.

Dywedodd y Cymro: “My journey on the international stage is one that has changed not only my life but who I am. The fortune of being Welsh and being selected to play for and captain Wales, is something incomparable to anything else I’ve experienced... After all, the dragon on my shirt is all I need.”

Mae’r seren o’r Eglwys Newydd yn wreiddiol, ar gyrion Caerdydd, ac yn arwr i bobl o bob oed ledled y byd, yn enwedig yma yng Nghymru. Wedi gwneud enw i’w hun yn gyntaf yng nghlwb pêl-droed Southampton, symudodd ymlaen at yrfa lwyddiannus iawn gyda Tottenham Hotspur yn 2007. Yn 2011 a 2013 cafodd ei enwi fel chwaraewr y chwaraewyr gan y PFA yn ogystal â’i enwi yn aelod o dîm PFA y flwyddyn. Mewn ffi trosglwyddo record y byd o £85.1 miliwn yn 2013, trosglwyddodd Bale draw i dîm Real Madrid ble’r oedd yn cyd-chwarae â Cristiano Ronaldo am sawl blwyddyn. Enillodd y Copa del Rey yn 2013-2014 a Tlws Cynghrair Pencampwyr UEFA gyda Real Madrid, gan sgorio mewn dwy rownd derfynol. Roedd ei yrfa lewyrchus

gyda Real Madrid yn cynnwys ennill cystadleuaeth La Liga yn 2016-2017 a 2019-2020 yn ogystal â thri theitl ychwanegol Cynghrair y Pencampwyr yn 2015-2016, 20162017, a 2017-2018 ymhlith sawl tlws arall.Yn 2020-2021, dychwelodd Gareth Bale yn ôl i Tottenham Hotspur ar fenthyciad, cyn ymuno â chlwb MLS Los Angeles FC yng Ngorffennaf 2022. Yn ei gyfnod byr yn chwarae yn Los Angeles, llwyddodd i ennill Tarian y Cefnogwyr a chwpan MLS y tymor hwnnw. Gwnaeth Bale ei ymddangosiad rhyngwladol cyntaf i Gymru ar 27ain o Fai 2007 gan ennill teitl y chwaraewyr ieuengaf i gynrychioli Cymru ar y pryd. Erbyn ei ymddeoliad, Bale yw’r chwaraewr sydd wedi casgu’r nifer fwyaf o gapiau dros Gymru gan hawlio record o 111 cap. Cafodd y cyfle i gynrychioli Cymru

Streicio yn parhau ledled y wlad

Lowri Davies

Golygydd Taf-od

Nyrsys, athrawon a gweithwyr rheilffordd sydd ymhlith yr rhai sy’n streicio mewn anghydfodau dros gyflog ac amodau gwaith eto yn 2023.

Mae gweithredu diwydiannol o fewn gwahanol sectorau yn parhau i achosi aflonyddwch ledled y DU gyda gwasanaethau yng Nghymru yn cael eu heffeithio bob wythnos. Ar ôl blwyddyn a ddiffinnir gan gynnydd sydyn mewn streic yn 2022, mae undebau’n cynllunio mwy o brotestiadau yn ystod yr wythnosau a’r misoedd nesaf wrth iddynt frwydro am well cyflog ac amodau gwaith. Ymhlith y rhai sydd ar streic mae nyrsys, parafeddygon, athrawon a gweithwyr rheilffordd. Disgwylir i filoedd o athrawon gerdded allan ar draws pedwar diwrnod yn ystod y mi-

Mae gweithredu diwydiannol o fewn gwahanol sectorau yn parhau i achosi aflonyddwch ledled y DU ”

Mae disgwyl i rai gyrwyr trenau gymryd rhan mewn gweithredu diwydiannol pellach yn ystod yr wythnosau nesa ”

soedd nesaf ar ôl pledleidio’n llethol i streicio mewn anghydfod dros gyflog ac amodau, gyda chau ysgolion bellach yn amlwg iawn ar y cardiau ledled Cymru ar y dyddiau hynny.

Mae aelodau’r Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol yn cynllunio streiciau pellach ym mis Chwefror ar ôl cynnal dau ddiwrnod blaenorol o weithredu diwydiannol ym mis Rhagfyr, gydag un o’r dyddiadau streic hyn wedi’i osod i gyd-fynd a gweithwyr ambiwlans ledled Cymru hefyd yn cerdded allan.

Ar ôl i streiciau rheilffordd gael eu cynnal trwy gydol 2022, mae disgwyl i rai gyrwyr trenau gymryd rhan mewn gweithredu diwydiannol pellach yn ystod yr wythnosau nesaf, gan achosi oedi ar wasanaethau ledled y wlad.

Mae staff y llys hefyd ar fin cerdded allan, tra bod Undeb y Gweithwyr Cyfathrebu wedi bygwth mwy o streiciau post cenedlaethol.

Gyda maint y gweithredu diwydiannol yn digwydd fwy fwy bob wythnos,

yn Ffrainc nôl yn 2016 yn nhwrnament yr Euros, yn ogystal ag Euro 2020. Cafodd hefyd y cyfle i gynrycholi Cymru ar lwyfan Cwpan y Byd 2022 gan sgorio’r gôl gyntaf i Gymru yng nghystadleuaeth Cwpan y Byd ers 1958 yn erbyn yr Unol Daleithiau. Wrth ddisgrifio ei gyfnod gyda thîm pêl-droed Cymru, dywedodd Gareth ei fod wedi rhannu ystafelloedd newid gyda chwaraewyr a ‘ddaeth yn frodyr’, a ‘staff a ddaeth yn deulu’ iddo. Cafodd Gareth y cyfle i chwarae yn nhîm Prydain yn ystod y Gemau Olympaidd yn 2012 ond tynnodd y Cymro yn ôl rhag chwarae yn dilyn anaf i’w gefn, er iddo chwarae 74 munud i Tottenham ychydig wythnosau yn ddiweddarach. Un sydd wedi bod yn dilyn gyrfa

Gareth Bale yn ofalus yw Gruffudd Evans sydd yn fyfyriwr ym Mhrifys -

gol Caerdydd. Fel cefnogwr brwd Cymru a Tottenham, mae Gruffudd wedi bod yn dilyn Gareth Bale ers yn ifanc. Disgrifiodd Gruffudd ymddeoliad Gareth Bale fel ychydig o ‘sioc’: “Doeddwn i ddim yn disgwyl iddo ymddeol mor gynnar â hyn yn dilyn y Cwpan y Byd a fuaswn i wedi hoffi ei weld yn chwarae ychydig yn hirach eto dros Gymru.”

Er hynny, dywedodd Gruffudd ei fod wedi gwneud ei orau dros Gymru gan “roi Cymru ar y map” yn ystod cystadleuaeth Cwpan y Byd. Gyda llawer yn beirniadu perfformiad tîm Cymru a Bale yn benodol yn ystod Cwpan y Byd, yn ôl Gruffudd, nid ydynt yn haeddu cymaint o adlach, “yn sicr, rwyf yn credu mai Gareth Bale yw’r chwaraewr pêl-droed gorau ym Mhrydain ac mae wedi rhoi atgofion melys i gefnogwyr Cymru a Tottenham fel fi.”

Mae Gareth i’w weld yn mwynhau ei ymddeoliad gan gyhoeddi y bydd yn cymryd rhan yn nhaith golf PGA yng Nghalifornia ddechrau mis Chwefror.

Gwnaeth Bale ei ymddangosiad rhyngwladol cyntaf i Gymru ar 27ain o Fai 2007 gan ennill teitl y chwaraewyr ieuengaf i gynrychioli Cymru.”

gall fod yn anodd gwybod pa wasanaethau sy’n cael eu heffeithio a phryd. Er hyn rydym yn ymwybodol bod gan

Mark Drakeford strategaethau gwahanol i ddatrys amodau’r sector iechyd i’r llywodraeth yn San Steffan.

Yn ei ymateb i lythyr agored gan

UNSAIN, ymbellhaodd y Prif Weinidog ei hun oddi wrth y ffaith bod llywodraeth San Steffan wedi gwrthod trafod gyda’r undebau a dywedodd fod llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymrwymo i weithio mewn partneriaeth gymdeithasol i ddatrys yr argyfwng parhaus ynghylch cyflog ac amodau gweithwyr iechyd yng Nghymru.

Dywedodd Mr Drakeford: “Yn wahanol i lywodraeth y DU, nid ydym yn credu mai’r ymateb cywir yw cyflwyno deddfau gwrth-streic llym, a fydd yn ffrwyno hawl gweithwyr i weithredu’n ddiwydiannol ac yn tanio’r anghydfodau presennol ar draws y sector cyhoeddus ymhellach.”

Daw’r newyddion wrth i undebau llafur ar draws y DU baratoi i lwyfannu diwrnod o weithredu yn erbyn y ddeddfwriaeth gwrth-streic dan arweiniad y Torïaid ddydd Mercher Chwefror 1.

Mewn pleidlais fawr o weithwyr iechyd yng Nghymru dros weithredu diwydiannol gan UNSAIN ym mis

Mae aelodau’r Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol yn cynllunio streiciau pellach ym mis Chwefror.”

