Issue 1165 - Monday 15 February by Cardiff Student Media

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rhifyn 1165 issue 1165

15 Chwefror 2021 15 February 2021

gair rhydd Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Inside: The incredible figures associated with the LGBT+ community in Wales (page 22)

Vaccine supply in Wales to drop due to closures Tirion Davies

Editor-in-Chief

accine supplies across Wales are set to drop in the next few weeks due to the temporary closure of four vaccination centres, says First Minister Mark Drakeford. Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board has announced they will stop vaccinations at four of its vaccination centres for a minimum period of a fortnight. Politicians have speculated this is because of a fall in the supply of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in Wales. It is said that other vaccination centres across Wales are also due to reduce their hours, though information has not yet been released as to which centres these may be. In an address, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford noted that the drop in supply from Pfizer/ BioNTech was expected, and that the Welsh Government has already worked with the NHS in Wales to accommodate. The Welsh Government confirmed that this reduction in supply is not exclusive to Wales, and that vaccination centres across the UK will be affected by this news. After receiving backlash at the beginning of the vaccination process for being too slow, Wales has become the first UK nation to have given a first dose to 20 percent of the population, as reported by Public Health Wales. Wales is currently on-course to meet its mid-February target of offering all over-70s the vaccine, as well as care workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable. Mark Drakeford told a Senedd committee, “We know that we are going to get less vaccine over the next few weeks than we have over the past few weeks. “That was planned for and known for and is accommodated in our plans which remain to complete the vaccination of those next five priority groups by the Spring." Officials have stated they are also anticipating fewer doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which have been predominantly delivered in GP services, as opposed to vaccination

centres. There is a hope that the level of AstraZeneca vaccines will return to recent levels around the beginning of March. It is up to health boards across Wales to determine how the vaccine will be delivered over the coming weeks, although many mass-vaccination services have already noted they are likely to change their opening times to reflect the reduction in supply. It is noted, however, that officials have significant stocks of the Pfizer vaccine to be able to significantly increase the number of second doses administered. Those who initially had their first dose of the vaccine in December are now due to receive a second dose in the coming weeks. Health officials have claimed the reduction in supply over the next two weeks was planned, so that manufacturers are able to ramp up the vaccination process and increase the number of vaccines available going into March. The delivery of 103,000 additional doses are expected this week, able to push the second doses of those who are due to complete their vaccinations. It is reported that 108,000 is expected to be given out next week, although numbers will then begin to rise in coming weeks from 160,000 to 190,000 as expected. It was also announced by the BBC on February 10 that Wales was seeing “Encouraging signs” that COVID-19 cases in the nation were beginning to fall. Chief Executive of NHS Wales, Andrew Goodall, said at the time that rates of the virus in the community were “significantly down” from where they had previously been in December. Over a similar period, it was reported by Public Health Wales that the number of hospital patients with COVID-19 had fallen by around a quarter. The Office for National Statistics figures indicated on the week ending February 7, Wales was experiencing a second week of falling death rates, although noted positive COVID-19 cases remained reasonably high at the same period. The Welsh Government insists if you are called for a vaccine, you should continue to go to your appointment.

COVID-19 vaccine goal: Care homes across Wales have reached their vaccination goal. 19.9 percent of the Welsh population has now been vaccinated. Source: truthseeker08 (via Pixabay)

Care homes reach vaccination goal Sam Portillo News Editor

s Wales continues with the vaccine rollout, it has been noted that 82.1 percent of care home workers have received at least one vaccine dose, and Wales has reportedly reached its vaccine goals. Wales is on track to complete its mid-February goal of offering the

vacinnes to all care workers, the clinically extremely vulnerable and the over-70s. Another priority group that has seen the vaccine is healthcare workers. 112,763 of them so far have had the first dose of the vaccine. Betsi Cadwaladr care home was the first selected to receive the vaccine, and with the help of additional health boards took the vaccine to various care homes in Cardiff. Due to the recent influx of vac-

Royal Family's alleged Pryder brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca obstruction of laws Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

recent investigation by The Guardian has revealed that the Queen and the Prince of Wales have used the law of Queen's Consent to lobby and change laws before they are presented to Parliament for vote. Through their investigation, the journalists have compiled a list of over a thousand laws which the Queen has seen including laws regarding the NHS, Brexit and wealth disclosure. What does this mean for Wales and what has the Royal Family said in response? To read more about the allegations made by The Guardian against the Royal Family, turn to page 10 10

Alaw Fflur Jones Golygydd Taf-od

rechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca yw’r brechlyn y mae llawer o bobl yn y Deyrnas Unedig yn ei dderbyn er mwyn eu hamddiffyn o’r coronafeirws. Ac felly, mae’r newyddion diweddaraf am effaith gyfyngedig brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca yn erbyn amrywiolyn De Affrig o’r coronafeirws wedi achosi cryn bryder yn y DU. Cyhoeddwyd y newyddion ychydig ddyddiau ar ôl i wyddonwyr rybuddio y gallai’r amrywiolyn fod yn cylchredeg yn y DU. I ddarllen yn fwy am yr hyn ein bod yn gwybod hyd yn hyn am y brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca, trowch i dudalen 6. 6

cinations at care homes, 19.9 percent of the Welsh population are now vaccinated, according to Public Health Wales and the Office of National Statistics. Wales have set an aim to ensure under 750,000 people including health workers and people aged over 70 get the first dose by mid-February. To read more about Welsh care homes reaching their vaccination goal, turn to page 3. 3

