Issue 1160 - Monday 16 November by Cardiff Student Media

Check out Gair Rhydd online

rhifyn 1160 issue 1160

16 Tachwedd 2020 16 November 2020

gair rhydd Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Inside: The influential women in Welsh history we should all know about (page 22)

Students in Wales told to return home for Christmas by December 9 Tirion Davies

Editor-in-Chief

tudents in Wales hoping to return home for the Christmas period have been told they will need to travel by 9 December at the latest. Those returning home will be offered new, rapid turnaround tests 24-hours before they return home, and the Welsh Government has announced teaching will need to cease by December 8. For students who find their test is positive, they will be able to travel after the 9 December deadline, as there is a priority to self-isolate and combat the virus, so that they do not cause a surge in infection rates. A similar announcement was made in England, though there will be a need for students at English universities to use a “time slot” to return home. Students at English universities have been told they will be given a week to travel, between 3 December and 9 December, after the end of their current lockdown. Minister for Welsh Education Kirsty Williams, has noted, as reported by the BBC, “many students will wish to return home for the Christmas break and I’m pleased to confirm arrangements to enable that”. Though it has been rumoured that students in England wishing to return home for Christmas will begin testing from November 30, it has not yet been announced as to whether the same might happen for Welsh students. The West Government has announced, however, that new COVID-19 lateral flow tests will be provided to students who are travelling home – although the beginning date for these testing measures has not been confirmed – and that inperson teaching will need to end by December 3. Since the beginning of the Autumn term in September at universities across the UK, there has been a significant spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases amongst

young people. Cardiff University Talybont Halls of Residences saw an outbreak of COVID-19 soon after students returned in September. Since then, Senghennydd Halls of Residences and many in student housing have reported they have tested positive. As more and more students tested positive, Cardiff was placed in to a local lockdown until First Minister Mark Drakeford announced Wales would be entering a ‘firebreak’ twoweek lockdown, to reduce the number of cases across Wales. There is a belief that this system of testing and isolating ahead of returning home for Christmas will not only lessen the number of positive cases here in Wales, but also help stop the spread of the virus beyond university hotspots. But what exactly are the plans for students returning home for Christmas? Students returning home are being asked to reduce their contacts before the end of term, get a test “ideally 24-hours” before returning home, plan to travel no later than December 9, and “familiarise themselves” with university plans for ending in-person lectures so that they can leave campus safely. It means that many students may choose to isolate for a two-week period before the end of term, to ensure their COVID-19 rapid tests will be negative. New asymptomatic testing facilities will be available at “participating universities in Wales” within the next few weeks, the Welsh Government has announced. There is an aim that all universities across Wales will participate in the testing, but ministers are still attempting to see how feasible this may be. The Welsh Government has further stated it has worked closely with the other four nations of the UK to ensure similar messages are being expressed to other students, and that it will attempt to communicate directly with Welsh students at English universities to ensure they are aware of the new regulations.

COVID-19 vaccine: A new COVID-19 vaccine has been developed that has shown to be 90% effective amongst the case studies. Source: Tmaximumge (via pxhere)

COVID-19 vaccine shown to be 90% effective Holly Giles

Head of Science and Technology

new COVID-19 vaccine has been tested on over 43,000 patients and is seen to be 90% effective in 94 volunteers. The vaccine has been shown to be successful in preliminary studies, and has been tested on participants in six countries around the world, and is now

being described as both safe and effective. Though this is not the first COVID-19 vaccine to be trialled - there are over 10 prototypes in the final stages of clinical trials - this is the first new vaccine to show significant results. The team is beginning trials to discover whether the vaccine can provide long-term protection against COVID-19, as it is yet to be determined how long the protection lasts or if it decreas-

es over time. The vaccine marks a significant lead in the fight against COVID-19, and is far more successful than any vaccine we have yet to see. The UK Government have reportedly ordered 3m doses of this new vaccine for citizens. Turn to page 18 to read more about the new vaccine, its challenges, and when it will be available in the 18 UK.

Kamala Harris i COVID-19 cases A discussion with Siôn Jobbins ddod yn Is-Arlywydd in Wales 'plateau' Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

air Rhydd spoke to Siôn Jobbins, leader of the pro-Welsh Independence group YesCymru following a sharp uptick in support for the group in recent weeks. Jobbins told us how he sees Scotland's potential departure from the UK as a turning point for Wales, Westminster being seen as a "gentlemen's club" and what the future may hold for Wales and the UK over the next few years. To read about the rise in numbers for YesCymru over the year, and what the future holds for Welsh politics, turn to page 10. 10

Nel Richards

Golygydd Taf-od

ythnos diwethaf, clywon ni sôn bod Joe Biden wedi ennill Arlywyddiaeth yr UDA, ac y byddai Kamala Harris yn ddod yn Is-Arlywydd America. Ond pam bod Is-Arlywyddiaeth Kamala Harris mor bwysig i Americanwyr heddiw? Kamala Harris yw'r menyw cyntaf, a'r menyw o hil wahanol cyntaf i ennill yr Is-Arlywyddiaeth ers yr etholiad cyntaf. A yw hyn yn olygu newid i hen arferion yr UDA? I ddarllen yn fwy am bwysigrwydd Kamala Harris yn ennill y swydd fel Is-Arlywydd yr UDA, trowch i dudalen 6 Taf-od. 6

Luthien Evans News Editor

s of November 9, the number of COVID-19 cases in Wales have begun 'plateauing', according to First Minister Mark Drakeford. The announcement comes after Wales moves out of the 'fire-break' lockdown, which was implemented for two weeks. The effects of this 'fire-break' lockdown is expected to be found in the coming weeks, and will aid Ministers in deciding if another lockdown is necessary To read about the rise in COVID-19 cases since November 9, turn to page 3. 3

EDITORIAL

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 editor@gairrhydd.com. 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.

THE TEAM Coordinator

Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Tirion Davies

Deputy Editors

Hallum Cowell Holly Giles Molly Govus

Head of Digital Media Tom Leaman

Head of Design

Lottie Draycott

Video Editors

Sophia Grace Scarlett Griffith Ellis Lloyd-Jones Daniel O’Callaghan

Graphics Editor

Ellie Hutchings

Copy Editors

Megan Newberry Amy Saunders Elle Speer

IN THIS ISSUE

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Does the Biden win spark a new age for America?

ver the weekend, we learned that Joe Biden had been announced as America’s President-Elect, to be inaugurated in January 2021. His running mate, and new Vice President-Elect, Kamala Harris, will be not only the first woman to hold the position but also the first Black and Asian-American to do so. After an election that lasted almost 4 days, we received news that Biden has been projected to win the race for the White House. Though the Presidency is the highest seat in office in one country; America, as one of the world’s biggest powers, has an impact on countries across the world, including the UK. Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford took to Twitter soon after the announcement to congratulate Biden and Harris on their win, noting he looks forward to building on “the strong links between Wales and USA”. First Ministers of the other British nations and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson followed with their own congratulations soon after. But why does it feel like such a big deal for Biden and Harris to win? Perhaps it’s a feeling of reliving the ‘glory days’ of the Obama administration when Biden was Vice President. Perhaps it’s because Harris’ win as Vice PresidentElect means a change in tradition to how America has run for years, as the first woman, and the first person of

colour to become US Vice President. Whatever it is, the win for Biden and Harris feels almost like a new start for America. American traditions are being challenged, as more people of colour take their place in Congress and in the Senate, and Sarah McBride becomes the first transgender state senator. Though Democrats began the fight to remove the Trump administration soon after his election in 2016, the real shock came when those who were once his supporters began to back his removal from office, sighting they believed his beliefs no longer aligned with the real beliefs of the Republican Party. The staunch Republican administration ran by Trump began to face opposition by those within the Republican party in particular after President Trump’s handling of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Following the announcement that Biden had reached the 270 electoral college votes needed to win the election, hundreds of US citizens were videoed and pictured dancing and singing in the streets, indicating their approval of their new President-Elect. America, as said by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is the UK’s “most important ally”, and it would appear that a more unified America could mean a more unified relationship between the UK and the US.

Ydy llwyddiant Biden yn golygu oes newydd i America?

NEWS

COVID cases ‘plateau’ in Wales (p.3)

TAF-OD

Mudiad YesCymru’n gweld twf aelodaeth (t.8)

POLITICS

Welsh Government to postpone GCSE and A Levels (p.10)

COMMENT

Johnny Depp’s trial and the work of tabloid papers (p.14)

ADVICE

Responding to bullying as an adult (p.16)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Self-driving cars could prevent 90% of road accidents (p.20)

@CAERDYDD

Protests begin in regards to polish abortion rights (p.22)

SPORT

Wales victory in the darts World Cup (p.25)

Llwyddiant Biden: Ers i Trump cal ei ethol fel Arlywydd yn 2016, mae wedi gweld gwrthwynebiad cryf. A fydd llwyddiant Biden yn golygu oes newydd i’r UDA? Tarddiad: Mark Dixon (drwy Wikimedia Commons)

Check out Gair Rhydd online

Biden wins Presidency: Since Trump’s election win in 2016, he has seen significant opposition. Will Biden’s victory this year mean a change for America? Source: Mark Dixon (via Wikimedia Commons)

ros y penwythnos, derbyniwyd y newyddion bod Joe Biden wedi ennill yr etholiad i ddod yn Arlywydd nesaf America, yn ddechrau’r swydd yn Ionawr 2021. Bydd Kamala Harris, Is-lywydd Joe Biden yn llwyddo fel nid ond y fenyw gyntaf i ddal y swydd, ond hefyd y person o hil wahanol i ennill y rôl. Derbynion ni’r newyddion nos Sadwrn bod Biden wedi’i gyflwyno fel enillwyr yr etholiad. Er bod Arlywydd fel arfer yn ennill yr etholiad ar gyfer ail dymor, roedd nifer o Americanwyr yn barod i weld Arlywydd newydd i’r wlad. Wnaeth Mark Drakeford nodi ar Drydar ei longyfarchiadau i Biden a Harris am ennill yr etholiad, gan sôn ei bod yn edrych ymlaen at “weithio gyda nhw i adeiladu ar y cysylltiadau cryf rhwng Cymru a’r UDA”. Yn debyg, roedd Prif Weinidogion wledydd eraill y Deyrnas Unedig wedi nodi eu llongyfarchiadau yn ogystal, gyda Boris Johnson hefyd yn llongyfarch y pâr. Pam bod hi’n teimlo mor hanesyddol bod Biden a Harris wedi ennill? Efallai mai ceisio ail-fyw’r cyfnod tra oedd Obama yn Arlywydd mae’r Americanwyr, tra oedd Biden yn Is-lywydd. Efallai bod hi’n teimlo’n hollbwysig oherwydd rôl hanesyddol Harris, a’r newid yn draddodiad i’r hen ffordd o weithio mae America

wedi’i weld am flynyddoedd. Heb os, mae llwyddiant Biden yn teimlo fel dechreuad newydd i America. Mae traddodiadau Americanaidd yn cael eu herio, wrth fod mwy o bobl o hiliau gwahanol yn cymryd eu lle yn y Congress a’r Senate, ac wrth i Sarah McBride ddod yn Senator cyntaf drawsrywiol. Er oedd Democratiaid wedi dechrau’r frwydr i waredu ar Trump ers iddo ennill yr etholiad cyntaf yn 2016, daeth y sioc fwyaf wrth fod rhai o gefnogwyr Trump dechrau troi yn ei erbyn. Dechreuodd y cyfosodiad i’r Blaid Weriniaethol yn benodol yn dilyn penderfyniadau gweinyddiaeth Trump yn ystod y pandemig COVID-19. Yn fuan wedi i’r cyhoeddiad dod bod Biden wedi ennill y 270 bleidlais coleg etholiadol angenrheidiol i ennill yr etholiad, gwelwyd bod cannoedd o Americanwyr yn dawnsio a chanu trwy’r strydoedd, yn profi eu harddeliad o’r Arlywydd newydd. I nifer o Americanwyr, mae’n bosib bydd amser Biden yn y Tŷ Gwyn yn gynnig undod unwaith eto i’r UDA, a dechrau cyfnod newydd. Mae America, yn ôl Boris Johnson, yn cael ei hystyried yn “gynghrair pwysicaf ” y Deyrnas Unedig, ac mae’n debyg gall America gyda mwy o undod feddwl fwy o undod rhwng yr UDA a’r DU.

NODYN GAN Y GOLYGYDD

NEWS

COVID-19 vaccine enters phase three study

Pfizer has had a huge break through with a vaccine for COVID-19 Dominic Williams News Editor

fizer has had a huge breakthrough with a vaccine entering a phase 3 study. With COVID-19 cases approcahing sixty million, and deaths at 1.26 million, the vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants. The analysis looked at 94 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in trial participants, The Study enrolled 43,538 participants with 42% having diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, the clinical trial is set to continue through to the final analysis at 164 confirmed cases in order to collect further data and characterize the vaccine’s candidate performance against other study endpoints. The study is also looking at the potential for the vaccine candidate to provide protection against COVID-19 in those who have had prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2 as well as vaccine prevention against severe COVID-19. The third phase of the trial began on July 27 and has enrolled 43,538 participants to date, 38,955 of whom have received a second dose of the vaccine candidate as of

COVID-19 Vaccine: The company Pfizer has developed a vaccine which is 90% effective. Source: Manjurul (via Getty Images) November 8, 2020. apart experienced more than 90% Dr. Albert Bourla, Pfizer Chair- fewer cases of symptomatic Covman and CEO, said ‘’ Today is a id-19 than those who actually had great day for science and human- a placebo. Although, researchity. The first set of results from our ers have cautioned that a vaccine Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial might only be 60% or 70% effective. provides the initial evidence of our While the vaccine is being bankvaccine’s ability to prevent COV- rolled by American pharmaceutiID-19. We are reaching this critical cal company Pfizer, the science has milestone in our vaccine develop- come from the work of BioNTech. ment program at a time when the BioNtech was founded in 2008, by world needs it most with infection scientists and entrepreneurs Prorates setting new records, hospitals fessor Sahin, 55 and Dr Tureci 53. nearing over-capacity and econo- They started the company to purmies struggling to reopen.’’ sue a much broader range of cancer The vaccine is set to be tested immunotherapy tools and the couin the United States to generate ple’s work on the potential mRNA late-stage data. Further company proved to be vital in the developanalysis shown that results from ment of the COVID-19 vaccine. individuals who received two inThere are a number of factors jections of the vaccine three weeks for who will be receiving the vac-

cine first, such as age, and risk factor for severe Covid-19. In the UK, older care home residents and care home staff are top of the preliminary priority list. They are followed by health workers such as hospital staff, and the over 80s. People that are under 50 are at the bottom of the list and the first jabs could take place before Christmas if everything goes smoothly. However, with all vaccines, therechallenges to overcome. The vaccine needs to be kept at minus 80c during transportation from the manufacturing lab to vaccination venues. The jab must be thawed before it is given to a patient and can be stored in a normal fridge for a few days before being administered.No vaccine has gone from theboard to being highly effective in this period of time. However, the data has been reassuring with trials showing no safety concerns, but mild side effects have been reported. Rarer side effects may emerge with millions of people being immunised. Based on current projections Pfizer expects to produce globally up to 50 million vaccine doses in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.

Neath anti-lockdown protest against “brainwashing” Theo Arnold Contributor

n Sunday October 8 the south wales town of Neath saw around 30 people gather in its centre as a show of force against both lockdown and general social distancing measures. The attendees, who largely chose not to wear masks were likely attracted to the event that by their shared belief that coronavirus restrictions undermine their civil liberties. One supporter stated on Facebook “If you’ve had enough of lockdowns, not being allowed to go to work, banned from seeing your family and friends, the travel rules etc. then please come to this on Sunday.” In the same post the user also added “It’s not about not believing in COVID (I believe there’s a virus)” distancing

themselves from others who have claimed coronavirus is a hoax. Many found the decision to host the event on remembrance Sunday in the place of events that would be happening in the town under normal circumstances was insensitive, as it could be seen to be part of a conscious effort by the attendees to undermine and hijack Remembrance Sunday for their own gain. The choice of date becomes more abrasive when considering that all this took place on the final day of the Welsh firebreak, meaning the event which was in opposition to restrictions in any form was rendered largely redundant as much of their anger was directed at a perceived tyranny which would end by the next morning. The protest prompted a significant police response with observers reporting that several South

News Editor

s of November 9, COVID infection rates are ‘plateauing’, according to First Minister Mark Drakeford. This announcement follows the two week long ‘firebreak’ lockdown that had been enforced across Wales, that forced the closure of non-essential shops and businesses. This was enforced due to the peak in COVID patients in Welsh hospitals. Since the start of the pandemic, 2000 people in Wales have died from COVID. Public Health Wales figures have shown that there have been 5,224 COVID cases since the week commencing November 2. NHS Wales figures show that the occupancy rate is beyond Wales’ usual 152-bed capacity at this time of year.

Drakeford further stated that another firebreak lockdown should not be needed with his ‘path through to Christmas’ plan. By adhering to proper social distancing guidelines, working from home when possible, and avoiding unnecessary contact, it would mean that the progress made can be built upon. He stated that it will be people’s ‘behaviour’ that would dictate if another firebreak lockdown is needed. The firebreak lockdown’s impact is expected to be seen in the coming weeks, with a complete pattern being able to emerge. It is expected that there will be a dip in cases in the next ‘two to three weeks’. The data will be ‘formally reviewed’ in a weeks’ time. The Welsh Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, has stated that COVID cases in Wales are ‘levelling off ’. However, he furthered his com-

YOUR NEWS DESK

Zoe Kramer

Luthien Evans

Sam Portillo Across the world: A similar protest in Canada shared the sentiments of desiring freedom with Neath protestors. Source: mmmswan (via Wikimedia Commons) Wales Police vans and the dog ment that was also expressed in section were in attendance. The signs held by the protestors who crowd travelled a distance in the were a mix of men, women and town centre on foot until stopping children, all undeterred by the 5 to gather in the square, where a arrests made and the potential speaker from Swansea expressed that they could catch and spread concern that people were being the virus in a community which brainwashed to adhere to restric- reported 377 cases at the end of tions by the government. A senti- that week.

COVID-19 cases have now ‘plateaued’ in Wales Luthien Evans

ments claiming that, ‘It’s [infection rates] still at a high rate which means that there’s still a reservoir of coronavirus within our communities.’ The Health Minister continued by providing a warning, stating that many treatments for cancer, heart and stroke could be impacted if COVID rates rise again.

Welsh Conservatives are suggesting local lockdowns in such high infection areas to prevent the need for further national firebreak lockdowns. In talks with Sky News, Drakeford

Dominic Williams news@gairrhydd.com has announced that Michael Gove has promised a meeting between all four nations with the aim of ‘pooling ideas, planning together and having a common approach to the Christmas period”.

It’s [infection rates] still at a high rate which means that there’s still a reservoir of coronavirus within our communities. Vaughan Gething Welsh Health Minister

Mass testing is to be expected in high infection zones in Wales, including Merthyr and the valleys.

COVID plataeu: Drakeford has announced that there is a plan to avoid a second firenreak lockdown. Source: Felipe Esquivel Reed (via Wikipedia Commons)

NEWS

The past, Remembrance services adapt to COVID-19 rules present and future of living- T standards in Wales Sam Portillo News Editor

Dominic Williams News Editor

ithin the UK, Wales is one of the poorest areas yet is often ignored in geographical inequalities. Wales has been making progress in closing employment gaps compared to the rest of the UK. Wales faces a huge challenge in tackling fast rising unemployment due to the pandemic. A large concentration of young people are in low paying sectors, which means the Welsh government will need to create new opportunities for younger generations, while also adapting to an ageing population. These factors will hold the key for a better future of living in Wales. In a report on Welsh living standards a number of findings were made. For example, Wales has managed to halve its employment gap wih the UK. The gap stems from the 80’s and 90’s recessions and was between 4 and 5 percentage points. Now that gap was reduced to just 2 by 2019. However, the typical hourly pay across Wales was 9 percent lower than the UK average at £12.20 compared to £13.30, a gap that hasn’t changed since the 1990s. Household incomes gap between Wales and the UK have fallen from 10 per cent in the mid 1990s to 7 per cent in 2018-19. However, lasting pay gaps mean that typical household income in Wales are still at £22,300 a year, the second lowest of any UK nation or English region. Employment has grown fastest in traditionally low employment areas such as Cardiff and Gwynedd, while a fast rising minimum wage has seen pay grow fastest, minimum wage has seen pay grow fastest in low pay areas like Bridgend and Caerphilly. The jobs hit has been of a similar magnitude to the rest of the UK despite slightly tighter lockdown restrictions. This is in contrast to the well above average falls in employment seen in Wales during the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s. Although due to the pandemic, there is certainly going to be a high unemployment rate. A growing share of its younger workforce work in retail, hospitality and leisure have been hit hardest by the crsis. At the moment, over half (52%) of workers in their early twenties work in these sectors. 35% of non pensioner households across Wales will lose over £1000 next year if planned benefits cuts go ahead. This leaves over 300,000 Welsh households at risks of a large income drop in April, unless the chancellor changes course. The average Wales is 42.5 older than the UK of 40.3, and that the country is growing older faster too. This means the challenges of adapting to an ageing population are particularly acute in Wales.

his week, thousands of people across Wales took part in remembrance services to pay their respects to soldiers and veterans who have served the country. Most events take place on the second Sunday of the month, which this year was November 8. On November 11 each year, this country and many others in Europe commemorate Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War. November 2020 marks 102 years since the end of the First World War. In June, people commemorated 75 years since the defeat of the Nazi regime in Europe. Lockdown rules allowed commemorations to take place outside with a maximum of 30 people in attendance, but some areas opted to broadcast events to an online audience instead. Wales’s circuitbreaker lockdown meant that Royal British Legion volunteers were not able to sell poppies as usual, instead leaving it to supermarkets to make them available. Welsh Government officials gathered at the National War Me-

morial to pay their respects, with a live broadcast being made available online by Cardiff Council for people to watch along from home. The First Minister Mark Drakeford had encouraged people to mark the two minutes’ silence at their front doors, so as to maintain a sense of community while still observing social distancing. A Great Western Railway train passed through Cardiff Central

I miss meeting up with the boys I served with. It’s an emotional thing, especially when you hear ‘The Last Post’ and the hairs

Remembrance: The events of Remembrance Sunday continue despite COVID-19 restrictions. Source: MemoryCatcher (via Pixabay) ing delivered to London and incorporated into the ceremony at the Cenotaph. In Aberystwyth, veterans and members of local organisations observed the two minute silence at the town memorial without the crowds of people that they are accustomed to. Paul Hinge, a member of the local Royal British Legion branch, reflected on the unusual nature of events, saying: “normally we would be having a

parade, where we’d have anywhere upwards of a thousand people marching.” Tony Price, who lives in Cardiff, served with the Welsh Guards in the Falklands War and Northern Ireland conflict. Speaking to the BBC, he said: “I miss meeting up with the boys I served with. It’s an emotional thing, especially when you hear ‘The Last Post’ and the hairs stand up at the back of your head.”