Tachwedd 2022 cafwyd cefnogaeth gan fwy na 90% o’r rhai a ymatebodd. Roedd gweithredu diwydiannol gan weithwyr post a chyfreithiau llym gwrth-undebau llafur yn golygu na chyrhaeddodd UNSAIN y trothwy ar gyfer streic yng Nghymru ond, mae’r undeb bellach yn ail-bleidleisio gweithwyr yng Ngwasanaeth Ambiwlans Cymru wrth i gyflogau isel ac amodau gwaith gwael barhau i gymryd eu lle.

Dywedodd Mr Drakeford: “Yn wahanol i lywodraeth y DU, nid ydym yn credu mai’r ymateb cywir yw cyflwyno deddfau gwrth-streic llym.”

Efa Ceiri

Golygydd Taf-od

Murlun o Gareth Bale, cyn-gapten Cymru yng Nghaerdydd Tarddiad: Super-Cam (via Flickr)

Cornel Cyfieithu Learner’s Corner

Good Morning Bore da ‘Bore- ray- dah’

Our Welsh Editor, Malen shares some common phrases for our brand new section for learners

Good Afternoon Prynhawn da ‘ Prin- how’n- dah’

How are you? Sut wyt ti ?

‘Soot- wut- tee?’

My name is…

Fy enw i yw…

‘Vuh an- oo ee yu’

Where is the toilet?

Where is the library?

Ble mae’r tŷ bach?

‘Blair my- r tee ba - ch?’

Ble mae’r llyfrgell ?

‘Blair my- r lluhv- r- g- ell?

COMMENT

LGBT History Month: Why Queer Representation is still Crucial

Frances Marsh Comment Editor

Ihave an extremely vivid memory from when I was about 14 years old. I was in the PE changing rooms at school and a girl I didn’t really know started laughing obnoxiously. “Imagine if there’s a lesbian in here watching us all get changed.” She didn’t use the word lesbian, but imagination can fill in the blank for you. I remember her friends all bursting into laughter and the indescribable sinking feeling in my stomach. I doubt she remembers saying it now, and of course, I’m not implying that a stupid comment made as a teenager makes her homophobic, but it’s interesting to think how a throwaway comment to her is a formative memory for me. I’d felt confused and sad about my sexuality before, but that was the first time I ever felt shameful about it.

Only two people knew I was queer at the time, my two best friends, and yet I felt like the whole room was staring at me. I hadn’t even labelled myself yet but the anxiety was worse than any I’d felt before and it felt like nobody else in the world could understand. How could I come out to people when my own classmates thought that queer people were perverts?

It was the next year that I discovered the show Shadowhunters, an adaptation of Cassandra

felt shameful about it.’

gairrhyddcomment22@gmail.com

Clare’s YA series The Mortal Instruments. I was a die-hard fan from then until the show ended in 2019 and it was really my first exposure to a bisexual character on screen (or at least one that labelled themselves as such). Magnus Bane was a character who was not only proud of his sexuality, but he helped another character to come out and be proud of theirs. The show itself resonated with me in so many ways, but the fan community that came from the show was what really helped with the feelings of isolation I’d been struggling with. I no longer felt like the only gay in the village.

In 2022, the Netflix series Heartstopper was released and whilst the webcomic it was based on already had a close-knit fanbase, it was the show that catapulted it to a huge audience. The series is clearly aimed at viewers

The impact of university strikes on the students

on the younger side (the plot follows characters in years 10 and 11 of school) but it received a huge response online and people of all ages voiced their appreciation. The show follows a story of young queer love, and many older viewers expressed their delight at seeing it portrayed in such a positive and happy way. For many, it was a representation of love that they weren’t able to have in their own youth due to homophobia and stigma. It provided a sense of hope that a new generation could have the happiness they were forced to hide.

The thing with queerness is that it often brings a sense of community and belonging, but it can also bring extreme isolation and loneliness. There’s still a long way to go when it comes to representing the whole community, white gay men are often

chosen to allow a piece of media to demonstrate its ‘wokeness’ whilst remaining palatable to a wider heterosexual audience. Trans people and people of colour within the queer community are often left out of discussions of representation and this is something that cannot be left unacknowledged. This being said, it’s hard not to admire how far we’ve come and appreciate the fact that hopefully, queer kids today won’t have that experience in the PE changing room.

The thing with queerness is that it often brings a sense of community and belonging, but it can also bring extreme isolation and loneliness’

Charlie Griffiths reflects on the recent strikes affecting universities and how solutions can be brought about to satisfy both students and lecturers

With over 140 universities going on strike for 3 weeks over February and March the question of who they are impacting are coming into question. University lecturers are striking for better pay, conditions and pensions in order to prevent the use of zero-hour contracts, a mass reduction of pension and the need for a rise to represent the inflation. All reasons upheld by the UCU sounds fair and reasonable and yet the strikes will likely hit that of the university students vastly. Students face

University students were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with their education being put on hold and stalled by the outbreaks. ”

to miss up to 18 days of lectures and seminars as a result of the strikes and with a £9,250 annual tuition fees, the impact will significantly be felt by the students across the country.

Like a lot of the country, university students were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with their education being put on hold and stalled by the outbreaks. With lectures being put online and access to education facilities for a large majority of 2020 and 2021 being banned, the education access for university students has been stunted and putting them at a back footing. In addition, the strikes will continue to prevent further access to education and potentially weaken the performance of higher education as students continue to fail to have access to face to face learning. So why are the strikes happening while they

Strike actions have been affecting universities all over the nation (Source: Mangus Hagdorn Via

continue to harm the education of the students?

The UCU have taken to striking due to disputes with the university management and the reduction of real wages by 16% from 2009 and an es -

timated threat of losing up to £10,000 when they claim their pensions. With jobs in many aspects of universities being threatened, the fear and uncertainty that they face in the current economic crisis can be

empathised. However, with the disputes between the university staff and university management continuing, the positioning of the students remains unclear. Solidarity within the strikes can be shown, yet the impact on education will continue.

To address this should the students be reimbursed for the education that they are failing to receive from the university? Or should alternative education hours or resources be provided in order to ensure students do not lose out? Lastly, should the running of the universities as a whole be put into question, as the clients are being impacted by the decisions made by those in charge?

How are queer people represented in contemporary media?(Source: Rawpixel)

Nation Cymru)

Clelia Frondaroli

Evan Johnson-Charteris

Frances Marsh

Charlie Griffiths Contributor

I’d felt confused and sad about my sexuality before, but that was the first time I ever

The 2023 Karl Lagerfeld Met Gala theme: Controversial vs Iconic T

Chantalle El Sharkawy Contributor

here has been a vast amount of discussion surrounding the 2023 Met Gala. This is known as the most extravagant night in the fashion industry that is scheduled year after year. The debate stemmed from the theme that was most recently revealed as Karl Lagerfeld.

Karl Lagerfeld can be argued to be both controversial and iconic.

This global event usually has a viewership of millions; as a result, controversies and issues surrounding racism, gender equality, and fatphobia are brought to light. This year, the discussion has begun before the actual event takes place.

Karl Lagerfeld was a designer with his own Karl Lagerfeld brand. He was the creative director of the Italian fashion house known as Fendi for the duration of over fifty years. Since his partnership with Fendi he broke the barriers of working with fur as a material, creating techniques that are still used today. He is also known as the figure who bought the brand Chanel back to life. Through his creative touch, he transformed it from just a boutique to a globally recognised luxury powerhouse. Lagerfeld had reported to the New York Times that he was warned

against working with Chanel as people were convinced its time had passed and that it was dead. However, Lagerfeld took this as a challenge and revived it. He worked with Chanel from 1983 until his passing in 2019. Lagerfeld was strategic in keeping Coco’s identity present throughout the designs; however, he repurposed and reinterpreted these magnificent designs offering a new take and perspective overall. This ensured that the brand received the attention it deserved.

An example of Lagerfeld’s contributions to Chanel and the world more broadly speaking is

the double C logo. This is significant and recognisable in the fashion industry. Lagerfeld invented this as a tribute to Coco Chanel after her passing. The logo is associated with many positive connotations helping advancements in communication and adding a new layer of meaning. Lagerfeld was a man of many skills, he continued to transform the fashion industry over time, therefore, he was indeed iconic. He created the ready-to-wear lines for Chanel as well as the couture lines which illustrated his design talents and innovation. Moreover, he was overlooking all the creative directing process of the

Do you believe Lagerfeld is an icon or a controversy, and can his designs and talents be separated from his identity and reputation within the fashion industry?’

Chanel advertisements.

The controversy, however, does come in due to the reputation associated with Lagerfeld. His designs, creativity, and the revolutionising of the fashion industry don’t go unnoticed. Although Lagerfeld was very vocal about his beliefs. Firstly, stating that runway models should be a certain sample size, this means nowhere over a size six. He mentioned that no one wants to see curvy women. Secondly, Lagerfeld was against the MeToo movement and has had some unacceptable views surrounding sexual assault. The third point is that although he was a gay man himself, he was very opposed to the idea of gay marriage.