The story of Tiger Bay FC Tirion Davies

Editor-in-Chief

iger Bay FC is not a football club too many of us would be familiar with. Although, for the Butetown community of Tiger Bay, Saturdays allowed this ground to become the heart of the community, with Tiger Bay FC playing match after match to its loyal supporters. For many, it is a place of safety and fun, and a way to escape when the world seems a little dark. As a community which is closer than arguably most in South Wales and Cardiff, the residents of Tiger Bay flock to the stands at Canal Park. To read more about Tiger Bay FC, turn to page 22. 22

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

Video Editors

Lottie Draycott 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 The Hollywood curse of the ‘difficult’ woman

e often hear of actresses in Hollywood who are ‘difficult to work with’, or are incredibly ‘bossy’. Yet, after the height of the MeToo movement, it’s becoming more apparent that perhaps those who were once branded ‘difficult’ were simply those voicing their opinions. Actress Katherine Heigl is synonymous in Hollywood with the phrase ‘difficult to work with’ since her work in both 2007’s Knocked Up and her time on Grey’s Anatomy. In 2008, Heigl was the cover star for Vanity Fair, where she noted that although she enjoyed her time working on Knocked Up, she did not approve of the portrayal of women. She told the magazine that she thought the film showcased the male characters like Seth Rogen’s Ben Stone as “lovable, goofy, fun-loving” whilst the females characters such as the one she portrayed as being “humourless and uptight”. At the time, both the director Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen took offence, with Apatow admitting he believed he deserved an apology for Heigl’s comments. Their responses did not help Heigl’s reputation in the film industry. Janet Hubert faced a similar fate; her Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star Will Smith commented unkindly on her departure of the show, which she said made it difficult for her to find work.

Hubert claims she was fired from the show due to Smith, although this has not been confirmed. Janet Hubert has since said she left the show because the terms of the contract offered to her were not adequate, in particular for a mother attempting to remove herself from an abusive relationship. The actress noted that once she left the show, she was considered hard to work with and that her career significantly stalled after noting her displeasure at her contract. In a 2020 HBO Max reunion, Hubert even called Smith’s comments a “kiss of death”. For many actresses, voicing their opinion became a quickfire way for them to become blacklisted in the business. The world is beginning to notice that ‘difficult to work with’ is not what it seems. Many of these people, particularly women, are once again being hired in Hollywood. It does not mean that the industry is perfect, however. Hollywood is slowly becoming more diverse, and in the wake of the MeToo movement, more people are open to noting when they think something is unfair. According to author Deborah Coughlin, “I’m not sure MeToo showed women that it isn’t risky to speak out, it just showed women there are occasions when the risk is worth taking”.

NEWS

Care homes reach vaccine milestone (p.3)

Problem Hollywood gyda’r menyw ‘anodd’

TAF-OD

Plant yn ddychwelyd i’r ysgol (t.10)

POLITICS

Plaid Cymru announces “rapid recovery” policy (p.10)

COMMENT

The curse of toxic positivity (p.15)

ADVICE

Self-help giving Self-hope (p.17)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Jeff Bezos leaves his position at Amazon.com (p.20)

@CAERDYDD

The LGBT+ history to learn about in Wales (p.22)

SPORT

A look back at Tom Brady’s career (p.25)

Hanes Hollywood a’r menyw ‘anodd’: Mae Hollywood a’r byd ffilm yn aml yn cael ei adnabod fel lle i wrthod swyddi i menywod ‘anodd i’w gweithio gyda nhw’. Tarddiad: Gunther Hagleitner (drwy Flickr)

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The curse of the ‘difficult’ woman: Hollywood has a long-running repuation of halting the careers of actresses claimed to be ‘difficult to work with’. Source: Gunther Hagleitner (via Flickr)