Alan Turing: A statue depicting the legendary mathematician and codebreaker. Source: Stephen Richards (via Wikimedia Commons) PhD certificate from 1938. The six denied generations of pupils and reschool reports spanned from 1924 searchers the opportunity to consult to 1932, displaying his academic suc- it. cesses from between the ages of 12 However, once the material was reand 18. His OBE medal is also being turned to the school she said it would returned, Turing was rewarded this be available to be viewed in person or for secret war service in the Foreign via the school archives website.” Office in 1946. Who is Alan Turing? Rachel Hassall, Sherborne School Alan Turing was a mathematician archivist, has spoken on the topic of born in 1912. After studying Maththe lost items, stating, ‘“We are sorry ematics at the University of Camthat by removing the material from bridge in 1931, he became a fellow at the school archives Ms Turing has King’s College. He later completed a

PhD at Princeton University. Once arriving back in Britain, Turing joined the Government Code and Cypher School in 1938. Following the outbreak of the war, he moved to the organization’s wartime headquarters at Bletchley Park. This is where his most famous contributions to mathematics and cryptanalysis occurred. His work was pivotal to breaking messages encrypted by the German cipher system. This discovery earned Turing an OBE. In 1952, Turing’s life changed. He was convicted of ‘gross indecency’, or homosexuality, a crime at the time. He was sentenced to 12 months of hormone ‘therapy’ and could never work for the GCHQ again due to his criminal record. In 1954, Turing died of cyanide poisoning, it was ruled a suicide. It wasn’t until 2009 that the Government, under Gordon Brown, apologised for Turing’s treatment and in 2013 was granted a royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II.

stand up at the back of your head. Tony Price Former member of the Welsh Guard station early on Sunday, receiving wreaths as part of a ‘Poppies to Paddington’ initiative, before be-

Alan Turing’s stolen items to be returned after 36 years Luthien Evans News Editor

enowned Second World War codebreaker, Alan Turing’s items are to be returned to Sherborne School in Dorset, where Turing boarded as a student. Seventeen items were initially stolen in the 1980s from Sherborne School, by Julia Turing, who bears no relation to Alan Turing. She removed the items from Sherborne School’s archives, without permission. They were found in her home in Colorado in 2018 after she offered the items to the University of Colorado for displaying purposes- she claimed that she was a distant relative. A police investigation then followed. A US Civil Court Case against her has now been settled out of court, resulting in the return of the items. Among the items to be returned are school reports, photographs, a letter presenting Turing with his OBE honour from King George VI, as well as his Princeton University

Industrial fire in Splott causes smoke warning Zoe Kramer

Head of News

large tyre fire at Seawall Road in Splott began around 18:15 on Sunday. Fire crews arrived around 18:51 to quell the blaze. Witnesses reported black, acrid smoke billowing from the site as well as the smell of burning plastic or chemicals. At 22:00, 10 fire engines remained at the scene of the blaze. The fire had spread to adjoining properties. Attempts to curb the spread of the fire were made by aerial appliances and water bowsers until eventually at around midnight the fire was under control. At its peak, the fire required the services of 80 firefighters and 12 fire engines from as far away as Bristol. Seawall Road was tempo-

Dire straits: 12 fire engines were called onto the scene from as far as Bristol to tame the fire. Source: Jaggery (via Geograph) rarily closed due to the incident. According to the fire service, no one was hurt in the fire and no evacuations needed to be made. Many residents across Cardiff

were asked to close their windows as a result of the blaze. A spokesperson for South Wales Fire and Rescue said: “This large scale incident required a

multi-agency response according to well-rehearsed plans for scenarios of this nature. The police were involved in cordoning the area and advising local residents to stay indoors with windows and doors closed. “The utility companies were called to the scene to isolate both gas and electric supplies. Welsh ambulance service were standing by to provide support to the fire service. Local residents are thanked for their patience and support whilst our firefighters and partners carried out their work.” Sajjad Anwar, owner of the business Topline Tyres, which went up in flames, reported being “devastated” by the news after working for many years to build the business from the ground up. An investigation will occur in regards to the source of the fire.

a e r â&#x20AC;&#x2122; e W

, U S 3 p o t

e m i tet rethink.

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

t e g help us

res

s 0 10

e t e l p m o C

r e b to num

s e z i r p up for s b a gr y l d n e i r f 9 1 of COVID-

l l e t us next. t a h w s u t n a w u o y

from

the

y e v sur

now At nts.com e d u t s f f i card

TAF-OD

taf od

Barn y Bobol

Wrth i ni gyrraedd canol mis Tachwedd, mae mwstas’ nifer o ddynion ar draws y wlad yn dechrau tyfu yn eu cyfanrwydd. Ond, gyda tufu mwtas y prif peth i wneud yn ystod mis sydd yn codi ymwybyddiaeth at iechyd meddwl dynion, oes angen gwneud mwy? Dyma farn Tom, Seren a Towyn.

Tom Moore

Myfyriwr y drydydd flwyddyn, Fferylliaeth Yn bersonol, credaf fod tyfu mwstas yn ddigon am Movember achos, yn gyfan gwbl mae unrhyw ymwybyddiaeth am achos da yn ymwybyddiaeth dda. Mae’n wych gweld cymunedau sydd yn ystradebol o fod yn wrywaidd - er enghraifft timoedd rygbi - yn cymryd rhan wrth godi ymwybyddiaeth drwy godi’u lleisiau a thorri’r stigma. Mae gwneud unrhyw weithgaredd ychwanegol i godi arian ychwanegol yn wych. Mae tyfu mwstas yn ddigonol er mwyn codi ymwybyddiaeth, ond mae gweithgareddau ychwanegol hefyd yn wych ac yn gwthio’r gymuned ehangach i wneud mwy am achos ardderchog!

Seren Bowen

Myfyriwr y flwyddyn gyntaf, Cyfngau a Chyfathrebu Mis Tachwedd unwaith eto, sy’n golygu dim ond un peth - amser tyfu mwstash. A pha well esgus i osgoi’r rasal na chodi arian at iechyd dynion? Yndi, mae Movember yn gret. Mae’n hawdd, mae’n gallu parhau yng nhanol pandemig, a mae’n codi arian at faterion pwysig - canser y ceilliau, canser y prostate a mwy. Ond mae na ganser angeuol arall sydd, yn fy marn i, yn fwy o fygythiad i iechyd dynion: toxic masculinity. Mae angen palmantu’r ffordd i ddynion fod yn “feddal”, da ni angen cymdeithas lle mae hi’n iawn i ddynion i siarad yn agored am eu teimladau, a thrafod pethau heblaw am bel-droed neu wleidyddiaeth.

Towyn Bevan

Myfyriwr y flwyddyn gyntaf, Cyfngau a Chyfathrebu Hon yw’r flwyddyn cyntaf yr wyf i wedi cymeryd rhan yn yr ymgyrch gan fy mod i dim ond nawr efo’r gallu i dyfu rhywbeth! Rwyf fel arfer yn meddwl, “ydy tyfu ‘tache’ yn ddigon”? Yn bersonol, gall fwy cael ei wneud i godi ymwybyddiaeth dros yr achos. Fe wnaeth yr elusen godi £64.2 miliwn blwyddyn diwethaf a thrwy cynnal gweithgareddau megis boreon coffi mewn ysgolion neu annog cystadleuaeth rhwng ffrindiau i weld pwy all dyfu’r ‘tache’ fwyaf, fe fydd mwy o gymhelliant i bobl ifancach yn enwedig cymryd rhan neu cyfrannu at yr ymgyrch. Fe wnaiff hynny caniatau i’r elusen codi mwy o arian ac ymwybyddiaeth dros achos holl bwysig.

Pêl-droed: Ryan Reynolds a Rob McElhenney eisiau prynu CPD Wrecsam (tudalen 9)

NEWYDDION

‘I’m A Celebrity’: O Awstralia i Abergle!

Mae cyfres newydd y rhaglen yn cael ei ffilmio yng Nghastell Gwrych Alaw Fflur Jones Golygydd Taf-od

ydd yr 20fed gyfres o’r rhaglen deledu ITV ‘I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!’ yn dra gwahanol i’r arfer. Eleni, bydd y deuawd Ant a Dec yn cyflwyno’r rhaglen o Gastell Gwrych, ar gyrion Abergele yn Sir Conwy. Mae’r gyfres newydd yn dechrau Nos Sul, 15 Tachwedd am 9:00 ar ITV. Bydd y rhaglen yn cael ei arddangos yn nosweithiol am 9:00yh ar ITV am gyfnod o dair wythnos, gyda’r ffeinal ar Nos Sul, 6 Rhagfyr. Awstralia yw cartref y rhaglen fel rheol, ond yn sgil goblygiadau’r Coronaferiws, mae lleoliad y rhaglen wedi newid i ardal gwledig cyfrinachol yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Yn ddiweddar, datgelwyd mai Castell Gwrych, ger Abergele yng Nghonwy oedd y lleoliad newydd. Mae Castell Gwrych yn adeilad rhestredig Gradd 1 o’r 19eg ganrif sy’n rhan o dreftadaeth Cymru. Mae Dr Mark Baker, cadeirydd Ymddiriedolaeth Cadwraeth Castell wrth ei fodd bod gwersyll ‘I’m A Celebrity’ yn dod i Gastell Gwrych. @Bydd cael ‘I’m A Celebrity...’ yma yn gymorth mawr i gefnogi adferiad parhaus Castell Gwrych ynghyd a rhoi hwb economaidd sydd ei angen ar y rhanbarth.” Wrth i’r cystadleuwyr ddod i Gymru, mae’n debyg bydd rhaid iddynt gyfnewid eu siorts am bâr o drowsus

wrth iddynt wersylla yng Nghastell y Gwrych dan amodau gaeafol Cymru. Ond nid yr oerfel yn unig fydd yn eu haflonyddu, mae yna su bod ysbrydion yn byw rhwng waliau’r castell! Mae ITV yn defnyddio Parc Fferm Manorafon sy’n gartref i anifeiliaid fferm ac ymlusgiaid ar gyfer y sioe, felly gallwn ddisgwyl heriau ‘Bushtucker Trials’ gwahanol iawn eleni. Bydd y cystadleuwyr dal yn gorfod goroesi ar ddiet syml o reis a ffâ, ond mae’n debyg bydd tro, Prydeinig ar brydiau’r Castell. Nid cangarŵ fydd ar y fwydlen ond cwningen efallai? Yn dilyn rhaglen ‘I’m a Celebrity: A Jungle Story’ a ddarlledwyd Nos Sul, 8 Tachwedd. Cyhoeddwyd yr enwogion a fydd yn cystadlu eleni. Mae’r enwogion yn cynnwys; Vernon Kay, Beverley Callard, Sir Mo Farah, Jessica Plummer, Shane Richie, Victoria Derbyshire, AJ Pritchard, Giovanna Fletcher, Hollie Arnold and Jordan North. Ar ddiwedd y rhaglen, bydd Ant a Dec yn cyflwyno enillydd. Ond nid Brenin neu Frenhines arferol y jyngl, ond Brenin neu Frenhines y castell. Er gwaetha’r Coronaferiws, mae’r rhaglen wedi dod â bwrlwm i Gonwy. Mae mwyafrif o gymdogion Abergele wedi bod yn brysur yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf yn paratoi i groesawi’r enwogion drwy addurno’r strydoedd a’u ffenestri. Bydd pobl Cymru siŵr o fod yn gweld llawer o ystrydebau ynglŷn â Chymru

Cynhyrchu: ITV yn paratoi y cynhyrchu. Tarddiad: Wikipedia Commons yn y darn, ond bydd y boblogaeth yn hapus am hyn? Yn barod, mae un hysbyseb i’r sioe yn cynnwys gyrrwr tacsi sydd gydag acen de Cymru, a chyfeirio at ddefaid yn barod. Nid oedd llawer o bobl ar Drydar yn hapus gyda chynnwys acen de Cymru, a pham bydden nhw gan fod y rhaglen yn cael ei ffilmio yng Ngogledd Cymru. Os mai hwn yn gip ymlaen llaw ar beth sydd i ddod, syndod pa ystrydebau eraill bydd y rhaglen yn defnyddio eleni.

Dywedodd yr Arglwydd Elis-Thomas, Dirprwy Weinidog dros Ddiwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth yn Llywodraeth Cymru: “Rydym yn hynod o falch o groesawu cynhyrchiad mor fawr i Gymru, gan gynnig cyfle i arddangos rhan drawiadol o’r wlad i gynulleidfa sylweddol ar draws y DU” “Rydym yn edrych ymlaen i gydweithio gyda’r tîm ar y cynhyrchiad hwn ac yn gobeithio gallu defnyddio’r cyfle yma i ddangos rhywfaint o’r hyn sydd gan ogledd Cymru i’w gynnig.”

Cysylltiadau cryf Cymru â’r Unol Daleithiau Catrin Lewis

Golygydd Taf-od

edi i etholiad Unol Daleithiau America dod i ben, gyda Joe Biden yn cael ei enwi fel Arlywydd newydd y wlad. Golygydd Taf-od, Catrin Lewis sydd yn edrych ar gysylltiad Cymru gyda’r Unol Daleithiau yn nhermau hanes, diwylliant a byd busnes. Dydd Sadwrn cyhoeddwyd bod Joe Biden wedi ennill yr etholiad i fod yn arlywydd nesaf yr Unol Daleithiau. Ef sydd wedi derbyn y mwyaf o bleidleisiau erioed mewn etholiad arlywyddol sef ychydig dros 70 miliwn. Aeth y Prif Weinidog, Mark Drak-

eford, ymlaen i’w longyfarch ar Twitter gan ddweud: “Llongyfarchiadau i @ JoeBiden ar ennill etholiad arlywyddol yr UDA. Ac i’r Is-lywydd @KamalaHarris – fenyw gyntaf, du ac IndiaiddAmericanaidd i ddal ail swyddfa uchaf y wlad.” Yn ogystal soniodd am y berthynas rhwng Cymru a’r Unol Daleithiau gan ddweud: “Edrychaf ymlaen at weithio gyda nhw i adeiladu ar y cysylltiadau cryf rhwng Cymru a’r UDA.” Beth, felly, mae’n cyfeirio atynt pan yn son am y cysylltiadau cryf yma? Mae rhestr hirfaeth o gysylltiadau hanesyddol, diwylliannol a byd busnes rhwng Cymru a’r UDA. Dywedodd y Gweinidog Cysylltiadau Rhyngwladol, Eluned Morgan, y canlynol am y cysylltiad rh-

Arlywydd newydd: Mae cysylltiadau Cymru a’r UDA yn ymestyn yn ôl canrifoedd. Tarddiad: Wikipedia Commons

wng y ddwy wlad “mae Americanwyr o dras Gymreig wedi gwneud cyfraniad pwysig i fywyd yn yr Unol Daleithiau dros y blynyddoedd, ac yn parhau i wneud hynny”. Yn nhermau busnes, mae 270 o fusnesau Americanaidd sy’n cyflogi dros 50,000 o bobl yng Nghymru. Yn ogystal, yr UDA yw un o bartneriaid masnach cryfaf Cymru gan mai dyma yw marchnad allforio fwyaf Cymru y tu allan i Ewrop . Mae’r allforion yn cyfateb i 14.7% o allforion sef gwerth £2.44 biliwn. O ran cysylltiadau hanesyddol, roedd gan o leiaf wyth o gyn Arlywyddion yr UDA wreiddiau Cymreig o ryw fath, gan gynnwys Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln a John Quincy Adams. Yn ogystal, roedd o leiaf pump o’r llofnodion ar y Datganiad Annibyniaeth wedi dod gan wleidyddion a oedd yn Gymry neu o dras Gymreig ddiweddar. Roedd y Cymry hefyd ymysg rhai o’r bobl gyntaf i ymfudo i’r UDA, y Crynwyr oedd un o’r grwpiau cyntaf i ymfudo yn y wlad. Ymsefydlasant nhw ar ddarn o dir sef Pennsylvania a oedd o dan ofal William Penn, dyn o dras Gymreig. Ar hyn o bryd, mae 3,715 o Americanwyr yn byw yng Nghymru. Yn ogystal, mae dros 10 miliwn o Americanwyr a chyfenw Cymreig neu sy’n dod o dras Gymreig. Ar yr ochr diwylliannol, mae’r geiriau “Fy iaith, fy ngwlad, fy nghenedl, Wales

- Cymru am byth,” wedi eu hysgrifennu ar Gofeb Washington. Yn ogystal, ar ddiwedd y 19eg ganrif, cafodd to dur y Tŷ Gwyn yn Washington ei wneud ym Mhontardawe. Felly, mae diwydiant Cymreig wedi ei integreiddio ym mhensaernïaeth un o adeiladau pwysicaf gwleidyddiaeth yr UDA. Pan yn son am y cysylltiad diwylliannol, dywedodd Eluned Morgan: “Mae’n deg dweud bod y Cymry wedi helpu i adeiladu sylfeini’r genedl sydd wedi datblygu erbyn hyn yn yr Unol Daleithiau modern a welwn ni heddiw. Roedd y Cymry ymhlith y rhai cyntaf i ymfudo i America.” Soniodd hefyd am y diwydiant dur yng Nghymru a’i gysylltiad â’r Unol Daleithiau a dywedodd: “Gwelwyd yr ail don o fewnfudwyr o Gymru ganol y 1800au, ac fe wnaeth hyn barhau drwy gydol y Chwyldro Diwydiannol, pan ddaeth mewnfudwyr o Gymru â sgiliau newydd i ddiwydiannau glo, dur a llechi yn America. Gweithwyr dur o Gymru adeiladodd strwythur dur to’r Tŷ Gwyn hyd yn oed!” Felly’n amlwg, mae cysylltiadau busnes, hanesyddol a diwylliannol cryf yn bodoli rhwng Cymru a’r UDA ac mae’r cysylltiadau hyn yn deillio’n ôl ganrifoedd. Y gobaith yw bydd y cysylltiadau hyn yn parhau i ddatblygu a chryfhau dros y blynyddoedd nesaf yn ystod arlywyddiaeth yr Arlywydd newydd, Joe Biden.

TAF-OD

Pryd o Daf-od: Gwern ab Arwel Myfyriwr yn ei drydydd flwyddyn, Gwern ab Arwel sydd yn Pryd o Daf-od wythnos yma. Mae Gwern, ynghyd a’i ffrindiau, yn gwneud Tashwedd neu Movember eleni er mwyn codi arian at iechyd meddwl dynion. Mae ef yn egluro pwysigrwydd codi ymwybyddiaeth at achos mor dda, yr elusennau gwahanol sydd yn bodoli er mwyn helpu daclo’r stigma ac ysyrydebau sydd yn bodoli o gwmpas iechyd meddwl dynion a pam eu bod nhw wedi penderfynu gwneud yn Pryd o Daf-od wythnos yma...

‘da ni o’r diwedd yn cymryd yr her o ddifri, gyda chyfrif newydd sbon wedi agor inni gael hel pres. Fel criw o naw, ‘da ni’n gobeithio cyrraedd targed o £600, gyda £330 wedi ei godi yn barod tra dwi’n ‘sgwennu. Mae pob un ohona ni’n gweld yr achos fel un pwysig, gyda iechyd meddwl dynion yn enwedig yn dioddef yn ofnadwy yn dilyn dau gyfnod clo yma yng Nghymru. Gellir dadlau mai dyma’r flwyddyn anoddaf ers tro o ran iechyd meddwl yn gyffredinol, felly mae gwaith elusennau fel MIND a’r Movember Foundation yn sefyll allan yn hynny o beth. A drwy wneud gweithgaredd fel tyfu mwstash, yn sicr cael llond trol o hwyl ydy’r bwriad. Gobeithio fydd ein ‘tashys ni ddim yn rhy embarrassing fel y flwyddyn gynta’! I ddechrau’r her, aeth y naw ohona ni ati i shafio’r blew oedd gennyn nhw’n barod ar eu gwynebau i wneud yn siwr bod neb yn cael head start (er bo’ fi angen o!). O’dd hi’n brofiad digon od gweld pawb efo gwynebau fel babi ar ddechrau’r mis; yn sicr, o’dd cofio ID yn essential am ‘chydig ddyddiau. Hefyd ar yr adeg yma, wnaeth rhaglen Heno ar S4C gysylltu efo ni yn gofyn i dynnu lluniau o’n gwynebau di-flewyn i gael dangos ein cyfraniad i’r her ar draws Cymru. Er mai dim ond pedwar ohona ni ddaeth rownd i wneud hynny, a chael eu gwyneb ar y teledu, mae’n

rth inni gyrraedd mis Tachwedd, mae’n deg dweud bod 2020 wedi hedfan heibio. Ond mae un her fawr i gadw ni’n ddiddig am y mis yma, sef her Tashwedd, neu Movember – fel mae’n cael ei adnabod ar draws y byd. Eleni am y trydydd tro, penderfynon ni fel criw o ffrindiau dyfu ‘tashys i achos da, gan obeithio am dipyn mwy o lwc y tro ‘ma. Y flwyddyn gyntaf, aeth dipyn o’n criw ni ati i dyfu blew, ond o’dd yr ymdrechion yn eitha sâl a dweud y lleiaf, ac ambell fwstash yn gwrthod cau yn y canol. Y flwyddyn ddilynnol, cywilydd dweud bo’ ni heb ddod rownd i agor cyfrif ar gyfer yr her. Ond eleni,

dda bod yr her yn cael cydnabyddiaeth ar y sianel genedlaethol. Heb os, codi tomen o arian ydy prif bwrpas y weithgaredd hon. Mae Movember wedi bod yn ddigwyddiad byd-eang ers 2003, ond wedi cael cryn dipyn o sylw dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, wrth i enwogion dynnu sylw i’r elusen. Yn sicr, mae cyfraniad pobl ar draws y byd, a nifer o ffigyrau o’r caeau chwaraeon, wedi helpu’r digwyddiad ddod yn un adnabyddus a wedi codi gymaint o ymwybyddiaeth i iechyd dynion. Yn sicr tan yn ddiweddar, roedd afiechydon fel cancr y prostad neu geilliau yn bynciau tabŵ, a dim llawer o bobl oedd yn eu trafod.