Do you believe Lagerfeld is an icon or a controversy, and can his designs and talents be separated from his identity and reputation within the fashion industry?

More commonly asked, can the art be separated from the artist?

The pseudo side of science publications: The rise and growth of ‘junk journals’

Clelia Frondaroli Head of Comment

In a post Covid-19 world where social media has exacerbated already strained tensions between science and public trust, scientific publications are often lauded as being the pinnacle of rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific research. However, what if this is not entirely the case?

Good scientific and academic research requires funds, prestige and, most importantly, time. Often researchers spend years formulating precise research questions and undertake rigorous participant studies to ensure their research is accurate. All this occurs before the publishing of the material itself; academics are required to submit their research findings to scientific journals, where their content is verified and vetted through a peer-reviewed process and eventually leading to the study being published if approved. This is what lends scientific journals a trustworthy reputation; these checks are put in place to ensure scientific research maintains credibility as well as upholds public trust. However, what if the content published in these journals are not verifiable because the journals themselves are fake? This is the case for over

Has the rise in ‘junk journals’ implicated the integrity of scientific research?

(Source:

10,000 academic journals (known by the term ‘junk journals’) found on the internet, which was discovered in an investigation conducted by Eduardo Franco. Franco, a leading specialist in oncology, initiated his investigation into these fraudulent journal publishing sites after noticing some inconsistencies with the academic journals in which his colleagues had published their research. He found that many of his colleagues had studies published in journals that were later exposed as scams: they were journals set up to mimic reputable science publishers yet essentially published ‘junk’ (fraudulent) science.

These ‘junk journals’ were established as a result of online, open-

access publishing, which allowed academics to publish their material at a much faster rate than the traditional publishing process. This, in addition to the rising pressures on academics to provide CVs with extensive published material, allowed an entire online network of fraudulent scientific journals to flourish. These journals charge academics a fixed fee (ranging from $200 to upwards of $2000) in return for publishing their unverified, and at times falsified research material into their online journals, generating extensive profits and providing academics with all the published content they desire. However, the consequences of such a trade are dire. As detailed

Evan Johnson-Charteris Comment Editor

If you have spent any time online in the past year, you may have heard or seen the plethora of new websites and pieces of software that have been expanding the capabilities of what artificial intelligence can do, not limited to but including: ChatGPT, DALL-E and Character AI.

From the belief that the internet was simply a fad to the infamous failure of Google’s glasses (they were real, look it up!); predictions about technology have all but often failed horribly. Nevertheless, predicting where artificial intelligence will go is both fun and exciting for the most part, with a side dish of existential dread. Whereas it was previously thought that automation would only ever affect more practical hands-on labour, the ability to generate any texts (ChatGPT) or images (DALL-E) from a simple text prompt the size of a standard Instagram caption, has proven this is not necessarily the case anymore.

However, it is important to realise that these new artificial intelligence systems do not automatically signal the end of the creativity industries as we know them, and instead will just change them. Although there is great debate on whether the internet killed the newspaper or even if video truly did kill the radio star; there will inevitably be roles that will be lost and roles that will be gained with these new technologies. Take the difference between using the yellow pages to search for people and using social media, no one would have foreseen the rise of the social media influencer looking through page after page for a plumbing service.

What if the content published in these journals are not verifiable because the journals themselves are fake?’

by Alex Grillis in The Walrus, fraudulent scientific material is being published at a faster rate than legitimate material, with over 30 percent of medical research articles being shown to be entirely inaccurate. Scientific journals are widely used by healthcare professionals yet pharmaceutical companies (such as AstraZeneca) publish false studies within junk journals to promote the use of their drugs, creating the dangerous possibility of doctors trusting these studies to prescribe the use of these drugs to their patients that may not function in the way the studies have claimed.

Therefore, this is the dark side of science research in general. By publishing false scientific research, these junk journals not only exacerbate the issue of spreading false information online but also diminish both public trust in scientific research and the integrity of science as a whole.

Not only do we not know what roles these technologies could create, they can also remove a lot of jobs we don’t necessarily all want to do. Similar to how the printing press removed the need for monks to endlessly copy out new books; we can track, service or create using artificial intelligence so we can focus on more important/advanced things. Obviously, this is not completely foolproof, as we have all sat through the pain of automated customer service calls. But in a world where there is endless information & time pressures, we can use artificial intelligence such as Dall-E or ChatGPT to inspire our human creations & reduce the burdens of the creative process.

Furthermore, we can explore our wildest dreams with artificial intelligence too. Not only can you now create any collection of mashups you want without the need of being a master artist or photoshop user, you can also now do things such as conversate with AI versions of your favourite characters like Super Mario or make them talk to each other to see what happens.

Overall, despite the concerns, there are reasons to be optimistic for the growth of AI technology. However it is important to acknowledge that there is a clear conflict of interest in this article too, being in a university newspaper, by someone studying journalism. As such, in the next issue of Gair Rhydd, the second part of this article will address the potential negatives of AI and creativity as to cover the whole range of the debate.

In the meantime, what do you think? Is the dawn of AI a positive or negative for human creativity?

ChatGPT, Dall-E and the new wave of artificial intelligence

Karl Lagerfeld: a fashion icon or an infamous character? (Source: Pedro Rica, Via Flickr)

Sebastian Sikora Via ResearchGate)

ADVICE

How to stick to your fitness goals in the New Year

Lucy Matthews presents some top tips on creating healthy exercise habits this January

Lucy Matthews Advice Editor

The inside of a gym in January mirrors London Waterloo at rush hour. As queues for machines build up, squabbles over dumbbells commence and you find yourself cornering in the toilets afraid to face the sweaty mob. Yet as months drift by, we find ourselves skipping time on the treadmill and trading lunges for liquor. Our relationship with the gym gets more and more distant until one of us decides that it’s time to cut it off for good, the great break up with your membership takes place. Symbolising a month of new beginnings and setting new habits, it is easy to use the ebbing month of January as a fresh start to fitness, but the real marathon is keeping it up all year round.

Allocating time to fitness sessions throughout the week is the first hurdle you will encounter along the way. You ended up staying over time at work listening to your coworker complain about her toxic boyfriend, meaning you now have no time to make it to the gym and get back home all in time to watch the Call The Midwife- I’ve got you! The internet is now over-populated with gym workouts that are tailored specifically to your, meaning that if you don’t quite make it to the gym then you can still get moving in your kitchen, bedroom or even bath. The

gairrhyddadvice@gmail.com

Fitness Goals: Jumping on the New Year trend of increasing your exercise can be overwhelming. However, there are more ways to acheive your goal than you think.

Source: Victor Freitas (via Pexels)

whole point of fitness in general is just to get your body moving and you shouldn’t entirely rely on one space to do this. Trade dumbbells for bags of rice, and yoga mats for towels, any household item can do the job and get you in the same sweaty space as any gym.

Dopamine is the diesel that will keep you going during the hardest of fitness days. This handy little hormone moulds an overall motivation-

The expectation of life in your 20's

Shaniece O'Keeffe

Advice Editor

People tend to describe your 20’s as the ‘best time of your life’. This for some is true, but for a lot of people life can be overwhelming when trying to keep up to the narrative that this is the most exciting and happiest time. How many people when they were children said they wanted to have a partner by 18 and be married with a house at 25? This narrative needs to change. It can be so unhealthy and damaging, and can often leave people with a lack of self- confidence in how they are doing as a young person and it creates a negative outlook on how you see yourself and others.

Life doesn't work on a schedule. People go to universities at different times of their lives, people get parttime jobs and graduate jobs at different times of their life. Just because your life doesn’t match up or your path looks a little different it isn't something to dwell on. Perhaps your life consists of being in bed by 10pm, focusing more on having a routine over preferring to go out drinking

and having fun with friends. Remember whatever you are doing and however you decide to spend your life, it is ok that it's different to others. Personally, at the age of 22 I can't party 3 times a week like I did during my first few years of university. I don't think that makes me boring. I have conversations with myself that I could have been going out drinking more and enjoying myself and

why has that changed? Why have I changed?

I’ve come to the conclusion that the things that make me happy and have a positive impact on my mental health look a little different. Having a part-time job, focusing on my master's course, finding a healthy morning routine and enjoying exploring new places has taken over that priority. For me, going out a few times

al mindset, is the prize that comes with feeling the burn and is worth all the pain the Stairmaster may put you through. Once you get into any form of fitness, over the course of the year you will find yourself slowly, but surely getting addicted to the feeling your brain rewards you with after. This in itself is enough to create a long-standing relationship with exercise that overall improves your mental wellbeing and state of mind.

life to others'

If going to the gym is not your thing then perhaps a park run is the one for you, and if the prospect of a park run seems like your worst nightmare then perhaps Pilates is more up your street. Your yearly fitness goals are YOUR yearly fitness goals and so they shouldn’t mirror that of an international body builder if you have never lifted weights before. The basis of exercise is that it gets your body moving, and however you may express this doesn’t matter, as long as you find the best way for you.

a month is all I need at this stage. That's not to say my life will always be like that, but the main focus is understanding that life changes, we change and that's not a bad thing and it shouldn't affect the way you see your life.