n aml, rydym yn clywed am actorion yn Hollywood sy’n cael ei alw’n ‘anodd i weithio gyda nhw’. Ond, o ganlyniad i’r symudiad MeToo, mae’n fwy ac yn fwy amlwg bod yr air ‘anodd’ wedi’i selio ar fenywod sy’n lleisio’u bar. Un sy’n aml yn cael ei chynnwys fel ‘anodd i weithio gyda nhw’ yw Katherine Heigl, sydd wedi gweithio ar ffilmiau megis Knocked Up a rhaglenni teledu megis Grey’s Anatomy. Yn 2008, pan oedd Heigl yn wneud cyfweliad gyda Vanity Fair, wnaeth yr actores sôn er fe wnaeth hi fwynhau gweithio ar y ffilm Knocked Up, doedd hi ddim yn cytuno gyda’r ffordd yr oedd y ffilm yn portreadu menywod. Dywedodd Heigl yr oedd hi’n teimlo bod y ffilm yn portreadu dynion fel pobl hwyl, hapus, tra’r oedd y menywod yn y ffilm wedi’i phortreadu fel llym. Ar y cyfnod, wnaeth cyfarwyddwr y ffilm, Judd Apatow, a’r actor Seth Rogen nodi eu bod wedi’u chwithio gan yr hyn fe wnaeth Heigl sôn. Dywedodd Apatow ei bod yn haeddu ymddiheuriad gan Heigl. I nifer, yr oedd sylwadau Apatow a Rogen wedi eu troi nhwyn erbyn Heigl, gyda Rogen ond yn sôn yn 2016 ei bod wedi bod yn annheg. I Janet Hubert, actores ar y rhaglen Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, yr oedd sylwadau Will Smith wedi effeithio’n

sylweddol ar ei gyrfa. Wnaeth Smith sôn am Hubert yn gadael y rhaglen mewn ffordd annheg, oedd yn wneud i’r actores teimlo ei bod wedi colli nifer o gyfleoedd o ganlyniad. Gadawodd Hubert y rhaglen oherwydd yr oedd hi’n teimlo bod ei chytundeb yn annheg, yn enwedig i fam yn ceisio dianc rhag perthynas difrïol. Nawr, mae Will Smith wedi nodi yr oedd ef yn teimlo bod ganddo rôl i chwarae yn Hubert yn gadael y rhaglen, ac yn ymddiheuro. Ar raglen HBO Max yn 2020, yn edrych ar y rhaglen eto, fe wnaeth Janet Hubert nodi bod sylwadau Smith yn “kiss of death” i’w gyrfa. Mae’r byd erbyn hyn wedi dechrau sylweddoli bod ‘anodd i weithio gyda nhw’ yn annheg. Mae nifer o’r bobl yma, yn benodol menywod, yn dechrau derbyn swyddi yn Hollywood unwaith eto. Ond, nid yw hyn yn meddwl bod y busnes yn berffaith. Yn fyd wedi’r cyfnod MeToo, mae Hollywood wedi dechrau dod yn fwy amrywiol, a diolch byth, mae menywod yn sylweddoli bod hawl iddynt nodi pan bod pethau’n annheg. Fel wnaeth Deborah Coughlin dweud, mae menywod ers y cyfnod MeToo wedi sylweddoli bod y risg o siarad am yr hyn maen nhw wedi’i wynebu werth ei wneud.

NODYN GAN Y GOLYGYDD

NEWS

Care homes reach vaccination milestone

82.1 percent of Welsh care home workers have received at least one dose model ensures the right approach for the right home given its context and location.

Dominic Williams News Editor

s the Vaccination programme across the UK, continues to roll out in Wales 82.1% of care home workers have received at least one vaccine dose. Another priority group that has seen the vaccine is healthcare workers. 112,763 of them so far have had the first dose of the vaccine. With this information, more than 630,000 people in the top priority groups have been given their first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Wales. The results mean that now 19.9% of the Welsh population are now vaccinated. Although the Welsh Government has had its fair share of criticism due to the slow roll out of the vaccine compared to elsewhere in the UK. Betsi Cadwaladr care home was the first selected to receive the vaccine, and with the help of additional health boards took the vaccine to various care homes in Cardiff. Dr. Gill Richardson, Chair of Wales’ COVID-19 vaccine programme, said: ‘’ The delivery of a COVID-19 vaccine to care home staff and residents has always been a priority for the Welsh Government.

The delivery of a COVID-19 vaccine to care home staff and residents has always been a priority for the Welsh Government. We have been working for months to meet the challenges of distribution. Dr Gill Richardson Chair of the Welsh COVID-19 vacine programme

COVID-19 vaccine: 19.9 percent of the population has now been vaccinated. Source: truthseeker08 (via Pixabay) We have been working for months reach all possible care homes ellito meet the challenges of distribu- gible for the vaccines; and to make tion.’’ sure plans were in place for those The Welsh Government out- care homes that have had COVlined a few ‘markers,’ in relation to ID-19 outbreaks and incidents to be the distribution of vaccines to care reached as soon as possible. homes. Marker 2 was to have ofFor other care homes, GP pracfered the vaccine to all older person tices are organising vaccination for care home residents and staff by the residents, often via a district nurse end of January. or small team; with staff being inThe Government was aiming to vited to mass centres. This mixed

Health Boards across Wales have confirmed that they have visited all older person care homes that have been safe to send vaccine teams into. For those homes that it has not been safe, visits are planned during February when it is safe, and public health advice allows. Wales’ have set a aim to ensure under 750,000 people including health workers and people aged over 70 get the first dose by midFebruary.