Fy enw i yw Luke Rees, rwy’n dodo o Bontantwn ac rwy’n astudio Cerddoriaeth.

8. Prosecco neu champagne?

2. Beth yw’r digwyddiad sy’n codi’r mwyaf o embaras arnat? Twsian a sychu trwyn yng nghanol perfformiad côr ar lwyfan yn De Affrica o flaen 1,500 o bobl. 3. Beth oedd dy air cyntaf? Gair slovak odd e, (Ďakujrm) sy’n meddwl ‘diolch’.

9. Beth oedd y diwrnod gorau iti ei gael erioed?

Pinafal ar pitsa- ddim yn mynd

Gwylio rygbi, noson mas, canu caneuon ar y stryd nes oriau man y bore.

Shakira achos nid yw ei chliniau yn gweud celwydd. 7. Pwy yw dy hoff fand/artist?

Catrin Lewis

10. Beth yw dy gas beth?

Y Cwm gan Huw Chiswell achos mae’n banger.

6. Pwy oeddet ti’n ffansio pan oeddet ti’n iau?

taf-od

Alaw Fflur Jones

Cymru yn ennill y gamp lawn yn 2019. Noswaith yn blur, ond yn class!

11. Beth fyddet ti’n gwneud yn ystod dy noson ddelfrydol?

Medium Chicken Curry. Fi’n gwbod- fi’n boring.

Trafod gyda’r

Champagne achos gallaf sprayo fe dros pobl fel ar podiwm F1, er ei fod yn ddrud.

4. Pe fyddet ti ar yr X-Factor, pa gân byddet ti’n ei chanu a pham?

5. Beth fyddet ti’n ei archebu o’r bwyty Indiaidd lleol?

Aled Biston

Yr ymgyrch Movember: Rhaid cofio ei fod hi’n iawn i ddim fod yn iawn. Tarddiad: www.movember.com (drwy Wikipedia Commons)

Luke Rees

Bwncath- caneuon nhw mor sentimental.

EICH TÎM TAF-OD

Annell Dyfri

Yn Trafod gyda’r Taf-od wythnos yma mae...

1. Pwy wyt ti a beth wyt ti’n astudio?

Doedd iechyd meddwl dynion chwaith ddim yn cael llawn cymaint o sylw â iechyd meddwl plant neu fenywod tan ychydig flynyddoedd yn ôl. A gyda 400,000 yn cymryd rhan yn y digwyddiad yn 2019, a dros $800m wedi ei godi ers i’r elusen ddechrau, mae gobaith y bydd yn mynd o nerth i nerth yn 2020. Felly os ‘da chi’n gallu a heb wneud yn barod, rhowch yn hael i’r achos arbennig yma. Os ydych chi eisiau cyfrannu at yr achos yma, neu i ymgyrch Movember yn gyffredinol, ewch i wefan Movember a theipiwch ‘S30’ i ddarganfod tudalen Gwern a’i ffrindiau, neu gallwch gyfrannu trwy clico dolen ar y dudalen gartref.

12. Pe taset ti’n gallu bod yn unrhyw anifail am ddiwrnod, pa un fyddet ti’n ei ddewis, a pham? Aderyn- eisiau’r brofiad o hedfan. 13. Disgrifia dy hun mewn 3 gair. Angerddol, ffarmwr, meddylgar. 14. Pwy fydd yn trafod ‘da’r Taf-od wythnos nesaf? Steffan Sion Jones.

taf od Nel Richards

Cymro i’r carn: Ffarmwr a gwladgarwr, mae Luke yn dangos cariad at ei wlad. Tarddiad: Luke Rees tafod@gairrhydd.com www.gairrhydd.com/tafod

TAF-OD

Cyhuddo Car- GWLEIDYDDIAETH wyn Jones o Mudiad YesCymru yn gweld twf aelodaeth dorri’r cod Cododd aelodaeth o 8,000 i 15,000 mewn unarddeg diwrnod gweinidogol Aled Biston rhan o’r disgwrs gwleidyddol ers Aled Biston

Pennaeth Taf-od

ae’r cyn-brif weinidog Carwyn Jones wedi’i gyhuddo o dorri’r cod gweinidogol dros ei benodiad fel ymgynghorydd i gwmni ynni. O ganlyniad i’w benodiad gan y cwmni rhyngwladol SIMEC, mae Carwyn Jones hefyd wedi’i benodi’n aelod bwrdd cynghori byd-eang GFG Alliance, sy’n cynnwys Liberty Steel. Fe gynghorodd y Pwyllgor Cynghori ar Benodiadau Busnes Carwyn Jones rhag ymwneud â GFG Alliance o ystyried faint o ddealltwriaeth yr oedd ganddo wedi’i ddatblygu o’i gyfnod fel prif weinidog Cymru. Mae Mr Jones yn mynnu nad yw ef wedi gwneud unrhyw beth o le, ac yn dweud na fydd ef yn mynd tu hwnt i gyngor y pwyllgor, a bod ei safle gyda GFG Alliance fel ymgynghorydd i SIMEC yn unig, a dim byd arall. Mae’r cyn-brif weinidog wedi dweud ei fod yn bwriadu chwarae “rhan lawn yn GFG” o Ragfyr 12 ymlaen, ychydig dros ddwy flynedd ers iddo gamu o rôl Prif Weinidog Cymru nôl yn 2018. Mewn ymgais i geisio osgoi unrhyw wrthdaro buddiannau, mae’n ofynnol i gyn-weinidogion wneud cais am gyngor gan y Pwyllgor Cynghori ar Benodiadau Busnes cyn pen dwy flynedd ar ôl gadael y swydd. Y rheswm bod y cyhuddiad yma yn erbyn Mr Jones, yw oherwydd ei fod wedi ymwneud gymaint gyda’r diwydiant dur fel prif weinidog, gan gynnwys cyfarfodydd gyda Liberty Steel a’i gystadleuwyr, Tata a Celsa. Er gwaethaf bod y cyn-brif weinidog yn mynnu ei fod yn cael ei gyflogi gan SIMEC ac ei fod wedi sicrhau bydd yn cael ei wrthod o faterion sydd yn ymwneud â dur, daeth y pwyllgor i’r casgliad bod rôl Mr Jones gyda GFG Alliance “yn groes i’w gyngor” gan arwain at dorri’r cod gweinidogol. Mewn adroddiad a gyhoeddwyd yn y Western Mail, dywedodd Carwyn Jones “Dilynais y cyngor a roddodd y pwyllgor hwn ac roeddwn yn synnu wrth dderbyn llythyr. Byddai’n well gennyf eu bod wedi dweud na ar y dechrau.” Ers camu o’r neilltu fel prif weinidog, mae rhestrau cofrestr diddordebau Carwyn Jones yn dangos ei fod wedi derbyn gwaith â thâl fel athro’r gyfraith ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, cynghroodd i Spectrum Interest, ac ymgynghorodd i’r cwmni cyfryngau Business News Wales. Credai Carwyn Jones bod y broses rhy gyfrinachol, a bod y system, sef broses heb reolau, dim hawl i wrandawiad a dim proses gwyno yn annheg, a bod angen broses lle mae yna reolau. Dywedodd llefarydd ar ran Lywodraeth Cymru eu bod wedi derbyn gohebiaeth gan y Pwyllgor Cynghori ar Benodiadau Busnes ac y byddant yn ymateb maes o law.

Pennaeth Taf-od

n ein rhifyn cyntaf eleni, roeddem wedi ysgrifennu erthygl yn nodi bod mudiad dros annibyniaeth i Gymru, YesCymru, wedi cyrraedd 7,000 o aelodau. Mis wedyn, mae YesCymru yn dathlu dros dyblu nifer yr aelodau mewn cyfnod anghredadwy i’r symudiad annibyniaeth. Mae gan y mudiad 15,000 o aelodau erbyn hyn, ond sut daeth y twf mor gyflym? Heb amau, mae agwedd San Steffan at y cynllun ffyrlo wedi dilyn at dipyn yn ymuno. Pan ofynnodd Mark Drakeford i Lywodraeth San Steffan ymestyn y cynllun yng Nghymru, dywedodd Rishi Sunak nad oedd gan y llywodraeth yr arian i wneud, ond ymestynnwyd y cynllun pan gyhoeddwyd bod Lloegr yn mynd mewn i gyfnod clo am fis. Y teimlad ymysg nifer o bobl Cymru, oedd bod y cynllun ond yn cael ei ymestyn pan oedd yn addas i Loegr, nid pan oedd hi’n gyfleus i Gymru. Mae’r twf yn aelodaeth hefyd yn codi cwestiynau am beth fydd canlyniad etholiad Seneddol Cymru blwyddyn nesaf? Mae canlyniad yr etholiad yn anodd iawn i ragfynegi, nid oes unrhyw un yn gwybod pwy fydd yn cael mwyafrif? Ond gyda Phlaid Cymru yr unig blaid (sydd â seddi yn y Senedd) dros annibyniaeth i Gymru, byddent yn ennill cryn dipyn o seddi yn yr etholiad? Mae annibyniaeth wedi bod yn

2018, rhaid cofio bod dadl wedi bod yn y Senedd dros dal refferendwm ar y mater hefyd. Ond, mae Cadeirydd YesCymru, Siôn Jobbins yn cydnabod nad annibyniaeth yw barn y mwyafrif. Wrth drafod y posibilrwydd o etholiad ar annibyniaeth yn y tymor Seneddol nesaf, dywedodd “Dwi’n credu bod yna bosibilrwydd bach… mae’n bwysig gydag etholiad y Senedd ym mis Mai, gyda’r llywodraeth sy’n cael ei ffurfio, mae angen Cymru rhyw fath o lwybr tuag at annibyniaeth”. Mae polau diweddar yn datgan cefnogaeth dros annibyniaeth tua rhwng 30-40%, gyda pholau YouGov a ffynonellau eraill yn amrywio yn dibynnu ar y sampl o bobl gofynnwyd. Mae’r cynnydd yn nifer yr aelodau wedi helpu hyn llawer, ac mae Siôn Jobbins yn awyddus i gadw’r momentwm i fynd. “Mae (gwybodaeth YesCymru am annibyniaeth) wedi ennyn diddordeb pobl, maen nhw eisiau gwybod mwy, mae yna lawer o bobl ‘indy-curious’, ac maen nhw eisiau gwybodaeth ac i rannu’r wybodaeth gyda phobl eraill”. Mae mudiad YesCymru yn amlbleidiol, felly nad ydynt yn gefnogol o un blaid yn uniongyrchol. Plaid Cymru a’r Blaid Werdd yw’r ddwy blaid sydd yn cefnogi annibyniaeth yng Nghymru, ond mae cangen o fewn y Blaid Lafur yn ei chefnogi hefyd. Ond bydd Llafur yng Nghymru byth yn datgan cefnogaeth i’r ymgyrch, na, meddai Siôn Jobbins. “Dwi’n gweld hi’n anodd gweld y

Gorymdeithio: Roedd y baneri yn chwifio yng ngorymdath Merthyr blwyddyn diwethaf. Credyd: Deio Jones blaid ei hun yn cefnogi annibyniaeth bod San Steffan ddim yn senedd wych cyn yr etholiad nesaf… Dwi methu holl-bwerus, y ‘the world’s best gentlegweld y blaid yn symud mor gyflym â’r man’s club’ yw e’. ‘Mae Cymru wedi bobl (sydd yn cefnogi annibyniaeth o gwneud penderfyniadau sydd yn dilyn fewn Llafur)”. y wyddoniaeth yn well ‘na San Steffan Roedd nifer yn credu byddai’r ym- pan mae’n dod i COVID-19. Mae gan gyrch dros annibyniaeth wedi colli bobl ffydd yn Senedd Cymru’. momentwm o dan gyfyngiadau COVEr i’r daith dros Gymru annibynID-19, gan nad oeddent allu cynnal nol hen ddechrau erbyn hyn, mae dal gorymdeithiau. roedd gorymdeithiau siwrnau hir o’u blaenau cyn iddynt yn Nhredegar, Wrecsam ac Abertawe ddechrau meddwl am ennill reffereu canslo. Ond, mae’r mudiad wedi endwm dros eu hachos. Ond, wrth meddu llawer o aelodau newydd, sydd ddweud hynny, mae twf mewn cefyn syndod i bawb. Dywedodd Siôn nogaeth i’r blaid ac yn nifer yr aelodau Jobbins ‘Mae nifer o bobl wedi gweld yn anhygoel.

Is-Arlywydd benywaidd cyntaf i’r Unol Daleithiau Nel Richards

Golygydd Taf-od

amala Harris. Ar ôl 244 o flynyddoedd o aros, mae’r amser wedi dod. Y fenyw gyntaf erioed i gynrychioli UDA fel is-arlywydd y wlad. Y fenyw ddu cyntaf, a’r fenyw AsiaiddAmericanaidd cyntaf; ac yn sicr y cyntaf o lawer. Hi fydd yn ‘rhif dau’ yn y Tŷ Gwyn, wrth ymyl Joe Biden, arweinydd y Democratiaid, ac arlywydd nesaf UDA. Fodd bynnag, hi fydd rhif un i filiynnau o ferched ifanc ar draws y byd; merched y presennol a’r dyfodol. Felly, pwy yw Kamala Harris? Yn enedigol o Galiffornia, mynychodd Prifysgol Howard yn Washington

DC, ble astudiodd Economeg a Gwyddoniaeth Wleidyddol, a arweinodd hi at gael ei haddysgu yn Ysgol y Gyfraith, ‘nôl yng Nghaliffornia. Daeth yn erlynydd (prosecutor), a chafodd ei phenodi fel dirprwy atwrnai ardal yn Sir Alameda ym 1990. Wedi hyn, yn 2003, cafodd ei hethol fel y fenyw gyntaf, a’r person du cyntaf i ddod yn atwrnai ardal San Francisco. Fe’i hetholwyd yn Atwrnai Cyffredinol Califronia yn 2010 a’i hailethol yn 2014. Drwy hyn, enillodd Harris bŵer fel unigolyn yn ei thalaith. BEIRNIADAETH Fel gwleidydd, sawl un sy’n derbyn beirniadaeth. Wrth fod yn atwrnai cyffredinol, cafodd ei beirniadu gan Americanwyr am ei gwrthwynebi-

Creu Hanes: Y fenyw cyntaf i fod yn is-arlywydd, Kamala Harris. Tarddiad: Wikipedia Commons

ad i’r gosb eithaf, yn ogystal â diffyg gweithredu ynghylch creulondeb heddlu tuag at bobl. Mae llawer o’r Democratiaid mwy rhyddfrydol yn galw i ddad-ariannu’r heddlu. Er bod Biden yn anghytuno â’r cysyniad hwn, mae Ms Harris wedi siarad yn agored am ‘ail-ystyried sut rydym ni’n sicrhau diogelwch i’r cyhoedd yn America’. Disgrifia Harris fel ei hun yn “Top Cop”. Disgrifiad Emily Bazelon yn The New York Times https://www.nytimes .com/2019/01/17/opinion/ kamala-harris-criminal-justice.html, newyddiadurwraig Americanaidd, yw bod Harris ddim digon blaenllaw yn ei gwaith. Un o’r rhesymau tanlinella Bazelon yw’r nifer o euogfarnau anghywir (wrongful convictions) y mae Harris wedi nodi; rhai yn cynnwys, George Gage, Daniel Larsen a Kevin Cooper. Yn ychwanegol, goruchwyliodd mwy na 1,500 o bobl yn cael eu carcharu am droseddau sy’n ymwneud â mariwana; cyffur sydd erbyn hyn wedi’i gyfreithlonu mewn sawl talaith. Ond, yn ddiweddar, mae Kamala Harris wedi gwneud mwy o waith ynglŷn â Deddfau Mariwana ers hynny, gan ddatgan fod y ‘War on Drugs’ yn fethiant. Amser a ddengys, a chawn weld beth fydd hi, a Biden yn newid wrth arwain y genedl, yn enwedig ynghylch polisïau megis yr uchod. Dywed Brynmor Cockram, myfyriwr ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd: “Ie, hi yw’r gyntaf fel menyw i fod gyda chymaint o bŵer i sefyll yng ngwleidyddiaeth America, ond nid yw hyn yn cyfiawnhau ei gweithredoedd annheg. Er fod cael gwared o Trump yn achos o ddathlu, nid yw hwn yn golygu y dylem ostwng y bar i’r pwynt lle byddwn yn derbyn unrhywun sy’n well. Rwy’n amheus os yw hi’n gynghrair i bobl drawsrhywiol, o ystyried ei hanes hefyd. Credaf fod llawer mwy o bobl, yn fwy addas ar gyfer y rôl, sy’n gallu

gwthio am yr hyn y mae America angen. Pobl sydd mewn grym sy’n gwthio am ddemocratiaeth, ac mae angen y bobl cywir i gymryd y pŵer hwnnw.” Gobaith ar y gorwel? Yn ddiweddar, cyflwynodd Ms Harris mesur ecwiti hinsawdd gyda Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, sy’n ceisio graddio sut y mae deddfau amgylcheddol yn effeithio ar gymunedau incwm-is. Yn ei hymgyrch arlywyddol hithau a Biden, amlinellodd gynllun hinsawdd gwerth $10tn a oedd am gael net-sero o allyriadau erbyn 2045. Cefnoga’r camau gweithredol i ddeddfu rheolaeth dryllau llymach. Hefyd, cynigiodd Kamala Harris i ddarparu chwe mis o absenoldeb teuluol â thâl i bob gweithiwr ar gyfer materion personol neu feddygol, gan gynnwys y rhai sy’n gysylltiedig â thrais domestig. Awgrymodd yn ystod ei hymgyrch y dylid ei wneud yn ofynnol i gwmnïau mawr gael “tystysgrif cyflog cyfartal” i gau’r bwlch cyflog rhwng y rhywiau, neu fe fyddent yn wynebu dirwyon. Addawodd Ms Harris - yn siarad o brofiad fel plentyn i fewnfudwyr – i gynnig llwybr dinasyddiaeth i’r miliynau o fewnfudwyr sydd heb eu dogfennu sy’n byw yn yr Unol Daleithiau. Cefnogodd hefyd ddadgriminaleiddio croesfannau ff în gan fewnfudwyr heb eu dogfennu, a darparu gofal iechyd a ariennir gan y trethdalwr iddynt yn ogystal. Er beirniadaeth cywilyddus yr asgelldde, ac yn enwedig y cyfryngau megis Fox News, o Harris, rhaid cofio ei bod hi, mewn gwirionedd, yn enghraifft arall o wydnwch a llwyddiant menywod. Does dim dwywaith bod llwyddiant Harris yn brawf o bwysigrwydd cynrychiolaeth menywod mewn safleoedd o bŵer, yn enwedig mewn cymdeithas heddiw, lle mae rhagfarn yn erbyn menywod yn dal i fod yn broblem greiddiol

TAF-OD 9 CHWARAEON Osian RobSêr y byd ffilm yn agos i brynu CPD Wrecsam erts: Yr HyfMae ymddiriedolwyr y clwb fod i bleidleisio ar y mater heddiw forddwr ym Moroco Aled Biston Pennaeth Taf-od

ewn blwyddyn sydd wedi llenwi gyda digwyddiadau annisgwyl, efallai nid yw’n syndod bod ddau o sêr mwyaf Hollywood wedi datgan eu diddordeb i brynu CPD Wrecsam. Mae Ryan Reynolds a Rob McElhenney, ers misoedd, wedi dangos diddordeb mewn prynu’r clwb sydd yn y Gynghrair Genedlaethol, ac wythnos yma roedd y ddau wedi cwrdd ag Ymddiriedolaeth Cefnogwyr y clwb ar-lein i drafod eu gweledigaeth dros y clwb yng Ngogledd Cymru. Mae CPD Wrecsam wedi bod ym mherchnogaeth yr Ymddiriedolaeth ers 2011, ond nawr mae Reynolds ac McElhenney eisiau cymryd rheolaeth a buddsoddi mewn i’r clwb. Roedd y ddau wedi datgan eu cynllun i brynu’r clwb tua diwedd mis Medi, roeddent yn datgan eu gweledigaeth o fuddsoddi £2 miliwn mewn i’r clwb ar unwaith, a gweld y clwb yn dringo’r cynghreiriau. Ers i Reynolds a McElhenney dangos diddordeb mewn prynu’r clwb, mae cefnogwyr pêl-droed y byd wedi ymateb i’r newyddion ar Drydar mewn

Y Cae Ras: Mae Reynolds a McElhenney eisiau adnewyddu y Stadiwm hynafol. Tarddiad: Roger Cornfoot (drwy Wikipedia Commons) sioc bod ddau o sêr enwocaf y byd ffilm, eisiau prynu clwb pêl-droed yng Ngogledd Cymru. Wedi cynnig y ddau i brynu’r clwb, bydd Ymddiriedolaeth Cefnogwyr Wrecsam yn pleidleisio ar y mater, a disgwylir i’r canlyniad cael ei gyhoeddi heddiw (Tachwedd 16). Mae angen 75% o blaid er mwyn i’r cytundeb cael ei phasio, ac os digwyddiff hynny,

bydd gan CPD Wrecsam cefnogwyr newydd. Yn eu gweledigaeth, y prif nod yw “tyfu’r tîm, ei ddychwelyd i Gynghrair Pêl-droed Lloegr o flaen torfeydd mwy mewn stadiwm well tra’n gwneud gwahaniaeth positif i’r gymuned ehangach yn Wrecsam”. Yn ogystal, maen nhw yn nodi pedwar egwyddor sylfaenol: “Gwarchod y dreftadaeth sydd wedi

gwneud CPD Wrecsam a’r Cae Ras yn le mor arbennig i wylio pêl-droed am y 156 o flynyddoedd diwethaf ”; “Atgyfnerthu gwerthoedd, traddodiadau a gwaddol y gymuned hon”; “Defnyddio ein hadnoddau i gynyddu lefel y sylw i’r clwb”; “Gwobrwyo ffydd cefnogwyr sydd wedi aros gyda CPD Wrecsam… drwy roi popeth sydd gyda ni at yr hyn mae pob cefnogwr yn dymuno fwyaf i’w clwb sef ennill’. Mae eu datganiad yn sôn am ddatblygu model sydd yn denu’r chwaraewyr a staff gorau i’r Cae Ras, edrych i’r posibilrwydd o adnewyddu’r stadiwm a sicrhau pan ddaw dydd iddynt adael y clwb, bydd hi mewn sefyllfa llawer gwell nag y mae heddiw. Mae Reynolds ac McElhenney eisiau dod yn rhan o stori Wrecsam, nid Wrecsam yn dod yn rhan o’u stori nhw. Mae cwmni’r ddau, ‘The R.R McReynolds Company’ yn cynnig buddsoddi £2 miliwn yn y clwb petai yna gytundeb i’w werthu. Mae Ymddiriedolaeth CPD Wrecsam â thros 2,000 o aelodau yn pleidleisio, ac mae angen 75% i gymeradwyo’r bleidlais er mwyn ei basio. Efallai byddwn yn gweld sêr Hollywood yn cerdded o gwmpas Wrecsam cyn hir.