Set yourself goals because they are attainable to you and not because they're socially accepted by society. It's hard with social media being so

It can be so unhealthy and damaging, and can often leave people with a lack of selfconfidence"

important in most young people's lives as it encourages you to compare yourself to others, which can often cause negative feelings towards yourself. Social media highlights only the best parts, we all struggle. Remember not everyone is securing their dream job, not everyone is living with a perfect healthy lifestyle every day. We all have our off days, and most people won't be living their dream life right now. Remember that's okay and whether you struggle with your mental health, your confidence or this idea that you aren't doing enough, life changes day to day and its ok if you aren't where you thought you would be. With enough motivation and perseverance in life, things will fall into place. Life will make sense once you let go of this supposed universal timeline of what you should be doing in your 20s.

Set yourself goals because they are attainable to you and not because they're socially accepted by society"

Shaniece O'Keeffe discusses the importance of not comparing your

Life doesn't work on a schedual . Source: Helena Lopes(via Pexels)

Megan Shinner

Lucy Matthews

Shaniece O'Keeffe

I’ve come to the conclusion that the things that make me happy and have a positive impact on my mental health look a little different."

Musings with Megan Advice Column

Should we stop making resolutions?

Tianna Parsons Contributor

January can be a tough month for people; mentally, physically and financially. This raises the question as to whether New Year’s resolutions do more harm than good. Many people create New Year’s resolutions in the lead up to January, seeing the New Year as an opportunity to start fresh and achieve new goals. For most people these goals are fundamental to beginning their year, with some putting immense pressure on themselves to stick to the slogan ‘new year, new me’. However, these resolutions do not have to be exclusive to January and can be created and followed anytime throughout the year of one’s life. It is important that people understand and remember that restricting yourself to these resolutions in the New Year can be damaging. People may not be ready to commit to big changes in their lives all of a sudden. We should be considerate to ourselves when planning and looking to attain our resolutions for the New Year.

The January Budgeting Blues

Even though budgeting is ideal to start thinking about at the start of the academic year, it’s also helpful to re-evaluate your finances and saving methods at the beginning of a new year. After the most financially stressful time that we know as Christmas, we can stop worrying about what hasn’t been placed under the tree, and start focusing on our own saving goals. It’s tricky to get back into healthy spending habits after such a season. We’ve all be in the shop with the “Oh well, it’s Christmas! I’m allowed to treat myself” excuse one too many times, which is a habit that tends to leak into the new year also. If you’re struggling to draw the line between rewards and splurging after the holidays, don’t worry, you aren’t the only one. Below are some tips that helped me save, or at the very least, helped me stop overspending on things I really didn’t need.

Open a new bank account:

Sometimes, the best way to stop yourself spending money is by placing it somewhere you can’t access it. Nowadays, with online banking, it’s super easy (and generally free) to open a new bank account from the comfort of your own home. If you have quite a bit to save that you don’t want to spend, this is a great way to find a bank with a great insurance rate, where they’ll literally pay you to store your money with them.

One big bonus to opening a sepa-

rate bank account is probably the deterrence from spending the money you have placed away. If you then take money out to spend, you are willingly removing money from your savings, and then you must justify why said item or experience is so important to sacrifice your savings for it. Do you really need to do that new clothes order, or would you rather save it for your lads holiday in the summer? It’s a physical way to make you stop and think about where you are spending your own money.

Save every penny:

We’ve all been guilty of shrugging off a £2.99 purchase as £3 and thinking no more about it. However, has it ever crossed your mind that these pennies could add up? For example, there’s the viral 1p a day challenge. Every day you save 1p extra than the day before, starting on 1p, and you’ll never put away more than £3.66 per day. That’s just a coffee! By the end of the year, you’ll have well over £600. As the year goes on, it does get more expensive, but you are eased into it if you are consistent. If that’s not doable, there are certain apps that can track your every penny and save the left overs whenever you do spend. Apps such as Plum, Monzo and Revolut are great ways to label your spending, and to see where the majority of your money is going to.

Prioritise what you really want:

When we want to save properly, we must sacrifice certain things. Some of the biggest money-eaters for students is nights out, takeaways, and course books. Believe it or not, there are ways to cut down your spendings on all of the above.

Nights out can be very expensive, especially in a big city, however, we must also consider the frequency of them. Peer pressure and “fear of missing out” can cost us lots of money that we just don’t have. There’s nothing wrong with an impulsive night out, but they stop becoming impulsive when they’re six nights a week. You’re allowed to say no, so just remember to ask yourself if you are going out for you or to just please your friends

Takeaways follow in the same suit – is it necessary to order in or can you cook something similar? Do you actually want the takeaway food, or are you just too lazy to cook? We all get days that we don’t want to cook, but there are cheaper options available. I reckon you could walk to the nearest shop, buy a ready meal, and cook it before a delivery arrived.

Course books can also be the absolute bane of your life. I can relate to the frustration of spending ridiculous amounts of money on compulsory reading lists as an English Literature student. But, throughout my years, I have also found a few hacks to getting your material for much cheaper. Firstly, is this a book with free online access or loanable from the library? Especially if the book is large and expensive, it saves you the money and back pain of lugging it onto campus. If you want a copy, there a great sites, such as wob and ebay, that sell loads of second hand editions of books you’ll be searching for. Especially if your book is a popular classic, you’ve got a good chance of finding it in one of the charity shops on Albany Road. Shopping smart:

If you are doing your weekly shop

in the luxury section of M&S, drop your basket and walk out of there. I repeat, leave the store immediately. When you are a student: every penny counts! There are so many cheaper places to shop, or even in the M&S essentials collection isn’t too bad when compared to the likes of Lidl and Aldi. Making smart swaps can really make all the difference. This includes swapping branded items for the store collection items; items like meat are particularly expensive. Could you swap these for an alternative occasional? There are some great lentil or chickpea curry recipes out there, rather than always cooking with chicken and beef.

Tips that generally help us spend less in the supermarkets is to set a certain time in the week to go shopping. This way, it will become routine when you are allowed into the shop. This will help you to stop popping into Lidl after lectures because you are bored. Very quickly, it can turn into a fairly expensive browse and you leave with lots you don’t really need. Additionally, never shop on an empty stomach! Psychologically, you are thinking of picking up items that would satisfy the feeling of hunger there and then, whilst also picking up some of the things you need. More often than not, you’ll leave with lots of items you didn’t needed, and will be missing loads of items off the essential list.

Savings are very helpful as you never know what might happen! Car troubles, unexpected rent increase, medical emergencies, and the list goes on. If you can afford it, savings are never a bad idea.

When planning our resolutions for the New Year, it may be more beneficial to create smaller, more attainable ones and slowly move to bigger ones throughout the year when you feel ready. In doing this, it helps to prevent the typical burn out that people experience within a month, usually causing them to abandon the goals they set. Creating resolutions that involve making drastic lifestyle changes are unlikely to be attainable and can be mentally draining when we are unable to make said change. So, focusing on smaller things like improving your self-care routine in comparison to trying to save £100 a week will be far easier to commit to, and cause less challenges, whilst improving the way you feel. Though, as already mentioned, these changes do not have to be fulfilled during the month of January, or only during this period.

It is important that we all take time to focus on ourselves and look after our physical and mental wellbeing, in whatever form is best suited to us. The lifestyle that you may idealise when making resolutions, may not actually be the lifestyle that is best suited towards your specific needs, often being an amplification of a way of life.

Essentially, New Year’s resolutions are like a double-edged sword. It may work for some of us and improve our wellbeing, whilst for others they prove to be challenging and do more harm than good. It is difficult to narrow it down to being either good or bad as experiences vary individually and are subjective. However, if we are too hard on ourselves the outcome is likely to be more harmful than good.

Creating

"

Megan Shinner Head of Advice

resolutions that involve making drastic lifestyle changes are unlikely to be attainable and can be mentally draining when we are unable to make said change.

Source: Tima Miroshnichenko (via Pexels)

Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Billy Edwards Review Editor

As Daniel Craig drawls on “the densely layered, mysterious and inscrutable” case in his latest turn as detective Benoit Blanc, Glass Onion, his outrageous southern dialect teeters on the point of absurdity. It’s still good value. Knives Out was the cosy lockdown hit picked up by Netflix, registering excitement for a long series of Benoit Blanc films. But to be a credible competitor for Disney+’s glut of franchises they have to get the things out. I like director Rian Johnson – he clearly loves cinema, and he gave us the most daring, exciting and inventive interpretation of Star Wars in some time in The Last Jedi. Glass Onion is of course good entertainment with the skilled director and star carried over, yet it feels rushed, with an eye waning on the films to

Billy Edwards

Haris Hussnain

gairrhyddreview@gmail.com

Tegan Davies

Contibutor

Matty Healy has taken the internet by storm. Virally, he is a cancelled, controversial nepotism baby born to Denise Welch and Tim Healy. But to fans, he is a hot mess who doesn’t want menthols thrown

follow. The film also takes on the rather passe bearing of lockdown. There’s a lot of discourse on whether movies should tackle the subject, but most can agree it was an awful time. Over-sweet, cuddly, and very American references to Among Us, masks, and baking are immediately dated, wrongfooted and a bit of a chore. But once the action is moved to a Greek island owned by an immeasurably wealthy tech giant, suitably upping the stakes for a sequel, it makes for certainly impressive spectacle. The entertaining fallout from the murder benefits from scenes submerged in darkness. Its exotic setting complements a more tech-savvy, opulent and sexier film, but its comments on undue wealth would be more thought-provoking if not for the Bond environment in which even Craig knows he has done all he can with.