YOUR NEWS DESK

Zoe Kramer

Luthien Evans

AstraZeneca vaccine ineffective against South African strain Luthien Evans News Editor

eports this week have displayed the ‘disappointing’ results that experts have found, as the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is shown to provide ‘minimal protection’ against mild and moderate cases of the South African COVID-19 variant. A 2000-strong trial concluded this result. Despite this, experts remain hopeful that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will remain just as useful in the prevention of South African variants cases which are deemed severe- however, the results have yet to be determined on this factor. These final results are not as final as they appear, however. The trial conducted by the University of the Witwatersrand and Oxford University, has yet to be peer reviewed, as of the week beginning 8 February. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the test is to be questioned due to the sample group having an average age

of 31- therefore not reflecting the demographic for those most at risk of severe symptoms. This variant is said to account for 90% of new cases in South Africa. South Africa has had the highest amount of COVID-19 related deaths in Africa- 46,000 people have died. The vaccine was initially seen as a sign of hope- but with these new studies, the distribution of their one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab has been halted. However, both the UK Government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have stepped in confronting the issues of ineffectiveness and preemptive halts of vaccinations. They claim that the vaccinations could be helpful in the prevention of serious cases needing hospitalisation, as well as helping to lower the death rate in the country. The Health Minister of the South African Government, Zweli Mkhize, has stated that the government is waiting for further advice regarding the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and what is the best way to proceed following the revelations of the trial.

Sam Portillo

AstraZeneca vaccine: Initial trials show the vaccine to be less effective against this particular strain. Source: Agência Brasília (via Wikimedia Commons) The Government, however, is pro- tiveness in regards to severe cases of ceeding with the vaccines provided COVID-19. by other manufacturers, including Oxford’s lead vaccine developer, the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson Professor Sarah Gilbert, announced vaccines. However, Johnson & John- on the Andrew Marr Show that deson have also stated that their vac- velopers ‘were likely to have a modicine is ‘less effective’ with the South fied version of the injection against African variant, although in similar the South African variant later this trials the vaccines upheld their effec- year’.

Dominic Williams news@gairrhydd.com

Winter storm Darcy hits the UK: snowfall and sub-zero temperatures cluding those in Kent and Essex.

Zoe Kramer

Head of News

Convergence lines, where showers organise into bands, becoming heavy and persistent, are likely to drive these larger accumulations.

eather warnings for snow are in place for much of the United Kingdom on Tuesday due to Storm Darcy. Travel, which was already impeded by COVID-19 restrictions, has been brought to a halt in many areas. Some roads have been closed entirely, causing long delays. Warnings apply to Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. Wales has not currently been issued weather warnings. The Met Office has warned of heavy snowfall as well as temperatures as low as -15 degrees in parts of Scotland. “We’ll see further snow showers over the next couple of days and widespread

Up to 20cm of snow: Many areas across the UK are receiving heavy snowfall. Source: Gareth James (via Geograph) overnight frosts and ice with tempera- despite COVID-19, had remained tures for some not rising above freez- open to finally close. The snow also ing,” said a Met Office spokesperson. forced certain vaccination centres to England has also experienced heavy close. snow and ice, causing schools which, Many train services have closed, in-

Steve Ramsdale Chief Meteorologist for the Met Office Southern Rail has cancelled services in south-east London due to treacherous conditions on the tracks.

The yellow warning means that there could potentially be power outages in some areas. Residents of some areas may qualify for a £25 Cold Weather Payment from the Department for Work & Pensions to tide them over. The DWP scheme applies when the local temperature falls below 0 for seven consecutive days. Some areas are expected to receive over 20cm of snow. BBC Weather’s Billy Payne described the winter storm as the most significant cold spell for three years. “We’ll see further snow showers over the next couple of days and widespread overnight frosts and ice with temperatures for some not rising above freezing,” he said. There is a recommendation to stay indoors and in warm places.

4 NEWS Multiple applications submitted for hotel develoments across Cardiff Zoe Kramer

Head of News

p until now, Windsor House on Queen Street has been an office space, but plans have been set in motion to turn it into a hotel. The transformation will involve adding two storeys to the building with views of the city centre, and the hotel will have over 140 rooms. The retail space on the ground floor of the building would remain the same. The hotel would not include any restaurants or bars, but it will include a gymnasium. The application has been submitted by George Capital Ltd. If approved, development would not begin, however, until the leases on office space expire, which could be as late as 2023. Originally built in 1984, Windsor Court has a floor space of nearly 4,180 square metres. It was most recently restored in 2010. The building belongs to the Queen Street Conservation Area which includes several listed buildings. Developers have said the hotel can alleviate the emptiness of the area since the St. Davids shopping centre was built. They said, “The surrounding area around Windsor Court has now evolved in character to include residential, leisure, hospitality, and educational uses which have filled many of the traditional office and retail voids arising from the migration of occupiers to the new prime areas.” Windsor House is not the only hotel development which has been announced this year. In January, Easyhotel announced its 120 room development to be located in Fitzalan Place. An additional 166 room hotel has been announced at 1025 Queen Street, in the Grade II listed building above JD Gym, Live Lounge and Superdrug. This hotel was planned and designed by Barton Willmore and Mahavir Properties. Joe Ayoubkhani of Barton Willmore said, “Its an exciting scheme which will breathe new life into an underutilised building. “The proposed hotel will bring additional footfall to this part of Queen Street and create a buzz which is very much required.” This building was originally a department store until 1987 when it was converted into a shopping centre with several retailers. Like the Windsor development, this hotel plans to add an additional two storeys to the top of the building while the ground floor remains asis. Some may view the jobs involved in these developments as a muchneeded boost to the economy during COVID-19, while others may be less keen on the hotels attracting visitors for the foreseeable future. Regardless, the fate of these potential hotels is up to Cardiff Council to decide.