ADDYSG

Dim arholiadau allanol yn yr haf i ddisgyblion eleni

y misoedd diwethaf e.e. rhai wedi gorfod hunan-ynysu yn sgil achosion o’r coronafeirws mewn ysgolion, wedi dylanwadu ar y benderfyniad Er na fydd arholiadau allanol yn cael eu cynnal bellach, mae’r Gweinidog Addysg wedi nodi y bydd asesiadau allanol yn cael eu cynnal yn Nhymor y Gwanwyn. Tra bod ysgolion ac undebau athrawon wedi croesawu’r penderfyniad, nid oes eglurder ar hyn o bryd ynghylch natur yr asesiadau na’r gwaith paratoi y bydd angen ei wneud yn yr ysgolion ymlaen llaw. Un unigolyn y mae’r cyhoeddiad yma wedi effeithio arno yw Elin Grif-

fiths, disgybl yn ei blwyddyn olaf yn Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr gyda’i bryd ar fynd i brifysgol i astudio meddygaeth. Nododd ei bod yn ‘teimlo’n well wedi clywed y cyhoeddiad gan fod sicrwydd o ran beth ry’ ni’n neud yn yr Haf ’. Gydag arholiadau llynedd hefyd wedi’u gohirio, ychwanegodd Elin ‘y byddai wedi bod yn well pe bawn i’n cael gweud yr arholiadau oherwydd dwi’n credu bydd gennym fwy o reolaeth dros ein graddau ac mae’n decach i bawb’. Gydag ond misoedd ar ôl o’i chyfnod yn yr ysgol a’r asesiadau newydd ar droed, pwysleisiodd ‘fod angen i’r

Llywodraeth fod yn gliriach o ran eu disgwyliadau a’r hyn y mae disgwyl inni fel disgyblion gwblhau ar gyfer yr asesiadau allanol newydd gan nad ydym wedi derbyn gwybodaeth ac o ganlyniad mae’n broses rwystredig gan and oes modd cynllunio a pharatoi ar hyn o bryd’. Yr un yw’r stori o ran gohirio arholiadau Safon Uwch. Un oedd fod i sefyll ei harholiadau Safon Uwch yn Nhymor yr Haf oedd Gwenan Jones sydDdyn Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin. Nododd ei bod yn ‘hoff o arholiadau achos mae’n gyfle i brofi eich hun a dangos eich gallu’. Gydag arholiadau TGAU Gwenan hefyd wedi’u gohirio’r llynedd, ychwanegodd ei bod o’r farn ‘fod y penderfyniad i ohirio’r arholiadau y flwyddyn nesaf bach yn ddi-bwynt oherwydd byddwn dal yn gorfod gwneud nhw fel asesiadau dosbarth a nid wyf yn deall sut mae hyn yn wahanol i sefyll yr arholiadau arferol.’ Rhaid canmol y Gweinidog am wneud penderfyniad cynnar yn y mater ond does dim osgoi’r ffaith fod miloedd o ddisgyblion – ac athrawon, wrth gwrs - yn wynebu misoedd pellach o ansicrwydd yn sgil Covid-19.

gystadleuaeth gwnaethant, ond yn hytrach llwyddon nhw i drechu Lloegr yn y rownd derfynol mewn cystadleuaeth unochrog (3-0) – dim ond yr ail dro yn hanes y gystadleuaeth i wlad llwyddo i gyrraedd sgôr o’r fath. Gwych oedd gweld balchder y ddau Gymro wedi iddynt sicrhau’r wobr anrhydeddus ar Ddydd Sul. Wedi iddynt godi’r wobr, dywedodd Jonny Clayton “Fi yw’r dyn mwyaf balch yn y byd ar hyn o bryd”. “Mae’n anhygoel. Mae hi’n bleser i chwarae gyda Gerwyn. Gerwyn yw’r chwaraewr gorau yn y byd ar y foment.” Dyma yw cwpan mawr cyntaf Clayton yn ei yrfa hyd yn hyn, ond wedi ei fuddugoliaeth yn y gystadleuaeth yma,

mae e bellach yn cael y cyfle i ddangos ei ddoniau ar lwyfan mawr yng nghystadleuaeth Grand Slam Dartiau yng Nghofentri. Dangosodd y ddau chwaraewr pam mae hwy oedd y ffefrynnau ar gychwyn y gystadleuaeth, gyda dartiau Price trwy’r penwythnos yn anghredadwy; a;i bartner Clayton yn cadw ei berfformiad gorau nes y foment bwysig yn y rownd derfynol. Mynegodd Price ei falchder wedi terfyniad y gystadleuaeth gan ddatgan er ei fod wedi ennill gwobrau a theitlau anrhydeddus eisoes yn ei yrfa, mai dyma oedd y fuddugoliaeth a oedd yn meddwl y fwyaf iddo. “Dyma’r foment fwyaf balch yn fy

ngyrfa dartiau – dwi’n eithaf emosiynol. Dwi, yn bersonol, wedi cael ychydig o lwyddiant yn ddiweddar, ond i ennill hwn i Gymru, mae hyn yn meddwl cymaint mwy imi.” Pwysleisiodd Price bwysigrwydd llwyddiant y ddau i weithio fel tîm yn ystod y penwythnos llawn gemau: “Dwi’n gwybod fy mod yn chwarae’n dda ar hyn o bryd, ond mae hwn yn gêm parau. Gallwn i ddim bod wedi ennill hwn heb Jonny. Yr oeddem yn dîm, ac yn un sydd yn haeddu’r fuddugoliaeth yma” Mae Cymru wedi creu hanes, ac mae buddugoliaeth yn teimlo llawer yn well pan mae Lloegr mae Cymru’n curo. Gobeithio bydd y llwyddiant yn parhau

Annell Dyfri

Golygydd Taf-od

ydd awyrgylch tra gwahanol yn ein hysgolion uwchradd yr haf nesaf. Lle cynt y byddai eu neuaddau chwaraeon yn llawn gan ddesgiau a chadeiriau a channoedd o ddisgyblion yn crafu eu pennau wrth ateb cwestiynau arholiad, mudandod fydd yno fis Mehefin nesaf. Ar Dachwedd 10, cyhoeddodd Gweinidog Addysg Llywodraeth Cymru, Kirsty Williams AS, na fydd arholiadau TGAU, AS na Lefel A yn cael eu cynnal. Nododd yn ei datganiad ‘yn unol ag argymhellion Cymwysterau Cymru a’r Adolygiad Annibynnol, ni fydd arholiadau TGAU nac UG y flwyddyn nesaf. Ni fydd gofyn i fyfyrwyr Safon Uwch sefyll arholiadau chwaith’. Yn sgil helbulon arholiadau tymor yr haf y llynedd, nododd mai ‘canolbwyntio ar les y dysgwyr a sicrhau tegwch ar draws y system’ oedd wrth wraidd y penderfyniad. Mae’n amlwg hefyd fod y ffaith fod cynifer o ddisgyblion ysgol wedi profi heriau annisgwyl yn ystod

Asesu gwahanol: Bydd asesu eleni llawer gwahanol i’r arfer. Tarddiad: Pxfuel

Cymru yn ennill Cwpan Dartiau’r Byd Steffan Leonard Cyfrannwr Taf-od

wy fyddai wedi rhagdybio mai dau gyn-chwaraewr rygbi fyddai’n cipio Cwpan Dartiau’r Byd i Gymru am y tro cyntaf? Dyna a wnaeth ddigwydd wythnos yn ôl pan lwyddodd Gerwyn Price a Jonny Clayton fynd yr holl ffordd a derbyn y wobr honno am y tro cyntaf. Yr ydym fel gwlad wedi gweld tueddiad i gyrraedd y rownd derfynol ond colli ar y cam olaf; ond llwyddwyd i drechi’r tueddiad hwnnw eleni – tair waith i Gymro! Nid yn unig ennill y

Aled Biston

Pennaeth Taf-od

edi llwyddiant gyda thîm rhyngwladol Cymru yn EWRO 2016 ac yna Chris Coleman yn gadael ei swydd, roedd Osian Roberts wedi symud i weithio gyda thîm pêl-droed rhyngwladol Moroco. Mewn pennod arbennig o bodlediad ‘Y Coridor Ansicrwydd’, mae cyn is-hyfforddwr Cymru yn sôn am ei lwyddiant a Chymru a’i fywyd newydd ym Moroco. Wrth drafod y cyfle i weithio ym Moroco, dywedodd ‘Os ddim rŵan, pryd?’. Dywedodd Roberts roedd rhaid iddo ddod yn gyfarwydd gyda’r wlad a’r lle cyn cychwn gyda llechan lan yng nghyfandir Affrica. Mae’n cyfaddef mai hwn yw’r swydd heriol iddo gael erioed, a bod y gymdeithas bêldroed yn uchelgeisiol yn eu disgwyliadau, ond dyna pam gymerodd Roberts yr her. Hyd at hyn, mae Roberts wedi delio gyda materion sydd o dan y tîm cyntaf, mae’n cyfaddef bod angen iddo wneud mwy cyn ymrwymo at y tîm cyntaf. ‘Dwi angen cael y darnau jig-so eraill i gyd yn eu lle cyn fy mod i’n dechrau bod yn ymlygu mwy o ran y tîm cyntaf ’. Yn ystod ei amser gyda thîm Cymru, roedd Roberts wedi chwarae rôl allweddol wrth ddarganfod er y dyfodol, ond nid yw ef yn hoffi cymryd credit am y chwaraewyr ifanc, ond yn hytrach yn trafod y system roedd ef wedi plannu. ‘Nid fi wnaeth ffeindio Matthew Smith a Daniel James... fi wnaeth roi’r system mewn lle i’r bobl iawn fod yn y llefydd iawn. Mae yna bobl sydd wedi gwneud cymaint ers blynyddoedd heb gael sylw, yn amlwg yn wirfoddol. Er nad Roberts wnaeth darganfod y chwaraewyr talentog sydd eisioes wedi sicrhau lle cyson yn y tîm, rhaid rhoi credyd iddo am blannu system oedd yn galluogi darganfod y chwaraewyr yma. Fe wnaeth Roberts fynd ymlaen i drafod ei holl atgofion gyda Chymru, gyda nifer helaeth yn atgofion o haf 2016, yr EWRO’s yn Ffrainc. Ni fydd unrhyw Gymro na Chymraes ynn anghofio’r haf hwnnw mae’n siŵr, wrth i Gymru cyrraedd rownd cyn-derfynol y twrnament. Dywedodd Roberts yn y bodlediad ‘Ar ôl curo Gogledd Iwerddon, dwi’n cofio pawb yn hapus a Joe Ledley yn dawnsio ar y bwrdd... Roedd yn amser anhygoel i ni gyd fod efo’n gilydd yn mwynhau. Mae’n rhywbeth i’w drysori, achos ‘dyn nhw ddim yn digwydd yn aml.’ Bydd cyfnod Osian Roberts gyda Chymru yn rhan o stori pêl-droed y wlad am byth, a bydd ei enw yn y llyfrau hanes, fel yr is-reolwr wnaeth cymryd Cymru i’r EWRO’s.

Haf i gofio: Ewro 2016. Tarddiad: Pixabay

POLITICS

YOUR A discussion with Siôn Jobbins Jobbins is the chair of Yes Cymru, which has seen a recent membership POLITICS Siôn surge. He has spoken to Gair Rhydd about the prospect of an independent Wales. DESK Dewi Morris

Politics Editor

Hallum Cowell

Tom Kingsbury

air Rhydd has had the chance to talk with Siôn Jobbins, chair of the Welsh independence movement Yes Cymru. Yes Cymru has seen increased support this year despite holding no rallies due to coronavirus restrictions. At the beginning of 2020, the movement had 2000 members, by mid-October it had 9000. Over the past two weeks it increased to over 14,000, with 2000 joining in 24 hours. When asked why he believed support has increased recently, Jobbins put it down to: “Many factors, typically people have seen that Westminster isn’t the mother of parliaments it’s just the world’s best gentleman’s club, and they’ve seen that by and large, Wales has taken better decisions and followed the science more than Westminster has when it comes to COVID. There’s greater faith in the Welsh Parliament than in the UK Parliament.” In August, polls showed 26% of the Welsh public would vote for independence if there was a referendum tomorrow, however, despite support for independence growing, there seems to also be increasing support for the Abolish the Assembly Party. The party is predicted to win four seats in May’s Senedd election. Siôn Jobbins told us that he believed the largest threat to devolution was not the new Abolish Party but rather, “the Tories who will salami-slice Welsh powers… we’ve seen this with the Internal Market Bill.”

Last week, Alister Jack, Scotland’s Secretary for State, told the BBC that Westminster would refuse another independence referendum in Scotland “for a generation”, which he defined as “25 or 40 years”. However, the BBC also reported on November 10, that there “has been whispering in Westminster” of allowing a second Scottish independence referendum if the SNP win a majority in the Scottish Parliament elections in May. Siôn Jobbins told us: “A lot of people in Wales will keep an eye on what’s happening in Scotland, where the latest poll is around 56- 58% [in favour of independence]. They could be holding a referendum in two years’ time and a lot of people in Wales, whatever their political affiliation, are thinking ‘well what happens in two years when and if Scotland leaves,’ … even if independence isn’t their first choice, they’re thinking of plan B and thinking, ‘OK if the UK does come to an end with Scotland leaving then we need to have some sort of plan as well.’” The recent membership spike coincided with Rishi Sunak announcing that the furlough scheme would be extended across the UK until March. This was announced once England had confirmed it would be going into national lockdown despite calls from Wales for the scheme to be extended when Wales entered the firebreak lockdown, which were ignored at the time. Despite the increasing support for independence in Wales, currently only two parties in the Senedd support independence; Plaid Cymru, who have 10 seats, and Neil McEvoy’s newly created Welsh National

Lecturer, writer, campaigner: Siôn Jobbins works at Aberystwyth University, and has published books on Welsh cuture, as well as chairing Yes Cymru. Source: Llywelyn2000 (via. Wikimedia Commons) Party, with one seat. The Green Party in Wales also support independence but currently don’t have any seats in the Senedd. Next May’s Senedd election, although by no means a referendum, may show whether rise in support for independence will translate into votes for pro-independence parties. Jobbins told us that he could not see Welsh Labour supporting independence before May. Labour currently oppose independence; Mark Drakeford has said on many occasions he believes Wales is best served within the UK. However, Drakeford’s open frustration over lack of talks with Boris Johnson during the pandemic, he described working with the UK Government as an “utterly shambolic experience”, may be increasing support for independence.

When asked whether he believed an independence referendum for Wales may be possible during the next Senedd term, Siôn Jobbins said: “I think there’s a slim possibility, I think what happens in Scotland, if Scotland has a referendum and they go then [our argument for independence] will be better off, that’s why I think the important thing with the May Senedd election is whatever happens, whatever government is formed, Wales has to have some kind of a pathway to independence. Even if it’s not taken, or the people who support it don’t particularly want to take that pathway, Wales needs to have something in the back pocket because things could move very quickly… “if Wales isn’t prepared we’re going to be found with our trousers around our ankles.”

Dewi Morris

Morgan Perry politics@gairrhydd.com

Yes Cymru: Despite a lack of rallies this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Yes Cymru membership has still surged. Source: Llywelyn2000 (via. Wikimedia Commons)

Wales scraps GCSE and A-level exams amid COVID-19 Morgan Perry Politics Editor

n response to the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic last summer, the decision has been made to change the structure of assessment for all children aged 15 to 18. Instead of externally set exams taken in an exam hall at the same time for all students across the country, assessments will be set and marked externally by exam boards. However, teachers will have the opportunity to decide when and where the exams take place. The thinking behind the plans is to ensure that students who are selfisolating, or whole year groups that

are forced to stay at home, will not be unfairly disadvantaged by traditional methods of assessment. Announcing the move, Kirsty Williams said: “The well-being of learners and ensuring fairness across the system is central in our decision-making process. “We remain optimistic that the public health situation will improve, but the primary reason for my decision is down to fairness; the time learners will spend in schools and colleges will vary hugely and, in this situation, it is impossible to guarantee a level playing field for exams to take place.” The news comes after the initial findings of a review of GCSE and Alevel exams – led by Louise Castella, the head of the Open University

Wales – were published in the wake of the summer results debacle. Earlier this summer, governments across the UK were forced to Uturn on the decision to employ a controversial algorithm to calculate students’ final exam grades. The decision, which was later reversed,led to more than 42% of grades in Wales being downgraded. At the time, Williams said that “essential lessons would be learned” as a result of the debacle. Despite the reassurances that the new approach will be fair for all, some are concerned that results awarded to students in 2020 and 2021 will be seen as less valuable than those sat in previous years, as a result of the new system for awarding grades.

The National Education Union’s David Evans said: “We must ensure that young people have a consistent assessment process in place which means their abilities are recognised for their next steps. “But this must not mean extra work for everyone involved - both staff and students alike. The education system is already struggling.” Teachers have already faced several challenges during the pandemic, including a move to online teaching, and hard decisions about whether to return to the classroom whilst the virus is still prevalent. Whilst the decision will likely be welcomed by a number of students in Wales, Simon Hart, the Secretary of State for Wales said that he was “confused” as to why the Welsh

Government had made the decision. He also expressed disappointment that the Welsh Government had not consulted him nor Number 10 ahead of the decision. Like other matters such as health, education in Wales is devolved and therefore additional consultation of the UK Government before announcing policy decisions is not required.

The well-being of learners and ensuring fairness across the system is central in our decision-making process. Kirsty Williams Welsh Minister for Education

GWLEIDYDDIAETH 11 UK government backtracks on free meals decision Biden’s election impact Tom Kingsbury Politics Editor on the UK

he UK government has extended its provisions of free school meals, establishing a COVID Winter Grant Scheme, and setting plans for further support in

2021. The move follows a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford, who welcomed the decision after speaking with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Beginning in December, the grant scheme will run until the end of March, with £170m going to coun-

cils, the majority of this to help with food and bills. A further £16m will help fund food banks in Britain. The figures are part of a £400m commitment by the government to help poor families. Rashford said: “I had a good conversation with the Prime Minister to better understand the proposed plan, and I very much welcome the steps that have been taken to combat child food poverty in the UK.”

I had a good conversation with the Prime Minister to better understand the proposed plan, and I very much welcome the steps that have been taken to combat child food poverty in the UK. Marcus Rashford Footballer and Campaigner

Marcus Rashford: The footballer and campaigner has been determined to help the poorest in society and has taken the government to task more than once. Source: @cfcunofficial (via. Flickr)

The decision is a backtrack from the English Government’s previous position, which was that Universal Credit and other means of welfare were the way to help child hunger. The Welsh Government voted in favour of free school meals around the same period. Now, the government says it has acknowledged that school holidays can be “difficult” for some families, with children “at risk” of missing

out on healthy meals. This change of policy on school meals is not the first in recent times. Just last month the Conservative Party whipped its MPs to vote against a labour House of Commons motion to extend the provision of free meals. And a previous campaign by Rashford led to the government continuing free school meals over the summer, after it had previously ended the provisions it started with the initial lockdown. Now though, it seems the government is sticking with the programme, announcing a Holiday Activities and Food programme expansion, which will fund food and activities for up to £220m over Easter, summer and Christmas 2021. Thérèse Coffey, Work and Pensions Secretary, said: “We want to make sure vulnerable people feel cared for throughout this difficult time and, above all, no one should go hungry or be unable to pay their bills this winter.” Rashford, who has made excellent progress so far in his campaign against child hunger, does not seem to be done yet, now pushing for a widening of the scheme to be available for more families who need it.