Whilst the dim-witted Miles is a little one-dimensional – he may as well have ‘ELON MUSK’ crayoned on his forehead – Edward Norton really excels. There’s so much slimy, quiet aggravation and loathsome idleness, a man too arrogant in his own intelligence for such an intricate mystery at play. Kate Hudson is very entertaining as a hammily obnoxious ex-model, and Janelle Monáe captures well the intrigue of her character; she revels in peeling away her secrecy. Craig is having great fun as Blanc, but his mystery-solving skills are so assured there’s little sense of jeopardy. The film deliberately side-steps any moment of emotional resonance. Blanc’s partner is introduced through a cameo so good you couldn’t help but cheer, but their relationship is not particularly overt. Benoit is an underdeveloped mystery that the film isn’t drawn to the prospect of solving. The somewhat

I preferred the twists of Glass Onion, but the cast is not as memorable. ”

clinical format could dangerously tire quickly in further instalments. I preferred the twists of Glass Onion, but the cast is not as memorable. Where you think the story is going is brilliantly rug-pulled by a series of clever hints and details, but the film looks quite a bit of momentum getting there. I’m enthusiastic to see where the series will go next; it’s at its best utilising Johnson’s creativity with a cast of varied character actors, yet here they have gone slightly too far for gold.

Cardiff University’s A Cappella Society Christmas Showcase

ACappella as a music genre has a stigma of being “cringe” among this generation, with many of us, myself included, looking back on our phases of watching Pitch Perfect and listening to artists like Pentatonix with a hilarious sense of shame. But to successfully pull off A Cappella performances like those takes a great deal of vocal talent, which CU’s A Cappella Society displayed in droves in last Christmas’ showcase.

The show opened with a bang, as the “A Cappellads” delivered a dy-

namic, choreographed performance of Harry Styles’ “Cinema” and wonderfully smooth rendition of White Christmas. The first part of the show felt like a battle of the sexes, with the gentlemen making way for the allfemale “Decibelles”, who in classic ‘anything you can do I can do better’ fashion traded the boys’ flair in choreography for impeccable harmonies. Both sides had one of their members perform a solo act, and like pulling an ace out of their respective sleeves, both solos were the highlight of the night. Both singers poured their souls into their performances and stole the show. During the second solo act, the poor lad’s backing music cut

out, but his improvisation was brilliant to deliver the rest of the song without it, and the performance was no worse for it. In fact the lack of backing music let his voice free and put his raw talent on full display.

Vox and Inner Voices, the society’s two mixed gender groups, had nervous faces dotted around their members at the start of their performances, but truthfully their acts had so much care and practice put into them that you’d wonder why they were ever nervous, they’re professionals not just university students with a hobby, no?

Inner Voices’ highlight of the night was a beautifully heartfelt rendition of “I Can’t Help Falling In Love” that

at him. When I first heard The 1975’s music almost a decade ago, I fell headover-heels for that familiar Tumblr, outcast aesthetic – and the band has grown alongside me since, during my formative teenage years and approach to adulthood. As said by the band themselves, ‘They just keep getting better’.

I first saw the band live in 2019 – and once again a year later just before the

beginning of the pandemic. As someone who obsesses over getting close to the stage (half fangirl, half short girl problems), I hailed the band for their stage presence, as even at the back of the arena, you were guaranteed to have an amazing time at their shows. As their online footprint has grown over the last few months, I wasn’t expecting to get anywhere near the stage, as I was attending with my mum the first night, and some laid-back friends the second. So, when I rocked up opposite the Admiral building half an hour before doors on the first night, I was shocked to find myself standing just one row back from the barrier upon admission into the CIA.

(seriously, I saw dads there having the time of their life) and so it didn’t even matter.

could have swooned anyone into a lovestruck trance, and Vox’s use of polyphonic vocals next to fast paced choreography was a delight to both watch and hear.

There was talent, care, dedication and practice clearly rife throughout this showcase, the only time I was ever bored was when the two hosts were talking between the acts. To any of the A Cappella Society who manage to read this, best of luck at your competitions, and keep putting your hearts into this, you smashed it this time and you’ll keep smashing it.

Credit: Tegan Davies

Bonnie Kemplay supported the band both nights. A beautiful voice with so much potential, Cardiff International Arena did her dirty by keeping her microphone volume at a minimum, thus making it difficult to decipher any of her general chit-chat in-between songs. Luckily, night two was an improvement audio-wise, meaning the crowd was able to fully appreciate the talent of Kemplay and her band. Did her style particularly fit as an opening act? Not really, but The 1975 is a band that suits all walks of life

Despite keeping strictly to a similar structure throughout, the show was vastly different both nights – the first section of the show, aptly referred to as ‘Being Funny in a Foreign Language’, presented frontman Healy as a character of misery and macho-masculinity. Night one saw the band acknowledge the falsity of the show’s formulaic composition through a monologue about ‘methodacting’, whilst night two skipped this in favour of their hit song Sincerity is Scary (unfortunately, no treadmill this tour!). Attempts to repulse the audience included excessive chain smoking and binge drinking from Matty, an impressive number of push-ups, and a disturbing sequence involving raw meat – which I witnessed both nights and still did not fancy him any less.

The second half of the show, ‘At their very best’, had me out of breath and seriously considering my lifestyle choices – I have not got it in me to jump and dance around the way I did both nights, but the adrenaline boost I got from hearing fallingforyou and About You in the same

15-minute interval was like no other. I sang my heart out, receiving strange looks from others in the crowd. Sweat stuck my fringe to my forehead and my eyeliner ran in streams down my cheeks. I couldn’t have cared less. I was on top of the world.

Any downsides? The merchandise. Incredibly overpriced, with maybe two decent designs available. The rest appeared to have been curated on Paint, or something that you’d see being sold outside. But hey, they’d be laughing if they read this. The queues for merchandise were hectic – I stood in line for a shirt for a friend for about half an hour. Obviously, they made a heck of a lot of money off of merchandise that I found distasteful, so the joke’s on me!

People always have a lot to say about the band – as mocked in the video for their hit single The Sound. To some, they are a group of wasted, talentless stoners. Well, call them what you want, but definitely not talentless. The four years I’ve been seeing them live for has once again proved their mantra referenced in the first paragraph. The music, the lyrics, the stage presence, the vocals! Everything about the band reminds you

“Glass Onion is of course good entertainment with the skilled director”

Tegan Davies shares her experience as The 1975’s tour came to Cardiff

The 1975’s ‘At their very Best’ Tour: “They just keep getting better”

Alice Moore

Ivy Morris Contributor

Waterloo Road returns after 8 years off-air

Haris Hussnain Review Editor

I’ve been a big fan of the original series of Waterloo Road. There was something about it that meant everyone in Britain could relate to it in one way or another. I was also a fan of the previous storylines and antagonists. However, I can’t say the same for the current series, which I believe has just put everything on wheels trying to see what will roll. The main characters, Donte and Chlo were something fans had waited for quite some time. I wasn’t

impressed with the main character being killed off in the first episode. I’m also not a fan of everything being shoehorned into the first new series. If I had to summarise the new series, I would say a mixture of Eastenders and Broadchurch as opposed to the older series, which I found was way better at storylines and character building. However, I suppose Chloe being killed gives more room to develop Izzy and Donte’s characters.

I like how knife crime, the pandemic and racism are being tackled. I just think that it makes the series more serious rather than cheesy like it used to be. I guess the series rep -

resents how boring and serious the youth have become after the pandemic. I understand that they want to capture a new audience, but there should at least be some commitment to old fans who had wanted to feel connected to the show again. For example, will we see any older characters from the original series? Or will it be about shooting characters with specific backstories? There are plenty of characters that had great storylines, and it would be great if they were in the coming series to see how they turned out. I just think there is plenty of space to develop previous characters that were left on a cliff -

All six series are littered with quirky catchphrases that any fans of the series would understand,.”

hanger. For example, we never really knew what happened to Bolton’s friend Paul, or what happened with Flick and Marley’s relationship. I guess most of my opinions are based on a comparison to the classic series I really loved and was a huge fan of. Sadly, I can’t say the same for the new series.

Bendy and the Dark Revival: “ BATDR did not dissapoint”

Five years after the first game, it is time to take yet another trip into Joey Drew Studios and the sinister goings-on inside. In November 2022, game developers Kindly Beast (formerly theMeatly Games) released the long-teased finale to the Bendy franchise: ‘Bendy and the Dark Revival’ (BATDR). After the game was initially canceled in 2020, the official trailer 2 weeks prior to its full release came as a shock to the whole gaming community. The new characters, rejuvenated animation style, and riveting storyline renewed the excitement for the series, gaining it a 10/10 review on Steam. The infamous former five-chapter game ‘Bendy and the Ink Machine’ appeared a tough act to beat, but BATDR did not disappoint.