Wind farm to be built off North Wales coast Sam Portillo News Editor

partnership between BP and German firm EnBW has won the bidding rights to develop a major wind farm off the North Wales coast that could power almost 1.4 million homes with clean renewable energy. It is part of a wider investment in renewable energy by the Crown Estate, which has announced proposals for six new offshore wind farms around England and Wales. Together, they could produce almost 8 gigawatts of power – enough to provide electricity to 7 million homes in the UK. Three farms would be located in the Irish Sea, situated off the coasts of North Wales and North West England, with BP and EnBW also winning the rights to a site near Morecambe Bay in Lancashire. People familiar with the process claim that the long-awaited auctioning of more ‘seabed rights’ – the first in a decade – induced a bidding frenzy among private companies that are eager to further their involvement in the clean energy sector. Worth an estimated £52bn and trading in over 70 countries, BP is one of

the world’s oil and gas “supermajors”. Its origins date back to 1908, with the discovery of large amounts of oil in modern-day Iran. In 1954, the AngloIranian Oil Company adopted the name British Petroleum, which it still uses today. In the modern day, it also operates with biofuels, wind power and solar technology, among other renewable alternatives. EnBW is an electric utilities company primarily based in Baden-Wuertemberg, Germany. It is the third largest company of its kind in the country, serving around 6 million customers. The companies will collaborate on an area covering approximately 500 square kilometres, 30 kilometres off the North Wales coast. The designated points of construction fall between Holyhead, the largest town on Anglesey, and Rhyl, on the mainland. Its location echoes the development of the North Hoyle wind farm almost two decades ago, one of the first commercial offshore sites in the UK. The six new wind farms in England and Wales could take the sector’s total employment figures from 11,000 today to 60,000 by the end of the decade. The companies must now complete thorough environmental checks on the proposed sites, assessing poten-

tial effects on the landscape and local wildlife, a process which is unlikely to finish until spring next year. Developers hope that the farm will be ready to produce electricity by the end of this decade. Once completed, the six farms could see the UK reduce its annual household carbon emissions by 20 percent, taking it substantially closer to achieving the goal of ‘net-zero’ by 2050. “As noted by the Climate Change Committee in December last year, Wales is on a credible pathway to-

ing to get on board with the project. In January, Horizon also withdrew its planning application. Hitachi have remained quiet on the content of these conversations. However, the Horizon project is set to close next month. The topic has been raised in the House of Lords this month. Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist spoke of the ‘disappointment’ of the withdrawal of the planning application, she further stated the government’s stance of remaining ‘keen’ for a new developer for the nuclear power plant. The building of the nuclear power plant in Anglesey falls in line with the UK’s current green industrial plans for Britain, which were stated in December. This potential nuclear power plant may not be the only one to come in Britain in the coming years. Figures state that due to the cost of construction of nuclear power plants, public funding may only allow for the elaborate plans set out. Energy experts have discussed this

Green energy: Nuclear plants, such as the Wylfa Power Station in Anglesey, can have environmental benefits. Source: Rodney Burton (via Geograph) topic at large. Shearwater Energy have This is due to nuclear power not burnstated that a modified version of the ing fossil fuels and instead is created by plans could be in production by late colliding uranium with neutrons. An2027. other environmental benefit is that the Why is nuclear energy sustainable? nuclear reactors themselves do not diThe addition of nuclear power rectly create carbon dioxide emissions. plants into the environmental plans Furthermore, once the power plants for Britain is a positive step forward to have been built, they are described as the generation of energy without the fairly inexpensive due to low operause of fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is tional costs and therefore are also good a zero- emission clean energy source. for the economy once operational .

Wind farm: The new wind farm may resemble the Gwynt y Môr wind farm, pictured above. Source: Pasicles (via Wikimedia Commons) wards becoming a net-zero nation by 2050,” the Welsh Government Minister for the Environment and Energy Lesley Griffiths said. Leader of the Wales Green Party Anthony Slaughter evoked similarities between Wales and other resourcerich nations. “Countries of comparable population size to Wales such as Alaska and Norway have invested their fossil fuel wealth in sovereign wealth funds,” he said. “We need to see the value of Welsh renewable energy resources being used in a similar way.”