We want to make sure vulnerable people feel cared for Thérèse Coffey Work and Pensions Secretary

Brexit talks continue as transistion period draws near Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

egotiations over the UK’s future relationship with the European Union (EU) have resumed as EU negotiators travel to London. Reportedly, the main issues of contention between the two political entities remain fishing quotes and competition issues. Both the EU’s Chief, Michel Barnier, and his UK counterpart, David Frost, met as the deadline for the UK’s departure from the EU draws closer. While the UK has already left the EU, on January 31, we still follow the bloc’s rules. The UK is set to leave the “transition stage” on December 31 this year and Boris Johnson has been adamant that we will leave regardless of whether we have a deal. If the UK were to leave without a deal, the nation would default to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, where tariffs and restrictions could be placed at will. Throughout the Brexit process many have worried that this “hard Brexit” approach could spell disaster for the UK economy, which is currently in a recession in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Boris Johnson said on November 7 that the “outlines” of an agreement had been made. At both sides of the table negotiators are trying to avoid a no-deal Brexit, however both sides have yet to rule it out as an option if negotiation fails. As such it is unlikely that the transition period will be extended past the end of 2020. UK negation seems to fair an Australia-style deal or a Canadian-style deal. Australia has a trade deal with

the EU where they largely operate on WTO terms but also have some sector-by-sector agreements. Canada on the other hand, have a deal where they operate a system called the Comprehensive Economic Trade Deal (CETA). CETA removes most tariffs (a system similar to the current free market within the EU where there are no tariffs) however, tariffs remain on poultry, meat, and eggs. Additionally, Canada’s deal protects what are known as “geographical indications” which means that Canada can only import items such as Parma ham from Parma in Italy, they are not allowed to import Param Ham from other parts of the world. The UK negotiators do seem to be more in favour of a CETA agreement, which some would argue is much closer to a “soft Brexit”. Johnson has said that a Canada style deal is “there to be done” and that, “I’ve always been a great enthusiast for a trade deal with our European friends and partners… The broad outlines are pretty clear, we just need to get on and do it if we can.” Ireland’s foreign Minister, Simon Coveney said that it is “quite possible [the talks] could fall apart and we don’t get a deal”. Ireland of course has

I’ve always been a great enthusiast for a trade deal with our European friends and partners Boris Johnson UK Prime Minister

The fishing industry: fishing rights have been a source of contention between the EU and the UK for years, and it seems to be one of the issues making a deal harder to negotiate. Source: Albert Bridge (via. WikiMedia Commons) a vested interest in a deal between the Brexit. EU and UK as the Republic of Ireland Both negotiating parties are exwill become the only nation in the EU pected to resume talks again soon, to have a land border with the UK. with a source from the UK GovernThe Prime Minster has also an- ment telling the BBC that talks were nounced that he will be establish- in the “final stage”. However, the ing an Office for Investment which source also pointed to the fact that will aim to encourage domestic and some key differences remain, such as foreign investment in the UK post- fishing access.

Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

oe Biden is to become the 46th President of the United States, and while this is certainly a major political moment for the United States, it also has a keen impact on the UK too. The USA is arguably the modern nation most deserving of the title “superpower”, with huge economic, diplomatic, and military power projected across the globe, and so who directs that power is of key importance to many governments around the world. Historically the UK and US may seem like unlikely allies. The US gained their independence from British rule in 1776 and the two nations continued to have an antagonistic relationship over the next half century. Such as the war of 1812 which saw British and Canadian (then still a dominion of the British Empire) burn the White House to the ground. However, due in part to the two country’s cooperation during the 20th century, the UK and the US are now firm allies. Many policymakers in the UK are keen to label it “the special relationship”. The four years of President Trump saw him pull out of a number of different international agreements in an attempt to put “America First”. Biden on the other hand seems more open to the international community, being a supporter of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as well as the Paris Climate Agreement. Critics of Johnson and Trump have argued the two leaders are similar and that Biden’s win could leave Johnson and his government in rough water. It could be argued that Trump and Johnson represent populist politics, which seek to appeal to ordinary people while blaming Elites for the problems of the nation, with Trump gone Johnson could well have lost a key ally. Sources from Number 10 had told The Guardian in the run up to the US election that Johnson had hoped that Trump would continue into this second term. As the end of the UK’s transition period with the EU approaches UK officials are keen to sign onto as many trade deals as possible, with the US being a key trading partner and investor. Biden however has said during his campaign that if the UK pursues their intention to push through the Internal Market Bill, which is currently bogged down in the House of Lords, that he would not sign any deal. Biden said that if the UK put the Good Friday Agreement in jeopardy, something the Internal Market Bill may well do, then there won’t be a trade deal with the UK. As such, it’s likely that Biden’s election to high office has lowered the chances of a no-deal Brexit by making it a much riskier policy to pursue. However, all this being said, foreign policy was not something which featured too heavily in the election campaign with the President-elect focusing more on winning American voters to his cause and commenting on American issues.

12 POLITICS In other news Israel criticised for West Bank home demolitions Tom Kingsbury Politics Editor

Hungary has proposed a bill to ban same-sex couples from adopting children. This move is the latest in building anti-LGBT+ rhetoric in Hungary. In May, Hungary passed legislation which banned legal recognition of transgender and intersex citizens. Human rights groups have condemned the proposed law and described it as an attack on the LGBT+ community. This comes only a couple of weeks after Pope Francis gave a landmark blessing to same-sex civil unions, the first time a head of the Catholic Church has done so. The Pope said: “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God.”

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has accused soldiers in the Northern region of the country, Tigrayan, of committing massacres. Amnesty international has corroborated these claims, saying “scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death in Mai-Kadra”. Ethiopia has been fighting the TPLF, once a major part of the ruling coalition government, attacked a military camp on November 4, 2020. If these claims of a massacre are true it would be the first large-scale killing of civilians since the fighting began. Witnesses claim that the violence was perpetrated by the TPLD after they have been beaten by government forces in an area called Lugdi.

nternational organisations have criticised Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes and structures in Humsa Al Bqai’a (also known as Khirbet Humsa) in the occupied West Bank. The area is designated as a ‘firing zone’ by Israel, and the Israeli military said the structures were illegal. The demolition took place on November 3. Along with others, Israeli human rights group B’Tselem accused the Israeli government of using the US election as cover for the demolition. A total of 73 people were reportedly displaced, including 41 children, though Israeli authorities said they had only made “an enforcement action against seven tents and eight animal pens”. The former figures, reported by the UN and EU, amongst other organisations, makes this the largest number of people made homeless by a demolition operation in a decade. The demolitions affected three quarters of the community. As well as demolishing shelters, other structures such as makeshift kitchens and animal pens were destroyed, along with many Palestinians’ belongings. The UN’s humanitarian affairs agency Ocha reported that 689 structures have been destroyed across the West Bank so far this year, already more than any full year since 2016. A typical reason given is a lack of Israeli-issued building permits, though

Zambia is close to defaulting on their foreign debt after a payment of over £30m was missed last month. Zambia had until Friday November 13 to pay this missed bill. The country is burdened with $12bn of external debt. If Zambia were to default on their debt, they would be the first African nation to do so in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Included in the country’s debt is $3bn in bonds owed to Europe.

“The continuation of this policy violates international law, undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace in the region.” Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has on many occasions expressed his aim to annex parts of the West Bank, a region heavily disputed between Israel and Palestine. In a peace agreement with the United Arab Emirates, Israel agreed to suspend annexation, though no commitment was made to cease plans altogether. Following the agreement Netanyahu

said: “I have not given up the annexation yet, and I will bring annexation just as I have with this peace deal”. He did, however, state that annexation would only take place in accordance with the US. Under the Trump administration, the US is one of very few states to dispute the interpretation of Israeli settlements – which are the areas planned for initial annexation – as illegal under international law. President-elect Joe Biden is a strong supporter of Israel too, so it is entirely possible that Netanyahu will have US support even during Biden’s presidency.

The continuation of this policy violates international law, undermines the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace in the region. Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, EU representative

A military escort: The buildings were located in an area designated as a military firing zone by Israel, and Israeli military escorted the people responsible for the demolition. Source: guillaumepaumier.com, CC-BY (via. Wikimedia Commons)

International leaders respond to Joe Biden’s win Francesca Lonescu Contributor

I China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand are set to sign a new trade deal along with the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). The new trade deal will establish a trade zone larger than North America. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) aims to eliminate a myriad of tariffs on imports within 20 years. Experts see this deal as a Chinese backed alternative to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) which was a similar trade deal that excluded the Chinese government. The TPP was signed in 2016 and the US pulled out of the agreement in 2017.

Palestinian communities often complain of the difficulty of obtaining these in what the UN called a “restrictive and discriminatory planning regime”. The UN said the demolitions were designed to coerce Palestinians to leave their homes and warned: “Their vulnerability is further compounded by the onset of winter and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.” It called for Israel to “immediately halt unlawful demolitions.” The EU’s diplomatic service also rebuked Israel, a representative stating that it “confirms the worrying trend of demolitions, evictions and confiscations since the beginning of the year.” He noted that the “devastating impact” was worst on women and children, and that Israel was violating international law and “basic human rights”. The service also stated that Israel had destroyed “EU-funded humanitarian assets” and noted that 52 Palestinian schools were currently under threat of demolition.

n one of the most highly anticipated American elections of recent memory, Joe Biden was finally projected to win the Presidentcy with 290 electoral votes, against Donald Trump’s 214 after almost five days of ballot counting. After it was announced Biden had been projected to win Pennsylvania, a key state in the race for the White

House, Biden made a statement saying ‘We’re going to win this race with a clear majority of the nation behind us’ , referring to his lead in historically Republican states. Biden did not announce victory, but made it clear he was hopeful for the final results to begin coming in. A video of Kamala Harris was posted to social media after the announcement came that the BidenHarris campaign had succeeded. The video saw Harris congratulating Joe Biden, clearly having been told

An international response: International leaders keep a keen eye on US

politics, as the results of elections often impact their countires’ too. Source: Visit to France (via. Wikimedia Commons)

the news while she was out playing sports with her family. Trump’s reaction was documented through his twitter account, where he urged the electoral college to “STOP THE COUNT”. President Trump also claimed the counting of mail-in ballots posted after the date of the election should be contested. The Trump administration told of their intention of going to the Supreme Court to contest the mailin ballots and attempt to stop the counting of ballots in states which were yet to announce their results. Some of the Trump administration supporters were seen protesting in key swing states who were yet to note their results, with many crowding outside Pennsylvania’s Capitol Building. Yorktown Republican Representative Mike Jones told the protesting crowds that if the country succumbs to “socialism” it’s “because good men and women did nothing”. In Michigan, Trump supporters gathered and chanted ‘Four more years’ and ‘We won’, despite announcements coming in from various states who had results indicating Biden would be projected to win the Presidency. But what has the response been outside of America? International leaders have responded to Biden’s win and the controversy which surrounded election night and the days prior. The Japanese Land Minister called Donald Trump’s refusal to concede the presidency a so-called proof of “dictatorship” and asked “Where has our role model for democracy gone?” in a since-deleted tweet. He claimed he didn’t want to be misinterpreted and he was “sad-

dened” by the division found in the USA. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a photo to social media, staing he was in talks with the new President-Elect, though he appears to be one of the first to do so. Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un have as of yet made no comment on Biden’s win. The alleged Russian involvement in the 2016 Presidential election which gave Trump the Presidency, however, could well be reason for Putin’s refusal to comment. Erik Brattberg, Director of the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Foundation explained the phenomenon as “European leaders simply have nothing to gain right now by openly criticizing him and will instead resort to veiled criticisms and expressing hope for improved relations under President Biden.” Although many International leader from across the world have shown their support for the new President-elect, some have decided against making a public statement. President Trump will remain in office until January 2021.

European leaders simply have nothing to gain right now by openly critisizing [Trump] and will instead resort to veiled criticisms and expressing hope for improved relations under President Biden. Erik Brattberg Director of the European Program

STUDY CAFFI LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO STUDY? Book in at the Welcome Centre Food and Drinks can be ordered while you study from our app Cardiff University SU (No entry without signing in)

cardiffstudents.com

COMMENT

YOUR Johnny Depp loses libel case against Amber Heard COMMENT Is it ethically right for tabloids to report on such sensitive cases? DESK Cerys Ann Jones

Comment Editor

Molly Govus

Sian Hopkins

Cerys Ann Jones

Izzy Morgan comment@gairrhydd.com

he highly regarded American actor and musician, Johnny Depp, has become subject to scrutiny regarding domestic violence against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, following his loss of a libel court case against the British tabloid newspaper, The Sun, who labelled Depp a ‘wife-beater’. Central to the case was the actor’s assertion that the allegations of physical abuse were an “elaborate hoax”, but a large majority of the alleged assaults by Mr. Depp had been proven to the civil standard. The renowned Hollywood celebrity had sued The Sun over a column titled “Gone Potty: How can JK Rowling be ‘genuinely happy’ casting wife-beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?” written in April 2018 by executive editor Dan Wotton. Judge Justice Nicol of London High Court stated that Depp had “proved the necessary elements of his cause of action in libel”, as News Group Newspapers (NGN), the current publisher of The Sun, The Times, and The Sunday Times newspapers had provided evidence proving that the article’s content was “substantially true”. NGN alongside Amber Heard had presented evidence in court supporting 14 separate allegations of domestic violence derived from between 2013 and 2016 in defence of Depp’s claim against the tabloid newspaper. Heard had claimed that her exhusband threatened to kill her “many times, especially later in our relationship”, and would blame his actions on a “self-created third party” he called “the monster”. During his ruling, Mr. Justice Nicol stated that “a great majority” of the threatening incidents did occur. Depp’s team and dedicated following believe that the utilisation of the evidence displayed at court was a plot planned to falsely support the allegations being made. Jenny Afia, the Head of the Legal Team at Schillings, the law firm which represented Depp during the trial said that the outcome was “perverse, bewildering and flawed”, stating that it would be “ridiculous” for the actor not to appeal, or condemn the final verdict:

“This decision is as perverse as it is bewildering. Most troubling is the Judge’s reliance on the testimony of Amber Heard, and corresponding disregard of the mountain of counter-evidence from police officers, medical practitioners, her former assistant, other unchallenged witnesses, and an array of documentary evidence which completely undermined the allegations, point by point. All of this was overlooked”. The actor has also filed a $50million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife in Virginia court encompassing an opinion piece she wrote regarding her experience with domestic abuse in The Washington Post. She writes: “Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out”. Heard does not mention Depp by name, but the Hollywood celebrity believes that the piece would tarnish his reputation in a pervasive manner. The location of the court hearing at Virginia poses the question of whether Depp had forum shopped the suit to Virginia, where the printing press of The Washington Post is located, for the provision of a more favourable judgement. Following his loss of the libel court case, Depp has announced that he will resign from the Harry Potter prequel series, the Fantastic Beasts, following the request of Warner Bros Entertainment. The actor confirmed his departure from the Fantastic Beasts Franchise in a statement posted on Instagram’s social platform, in which he states that he had been “asked to resign” from his role as Gellert Grindelwald, and had “respected and agreed to that request”. He followed the announcement with an insistence of his innocence and a pledge to appeal the verdict and continue the legal battle against The Sun over domestic violence allegations. He stated: “The surreal judgment of the court in the UK will not change my fight, to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal,” he wrote. “My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time”.

Depp’s departure was affirmed by Warner Bros in a statement which details that his role in the third production of Fantastic Beasts will be recast. The company stated: “Johnny Depp will depart the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise. We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date. ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast. The film will debut in theatres worldwide in the summer of 2022”. In the wake of Heard’s allegations being deemed credible by the court, the creator of the critically acclaimed Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, and the studios have been criticised for their previous decision made in 2017 to continue working with Depp despite loud calls or WB not to work with a suspected domestic abuser. Rowling’s previous statement read: “Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies”. Phone recordings obtained by the Daily Mail were released In January which revealed that Depp was also subject to domestic abuse by his exwife. The audiotape is a conversation regarding the physical abuse that Depp experienced, in which Heard admitted “I did not punch you, I was hitting you”, to which Depp replied:

“I left last night. Honestly, I swear to you because I couldn’t take the idea of more physicality, more physical abuse on each other. Because had we continued it, it would have gotten f****** bad. And baby, I told you this once. I’m scared to death we are in a f****** crime scene right now”. The extent of the physicality was illuminated through Heard’s troubling response: “I can’t promise you I won’t get physical again. God, I f****** sometimes get so mad I lose it”. The cycle of violence between the high-profile couple has been reported in a partial manner following the libel trial, as imperative emphasis has been placed on the abuse derived from Depp. The complexity of domestic abuse is often reported in a sensationalist manner within tabloid journalism, which may be damaging or detrimental to those involved. Depp’s implementation of legal action illuminates the pervasive impact that the allegations have proceeded to have on the actor, thus elucidating the need for alteration in the tabloid media landscape. Such effects, namely Depp being removed from the cast of Fantastic Beats poses the question of whether The Sun should have faced implications for how the domestic abuse was reported. Journalistic content encompassing topics of a sensitive nature should be reported impartially, containing factual information without bias.

Lost court case: misrepresentation of court cases in the media can be detrimental. Source: TPHeinz (via. needpix.com)

The importance of Kamala Harris’ vice presidency win for America Sian Hopkins

Comment Editor

fter a week of gruelling vote counting, on Saturday the 7th of November 2020, the final polls revealed democratic representative Joe Biden as the new presidential elect for the United States of America. With his win, an even bigger milestone was achieved as Kamala Harris became the first woman Vice-President in America’s history. Not only that, but as the Independent correctly notes, ‘she’ll not only be the first woman VP, but the first Black or Asian person of any gender to be second-in-command.’ Insert name notes how important this win is to American politics: This is a momentous victory for representational politics, and a moment of pride for many people everywhere

— Black people, Jamaican people, Indian people, Tamil people, and more. Harris’s identities embody several diasporas, making her the most diverse vice president this country (and most “Western” countries, for that matter) has ever seen. After four years of Trump’s presidency, which was filled with sexist, racist and derogatory remarks from the President himself, but also the arguable encouraging of white supremacy. Kamala Harris’ procuring of the vice-president role within the Whitehouse is a momentous symbol of hope for women and for black women in particular. On reporting the results on CNN, they stated: The California senator’s historymaking win also represents the millions of women in the demographics -- often overlooked, historically underrepresented and systematically ignored -who are now the recipients of that new

power for the first time in the country’s 200-plus-year history. The AmericanBritish Playwright, Bonnie Greer, OBE, wrote an article for the telegraph, emphasising the importance of Harris’ win for Black women and girls. She writes, ‘Too often for a black woman, growing older and that obligation to “not go gently into that good night”...that top layer of the epidermis that defines and shapes our destiny…the realities of the skin you live in are passed onto female descendants until there is a kind of community of pain, hiding and rage.’ Greer goes on to praise Kamala Harris for raising above a structure that was built to keep her at the bottom of the society ladder and take the job of being the most powerful woman in America. By doing so, she faces all those layers and foundations of built up discrimination and prejudice face on. After the final numbers from the polls

were announced, Harris stepped forward and delivered an inspiring speech in Delaware, that acknowledged the significance of her accepting the role of Vice-President. Her speech reached out to the American nation with: “Every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities...know that we will applaud you every step of the way,” she said. Previously, during an interview on CNN she had stated ‘You didn’t have to be confined by anyone else’s idea of what it means to be Black,’ highlighting that the stereotypes and opportunities put on black women and men are the result of an old, racial system that needs to be resisted. This resistance comes in the form of young children being encouraged to seek greatness and hard work, so that they can be told they have the ability to do anything they wish to achieve. Harris’ win is already encouraging a new generation, with young

people like Paris, who commented for CNN ‘it just feels like Black girls like me can run for class president, Black girls like me can go for the big things in life like she did.” It is important to acknowledge that whilst a powerful symbol of progression within the American system and a message to the rest of the world, this is an advancement and not the end achievement. Mikki Kendall, author of Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women White Feminists Forgot, sums up perfectly the significance of Kamala Harris’ vice-presidency for The Guardian: “We must celebrate the progress that Harris’s role represents, but not take advancement as achievement. There is still so much work to be done. The door that was opened for Harris is one she must be willing to keep open for others, so that seeing women in leadership roles in America is standard.”

New online bookshop set to rival Amazon

SYLWADAU

Will this revolutionise the way we buy our books in order to support independent businesses?

Changing the game: the store has been described as a ‘revolutionary moment in the history of bookselling’ Source: DMCA (via. Pxfuel) nies maintain sales. Hunter stated that he believes Bookshop’s quick success is down to the readers’ fondness for their local booksellers. He states: ‘Bookstores have been in trouble for a while because of Amazon’s growth, but this pandemic has really accelerated it. Amazon has gotten much more powerful, while there are 100-year-old stores that are hanging on for survival’. It goes without saying that Bookshop is for the people and kept going by the people – this makes a massive difference in comparison to the almost robotic nature of Amazon and ordering. Hunter’s vision adds a sense of personality and passion into the concept of buying books which is often missed on popular global shopping platforms. He reinforced: ‘We were so successful because enough people were conscious of that, and wanted to rally around their beloved bookstores, because they care about the world that we emerge from this pandemic into’. What makes Bookshop stand out from other retailers is that it allows independent bookshops to create their own virtual shopfront on the website. This means that the store can keep its own image and brand to maintain and keep their clientele.

The stores receive the full profit margin of their sales, minus 30% of the cover price from each sale. Also, all customer service and shippings are handled by Bookshop and distributing partners, meaning the retailers can focus on the passion and inspiration behind selling their books. Whilst there is more personability behind the process, Bookshop has many characteristics that are similar to Amazon; books can be delivered within two to three days, which is just about the same turnaround as Amazon delivery, but titles are also offered at a small discount. The company states that its website-browsing experience is intended to ‘mirror the joy of discovering a new book in a physical bookshop’, rather than algorithms influencing decisions. Each store that joins has its own ‘storefront’ page, where customers can browse virtual tables of books and personally recommended lists. Some of these include ‘wonderfully funny picture books I’ve read to the bookshop staff ’ and ‘books to help you take your life in stride’. There is clearly something extremely endearing about this company and what they do for their sellers. It is inspiring to know that such little changes can make a shopping experience just

that little bit more personal, and a bit more fun. What is clear is that this shopping experience and company has its people and customers in mind, making the whole process captivating, exciting and modern. As much as we may love a ponder into a bookshop, we cannot ignore the sad truth that the pandemic has hit these small independent businesses hard. With lockdowns coming and going around the UK, nothing is definite anymore, and unfortunately, small businesses are financially hit the worst. Hunter’s brilliant creation captivates the old, nostalgic love for book shopping and moulds it into a modern platform. The utilisation of old and new marketing technique has created a brilliant company that can benefit hundreds, and maybe one day, even thousands. Moreover, the concept targets younger and older age groups simultaneously, broadening the target market and its concept. The question remains, though, of whether the general public will turn to sites such as Bookshop for their book fix. Will people be too used to the habit of ordering from Amazon? After all, it is what we know and are used to. Bookshop’s success sets a good example for more companies such as this in the future, but only time will tell if it makes a drastic difference.