The main focus of the new Bendy game appears to be the new protagonist: Audrey. No context is initially given to her role in the franchise’s lore, but the studio she resides within appears to be Archgate Films – the company that took over the Joey Drew Studios after the creator’s death. An interesting element of the first part of the game is that it takes place in real life. Long

Act One Drama Society’s Jungle Juice

Mahala Gainer Contributor

Ihad the privilege of getting to attend the opening night of Act One drama society’s performance ‘Jungle Juice’ at Pulse Nightclub. The performance was a parody of the Jungle book, that used Cardiff University to put their own hilariously relatable spin on the classic.

gone are the sepia-toned hallways of the old studio, and we are greeted with colour and realism as Audrey encounters janitor Wilson, who is working late alongside her. As made obvious by the teaser trailers, Wilson is set up to be the game’s antagonist, and promptly tricks Audrey into reactivating the Ink Machine, turning her into an Inky-Human hybrid and banishing her to the depths of the long-forgotten studio once more. Audrey is tasked with making her way through the cartoon world, fighting enemies and avoiding the elusive ‘Ink Demon’ at all

costs. In her journey, she comes across many characters we know and love, such as Alice Angel and Boris the Wolf, who help her along the way. But yet we are left with a dominant question: who is Audrey, and why was she chosen to save the cartoon world?

BATDR was one of the most enjoyable indie horror games I have seen. It was clear that Kindly Beast had used their time wisely and produced a piece of art, rather than just a cash grab. The attention to detail within the animation is excellent, and every scene is truly an immer-

sive experience. BATDR incorporates mass details into its environments without it appearing messy or confusing. Within recent years, especially since the rise of the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise, having complex game lore has been championed within the indie horror community. However, this can often be executed poorly and coherent gameplay can be sacrificed; as seen with the infamous flop of the game Hello Neighbor. BATDR strays from the norm in this aspect as it leaves interesting hints to a further story, without obsessing over it. Instead of a complex linear timeline, the Bendy franchise only focuses on important lore elements, such as the fates of different employees of Joey Drew Studios. This keeps the franchise interesting, without forgoing the quality of the actual games for the sake of a feature on ‘Game Theory’. In all, Bendy and the Dark Revival is a welcome addition to the story of Joey Drew Studios. It is an enjoyable and adventurous game for new and experienced gamers alike. Although it looks as if the franchise ends here, the Bendy games and Kindly Beast will be known for their greatness in video game development for a long while.

Daisy Jones and the Six- ‘set to be an Amazon hit show’

Author of six novels, Reid’s 2019 book ‘Daisy Jones & The Six’, is certainly a fan favorite, with its wholly original format, brilliant characterization and compelling rock aesthetic, captivating readers. It’s no surprise that Reese Witherspoon’s production company ‘Hello Sunshine’ swiftly claimed filming rights after it was selected to be the February 2019 pick for ‘Reesesbookclub’. Amazon has commissioned a 13-part series based on the book, with the first episode set to release on March 3rd, starring Sam Claflin as tortured musician Billy Dunne, and Elvis’ granddaughter, Riley Keogh, as the chaotically beautiful Daisy Jones.

So, what is so gripping about this story?

For starters, the novel is uniquely original, written in the format of a VH1: Behind the Music special, with the identity of the interviewer being revealed in a pretty shocking way. This format was quite unlike any other novel I’ve ever read, narrated in the past tense, it feels like you’re diving deep into a real band’s dramatic history, making for a great audiobook listen by the way! It is written as an interview with various members of the band and those around them, such as managers, producers and even significant others. I found it so clever to read from all the different perspectives, and I loved how those viewpoints are slightly altered. Everyone seemed to remember the events leading up to the band’s untimely breakup differently, allowing the readers to make their own decision, and believe whichever character they want.

Considering there are seven band members in total, and many characters surrounding them, the characterization is absolutely brilliant. Reid ensured that each character had their own unique voice, as she does in all of her novels, meaning I was never once confused about who was who. Taylor Jenkins Reid has a real talent for creating flawed, vulnerable characters that I grow to care for very quickly. For instance, I fell in love with the character Nina in Reid’s 2021 summer novel, ‘Malibu Rising’ as well as the infamous Evelyn Hugo in her 2017 book entitled, ‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’. Daisy Jones was no different. Although the character is by no means perfect, I couldn’t help but root for her individual triumphs, as well as her success within the band.

It’s a classic story about sex, drugs and rock and roll, illustrating artis-

The show began by Baloo, played by Ben Lewis, setting the scene for what was to come. I can assure you there was no risk of being bored in this pantomime full of audience participation, impromptu reactions, songs and dances. Right from the start the audience was encouraged to participate by responding to Baloo by saying “hello you sexy bear”. Next the audience was introduced to Mowgli, played by Chelsey Hughes, who was anxiously heading off to start his first year at Cardiff university and to hopefully find love. This led to Mowgli spending his first night at the Student Union (SU) at a Jungle themed night with his new flatmate Baggy, played by Matilda Hawken. The story explores Mowgli’s journey finding his feet at university, and journey to try and find love.

Reid ensured that each character had their own unique voice ”

tic conflicts and romantic struggles during a whirlwind decade. The rise and breakup of this iconic 1970s rock band was inspired by Fleetwood Mac Reid admits, but what separates Daisy Jones from this legendary band is the unique songs written in the back pages of the novel, allowing readers to imagine the band’s sound in their own way. Songs written by Reid like ‘Midnight’ and ‘Aurora’ are set to be constructed for the show by Bob Dylan, Blake Mills and Phoebe Bridger’s. With this highly anticipated soundtrack, fans can expect a rock ‘n’ roll show for the ages.

The directors Sian Howells, Joe McCartney, producer Tim Winterborn and musical director Rhiannon Green worked together with Austin Hampshire the comedic writer to produce a storyline and songs that were so relatable to a Cardiff University student. Every little detail seemed to be effortlessly executed throughout, from the references to popular SU nightclub, to the thick fake Welsh accent and terminology like ‘fresher’ to make reference to the first years. They used a comedic way to present real issues that first year students experience, like struggling to make new friends. It is important not to forget about the brilliant Acapella society that performed beautiful choruses throughout the show. A highlight was Thomas Daudelin performing ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ supported by the rest of the group. The cast and acapella group did a brilliant job of keeping the crowd attentive and entertained throughout the performance. Although audience members would randomly shout things out, the cast always seemed to be prepared with witty and amusing responses. The society has produced a group of very talented performers. Even the audience was brilliant at willingly being a part of the show. Audience members were asked to sing songs like ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’, and one was even asked to show his ID and interrogated about it.

I highly recommend Jungle Juice for anyone who needs a good laugh. The show was not for the faint hearted with hilarious profanity throughout. My one piece of advice would be to maybe not come see with your parents!

I highly recommend Jungle Juice for anyone who needs a good laugh. ”

Jess Margetson Contirbutor

Jess Margetson shares her thoughts on the book that the series will be set on

“The series represens how boring and serious the youth have become”

Credit: Pexels

Alice Moore

Head of Review

SCIENCE

FDA rules: Animal testing prior to human trials no longer necessary

Freya Shepherd Science and Tech Editor

As of 2013, it has been illegal in the UK and Europe to use animals to test cosmetic products and their ingredients. It is also illegal to test on animals if there is a viable nonanimal method. Non-animal methods have come on immensely in recent years, with ‘Organs-on-chips’ devices receiving lots of attention. But, as of yet, nothing can replace animals in their entirety, in some circumstances.

Until now, in the US as it is here in the UK, it has been a legal requirement that all drugs be tested on animals prior to human trials.

But in December 2022, following legislation signed by President Joe Biden, there has been a drastic change in FDA laws surrounding animal testing in the US. New medicines need not be tested on animals to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The move has been welcomed by animal welfare organizations and is a huge change after 80 years of animal use in safety regulation.

PETA, People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals, have declared the shift a ‘Victory!’ for the FDA Modernisation Act of 2021 – an act the

Freya Shepherd

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streamlined process to market and the customer, as using animals requires strict licensing and legislation. But will it be as safe?

New medicines need not be tested on animals to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approva l. Source: Understaning Animal Research (via Wikimedia Commons)

US government brought in to allow manufacturers to use alternative testing methods to animal testing to investigate the safety and effectiveness of a drug. However, the change doesn’t ban the testing of drugs on animals outright. Pharmaceutical companies can still test on animals prior to humans if they choose too. A very high percentage of drugs, in the region of 90%, that

Apple’s Event that Never Was…

enter human clinical trials fail because they are unsafe or ineffective, providing reinforcement to those who argue that animal experiments are a waste of lives and time.