Anglesey nuclear plant project seeks developer Luthien Evans News Editor

t has been reported that the Welsh Government has made contact with the Japanese conglomerate, Hitachi about the acquisition of the Horizon nuclear power project based in Anglesey. This would also include the acquisition of their workers at the site. The Welsh Government are said to wanting to hold the caretaker role until a developer can be found. One obstacle for the Welsh Government, however, is the issue of acquisition of the land, which would be an expensive feat. The company scrapped the initial plans to build the nuclear power plant in September. The project was projected to cost £20 billion. The nuclear power plant proposal of the Horizon Nuclear Power, did not receive adequate amounts of support from the government for the installation of the project. The project was also scrapped due to the lack of private investors will-

South Wales Metro construction to be delayed Dominic Williams News Editor

onstruction on the £750m South Wales Metro transport network has been delayed due to Coronavirus. The South Wales Metro will be a transport network where passengers can use the same ticket or travel card across South Wales. Cardiff will act as a focal hub for the operation and the old valleys lines network using rail, tram and bus services. Metro bosses have promised reduced journey times, greater passenger capacity on trains, more frequent and reliable services and better connections. However, James Price of Transport for Wales, said ‘’ the South Wales Metro project, set to be completed in 2023, will be delayed for “months not years”. He said work on lines, funded by the Welsh Govern-

Delays for days: The South Wales Metro project is set to be finished in 2023. Source: Roger Cornfoot (via Wikimedia Commons) ment and European Union, had al- back in October 2018. ready started. Sustrans Cymru, a charity that Recently TFW has become na- encourages walking and cycling, tionalised again only after two-and- thinks a good public transport sysa-half years of it being ran by Ke- tem will still be “essential” after the olisAmey who won the £5bn Wales pandemic. and Boarders franchise contract “People going forward want to

have a blended approach,” director Christine Boston said. “Nobody wants to work from home on their own for evermore and I think we’ve always needed to encourage people where possible to work more local. Work has already started on the South Wales Metro, with the construction of a new £100m depot and Metro Control Centre in Taff ’s Well, Rhondda Cynon. This will serve as a new home to the Metro trains as well as 400 train crew, 35 maintenance staff and 52 Metro Control Centre staff. Along side this £800million has been invested in new faster, greener trains for the South Wales Metro and the Boarders rail service. South Wales Metro have said: ‘’We’re busy behind the scenes building these new, more comfortable trains that will provide our customers with a modern, effective, turn-up-and-go Metro service.’’

LGBTQ+

Join us in celebrating the rich diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and educating out prejudice. For more information visit cardiffstudents.com/ LGBTQHistoryMonth

TAF-OD

taf od

Barn y Bobol

Wrth i chwaraewyr pêldroed a rygbi cymryd i’r cae, maen nhw’n pellhau’n gymdeithasol ac yn ystod yr anthemau. Ond, oes wir pwynt i hyn? Gyda chwaraewyr yn taclo ei gilydd ac yn tynnu crysau, ydy pellhau’n gymdeithasol ar ddechrau gemau yn dibwynt? Dyma farn Tom, Deio a Dafydd.

Tom Moore

Myfyriwr y drydydd flwyddyn, Ferylliaeth Er bod pellhau cymdeithasol yn ystod yr anthemau yn bach yn ddibwynt, deallaf pam maent yn eu gwneud. O safbwynt gwylwyr, mae gweld y chwaraewyr yn pellhau’n gymdeithasol yn ystod yr anthemau, yn fwy i brofi pwynt a rhoi esiampl dda i’r gwylwyr. Dadleua rhai fod y pellhau cymdeithasol yn ddibwynt achos bydd y chwaraewyr dros ei gilydd yn y sgrwm nesaf, ond mae’r chwaraewyr yn saff, oherwydd ma nhw yn bubble ei hun ac yn aros i ffwrdd o’u teuluoedd ac yn cael eu profi pob dydd. Felly maent yn saff i chwarae yn cyffwrth euigilydd adref.

Deio Owen

Myfyriwr y flwyddyn gyntaf, Cymraeg a Gwleidyddiaeth Wrth edrych ar chwaraewyr pêl droed a rygbi yn pellhau yn gymdeithasol cyn ac ar ôl gemau, mae rhywyn yn meddwl pam? Beth yw’r pwynt iddyn nhw bellhau pan maent yn chwarae gêm gyffwrdd? Wedi meddwl am y peth, yn ein cymdeithas heddiw, mae dylanwad athletwyr i’w weld hyd a lled y lle, gyda hysbysebion cwmnïau mawr, gwefanau cymdeithasol ac hyd yn oed gwleidyddiaeth bellach. Dwi’n meddwl bod gan yr athletwtwyr hyn gyfrifoldeb fel ffigyrau cyhoeddus i ddangos esiampl. Er nad oes gwahaniaeth pa mor bell i ffwrdd maent wrth ganu’r anthem, mae’r neges maent yn ei gyfleu llawer