‘What’s wrong with ‘A sustainable and just going into a shop?’ community alternative’ Contributor

n all honesty, I think this is an unecessary website. It’s not needed, to put it simply. There are already countless online and independent bookstores that have fast and reliable delivery, and even free shipping and discounts. Saying that, I do believe there could be some potential here, but there is nothing on the website that global retailers such as Amazon can’t do, unfortunately. The big and ultimate question is also whether people will actually use the platform. We know of the big name companies, we place our trust and reliability into them, so why would consumers stray from

abortions in Poland Izzy Morgan

Comment Editor

Anonymous

The ruling against Comment Editor

Molly Govus

n a year where it seems anything can happen, there has been some good news for book-nerds alike. There’s something brilliant about books in the way that, ironically, words can never accurately describe their nature. Whether it’s the smell of the pages or tattered book covers, there is something nostalgically special about humanity’s love for a good book. Naturally, the way we buy our books has changed drastically. For better or for worse, bookstores are often used now as an indie-trend for Instagram pictures. They are sadly now few and far between due to the rise of online shopping outlets such as Amazon, due to its ease of purchase. So, how do independent book retailers compete in this competitive market against global franchises such as Amazon? Andy Hunter, writer and cofounder of Literary Hub, started with a vision called ‘Bookshop’. The socially conscious online alternative to Amazon was launched in the US earlier this year in January, initially starting with 250 bookshops in partnership. Currently, the business has more than 900 stores signed up in the US. By June of this year, just after six months of being up and running, Bookshop had sold $1 million worth of books in a day. Following this, the platform raised more than $7.5 million for independent bookstores across the USA. Hunter’s initial plan was to launch Bookshop in the UK in the next fear years, but after the growing success of the US launch decided to bring his service to the UK earlier this month. As it stands, 130 British bookshops have signed up with the platform and it is expected that over 200 will sign up just by the end of this year. The platform’s arrival to the UK has been extremely well-received. Andy Rossiter from Rossiter Books in Ross-on-Wye described that ‘being an independent bookseller has for so many years been such a battle’, and platform’s such as Bookshop will help independent compa-

what they know to a company that has only just launched, in the middle of a pandemic? The other big red flag is, what’s wrong with just going into a shop? Do we really want to risk losing the art of simple, in-person buying? Due to the pandemic, far too many things are going virtual. I fear that by the time life goes back to some kind of normal, there will be nothing left to do. Everything is virtualised, everything is now on a website. Sometimes, this is a blessing, but we also risk losing the simple process of ‘shopping’. Another thing is, what about older people who aren’t tech-savvy? It’s not very accessible. These are just a few questions that come to mind.

Anonymous Contributor

he independent bookstore is an important staple of local communities and are almost always guaranteed friendly and knowledgeable customer service. However, they can be expensive if your purchases become a regular occurrence, especially as a student. This is how Amazon became the most popular retail platform once again, making Jeff Bezos his trillions by using student prime deals, second hand options and kindle books. Even before coronavirus threw many local businesses into jeopardy, Amazon was already gaining billions of people’s money everyday

and need no extra help through the Christmas period with staying afloat. The same can’t be said for local bookstores, as less physical customers lead to less sales and ultimately more susceptible to closure. Whereas, Amazon faces many legal suits and scandals surrounding worker rights and abuse, this will ultimately be the only job available as it swallows all the smaller businesses. Although it’s not set to overtake or even ‘beat’ Amazon. It presents a sustainable and community alternative to a trillion dollar business. When we return to some normality we will appreciate the work and community feel that has remained by the survival of our independent businesses.

ews of legislature changes in Poland which have voted against the right of a woman to seek an abortion lawfully have sparked protest and conversation around the world. On October 22nd of this year, Poland made all abortions unconstitutional despite there being a relatively small number of them being carried out anyway. In Cardiff, throughout the least year we have seen many clashes between ‘pro-life’ activists and those who are ‘pro-choice’ for women to be able to freely seek this procedure. The protests have been known to take place outside the universities’ main building and therefore, it has become a topic of major discussion amongst students with many feeling that the protests should not be allowed as they believe it infringes on the rights of women. With the shifting political climate in places like America where the election is causing increasing divisions between the ends of the political spectrum, debates like this must be tackled in order to provide the security and well-being of women in their own states and countries. Social media brings a whole new danger to the debate with many different groups clashing online and differing belief systems having the ability to organise much larger protests sometimes outside places such as abortion clinics which could be extremely troubling mentally for the women who choose to go there. On apps like TikTok in particular, mounting tensions between specific groups in America have become cause for concern, with police needing to be summoned in order to de-escalate conflicts. So, why despite the fact of abortion being legalised in the UK in 1968 and in the US in 1973, are these debates still going on? There are sometimes while not always religious afiiliations and justifications for the protests against abortions but with the opposing side of the debate proposing that it is a right for all women. Perhaps the most troubling fact in all of this is the sense of, as a woman, that our rights are being debated like it is politics by sometimes very under-representative bodies. The protests in Cardiff, in particular, were sparked by the universities’ student union adopting a pro-choice stance to abortion, a decision that was welcomed by a lot of the student community. The use of graphic photos signposting outside the university to contest this were described many as upsetting, unnecessary and distressing. Poland saw one its biggest protests following the decision to ban most abortions for decadces with reportedly 100,000 to 150,000 in attendance despite being in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision means that abortions can only legally take place if the pregnancy poses risk to the mothers’ life or if the pregnancy has come about due to rape or incest. The mental toll of carrying a child to birth as well as other long-term medical risks have been seemingly overlooked in this sense. The division we are seeing is increasingly worrying with more political unrest amounting following the divisive election in the United States with the concern that it could escalate to violence and potentially violence against women. The debate rages on and in places such as Poland, there is still a long battle to be fought for the rights of women to access these procedures which could potentially be sorely needed in some cases. This is, however, undoubtedly a case of human rights rather than political beliefs or religion-focused ethics.

ADVICE

YOUR How to respond to bullying as an adult What can you do to overcome the stigma of reporting bullying at work or university? ADVICE DESK N Vicky Witts

Head of Advice

Vicky Witts

Megan Evans advice@gairrhydd.com

Volunteering opportunities at Cardiff Uni Megan Evans Advice Editor

here are a lot of different societies that you can be a part of, which can drastically boost your CV, help the communuity, and help you make friends that’ll use your time more efficiently. Clean Up Cardiff If you are passionate about the place you live in and also the surrounding environments, this is a project which helps look for enthusiastic volunteers to help with litter picks, river clean-ups, beach clean-ups and initiatives that look to reduce plastic in the community and beyond. Bare Necessities Bare Necessities is a very new student-led project, that aims to empower small communities by providing basic products to be clean and comfortable. The project acts as a campaign to support people living in poverty. They help by providing the basic needs such as shampoo, deodorant, sanitary products. Any donations at all can drastically change the lives of a whole host of people. SKIP Their aims are to help develop the health, education and welfare of vulnerable children. They heavily invest time in researching issues within the community to ‘Sex and Relationship Education’. This is a great option to meet passionate and organised. individuals. There’s an option to teach in primary schools which requires training and skills that can pass over to any job.

ovember can often seem like a chaotic time, with Remembrance Day, nearing deadlines and potential early Christmas shopping, and so it can be easy to ignore some of the other major events and issues going on. For example, Anti-bullying week. Starting on Monday November 16, the week aims to bring focus to the issues of bullying within our society and the ways in which we can act to combat them. It may seem as if issues of bullying are only experienced by children and so, you may not feel that this week applies to you. However, with rising cases of workplace and university bullying, it is still important to consider how you should act if you ever experience bullying as an adult. Talk to a figure of authority To ensure that the bullying that you are experiencing does not continue, one of the most direct courses of action that you can take is to report whoever is affecting you to a person in a position of power in your workplace or university, such as a personal tutor or boss. This is because they may have the power to formally undertake disciplinary actions and may be able to offer you support if you feel that you have mentally or emotionally suffered in any way as a result of the bully-

ing that you experienced. It may seem daunting at first to consider reporting bullying in general, due to a fear of repercussions that you may have, especially in workplace situations where the person bullying you may have more power than you within your work. However, by directly speaking to your boss, tutor or other authority figure, you may be able to effectively avoid any consequences of speaking up, as they may be able to put precautions in place to prevent you from being negatively affected if you report your abuse. Learn how to properly speak up Speaking up for yourself and directly confronting the person that you feel is bullying you can often seem terrifying and may merely escalate the situation further if done incorrectly. Although there is no specific guide to follow to teach you the best way to confront a bully, there are some ways to make the situation go slightly easier. For example, it is best to speak to them calmly, regardless of any anger that you may be feeling towards them, because any aggression may just make the situation worse. You should also openly express your emotions and voice to them the specific things that you feel are hurting you, as the person in question may not have even realised that what they were doing was affecting you if they have not taken the time to evaluate their

actions. It is ok to be the victim The term ‘bullying’ can often come with the false association that bullying only happens to children on the playground. The stigma surrounding the term can often make it feel like the feelings that you are experiencing as a result of someone else’s actions are invalid, and consequently, that you should just allow the bullying to continue. However, this mentality is untrue and can negatively affect your mental health if you continue to be bullied and ignore that you may be a victim. Bullying at university

or within the workplace is unfortunately common, with Forbes reporting a rise in the number of people experiencing bullying in the workplace from 75% in 2008 to nearly 94% in 2019. Similarly, an investigation by the Guardian found that nearly 300 academics in British universities had been accused of bullying students and peers. Therefore, whether it is by peers, lecturers, or employers, being bullied as an adult is not an unusual situation to experience. It is therefore important to be able to admit that you are a victim in bullying situations.

Bullying as an adult: How do we cope with bullying when it happens to us as an adult? Source: mohammed_hassan (via Needpix.com)

How to avoid the ‘Fears of Missing Out’ Megan Evans Advice Editor

OMO is a real issue that a lot of young people experience as you go through a large portion of university life. You may feel the pressures of other people going out, socialising and actively doing things that you may not necessarily feel comfortable doing, but you may want to do them anyway, in order to fit the norms and stigma of what normal university life is like. These pressures can heighten young people’s feelings of anxiety, and it can also really affect other areas of normal day to day living, as you are constantly comparing to see if you are living up to those expectations that other people push towards you. And the reality is, you are allowed to feel like this. The normal university experience of going to lectures in person, and then speaking to coursemates, and perhaps organising a night out after has been hindered due to the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. There are so light ways to stop you feeling negative and the feelings of missing out on what university is offering. Firstly, PUT everything into perspective. It may be incredibly frustrating that you can’t attend that perfect night out that you have always been dreaming of, or meet up with the people that you have wanted to meet, but when you really think about it, everyone is in the same boat. Instead of stressing out on all the things that you can’t do now, focus on the here and the now. What can you ac-

Avoiding FOMO: Using social media too much may heighten the social anxieities around missing out. Source: (via Pikrepo) tively do right now that can benefit your well-being? If you can’t go out, what can you do to enjoy spending time with the people in your house or accommodation to match that? What you need to realise, is that not everyone gets the opportunity to go to university and experience the ‘uni’ lifestyle, so just enjoy the fact you have enrolled and you still have time to go out and do exactly what you’ve been wanting to do. Make time for the things that really matter I find that the more I focus the time on what actually matters to me, which could be a number of things, it just makes me feel so much better about any anxious feelings inside. A lot of my time is spent doing sport, or writing, and spending time with those who are closest to me. If you continue to do the same, then those feelings

of FOMO will fade, because you aren’t really missing out if you are doing all the things that continue to make you feel positive and with that, will better your university experience. Too much time trying to think negatively about what you are missing will make you miss out more on finding the beauty in what makes you happy in day to day life, which is the most important thing. Be optimistic about the future As much as we don’t know how things will pan out, all we can do to keep us feeling that we aren’t missing out as much as we are, is to prepare for when we are able to. Accept that maybe now isn’t the time to do everything you want to do, which is an extremely hard skill in life that we all have to face up to, and be patient. Things will improve with time. We haven’t had to experience anything like this before, so we are all hoping

that we can regain some sense of normality. That optimism will be the fuel to helping you to navigate the concerns and worries that we can all agree that we are feeling. University is so much more than the nights out. Take up a new skill, a sport, a volunteer group, and use this time to engage with new opportunities you may not get again. Comparison is not key: It is an illusion If you are an avid social media scroller, where you are consistently checking up on people and seeing what they are doing, you are just making it harder for yourself. You need to try not to do this as often, because a large root of unhappiness is by comparing what you are doing to everyone else, and then feeling like you are not as successful or doing as well. The likes of Instagram and Snapchat are an illusion to the reality of how someone is feeling in that moment. Just because a snippet of someone’s life looks happy, doesn’t mean they are doing better than you or are happier than you. You aren’t missing out on the most perfect life, as most students who have had to isolate and adapt to the new learning methods, are most likely feeling the exact same feelings and perhaps are using your own media to make themselves feel better. At the end of the day, the utmost happiness you can feel is when you don’t care as much about the glamourising of posting about every snippet of your day, and enjoying company in person, or little acts that are much more enjoyable through youe eye than a screen.

FEEL UNSAFE AND HAVEN’T GOT THE CASH TO GET HOME? Call Dragon Taxis on 029 20 333 333 quoting ‘Cardiff University Safe Taxi Scheme’, giving your name and student number.

cardiffstudents.com/safetaxi

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

YOUR New COVID-19 vaccine 90% effective vaccine, which has been trialled in over 34,000 individuals, SCIENCE The has already been ordered by the UK to get 30m doses by 2020 end DESK A Holly Giles

Head of Science & Technology

Holly Giles

Rowenna Hoskin

Mili Jayadeep

Jack Robert Stacey science@gairrhydd.com

new COVID vaccine has been shown to be over 90% effective in preliminary studies including over 43,000 people. The vaccine has been tested on participants in over six countries and is described as both safe and effective. The vaccine has been developed by Pfizer and BioNTech who describe the results as a “great day for science and humanity” and is giving hope to politicians and policy makers everywhere that normality may be on the horizon. This is not the first vaccine to be trialled for COVID-19 as there are currently over ten prototypes in the final stages of clinical trials however, this is the first vaccine to show any results. It is an RNA vaccine which works by injecting part of the virus’s genetic code (RNA) which invades cells and causes them to display the coronavirus protein on their surface. This triggers an immune reaction where the body makes antibodies to target and destroy the infected cells. These antibodies are then remembered so that if the patient encounters coronavirus again the body is able to produce antibodies before the infection can spread, making them immune. It is important to recognise that this is not a one-shot fix; the vaccine needs two doses, three weeks apart and the 90% protection is only achieved one week after the second dose (a month after the initial vaccination). Despite this deal, Pfizer believes it will be able to supply 50 million doses by the end of 2020 and 1.3 billion by the end of 2021. Although the UK has already ordered 30 million doses, it is not yet clear how this will be administered to or divided among the population. It has been speculated the vaccine will first be given to key workers and then to the vulnerable. Reflecting on the work, Dr Albert Bourla, the Chairman and CEO of Pfiza, said: “we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis”. He continued: “Today is a great

High demand: The UK has already ordered 30 million doses of the vaccine and has warned the NHS to be ready to vaccinate from the start of December 2020. Source: gerald (via Pixabay) day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19. We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen” Currently, the vaccine has been tested on 43,500 individuals but the new results are based on the first 94 volunteers; this means the 90% figure may change as more results are gathered. The company must reach 124 cases to be able to take their vaccine to regulators, which is expected to occur in the third week of November. The team have also extended their study to look at whether the vaccine can provide long-term protection against COVID-19 as it is not known how long the protection lasts or if it decreases over time. The study will

also extend its scope to look at the effect on severe COVID-19 cases, termed “long-term COVID”. An additional concern for researchers is that while they may have made a vaccine, there are concerns people will be unwilling to take it. In a US research poll conducted in September, it was reported that 51% of US adults would be unwilling to get a vaccine if it was available then. This figure dropped from 72% in May but, with vaccines becoming available, this behaviour may be subject to change over the coming months. General Gus Perna, who runs Operation Warp Speed in America, explained: “We get vaccines to the American people and they don’t take them. Shame on us”. He went on to add that people already having had the virus may make them feel they don’t need a vaccine. Whilst it is unclear what proportions of UK citizens are against the vaccine, it offers hope to many key

workers and vulnerable people that they may be able see friends and family at Christmas without risking their health. It marks a key milestone in the battle against COVID-19 and suggests that at last, science may be winning. Today is a great day for science and humanity. The first set of results from our phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent COVID-19… We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling” Dr Albert Bourla

Chairman & CEO of Pfizer

Roadside weed shows potential as a future cancer treatment Alex Brown Contributor

plant biologist from Royal Holloway, University of London has provided a breakthrough in breast cancer treatment in the form of a common roadside weed. Around 8,100 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, which is 22 per day. As current treatment options, such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy having severe and long term side effects, alternative therapies are well received. Also known as mouse-ear cress or thale cress has been found to stop growth of breast cancer without damaging healthy cells. The miracle weed

belongs to the cabbage family and is readily found in Africa, Eurasia and Europe in disturbed habitats. Due to its simple molecular structure, it was quickly dismissed by many scientists, but Professor Alessandra Devoto saw potential in the plant she has nicknamed the ‘Cinderella weed’. In a joint study with other scientists at the University of Exeter and Brunei University London, Professor Devoto treated the weed with a hormone found in jasmine plants that initiates a stress response. After incubating the treated leaves with breast cancer tissue, she found that the cancerous cells stopped growing, while the healthy cells were unaffected. This research, published in the New Phytologist, could be used to reduce the

side effects caused by invasive chemotherapy, which include nausea and vomiting, suppressed immunity, and hair loss. Professor Devoto has said, ‘The plant is very much like the Cinderella of the medicinal plant world- no one thought it was so special, but it has shown its true colours.’ She also added: ‘Everyone knows someone who has gone through chemotherapy and the severe side effects it causes. This skinny little weed is a bit of a superhero, it stops the cancer cells but causes no other damage.’ Fourteen years ago, when Professor Devoto first began exploring the potential of the weed, many of her colleagues dismissed her. ‘People started looking at me funny when I told them I was investigating

the medicinal properties of the plant in 2006’ She recounts, ‘People were sceptical. It has taken me 14 years of perseverance and persistence to achieve these results. I am incredibly proud of our team.’ Dr Harvey and Professor Smirnoff, who worked with Professor Devoto on the project added, ‘Combined with recent progress in metabolic engineering and biotechnology, our approach will also facilitate production and analysis of bioactivities of valuable metabolites from plants on an industrial scale. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration with Professor Devoto to identify the plant-derived chemicals that interfere with breast cancer cells as well as with other dis-

eases and to progress this research by gathering more funding to benefit society more widely.’ This is an interesting area of exploration as it shows potential for developing treatments for diseases such as breast cancer. The study’s findings highlights the need for further research into anticancer properties of such plants and its application in disease treatments

People started looking at me funny when I told them I was investigating the medicinal properties of the plant Professor Devoto

Researcher at Royal Holloway

GWYDDONIAETH A THECHNOLEG

The environmental impact of fireworks highlighted in new study as potential risk to health Gemma Muller Contributor

onfire Night celebrations are full of colour and sparkle, but not for your health and the environment, as research shows fireworks elevate soot levels in the air by 100 times. Soot is produced when fossil fuels, biofuels, and biomass are burnt, with sources including driving cars, electricity generation, and forest fires. Scientists from University of Leeds investigated whether these particles were harmful to the environment by influencing clouds. Ice occurs naturally in clouds, but small particles of desert and soil dust, fungi, and bacteria in the air can be surrounded and frozen by supercooled water droplets, freezing clouds and potentially impacting earth’s climate. Samples of filtered air were taken hourly on 5th November 2016 and 2017 at University of Leeds, more than 0.5 km from bonfires or firework displays to represent city air quality. The filters were washed to collect black carbon and this liquid was subjected to different temperatures to replicate atmospheric conditions. Interestingly, back carbon did not show properties of ice-nucleating particles, suggesting

no effect on clouds. However, they did find extremely high levels of this pollutant in the atmosphere. Black carbon is actually known as a climate forcing agent that warms the Earth. It absorbs sunlight and reduces reflection (albedo) when deposited on ice and snow. This work shows it not to be a source of ice-nucleating particles that buffer the world’s oceans from the warming effect of CO2. Lead author Michael Adams, Research Fellow in Atmospheric Ice Nucleation, said “Our measurements showed that whilst pollution emitted on Bonfire Night shouldn’t have any effect on whether clouds are liquid or ice [elevated soot measurements] should be a warning to those with pre-existing health conditions”. This pollutant poses a serious public health problem, as their very fine size (< 2.5 µm) allows them to penetrate deep into the lungs. This not only causes respiratory diseases but can also negatively impact the cardiovascular system and cause premature death. People most at risk include those with heart or lung disease (including asthma), the elderly and young. Research Supervisor Benjamin Murray, Professor of Atmospheric Science in Leeds’ School of Earth and

Environment, said: “Bonfire Night is a massive pollution event across the UK” and “it was striking how poor air quality was.” Weather conditions can affect how long particles remain in the air, with winds during the 2016 experiment blowing the pollutant away within a few hours. However, in 2017 the air was relatively still and Professor Murray was “surprised to see levels of

black carbon so persistently high for so long on multiple nights.” Soot emitted from electricity generation and oil refineries seem out of our direct control to limit. However, we can easily control our own usage of fireworks. It calls into question if people should be more thoughtful over their use of these pollutant producers in excess on one night, for the sake of public health.