How will this affect America’s drug pipeline? Will it be faster? According to the American bioengineering company, InVivo Biosystems, the change will mean less red tape and a quicker, more

Organs-on-chips are systems containing engineered or natural miniature tissues grown inside microfluidic chips grown in a lab and represent a possible avenue for drug testing without the use of animals. All sorts of organs can be grown, but independent of each other. According to the FDA’s chief scientist, the agency is in favour of trying to move away from animal testing—when other approaches are ready. Wendy Jarret, CEO of Understanding Animal research, an animal research advocacy group based here in the UK, isn’t as pleased with the change as PETA, claiming non-animal methods cannot capture a systemic picture of the effect of a new drug on the body. She argues that you can drop a new drug onto a dish of liver cells and see it doesn’t damage them, but this doesn’t tell you if the same drug may damage someone’s brain and therefore all the ways a drug may put a human trial participant at risk.

This change in legislation is currently only in the U.S; however, is the EU or UK to follow?

Edward discusses the new Apple products that were surprisingly announced last week.

Edward Sutton Head of Sciene and Tech

Last week Apple unveiled a range of new products, but not in their usual format.

Press releases on Tuesday and Wednesday revealed new M2 Pro and Max Macs’ and the revival of the HomePod.

The new MacBook Pro’s and Mac Mini are a familiar design, now updated with the new M2 series of chips. This new power is great for professionals who really want to push their workflows to the max. With improvements

across the board, these new chips are benchmarking incredibly high. The Mac Mini has had the biggest update with the option to have an M2 Pro Chip giving it more power than the M1 Ultra Chips from last year. There are a few glaring Mac omissions, however, which haven’t had some love recently. The Mac Pro is the last product that hasn’t been updated to Apple Silicone and is therefore overdue an update. The other is the iMac which is still on the M1 chip; still a brilliant chip but with newer options available, it’s more of a tough sell. The biggest surprise of these announcements was the return of the HomePod, which was discontinued in 2021. The smart speaker has a slightly new design, new chips, and sensors. Most importantly, it works with the new

The new smart home standard “Matter”, which will hopefully link all smart home devices”

smart home standard “Matter”, which will hopefully link all smart home devices and accessories together. The standard came out of a collaboration between Apple, Google, and Amazon and hopes to eliminate the need to “pick an ecosystem” as everything should play nicely with everything else –in theory. The smart home is still a fledgling frontier that is yet to have truly widespread adoption so this new standard seems more like future proofing for that day when we all might ask Siri to turn on our lights.

These new products might be the start of a very exciting few

years for Apple with rumours swirling around a possible AR and VR Headset. This year might also see more challenges to the dominance of the App Store from lawmakers and smaller companies. Apple vs Epic has come to a legal conclusion in the US, but challenges from Epic in the US and abroad are still being pursued. As ever with Apple, we won’t know till it’s announced or happens but there’s still so much tech coming from other companies like Samsung with an event in February. 2023 is shaping up to be a very interesting year for tech.

This year might also see more challenges to the dominance of the App Store from lawmakers”

2023 in space: What giant leaps in exploration will mankind make this year?

Aditi Kallanagoudar-Girish Science and Tech Editor

From NASA launching their groundbreaking moon mission, Artemis I to the DART mission to the James Webb Telescope coming to observe the invisible universe, 2022 was a big year in space exploration.

By the looks of it, 2023 seems to be even more promising.

It starts with the launch of two lunar landers, built by Houston’s Intuitive Machines and Pittsburgh’s

Astrobotic Technology, which are expected to land on the Moon’s surface in early 2023.

The lunar landers are expected to carry a range of rovers and plan to conduct various experiments on the lunar surface, including some to help lay the foundations for the return of astronauts to the moon.

In April, the European Space Agency will launch its Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, which is scheduled to arrive at the Jupiter system by 2031. It will explore the icy moons of Jupiter - Europa, Callisto and Ganymede for signs of habitability under their crusts of ice.

Meanwhile, NASA awaits the homecoming of their Osiris-Rex spacecraft, their first asteroid sam -

ple return mission. The spacecraft which collected material from the asteroid Bennu back in October 2020 is scheduled to come back to Earth this September. They hope that this carbon-rich material from the asteroid will help scientists better understand how the planets formed billions of years ago, as well as provide some insight to the origination of life on Earth.

Soon after this, NASA plans to launch its Psyche mission to a unique metal rich asteroid which is believed to be the exposed iron core of a young planet, in the Kuiper Belt between Mars and Jupiter. They also plan to send in astronauts for Boeing Starliner’s next trip to the International Space Station sometime this year.

In the private sector, SpaceX’s Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, is set to make its first orbital flight this year with the billionaire behind the project, Elon Musk saying that first prototypes should be ready as early as June. The lift-off thrust of the Super Heavy Booster will measure about 120 m and 7.7 million kg.

NASA plans to conduct the first mission named Polaris Dawn with a Starship sometime this year. The mission, which will be a three-day test flight orbiting around Earth, is testing the waters for the final aim to have men on the moon by 2025, in the first lunar touchdown since the last Apollo missions in the 1970s.

Aditi Kallanagoudar Girish

Edward Sutton

Source: Official SpaceX Photos (via Flickr)

The new MacBook Pro’s and Mac Mini are a familiar design, .”

Wales Captain Gareth Bale retires

Duncan Frost Contributor

After a career spanning 16 years, Gareth Bale has retired at the age of 33 leaving the game as a legend and one of, if not the best ever Welsh player. The Wales captain released a statement regarding his decision to retire saying it was “by far the hardest of my career” and paid tribute to those who had helped and supported him along the way.

He also posted a separate statement to his “Welsh family” saying that representing Wales on the international stage has given him “something incomparable to anything else I’ve experienced”, thanking everyone for “being on this journey” with him.

Bale’s decision comes after an incredible career across four clubs and three leagues, winning countless club and personal accolades. He began playing at Southampton where he broke through and earned himself a move to Tottenham, initially as an attacking fullback, but eventually was

His international career has been arguably the most influential aspect of his football, embodying Welsh football since his debut aged 16 in 2006.

moved forward to play on the wing. He was unplayable at times during his first stint in London, with his athleticism, direct and pacy dribbling, and powerful shooting ability, winning the Premier League player of the season alongside his second PFA Player’s Player of the season in 2013.

Bale became the world’s most expensive footballer when he moved to Real Madrid in 2013 for £85m and over the next nine years of his career he would go on to win a staggering five Champions League’s and three Spanish League titles. Whilst at Madrid, Bale scored over 100 goals, including an overhead kick against Liverpool which will be remembered as one of the best Champions League Final goals. Many of the grievances with the notorious Real Madrid fans will be left in the past with Bale going down as one of a handful of Madrid players to be as successful with the club as him, with only Paco Gento winning more Champion’s League titles.

Bale’s final few years of club football saw him return to London for a year with Tottenham Hotspur on loan before spending his final season at LAFC, where he scored another clinching goal to equalise in the last minute of extra time in the MLS Cup before going on to win it.

His international career has been arguably the most influential aspect of

his football, embodying Welsh football since his debut aged 16 in 2006 and ending as his country’s top male goal scorer and appearance maker with 44 in 111 respectively.

He took Wales to their first major tournament in 58 years at Euro 2016 as they reached a historic semi-final, captained Wales to qualification for Euro 2020, and again for their first World Cup in 64 years. It was fitting his final international goal was Wales’ only goal in this tournament.

Few can look back at such an illustrious career as Gareth Bale can, having

SPORT

Rohan Kakar Sport Editor

Streaming services are upping their game when it comes to sports. As people begin to complain about the prices of television subscriptions, many companies such as Amazon Prime and Apple TV have purchased rights to football, tennis, rugby, and golf leagues. With this comes a plethora of documentaries on sports. Here are my top 5 for you to watch over these cold winter months.

5) Eat. Race. Win. (Amazon Prime Video) Eat. Race. Win. is a documentary that follows the most notable race in the cycling calendar. The Tour de France is a competition that all sports fans are aware of, but not many actually watch. This documentary series, which began in 2018, is the perfect gateway into competitive cycling or just an interesting insight for people who already watch the sport. In the series chef Hannah Grant attempts to cook for the Australian team competing in the race. It tackles the ambitious task of Hannah as she has to cook meals that contain all of the right nutrients for the team but also documents the

This documentary series, which began in 2018, is the perfect gateway into competitive cycling

struggle behind the team as they compete in the race.

4) Andy Murray: Resurfacing (Amazon Prime Video)

Andy Murray is a name that we all recognise, perhaps his successes in 2012 and 2016 stick out to many of the general viewers of tennis. But Murray has suffered crucial injuries to his hips and knees that could have seen the end of his career. The documentary follows his struggle with injury and his determination to rise back to the top of professional tennis. This isn’t a documentary for tennis watchers, nor one for sports fans, it is a documentary that displays mental struggle and continuous overcoming of barriers –something to admire for sure.

3) When Lineker Met Maradona (BBC/Youtube)

Maradona has been the centre

of many documentaries over the years, the world is simply fascinated with the star and the enigmatic battle between his love for football and addiction. This is something that I believe has only ever really been captured by this documentary. Gary Lineker spends a few days with the footballing legend in his home in Buenos Aires, following his routine and capturing the retired life of Maradona. They discuss his playing career and the legacy and status that he has achieved in Argentina. This documentary is a wonderful depiction of a natural star who is often tainted by his troublesome past.

They discuss his playing career and the legacy and status that he has achieved in Argentina.