Dafydd Lewis

Myfyriwr y drydydd flwyddyn, Mathemateg Fi’n deall pam bod y broses o bellhau’n gymdeithasol yn digwydd, ond rhaid cyfaddef ma fe’n cwbl dibwynt. 5 munud wedi’r anthemau bydd rucks, scrums a llawer mwy. Ma fe yr un peth da chwaraewyr pêl-droed yn dathlu ar wahân, ma nhw di bod ar bwys ei gilydd ar y cae am yr holl gêm ta beth! Gellid dadlau mai er lles y cyhoedd yw e, fath o symbol i ddangos bod chwaraewyr yn bellhau’n gymdeithasol, ond i ni gyd yn gwybod bod e’n dibwynt. Chwaraeon yw rhywbeth sydd fod i ddiddanu ni a neud i ni anghofio am covid, sai moen cal fy atgoffa am y peth tra’n gwylio Cymru ennill y Chwe Gwlad!

Chwaraeon: Owain am Myrddin yn trafod atgofion tripiau rygbi i Gaeredin a Dulyn (tudalen 7)

NEWYDDION

Dirwyon yn cael eu dosbarthu i dorrwyr rheolau Gwelir llawer o ddirwyon yn cael eu dosbarth yn Ne Cymru Catrin Lewis Golygydd Taf-od

afodd 15 o ddirwyon eu dosbarthu yn Abertawe dros y penwythnos yn dilyn partïon tŷ. Roedd yn rhaid i’r heddlu wahanu dau barti yn y ddinas gan eu bod yn mynd yn erbyn y cyfyngiadau coronafeirws. Cafodd naw o bobl ddirwy am fynychu parti i wylio gêm rygbi’r Alban yn erbyn Lloegr dydd Sadwrn diwethaf ym Mhantygwydr. Yn ogystal cafodd chwech o bobl eu dirwyo am fynychu parti pen-blwydd yn Ynystawe. Dim ond gyda’r bobl maent yn byw gyda neu eu swigen gymorth y dylai pobl gymysgu ar hyn o bryd. Gall unigolion dderbyn dirwy o £60 os ydynt yn cael eu dal yn torri’r cyfyngiadau coronafeirws. Nid dyma oedd yr achos cyntaf o’r heddlu yn gorfod ymyrryd mewn partïon tŷ yng Nghymru. Yn ddiweddar, cyhoeddodd Heddlu De Cymru eu bod wedi gorfod dirwyo 240 o bobl am fynychu partïon tŷ. Yn y cyfamser, cafodd trefnydd parti pen-blwydd yng Nghlydach, Abertawe ddirwy tra cafodd 9 dirwy eu dosbarthu ym Mro Morgannwg am gynnal parti tŷ. Yn ogystal, cafodd 4 dirwy eu rhoi am barti arall a ddigwyddodd ym Mro Morgannwg.

Hefyd, cafodd 3 o bobl ddirwy ar ôl teithio o Rydychen i Bencoed er mwyn mynychu seremoni grefyddol. Wynebodd 3 arall ddirwy ar ôl cael eu dal yn yfed mewn maes parcio ym Merthyr Tydfil. Mae’r heddlu wedi cynyddu’r nifer o ddirwyon sy’n cael eu dosbarthu i’r rheiny sydd ddim yn dilyn y canllawiau coronafeirws. Mae hyn yn dilyn cynnydd yn y nifer achosion coronafeirws yng Nghymru yn ystod mis Rhagfyr llynedd. Bwriad cynyddu’r nifer o ddirwyon yw ceisio sicrhau bod mwy o bobl yn dilyn y canllawiau a ddim yn torri’r rheolau. Nid partïon yn unig sydd wedi bod yn derbyn dirwyon ychwaith. Cafodd wyth o bobl o wahanol dai yng Nghaerdydd ddirwy ar ôl i’r heddlu eu dal ar y ffordd yn ôl o Pen-y-fan. Dros y penwythnos bu hefyd yn rhaid cau maes parcio Cyfarthfa ym Merthyr Tydfil yn dilyn pryderon yn cael eu codi am y nifer o bobl oedd yn teithio i’r ardal mewn car er mwyn gwneud ymarfer corff. O dan y cyfyngiadau diweddaraf, mae gan bobl yng Nghymru ganiatâd i wneud cymaint o ymarfer corff yn yr awyr agored ac maent eisiau ac nid oes unrhyw gyfyngiadau amser neu bellter. Fodd bynnag, nid oes gan bobl hawl i deithio mewn car er mwyn mynd am dro ac mae’n rhaid i’r ymarfer corff gychwyn a gorffen yn y tŷ. Mae hawl mynd am dro gydag un person y tu al-

Dirwyon di-ri: Dosbarthwyd llawer o ddirwyon dros y penwythnos. Tarddiad: trawets1 (drwy Flickr) lan i’ch cartref os yw’n hanfodol. Mae ffigyrau coronafeirws yng Nghymru wedi bod yn gostwng yn gyson ers rhai wythnosau bellach ac mae arwyddion amlwg bod y cyfnod clo wedi bod yn llwyddiannus er mwyn lleihau’r nifer o achosion. Fodd bynnag, mae dal pwysau mawr ar y GIG ac er bod y ffigyrau yn is nag y maent wedi bod dros y misoedd diwethaf, maent yn parhau i fod yn gymharol uchel.