Behind the colours: The new study shows there may be a darker side to our colourful celebrations. Source: unknown (via PickPik)

Beating climate change one roof at a time Rowenna Hoskin Science Editor

n order for the UK to reach its climate obligations, campaigners say that the country must focus on home insulation and heat pumps to replace the nation’s gas boilers. Not only will this reduce the amount of fossil fuels used and wasted, but it will simultaneously provide work for thousands. In September, a government scheme to insulate homes began. It provided green grants to households who applied, allowing them to improve their carbon footprint, and by extension, the nation’s. Unfortunately this scheme is set to finish next March meaning that tens of millions of homes will be left with energy-inefficient houses, dependent on fossil fuel heating - which must be phased out in order for the UK to reach the net zero carbon goal. The scheme has amazing potential, and should it be expanded, it would be one of the most effective ways to ensure that carbon targets are met. It would also produce at least 300,000 jobs according to the Climate Coalition of 70 charities and campaigning groups. Overall the Climate Coalition represents around 22 million supporters around the UK. While the scheme certainly has potential, and is a step in the right direction, it is not without its pitfalls. Currently, home owners are finding it almost impossible to get a contractor as the builders must TrustMark registered and listed on the official Simple Energy Advice (SEA) website. Large areas of the country seem to have no contrac-

• • •

tors willing or able to do the work. Martin Lewis, leading founder of the Moneysavingexpert website, labels the scheme a “postcode lottery” and one that needs government intervention. Katie White, the executive director of advocacy and campaigns for WWF, said: “As the pandemic hits us all hard again, we will once again look to our leaders for plans to rebuild and recover. A recovery where we ignore climate and nature is not a recovery at all, it is starting the timer for the next crisis. Inaction is not an option if we are to protect our planet for future generations.” The current scheme must have its accessibility improved and extended in order to allow UK homeowners to make use of the green grant. With COVID-19 on the rampage, builders are suffering; this scheme, should they choose to become registered, will give them a surge in business. Currently the scheme appears to have been “cobbled together in a few weeks rather than properly thought through” according to Thea Skinner, who has been struggling to find a quote to insulate her roof. Boris Johnson is currently considering a 10-point plan, which is expected to be announced this week, to kickstart the low-carbon economy in order to put the UK on track to meet the target of net zero emissions by 2050. Currently, if we carry on the way we are, it will take us 700 years to reach net zero, according to energy experts. The UK is under immense international pressure to produce a detailed plan as host of the next UN summit on the climate crisis, Cop26, which was postponed until next November.

Johnson is hosting a preliminary meeting for world leaders next month, marking the fifth anniversary of the Paris agreement. He is expected to use the plan to encourage other countries to follow suit. Under the Paris agreement, all countries must submit fresh targets on emissions cuts for the next decade or so by the end of this year. It is unclear as to whether or not the Green Grant scheme will be included in this plan. Some of the commitments Johnson is expected to include in the plan is the switch from fossil-fueled cars to electric cars from 2030 to 2035; an end of UK funded overseas fossil-fuels; a green infrastructure to support lowcarbon investment; increased generation of renewable energy, in particular from offshore wind; support for carbon capture and storage technology; and measures to restore the natural environment, like UK forests, peatlands and wetlands. The Climate Coalition, which includes the National Trust, RSPB and the Women’s Institute, is also urging Johnson to increase overseas aid for countries vulnerable to the effects of climate change; to create legislation to put a stop to the import of products with a manufacturing history of destroying nature - for example, products created from the areas deforested for palm oil. They also call for him to force the treasury into ensuring that all government spending is compatible with the net zero target. Clara Goldsmith, a campaigns director for the Climate Coalition, said: “The UK will only be successful in galvanising global climate action ahead of

Word of the week: Net-Zero

Cop26 if it gets its own house in order. We have set out our 10-point plan as the litmus test for government commitment to get on track to net zero. This plan, if implemented in full, can restore UK leadership on climate change, create hundreds of thousands of green jobs and help rebuild our shattered economy.” A government spokesperson said: “We are taking every opportunity to build on the UK’s fantastic track record for tackling climate change. This month the prime minister outlined ambitious plans to build back greener by making the UK the world leader in clean wind energy, which is just one part of his 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution, which will be set out further this year.” “The government has also put billions into support for our low-carbon economy this year and made good progress by consulting on ending coal power and phasing out new petrol and diesel cars, supporting renewable energy projects across the UK, and announcing over £3bn to transform the energy efficiency of the UK’s homes and public building.” It stands to reason that in order for the UK to become a world leader in the battle against the climate crisis, the government must utilise whatever means they can. This green scheme for insulation would benefit both the builders, homeowners, the nation, and the world in general - both regarding the economy and the net zero goal. Hopefully the government fulfills their promises of ‘taking every opportunity’ to tackle the climate crisis and sees the benefit in the extension and improvement of this scheme.

Net-zero means the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to the degree that the country produces as much as it removes. According to the Paris Climate agreement, all countries must aim to reach net-zero before 2050. Some countries are doing this by harnessing the sun’s energy in solar panels to reduce fossil fuel consumption, others by planting trees to naturally remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Gut shown to play role in protecting brain from crucial infections Mili Jayadeep

Science Editor

he brain is responsible for our cognition, intelligence and is the director of our senses and behaviour. It is protected by the skull and enveloped by three meningeal layers. If foreign invaders such as viruses or bacteria were to attack the body, the immune system defends against these by secreting antibodies and immune cells. Similarly, the meninges are responsible for protecting the brain from pathogens by forming a defence system that reduces the likelihood of invaders entering the brain. A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge, UK and the National Institute of Health, USA have suggested that the meninges house protective immune cells. Their research shows that the immune cells responsible for this are plasma cells that release antibodies into the large vessels in the meninges due to their location. When the scientists investigated further, they found that this antibody type, known as Immunoglobulin A(IgA) was normally found in the intestine. Plasma cells originate from B cells, which have antigens specific to that cell. When B cells are activated during an immune response against an invader, these cells replicate, during which the B cells become more specific to the invader, which enables better binding, offering a targeted defence system. The scientists studied the genetic sequence of the antibody in B cells and plasma cells in both the gut and the meninges. The lead scientist, Professor Menna Clatworthy from the Department of Medicine and CITIID at the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Sanger Institute says, “The exact way in which the brain protects itself from infection, beyond the physical barrier of the meninges, has been something of a mystery, but to find that an important line of defence starts in the gut was quite a surprise,” The team’s finding linking the brain to gut connection reveals the importance of their relation. Invading pathogens in the gut have resulted in the creation of these antibodies that have ended up in the meninges of the brain. Professor Menna Clatworthy explains, “it makes perfect sense: even a minor breach of the intestinal barrier will allow bugs to enter the bloodstream, with devastating consequences if they’re able to spread into the brain. Seeding the meninges with antibody-producing cells that are selected to recognise gut microbes ensures defence against the most likely invaders.” The team’s findings were owing to experiments in mice; it was observed that mice that had no bacteria in the gut also had no IgA-related cells in their meninges. This points to the conclusion that when pathogens are introduced in the gut, the immune cells recognise and respond by honing their defence mechanism, which includes its additional presence in the meninges. The researchers also found that when the meninges plasma cells were taken away, no IgA could be produced hence infection was then able to cross the blood-brain barrier. This research highlights the importance of the gut in protecting the brain from deadly infections, such as encephalitis and meningitis. These findings were also confirmed in the human meninges as the scientists studied samples taken from surgery. Ultimately, this study unveils some answers to a long-standing mystery about the brain’s defence system.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

UK tech firms to develop drone-based 5G services Jack Robert Stacey Technology Editor

s the establishment of modern communications infrastructure continues, two communications firms have recently revealed plans to develop and operate a drone-based service that could considerably widen the availability of 5G across the UK. The prominent UK-based telecommunications firms, Cambridge Consultants and Stratospheric Platforms, intend to transmit publiclyaccessible 5G signals through a series of up to 60 unmanned, airborne drones. The system is backed by Deutsche Telekom, one of the world’s leading communications companies, and will work in close partnership with other national network operators and phone companies. Equipped with state-of-the-art antennas, the unmanned aerial drones are capable of flying at an altitude of 20,000m and, due to their height, will eventually be able to offer high-bandwidth connections

across an area of approximately 87 miles in diameter across the UK. Additionally, the drones are said to be fuelled exclusively by emission-free hydrogen fuel cells which, although hydrogen-fuelling technology is only in its infancy, would make the drones highly sustainable. Ben Wood, the Chief of Research at the industry analysis firm CCS Insight, highlighted that, by the time the drones see operation, the UK’s 5G infrastructure will be firmly established so “it is unrealistic to expect that existing infrastructure is going to be displaced by a network of drones”. However, in reference to the establishment of 5G service in hard to reach areas, Wood notes that the drone-based system could offer especially clear coverage over “large expanses of water, such as a shipping lane”. If utilised successfully, the concept will remove the demand on terrestrial masts, a key financial issue faced by 5G-integrated communications companies in the UK. A spokesperson for one of the firms contended that the system, due for a

Antoher leap for mankind: The UK’s 5G infrastructure is set for a drone-based expansion. Source: Source: mohamed_hassan (via Pixabay) 2024 trial in rural areas of southern Germany, “will replace at least 200 masts”. However, multiple telecommunications analysts and industry experts have questioned the proposed service, citing difficulties in regulating the aircraft across air traffic

control service in Europe. John Delaney, the lead on IDC’s European research division, concurs with these concerns: “the skies are very heavily regulated”, “getting a network of constantly flying drones in the stratosphere within three or four years would be diffi-

cult”. Although the aircrafts and their systems are still only in development at this stage, current plans indicate that, providing the firms ascertain the required funding, the service could be functional within four years.

Self-driving cars could prevent 90% of road accidents Jack Robert Stacey Technology Editor

recent study into Tesla’s new Autopilot system has found that the widespread use of the technology could drastically reduce the number of car crashes, potentially preventing 90% of road-based accidents. As outlined by the research conducted by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) institute, the nationwide implementation and use of Tesla’s Autopilot system in Germany would, according to the data analysis, decrease the yearly frequency of car crashes from 281,849 to just 29,413 – In 2020, there are almost 48 million registered motor-vehicles in Germany. Although the technology itself is still in early development and doesn’t currently apply to all types of road-vehi-

cles, the non-profit research organisation attests that the findings highlight upon “the long-term safety potential” of the self-driving feature. Tesla, the California-based electric vehicle manufacturing company, has noted that once fully realised the system, currently costing USD $10,000, will enable Tesla’s vehicles to make point-to-point journeys without requiring any reaction or involvement from the driver. In addition, the company has announced plans to make its ‘Full SelfDriving’ ( or FSD) feature available outside of the US, starting with Canada in the next few years. However, the worldwide rollout of FSD is not expected to take place for several years as countries feature differing rules, regulations, and languages, all of which present difficulties for the technology in its current state. In its disclaimer for the use of its

Full Self-driving feature on Twitter, Tesla stipulates that the Beta version of the technology should only be used if drivers have “constant attention” on the road and are “prepared to act immediately” if a hazardous situation arises. Recognising that the feature itself is only in early development, the electric-automotive company, recently valued with a market capitalisation of USD $450 million, caution that FSD “may do the wrong thing at the worst time” though, will become increasingly reliable as larger amounts of data become available. Critically, all of Tesla’s vehicles are connected directly to the internet which allows the software to be regularly improved via free ‘over-the-air’ updates, an integral part of the functionality of the company’s date-driven approach. This means that, similarly to most other internet-connected technologies, the on-board computers can

be tweaked remotely to make the system more capable over time. In order to successfully develop its FSD feature, Tesla collects and analyses vast amounts of navigational data using a fleet of vehicles equipped with hightech sensor equipment. The series of 12 ‘ultrasonic sensors’ are installed on all Tesla vehicles that have been manufactured since October 2016. Through the analysis of this data, Tesla’s systems are able to predict and respond to potential obstacles within “a matter of milliseconds”, which (as of April 2020) has enabled the Autopilot mode to drive over 3 billion miles with minor driver assistance. However, as a report by global think tank Rand Corp points out, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature still needs to record over 275 million faultless autonomous miles to achieve a level of safety equal to that of an experienced human driver. Therefore, to become 10% - 20%

safer than human drivers, autonomous vehicles will be required to record several billions of incident-less miles. Oliver Cameron, co-founder and CEO of the American autonomous transportation company Voyage, made a series of Tweets on Tesla’s cost-saving system and attested that “by generating a map on the fly, instead of pre-loading one recorded earlier, FSD can theoretically drive anywhere”. Speaking on the difficulties present in the developing technology, Cameron commented that, “without encoding positions in a pre-recorded HD map”, the barrier to widespread use of self-driving vehicles “is inherently a data-driven problem”. As Tesla (and other notable modern car manufacturers) continue to develop the viability of autonomous vehicles, Autopilot technologies such as these are set to drastically reduce the number of road-based accidents worldwide.

Homo sapiens superior intelligence caused by one part of brain Emma William Contributor

ew research from a study by the University of Leicester, published in the Trends in Cognitive Science journal, has contradicted fifty years worth of neuroscientific opinion, arguing that the way we store memories is key to human’s superior intelligence. It was previously believed that it is ‘pattern separation in the hippocampus, an area of the brain critical for memory’, that enables memories to be stored by separate groups of neurons, meaning that memories don’t get mixed up. However, after fifteen years of research on the topic, Leicester University’s Director of Systems Neuroscience believes that in fact the opposite to pattern separation is present in the human

hippocampus. He argues that, contrary to what has been described in animals, the same group of neurons store all memories. This breakthrough scientific discovery means that neuronal representation explains the abstract thinking that identifies human intelligence. For instance, if you see a black cat on your way to work one evening, your brain will store the experience separately to any previous memories of seeing the cat on the same street - differentiating the memories. A portion of studies which support pattern separation are single-neuron recordings on animals, such as rats and monkeys, which are then transferred to humans because we have similar brain structures. There have also been in depth experiments on human subjects and monitoring brain activity with Functional Magnetic Resource Imaging

(fMRI). Arguing against the use of fMRI, Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, Director of Systems Neuroscience at Leicester University, contended that the technology “doesn’t allow recording the activity of individual neurons.” Speaking on the activity of individual neurons, the professor added that the researchers identified “something completely different to what has been described in other animals.” He then explained that, contrary to pattern separation, “evidence from human single-neuron recordings shows that episodic memories are coded by context-independent and invariant engrams in the human hippocampus.” The studies experimented on single neurons in human brains revealed that episodic memory (the recall of life experiences) may not be dependent on the context, as it was initially believed. In addition, there may actually be a

co-activation of neurons not previously considered to be involved occurring within this process. Consequently, this discovery could have an immense impact on the world of neurology. As Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga - the current lead scientist on this project concerning memory formation in the human medial temporal lobe - suggests, this research “prompts us to reconsider the view of episodic memory as mental time travel, and the distinction between episodic and semantic memory.” So instead of defining episodic memory as memory of personal life experiences and semantic memory as general knowledge, the scientific community may redefine and reinvestigate, considering overlaps between the two types of memory. Moreover, it may lay the foundations for explaining why human intel-

ligence is so different to that of chimps, despite the similarities in anatomical structures and numbers of neurons as previously thought. The professor argues this reflects the thesis that human neurons must be doing something differently to chimpanzees in order to create such a wildly different level of intelligence. This scientific breakthrough is a major success for the neuroscientific community and exhibits the way that science is constantly being considered and improved upon. Homosapiens are the dominant species due to this neuronal variation, explaining why we have an intelligence that other species could not even dream of (they lack the cognitive capabilities). It will be interesting to see what future evidence this research project produces and what other scientifically accepted explanations are disproved.

Get involved and raise money for our incredible NHS with Cardiff Volunteering

cardiffstudents.com

@CAERDYDD The Welsh Women who overcame gender discrimination YOUR Innovators, activists, feminists; Wales’ rich history of infleuential women

@CAERDYDD DESK T

Fflur Trevor

@Caerdydd Editor

Natalie Graham

Fflur Trevor caerdydd@gairrhydd.com

Iris Prize an-

nounces winner of Audience Award Natalie Graham

Head of @Caerdydd

ings, directed by Jamie Weston, has been confirmed the winner of inaugural Co-op Audience Award at the 2020 Iris Prize LGBT + Film Festival. The touching love story between two Land Army girls during the second world war, spans over six decades. The film stars Miriam Margolyes who said; “ The Audience Award is fantastic news! Truly thrilled to have been a part of Wings which flew into my heart from the minute I read the script” The Co-op have partnered with the Iris Prize for the fourth consecutive year, and this year introduced the inaugural Co-op Audience Award. Jo Whitfield, Co-op Food CEO said; “We are delighted to again support the Iris Prize, and to see the quality and range of LGBT+ stories competing. The winner of the inaugural Co-op Audience Award, Wings, has been described by judges as an emotional, accessible and enjoyable film which can appeal to a wide audience. The Iris Prize illustrates the part that filmmaking can play in encouraging wider understanding in society”. Jamie Weston, director and Carla Fraser the co-writer and co-producer of Wings commented: “The whole team are absolutely thrilled! We make films for the audience, so to win the Co-op Audience Award is truly amazing. There are so many LGBT+ stories needing to be shared and Wings documents a part of our history that hopefully will never be forgotten.

he long-awaited US election results kept everyone up last week with Joe Biden eventually emerging as the victor and breaking the record for highest number of votes for a US election. Additionally, the election result broke the glass ceiling as Kamala Harris became the first female vice-president - the highest position a woman has achieved in office thus far. This historic milestone was celebrated across the world, not only due to her gender but also because she is a woman of colour. However, in Wales we have a plethora of strong and influential women to celebrate from the past and present. Lady Rhonda Born Margaret Haig Thomas, the daughter of Merthyr Tydfil MP David Alfred Thomas and proud feminist Sybil Thomas, it was clear that Lady Rhondda had the qualities of an activist ingrained in her DNA. Following in her mother’s footsteps she became a prominent figure in the suffragette movement and befriended suffragette icon, Emmeline Pankhurst. In 1913, Thomas attempted to destroy a Royal Mail post-box with a chemical bomb for which she was fined but refused to pay. Consequently, she was trailed and imprisoned but 5 days later she was released after a 5-day hunger strike. Megan Lloyd George Megan Lloyd George was the daughter of liberal politician David Lloyd

George, who subsequently became the Prime minster during the First World War. Evidently, she inherited her fathers’ politics and campaigned passionately for a Welsh parliament and became the first female MP for a Welsh constituency. George, remained as the Carmarthenshire MP for 11 years until her death in 1966 and was succeeded by Plaid Cymru’s, Gwynfor Evans. In 2016, she was named as one of the greatest Welsh men and women of all time. Betsi Cadwaladr Betsi Cadwaladr was a Welsh nurse who served in the Crimean war alongside, Florence Nightingale. Cadwaladr, throughout her life defied society’s expectation of gender and pursued a career rather than getting married. Moreover, she persevered in her field of nursing despite the discrimination she faced due to her Welsh heritage. In 2014, a survey of 50 greatest welsh people of all time by, The Western Mail, ranked Betsi Cadwaladr at 38. Betty Campbell Betty Campbell was the first black headmaster in Wales. Born into a poor working-class family she faced discrimination due to her black heritage and class status. Even her teachers commented that these factors were “insurmountable”. This comment, Campbell, later said made her more determined. Her first job was a teacher in a school in Llanrummey where she faced hostility due to her race. Subsequently, she

climbed the ranks and became a headmaster and taught her pupils about civil rights and apartheid. Betty Campbell told of her career, “I was determined that I was going to become one of those people and enhance the black spirit, black culture as much as I could” Also, she was a Member of the Home Office’s race advisory committee and a Member of the Commission for Racial Equality. Moreover, she met

Nelson Mandela on his only trip to Wales on behalf of this commission. A statue of her was erected in Cardiff under the BBC scheme, “Hidden Heroines”. These women are examples of diligence, hard work and determination whilst facing obstacles of discrimination on the basis of gender and race. It is the legacies these women left behind that undoubtedly makes them Wales’ most influential women.

Viscountess Rhondda: Portrait Photo of Margaret Mackworth, 2nd Viscountess Rhondda. Source: A. V. Morgan on Twitter (via Wikimedia Commons)

Welsh Solidarity for Polish fight for Women’s rights Natalie Graham

Head of @Caerdydd

ednesday 11th November saw protestors congregate outside Cardiff City Hall. They stand in solidarity with Poland’s women’s movement whose mass demonstrations against new abortion laws, have exposed an elemental anger at state and religious interference in people’s lives. It is estimated that 27,000 Poles are currently living in Wales, with Polish being the third most spoken language in Wales. Kamil D. Jantos, one of the organisers of last week’s protest was asked in a voice.wales interview why the protest was organised; “There needed to be something done. Because of Welsh Lockdown, we couldn’t do anything, so we decided to do it straight after. The 11th of November is a perfect day for it. It’s Polish Independence Day and we should remember about those who fought for our country. But they did fight for Poland in which fundamental human rights are taken away from its citizens”. Background Abortion is a deeply divisive issue in Poland. A 2014 opinion poll found that 65% of Poles were against abortion. However there has been a swing in recent years, with a clear majority against the recent court ruling. The influence of the Church is diminsihing amongst younger generations and the protests have been attended by large numbers of young women. The court ruling On the 22nd October the Polish Constitutional Court made up of 15 pro-PiS Judges, many appointed un-

lawfully. Rules were put in place stating that abortion in cases of foetal defects are unconstitutional. Poland’s abortion laws were already one of the strictest in Europe, but the Constitutional Tribunal’s indicates close to a total ban. Once the ruling comes into law, terminations will only be authorised in cases of rape, incest or if there’s a risk to the mothers health. The Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatovic wrote on Twitter the ruling marked “a sad day for women’s rights”. Last year a legal challenge was launched by MP’s from the nationalist governing party, denouncing the 1993 law permitting abortion in the case of severe foetal abnormalities. This had accounted for 98% of foetal terminations carried out in Poland. What does this mean for Poland Almost all legal abortions in Poland are performed on the very law’s the Top Court had just condemned (foetal defects), so the decision which is final and binding effectively bans abortion. Poland is one of Europe’s most religious countries, but there was no public demand for this. Years of polling data would show that a clear majority opposed more restrictive rules. With 60% of Poles supporting the status quo on abortion with a mere 15% backing the proposed changes. Women’s rights groups estimate between 80,000 and 120,000 Polish women a year seek an abortion abroad, even those who could legally have the procedure. Stigma still hangs heavy in the air around abortion. Pushback against Poland’s patriachal problem Infuriated by the almost total ban on abortion, a whole generation of women have mobilised en masse staging the largest demonstration Poland

has seen since Solidarność ousted the communist regime in the 1980s. For 14 nights millions of women and young people have defied a government ban on protests, demonstrating everywhere from Warsaw to Krakow, which saw more than 100,000 people gather on one night alone. Banners and placards read pro-choice and anti PiS slogans such as; “I wish I could abort my government”, “This is war” and “Women’s hell”. The protests led by grassroots women’s movement Ogólnopolski Strajk Kobiet (OSK, or All-Polish Women’s Strike), have made shockwaves causing serious problems for the future of the ruling government. The organisers said many firms had agreed to let women employees take the day off in a protest inspired by a womens strike in Iceland in 1975 and resembling another Polish demostartion held in 2016. The group has outlined key areas where change must be adopted, and these extend far beyond abortion rights. Secure and more robust women’s and LQBTQ+ rights; separation of Church and State; increased support for healthcare, small businesses and education, full judicial independence. Government response In response to the protests, there have been and continue to be violence inflicted on the protestors by far-right groups, with the Government seen to be adding fuel to the far-right fire. The PiS leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Jarow Kaczyński told people, they should “defend chruches” from the protestors after some were defaced. Senior figures in the Polish Catholic Church have spoken out in favour of the constitutional ruling. Speaking to the BBC, Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski said the

ruling protected the unborn from discrimination on the grounds of health defects. Last Tuesday dissent erupted in the Polish Parliament, with centrist and left-wing Members of Parliament holding up placards saying “shame” and shouting pro- choice slogans at Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bak, a left leaning member of Parliament stated to the BBC that; “We tried to show solidarity with the protestors that filled up the streets and demanded what they’re demanding... a real debate about full reproductive rights for women”. An ongoing problem In September the Cardiff LGBTQ+ community organised a socially distanced protest to stand in solidarity with the Polish counterparts, in the fight against the shocking rise in homophobia in Poland. Led by Christian Webb, the meeting saw activists and speakers congregating outside City Hall. Webb told Wales Online; “Over the last 5 years animosity and persecution of the LGBT+ people in Poland had increased… It’s down to the fact that the right-wing Law and Justice Party has been getting a lot of media attention… They claim that being LGBT+ is an ideology that is infecting Polish Schools and Polish identity and religious identity”. The re-election of Preseident Andrzej Duda, who has openly spoken out against the LGBT+ community in his election campaign, have cultured hostility towards gay rights and attacks against the LGBT+ community. The Polish ruling party has been accused of fuelling the creation of LGBT+ free zones, forcing member of the community to emigrate, lay low or fight back.