Bale became the world’s most expensive footballer when he moved to Real Madrid in 2013 for £85m and over the next nine years he would go on to win a staggering five Champions League’s

won so much at career level and captained his country to their first world title in over half a decade. He will go down as Wales’ finest player, and arguably one of the best to ever play.

2) Slammed: The Seventies (BBC Iplayer)

For all of the rugby fans that are getting ready for the upcoming Six Nations, this is a wonderful documentary that highlights the great Welsh Rugby sides of the 70s. The nostalgic documentary miniseries is a beauty for Welsh rugby fans as some of the game’s biggest names like Sir Gareth Edwards walk you through the rejuvenation of a struggling Welsh Rugby side and its rise to greatness. The perfect manual for the current side, no?

1) FIFA Uncovered (Netflix)

The nostalgic documentary mini-series is a beauty for Welsh rugby fans

FIFA Uncovered is maybe the most important documentary on this list. It is a poignant mini-series that describes the last 15 years of corruption that has slowly been uncovered by the press. FIFA has been getting away with corruption for too long and culminating in the Qatar World Cup which had its obvious issues. This documentary is a better watch even now after the World Cup, as it reminds you that Qatar wasn’t an isolated event. Watch and reflect as football politics is exposed.

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Sporting documentaries that you should be watching

Rohan countsdown his Top 5 Sport doucumentries for you to watch in 2023.

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Rohan Kakar

Source: Carine06 (via Flickr)

The Eco-Hypocrisy of F1

Jasmine Jones Head of Sport

When Formula One announced its pledge to become net-zero carbon by 2030, fans and critics alike couldn’t help but applaud the move and the steps being taken by the sport to become more sustainable. As a part of its new ‘Sustainability Strategy’, Formula One bosses decided action needed to be taken to help reduce the sports’ global footprint.

A brand new 100% sustainable fuel was to be used in all racing cars from 2026, with CEO of Formula One Stefano Domenicali recently stating in an interview with Global Finance that this could have the potential to pave the way for this fuel to be used in “all road cars globally”

But since the 2023 World Championship schedule was announced this September, Formula One has been shrouded in controversy concerning its previous climate promises. The calendar will hold 24 races, the most ever held in a single grand prix season, spanning across 5 continents.

The main source of scrutiny however is the order of the races.

Beginning in Bahrain on March 5th and ending in Abu Dhabi on November 26th, there is no geographical ordering of races resulting in each team travelling around 84,000 miles for the season. This doesn’t take into account racers or staff flying back home in between races to spend time with their families.

The news has conflicted thousands of avid supporters, with many asking how the schedule can go ahead in its current form when you consider Formula One’s so-called ‘commitment’ to climate sustainability.

Amongst these fans are Lucy

Peck and Noah Peet, co-team principles at Cardiff Racing. As lifelong Formula One fanatics and passionate racers themselves, they as well as many others are finding it hard to balance their love for the sport with growing concerns that motor racing is damaging the environment. Sitting down with them at the Cardiff Racing HQ, they had much to say about the 2023 schedule and the achievability of the net-zero carbon by 2030 pledge.

“I do not think it is achievable by 2030 given all that needs to be done. I hope they are genuinely committed but they need to do more before I truly believe that they are” said Peck.

Peet suggested that “2030 could be ambitious but ambition is what they need. Yes, I think it is achievable, but I don’t think it means much. The commitment is not coming from the right places.”

“There is only so much they can do without compromising the sport. I don’t know if I’d still tune in if it was different.”

Astonishingly, insiders of Formula One have also aired their opinions publicly about the netzero carbon pledge, including some high-profile names. Fourtime World Champion Sebastian Vettel has openly claimed that the Formula One environmental pledges are nothing but a “nice slogan”. He consistently voices his opinion on the importance of sustainability in the sport and

has personally admitted that by continuing to race he feels like a hypocrite.

Vettel announced at the Hungarian Grand Prix that 2022 will be his final season, leaving many to speculate that he refused to compete in 2023 due to the climate issues at hand.

Many fans’ initial delight at the number of races has been shortlived as concerns grow about the ethical and environmental implications of the calendar. The double headers prove to be problematic, with the Azerbaijan race shortly followed by the Miami circuit just a few days later. There are no direct flights between these destinations. The new Las Vegas circuit comes only a week before the finale in Abu Dhabi, where teams face a 19-hour flight between the two cities.

The geography of the season not only provides travel complications but also confusion as to why and who gave the schedule the green light.

“There is more concern for viewership than the climate. Money seems to be less of a concern, from the way it is spent on F1. Praising Formula One teams for sustainable actions or penalising for unsustainable actions could force teams to make genuine progress” stated Peet who suggested the economics and viewing figures were of increased importance to Formula One bosses than environmental

concerns. Pat Symonds, Chief Technical Officer for Formula One, hit back at critics of the 2023 schedule, stating that “we are contributing to new technologies that will help our planet” in the long run. You cannot deny the innovation of Formula One engineers who consistently work to create new technology that can be implemented in all sectors. Earlier this year McLaren announced a deal with Seamless Digital to put digital screens on two of its cars to allow it to change branding from race to race.

Something that is rarely spoken about, however, is the wider impact on local racing clubs that are struggling to keep up with this evolving sustainable technology. Formula One’s lack of action leaves clubs struggling to keep up with the demands of a multi-billion dollar corporation.

This poses a great threat to the future of motor racing if Formula One continue their topdown approach to technology. There are also growing fears that small clubs like Cardiff Racing will face closure.

Top executives of the motor sport industry suggesting that all clubs no matter the size need to follow in Formula One’s footsteps by implementing sustainable technologies is simply not viable, especially when you consider that Formula One are not implementing these sustainable practices

Historic deal for equal pay announced by FAW

Ryan Jewell Sport Editor

Football Association of Wales reaches an agreement with the women’s team guaranteeing the same pay as the men’s team.

The FAW has made a deal with Wales women’s national team’s guaranteeing equal pay.

Both the men’s and women’s national teams will receive the same salary from the FAW whilst on international duty.

The deal was announced on the 18th of January, with the new agreement set to last up to the 2026 and 2027 World cups.

“As part of the FAW’s strive towards equality, we are now proud to announce that together, our Men’s and Women’s teams have agreed to an equal pay structure for future international matches,” said the FAW in a statement released shortly after the deal was announced.

“We hope that this will allow future generations of boys and girls to see that there is equality

across Welsh International football, which is important for society as a whole.”

As part of the deal, the men’s squad have unanimously agreed to take a 25% pay cut in order to raise the wages of the women’s players so that both would be paid the same amount of match day fees for the first time.

The agreement means that Wales will now be joining the United States of America, England, Brazil, Norway, and New Zealand in paying their international players equally.

Discussions between the FAW, its chief executive Noel Mooney, and Wales Women’s leadership group consisting of senior players

including the likes of Jess Fishlock had been ongoing since last year, with talks initially taking place in November 2021.

Fishlock, who currently holds the record for most appearances for Wales’ national team, both men and women, had described the previous agreements as “unacceptable.”

Wales women’s manager Gemma Grainger, who recently extended her contract as national team manager up to 2027, was quick to issue her praise for the new deal.

“I am really happy about the equal pay, it is about equality,” said Granger.

“We want our players to em -

Pat

Chief Technical Officer for Formula One, hit back at critics stating that “we are contributing to new technologies that will help our planet” in the long run.

themselves.

Arguably though, the biggest problem lies in the lack of solutions that the motor sport industry is implementing to tackle the growing climate concerns.

“The way for this to work would be to reduce the number of times per season a team could travel back to their home base and also limit the amount of team members which could take these trips” said Peck

When Noah Peet was asked if he could think of a solution Formula One could implement that would work in practice, his answer was; “unfortunately, no.”

Fan forums are circulating with ideas, the most popular seeming to be a regionalisation of the calendar to avoid the backand-forth flights. Continents could be grouped to save on expenses, and this could be the first real positive step forward in reaching the sustainability goal if unnecessary long-haul trips were to be removed altogether.

In 2019, when the ‘Sustainability Strategy’ was first announced, Formula One clearly stated that the regionalisation of races was to be implemented by 2023. Another broken promise.

There lies the biggest question; how do you truly implement sustainable practices in a sport that doesn’t recognise its own shortcomings? With environmental sacrifice on the line, tough questions must be asked to those inside the sport and responsibility can no longer be evaded by those at the very top. In this mire of motor sport uncertainty, a few things remain certain. The 2023 schedule is Formula One’s biggest hypocrisy, and the environment will surely pay the price for its sanctimonious climate ignorance.

body Together Stronger, the collaboration with the men’s team is something we want to continue.”

“Hopefully that collaboration will continue to grow.”

“Equality and making sure what we have here is equal is so important to us. The women’s game is growing and will continue to grow.”

As part of the deal, the men’s squad have unanimously agreed to take a 25% pay cut in order to raise the wages of the women’s players

Source: Yerlipisagor (via Wikimedia Commons)

Both the men’s and women’s national teams will receive the same salary from the FAW whilst on international duty.

Four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel has openly claimed that the Formula One environmental pledges are nothing but a “nice slogan”.

Symonds,