FOR CARDIFF STUDENTS NOT FOR PROFIT OWNED AND RUN BY CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; UNION cardiffstudentletting.com 029 2078 1525

SPORT

YOUR The 2020/21 Premier League season so far SPORT DESK T The international break gives us a chance to reflect on the start of the Premier League season Alex Hales Contributor

Tom Walker

Freddie Bennett

his Premier League season has lived up to and beyond expectation so far despite the loss of fans in attendance. From potential relegation scraps to early title challengers, here is all you need to know about the Premier League season so far. One of the major up and coming success stories of the season so far is the rise of Everton and England striker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Having scored eight goals in the first eight Premier League games, Calvert-Lewin has stepped up to the plate this season. Despite the positive start, Everton are winless in the last four Premier League games which raises questions over their consistency and ability to break into the prestigious top six. Aston Villa, a team that would have been relegated last season if it was not for an error in goal line technology, have seriously stepped up to the plate this season with eye catching performances against Liverpool and Arsenal. A notable performer in Dean Smith’s side is new signing Ollie Watkins, who got himself a hattrick against Liverpool and a brace against Arsenal. Watkins has six goals so far this season and is definitely one to watch throughout the rest of this season. Jack Grealish has also been key to Villa’s successes so far this season with four goals and five assists, giving Gareth Southgate a selection headache in England’s midfield. With one game in hand, Villa could potentially break into the top top after the international break.

Ella Fenwick

Ben Lovell-Smith sport@gairrhydd.com

Southampton have also upped their game significantly, currently sitting fourth in the Premier League. Having obtained a smash and grab last minute draw away at Stamford Bridge and impressive wins against the inform Aston Villa and Everton, the Southampton team that lost 9-0 to Leicester city is now very much an artefact of the past. Their 2-0 win against Newcastle on November 6 left them top of the Premier League for the first time in their history. After game week eight, Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur are leading the title charge. Replicating the title race from the famous 2015/16 Premier League season. Jurgen Klopp’s side have been hit with numerous injuries to the likes of Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Thiago, and most notably, Virgil Van Dijk, they have managed to grind out results and have made a solid start to the season despite their misfortunes with injuries. The absence of major game changing players however has made Liverpool a shadow of their former selves, especially after their 7-2 loss against an ascending Villa side. In spite of the setbacks in the early stages of this season, Liverpool remain serious title contenders, only being one point behind Leicester, and level on points with second placed Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham are showing signs of becoming a serious title contender this season with the dynamic duo of Kane and Son scoring a combined 15 goals and accumulating 10 assists between them. Mourinho has started to turn Tottenham into a serious threat to the big six and have remained solid throughout the start of the season, especially after thrashing Manches-

Fantastic Foxes: Can Leicester City repeat the 2016 miracle? Source: Peter Woodentop (via Wikimedia Commons)

Kane’s crown: Harry Kane has been nothing but sensational to start the season. Source: Brad Tutterow (via Wikimedia Commons) ter United 6-1 at Old Trafford. Tottenham are yet to prove they can be consistent with draws against Newcastle and West Ham hampering their progress, along with an opening day loss against Everton at White Hart Lane. The real tests for Tottenham will come after the international break as they are set to face Chelsea, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Liverpool and, current leaders, Leicester City in their next five Premier League matches. Leicester City made a strong start, scoring 12 goals in their opening three matches against West Brom, Burnley and Manchester City, but have since suffered setback losses against West Ham and Aston Villa. Yet Brendan Rodgers’ side produced a comeback after grinding out a 1-0 win against Arsenal and an impressive 4-1 display against Leeds at Elland Road. Their 1-0 win against Wolves puts Leicester at the top of the table going into the international break. Jamie Vardy is having another party this season with eight goals in seven appearances. If Leicester can remain consistent, we could be seeing another Leicester City title charge this season. Manchester United and Arsenal are falling below standards so far this season. Manchester United are yet to win a Premier League match this season at Old Trafford, falling to Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. Arsenal made a solid start, beating Fulham 3-0 and narrowly beating West Ham and an out of form Sheffield United at the Emirates. Despite a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, Arsenal have fallen short with more

losses to Leicester and Aston Villa. With no goals coming from open play since October 4 and sitting in 11th with a -1-goal difference, big questions are being asked of Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. Manchester City have not met expectations so far this season with their inconsistent defensive displays, currently placing 10th with three wins, three draws and one loss. Manchester City have to pick up the pace to catch up to fellow title contenders Liverpool. Frank Lampard’s huge Summer spend in the transfer market is starting to pay off for Chelsea after a relatively slow start with impressive wins over Burnley, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Brighton. Chelsea are stern contenders for a top four spot. At the bottom of the table, Sheffield United are failing to live up to the high standards they set last season, losing seven games and drawing one, they are yet to win a Premier League game this season. Burnley and West Brom are also winless this season, taking up the relegation spots at this point in the season. Fulham and Brighton have also made poor starts to the season, with Fulham and Brighton both winning just one league match since the start of the season. The first eight weeks of the 2020/21 Premier League season has provided its fair share of shocks and surprises. The two-week international break has left football fans on the edge of their seats in anticipation for the leagues’ return. One thing for sure is that the Premier League never fails to disappoint as fans continue to watch on from their own homes.

Smith and Rob Cross who were stepping up to the oche, but they were hammered by the Welsh when it mattered. Price was ruthless as he defeated world number four Smith 4-1 to earn the first point, before Clayton came from 2-1 down against number five Cross to win 4-2, averaging a stellar 105 and hitting three 180s. The pairs game was a tight and tense affair with Cross setting up a deciding leg by producing a superb 142 checkout. But it was Price who won the tie by landing double tops, completing a 3-0 whitewash and securing the £70,000 prize in Salzburg. After lifting the trophy, Price couldn’t hide his delight: “It’s the proudest moment of my darting career - I’m quite emotional.

I’ve had some success recently for myself but to win this for Wales this means so much to me. “I know I’m playing well at the moment but this is a doubles game and I couldn’t win it without Jonny. This is a team and we deserve it.” Clayton added: “I’m the proudest man on the planet right now and to play with Gezzy, the best player in the world at the moment, I’m just so happy. This means the world to me, and to beat England in the final, I’m so proud.” He, along with Clayton and fellow Welshman Wayne Warren, will next compete in the Grand Slam of Darts starting today (Monday 16 November) in Coventry – a competition which Price has won in the last two years.

Wales beat England to win their first World Cup of Darts Olly Allen

Contributor

ales were crowned champions of the 2020 World Cup of Darts in Austria on Novem-

ber 8. The dynamic pairing of Gerwyn Price (world number three) and Jonny Clayton (16) beat England in the final to secure Wales’ first title since the annual tournament was created in 2010. Price and Clayton had suffered an embarrassing defeat to Singapore in the first round last year, but there were no slip ups this time around as they got off the mark with a 5-0 victory over Russia. As the tournament moved into a

best of three matches format in the second round, Wales came up against defending champions Scotland who were unseeded this year as last year’s victorious duo Peter Wright and Gary Anderson withdrew because of the coronavirus pandemic. In their place, John Henderson and Robert Thornton were beaten 2-1 by Wales. The in-form Australian pairing of Simon Whitlock and Damon Heta were next to fall, as Wales won 2-1 in a tie that went much the same way - Price won the first match, Clayton suffered defeat in the second before they came together to win the deciding pairs match. There was no pairs game required in the semi-final against Germany, who had knocked out Michael

van Gerwen’s Netherlands in the previous round. Price was on top throughout his match-up with Gabriel Clemens, finally getting the job done with his fifth match dart to secure a 4-2 victory. Clayton then came into his own against Max Hopp, taking a 2-0 lead as he hit two 180s. Hopp clawed it back to 3-2, but The Ferret was in no mood to take the semi-final to a deciding game as he won the deciding leg thanks to a magnificent 121 finish on the bull. That set up a dream best-of-five final with England, who were hoping to win a record fifth World Cup and their first since Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis claimed victory in 2016. This time around it was Michael

CHWARAEON

Being an AU President during COVID-19

We spoke to a number of Athletic Union presidents to find out how they have been fairing managing their club throughout the various lockdowns and enforced guidelines. Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

he return of professional boxing has seen some fruitful opportunities Running a sports club for Cardiff University is both a rewarding yet demanding role and with the COVID-19 outbreak it is something many students weren’t prepared for. Taking on the role of presidency during these unexpected times has been difficult with many Presidents feeling left in the dark about how to run a successful club. The efforts from Athletic Union as a support system have been praised by students on sports committees, being supplied constantly with updated information fitting the ever-changing governmental guidelines. Lucy Walsh, President of Cardiff University Squash Club confirmed “The AU supported the club by sending out updates throughout the summer period outlining what was going on behind the scenes and what we could expect when we were back.” Communication between the AU and the university sports club was the key to keeping clubs engaged this year especially due to the circumstances and Walsh remains thankful for the efforts given by the individual members of staff from the AU quickly dealing with all hurdles met by her club. Every year finding new members is one of the top jobs on the list for all club presidents. But with social distancing and other guidelines in place, many have found themselves having to take a very different approach. Walsh, like many club presidents, utilised Zoom meetings to encourage the participation of potential

Social distancing: Members of Cardiff University Kickboxing Club in training. Credit: CUKC new members and also set up in person ‘Give it a Go’ sessions. Training sessions in sports clubs are not how you would’ve seen them last year, but Walsh found herself and the committee working hard to “outline how club activity will work due to COVID restrictions” and has kept her club in the loop to give her members the best training experience possible. Following the guidelines has been very difficult for some sports clubs, especially contact sports when trying to follow social distancing. President of Cardiff University Kickboxing Club, Alex Cummings- Montero stated; “It is difficult to teach a martial art to members when the club has not got the equipment provided, especially when previous members are very used to hitting pads which we are unable to now.“ “Finances for many sports clubs are looking very scarce because of the pandemic, which is also having

a large effect on the club.” Although the responsibility of being a sports president can seem daunting, running a sports club is something these individuals find themselves very passionate about and with coronavirus standing in their way it can become very disheartening. Cummings-Montero has voiced this by stating how he is finding the year after a very unexpected cut-off to the last season. “It has been rather tedious.” he explains, ”There are so many plans for a usual year but now there just seems to be nothing to do. It can get so frustrating.” “I had so many ideas on how I could make my club succeed and had lots of competitions lined up ready for us to compete. Just got my fingers crossed for Varsity, wouldn’t want to see my members hard work go to waste.” Sympathy has been given to the AU for dealing with sports clubs

and the issues that have been faced by them during the pandemic, however frustration has been felt by Cummings-Montero: “How are they supposed to come up with ideas for all the different clubs? Therefore, we have had to be patient and understanding. The only complaint would be how the insurance and guidelines were supplied, it was all a bit vague, specific details of what they wanted from clubs in terms of COVID policies.” Despite it being a difficult period for sports clubs at the university, it seems that they have not been letting the pandemic stand in their way and have worked hard to work around these issues. Deserving congratulations for achieving what they have during a very uncertain time and working with the Athletic Union to provide the continuation of sport this semester.

Cardiff teams take on the Movember challenge

We speak to Edward Martin the mens’ rugby Charity Secretary to discuss their Movember progress Tom Walker

Head of Sport

ardiff University sport teams, including the likes of American football, rugby and football, are once again taking on the Movember challenge. The Movember initiative is an annual event that takes place during November, whereby participants involved grow moustaches throughout the month to raise awareness and funding for men’s health issues, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men’s suicide. Since its inception, the Movember Foundation has raised almost $837 million and funded over 1,200 different projects in more than 20 countries. Last year, Cardiff University men’s rugby team raised £4,800 for the charity, and this year are looking to break the £5,000 mark. I spoke to Edward Martin, the Cardiff University rugby charity secretary, to discuss his teams Movember efforts and the wider importance of the initiative on mens’ mental health and sport’s role in that. “Not only have we had a long-

standing relationship with Movember throughout previous years.” Edward said when explaining why the team got on board with Movember,

...with England and Wales coming in and out of lockdowns it is more important than ever that we keep on top of our mental health and have the courage to have difficult conversations Edward Martin, Rugby Charity Secretary “But this year especially with England and Wales coming in and out of lockdowns it is more important than ever that we keep on top of our mental health and have the courage

to have difficult conversations and we think that Movember is a great medium in which to raise awareness and a great cause to raise money for.” I asked Edward how important it is to get over the stigma that surrounds mens sport, and men in a wider sense, about speaking out about mental health? “This is a problem that we are constantly working to overcome in the rugby club, it is vital that we continue to encourage people to talk in order to raise awareness and allow people to share problems in order to help one another.” Edward responded. Men’s mental health has been a taboo topic for a long period of time. The Office for National Statistics said men accounted for around three-quarters of suicide deaths registered in 2019, 4,303 compared with 1,388 women. Another recent study by the University of Glasgow examined the effects of COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic and found that certain groups are said to be particularly at risk, including young people. These are troubling figures, but initiatives like Movember are bril-

liant building blocks to fundraise and start a conversation. I asked Edward whether he believed a team context that sports like rugby endeavour themselves to, is a good way to encourage men to speak out and how the club itself supports those in the team who may be struggling with their mental health? Edward believed wholeheartedly that a team can be an excellent context as you are around “like minded people” which could ease the process of opening up to one another. He also explained the role of the rugby’s welfare secretary and “more importantly” a culture of an “opentalking relationships so that any person, whether they are senior or a first year, can approach anyone to talk about their problems.” The Movember initiative is vital for men’s wellbeing and mental health, both in the UK and around the world” Edward explains, “they are doing great work.” You can check out their donation page on the Cardiff University rugby team Instagram account (cardiffunirfc) and you can head to Movember.com to find out more about the work the charity does.

TEAM TALK

his week, Team Talk takes a look at local football side Cardiff Corinthians from the first division of the South Wales Alliance league. Having been promoted last season, it will be interesting to see how this team fare. The Corinthians, also referred to as The Corries, Alpha or The Cards, started out life as a Cardiff based cricket team called Alpha Cricket Club back in 1898. The team wanted a way to stay in touch during the winter months when there was no cricket, so decided to start a football team - the Cardiff Corinthians based at Sophia Gardens. It appears that since their inception, the community feel of the club has never been lost. The team saw early success as they won the Wales Amateur Cup in 1914, just 15 years after their inception. They have gone on to win this same competition a further four times since, in 1929, 1930, 1934 and 1962. In early 1921, the team had a run of friendly fixtures against European giants Barcelona FC. For a small amateur side who only wanted a way to stay in touch when there was no cricket, this seems a miraculous outcome. Though they went on to lose all three of these fixtures 4-0, 2-1 and 2-1, it remains a historically significant period for this team and something never to be forgotten. In more recent times the club has been up and down the South Welsh divisions. Though the club enjoyed quite a bit of success throughout the twentieth century. The 1984/85 season saw them win the Welsh Premier Division and the Welsh Intermediate Cup. Along with these cup triumphs, the club have also achieved success in the Welsh Youth Cup twice, as well as the Corinthian Cup in 1973. Since their success of the 1980’s The Corries have lingered in the divisions of the now South Wales Alliance League. Due to the recent pandemic, the season was cut short, but the local FA decided that The Corinthians would be one of three sides promoted to the first division of the South Wales Alliance League, along with Aber Valley and Llanrumney United. This decision was taken after it was felt that the play-off system would not be possible in these times. As non-professional sport has suffered in this time with grassroots level and semi-professional teams not being allowed to start for a longer time than that of the professional arena, The Corries are yet to start their campaign in the first division. With the end of the Firebreak Lockdown in Wales allowing for football teams to get back into action, soon we may see the return of the side as they set about finding out how they will fare in this division. The Corries have seen their fair share of action throughout their history, dotted with domestic success, as well as breathtaking European ventures. It is clear that this club remains an important part of their local community and continue to be a source of enjoyment for many people in the Cardiff area. Hopefully they can continue their upward momentum and find success, even if amongst more humble company.

Reporting by Freddie Bennet

SPORT CHWARAEON

2020/21 Premier League so far:

We review the Premier League season to this point

Page 24

Being an AU president during COVID-19 Cardiff University Ella Fenwick

Sport Editor

uring these uncertain times, running a sports club for Cardiff University has been challenging. Speaking to club presidents, Lucy Walsh and Alex Cummings-Montero gives an insight to what it has been like to keep students involved during the pandemic. Looking at the support received from the Athletic Union and how training sessions have transformed to follow the everchanging COVID restrictions. Despite the difficult times both presidents have remained positive in striving towards creating a successful environment to allow members to continue to participate. Continued on page 25

Team Talk: Cardiff Corinthians FOOTBALL

Freddie Bennett Sport Editor

Eyeing up the next pass: Joe Ralls in action away at Preston North End. (Credit: CCFC)

Joe Ralls: “This club means everything to me, it is all I have known’’

Head of Sport, Tom Walker, speaks to Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ralls about last season’s playoff push, the start to the 2020/21 season and his love for the club. Tom Walker

Head of Sport

t seemed like Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ralls was rather grateful for the current international break. “It has been a busy schedule” Ralls explained, “it is nice to have a bit of a break”. The last few months in particular have been hectic for Ralls and Cardiff City. An already elongated season was extended further by a late playoff serge in which Cardiff came up short against eventual playoff winners Fulham. “During lockdown we were having regular calls and the general thought was that we had not been great this season but we were still in a good position to make the playoffs slots.” Ralls said. “We had a great start against Leeds and Preston and used that momentum to eventually get in the playoffs.” Despite a brilliant second leg performance, the Bluebirds lost on aggregate.

“We played really well in the second leg and we could tell the Fulham lads were just thankful to get through the game because we put them through so much pressure.” The general feeling was pride postmatch, but the disappointment for Ralls really came when reflecting on the first leg: “We gave ourselves quite a lot to do going into the second leg which was our downfall” The 2020/21 season brought new hope for Cardiff, but what were the teams’ expectations for the upcoming season? “The aim for this club is always to be going for those top two, failing that top six positions and that does not change.” “I want to be part of this club to get us back to the Premier League, and if those guys can come and help us achieve that that is something I will always be happy about.” I think we have done well in the transfer market and now it is just about settling as a squad. We have looked a lot better these last few games now everyone is in, and after this break we

need to be getting our heads down and kick start our season.” The Bluebirds have started the league campaign and it has not been plain sailing so far, currently sitting in 15th place. “We have not been good enough to be honest with you” Ralls explains, “The reaction since the QPR game has been really good, the Bristol game was a bit annoying because it was one we really wanted to win and one we had the possession and shots to do so. “We were unlucky to lose.” “I am still optimistic that we can follow the form (following the Barnsley win) we have going, and the wins and points will come.” Ralls himself has been in good form, scoring three goals and one assist in the last three games. “It is always nice to get off the mark, I want to keep contributing to the team and start climbing up that table.” After this break it is really time for us to get our heads down and try and climb the table which obviously I want to be a big part of so hopefully my per-

formances will keep helping the team.” The upcoming block of fixtures involves eight games in December alone, I asked Ralls how he goes about preparing for these heavy Christmas schedules: “It is always tough one on the body, but after so long out of football I do not think anyone will be complaining about too many games at the moment.” We know we need to pick up points and will have to utilise the squad throughout the run… as players it is about getting yourself in a good physical and mental position, which could be less training through the week.” From what I gathered, Ralls has nothing else on his mind other than getting Cardiff back in the big time, the importance of the club to him is clear: “This club means everything to me, it is all I have known… when you have been at a club for so long it becomes less about yourself and more about bringing success to the team and that’s all I have been trying to do, get us back into the Premier League and I will do everything I can to achieve that.”

For more breaking sports news, visit www.gairhydd.com/sport

his week’s Team Talk takes a look at local football side Cardiff Corinthians as the side have just been promoted into the first division of the South Wales Alliance League. The Corries, who started out life as a cricket team based in Cardiff have an interesting history which includes a string of friendlies against European giants Barcelona in the early 1920’s. The side have also seen their fair share of success by winning the Wales Amateur Cup five times since their inception in 1898. Hopefully the team can fare just as well against the stiffer oppositions of the first division once the season gets into full swing. Continued on page 25

Wales beat England in the World Cup of Darts Darts Olly Allen

Contributor

n the World Cup of Darts which has been taking place in Austria, it was the dynamic Welsh pairing of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton to overcome the rest. In the annual tournament which was created back in 2010, Wales got their campaign off to a terrific start with a 5-0 win over Russia. They managed to maintain this momentum throughout the tournament, beating previous champions Scotland, as well as Australia and Germany to reach a dream final against England. Then in a tight affair against the old rival it was Wales who came out on top in Salzburg, taking home the trophy and a £70,000 prize. Continued on page 24