Nid oes modd mesur i ba raddau mae’r cynnydd mewn dirwyon wedi annog pobl i ddilyn y rheolau ac i beidio mynd yn erbyn y cyfyngiadau. Fodd bynnag, mae’n sicr bod pobl yn fwy tebygol i ddilyn y cyfyngiadau gan nad ydynt eisiau wynebu dirwy ac mae’n debyg fod y dirwyon wedi ychwanegu at y gostyngiad mewn achosion. Dim ond amser gall ddangos os bydd y gostyngiad yn parhau dros yr wythnosau nesaf.

Pryder yn sgil brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZenica Alaw Fflur Jones Golygydd Taf-od

brechlyn yn cael effaith cyfyngedig ar amrywiolyn De Affrig o’r coronafeirws, effaith o tua 22% yn unig. Llawer llai na dylai unrhyw frechaid fod yn ôl yr WHO (World Health Organisation). Ond mae’r canfyddiad yn seiliedig ar astudiaeth ‘fach iawn’, sy’n cynnwys llai na 2,000 o bobl, gydag oedran cyfartalog o ychydig dros 30 oed. Ac felly, does dim sicrwydd pendant i’r canfyddiad ar hyn o bryd. Fodd bynnag, mae’r dystiolaeth yn codi cwestiynau mawr am sefyllfa brechi yn y DU. Beth mae hyn yn ei olygu i bobl sydd yn aros am frechlyn? Er gwaetha’r dystiolaeth dros effaith gyfyngedig brechlyn Rhydy-

Brechlyn: Effaith gyfyngedig brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca yn erbyn yr amrywiolyn newydd. Tarddiad: US Secretary of Defence (trwy Flickr)

chen- AstraZeneca yn erbyn amrywiolyn De Affrig o’r coronafeirws. Mae gobaith y bydd y brechlyn yn dal i fod yn effeithiol iawn wrth atal salwch difrifol amrywiolyn De Affrig o’r coronafeirws, gan olygu bydd llai o straen ar wasanaethau’r gofal iechyd a llai o farwolaethau. Yn ogystal, mae’r brechlyn Rhydychen-AstraZeneca yn parhau i fod yn hynod effeithiol fel y brechlyn arall sy’n cael ei ddefnyddio yn y DU, a gynhyrchir gan PfizerBioNTech yn erbyn y math o coronafeirws sy’n dominyddu yn y DU. Mae llai na 150 o achosion o’r amrywiolyn De Affrica wedi ei ganfod yn y DU. Ond, mae posibilrwydd bod mwy o achosion o’r amrywiolyn De Affrig yn bodoli, oherwydd dim ond 5-10% o achosion positif sy’n cael eu gwirio am yr amrywiolyn. Mae’r broses o wirio profion positif am yr amrywiolyn yn cynnwys gwaith labordy helaeth, ac felly nid oes modd gwirio pob prawf. Ond nid oes arwydd fod yr amrywiolyn wedi lledu ymhellach na Lerpwl a Bryste yn y DU. Ac mae profion ychwanegol wedi’u harchebu yn yr ardaloedd hynny lle mae arwyddion y gallai’r amrywiolyn fod yn lledu er mwyn geisio rhwystro ei ledaeniad. Felly, mae’r esblygiad o’r amrywiolyn De Affrig yn cael ei asesu. Ac ar hyn o bryd, mae’r broses o

frechi yn dal i barhau yn y DU ac yn parhau i fod yn effeithiol yn erbyn y coronafeirws sydd yn dominyddu yn y wlad. Cyfnod clo cyn bwysiced nag erioed Mae’r coronafeirws a’r amrywiolyn De Affrig o’r feirws yn cylchredeg yn y DU. Ond tra bod cyfyngiadau’r cyfnod clo yn parhau mewn grym, mae gobaith bod modd eu harafu rhag lledaenu ymhellach. Yn ôl gwyddonwyr Rhydychen, mae modd addasu’r brechlyn AstraZeneca er mwyn ei wneud yn fwy effeithiol. Yr wythnos diwethaf, esboniodd tîm Rhydychen-AstraZeneca y gallai’r brechlyn wedi ei haddasu fod yn barod i’w gyflwyno mewn ychydig fisoedd. Y syniad fyddai cynnig brechiadau ‘atgyfnerthu’ fel sy’n cael ei wneud gyda’r pigiad ffliw bob blwyddyn. Ond tan hynny pwysleisir ar bwysigrwydd cydymffurfio â rheolau’r cyfnod clo er mwyn rhwystro’r feirws rhag lledaenu a datblygu amrywiolion newydd. Byddai datblygiadau mewn amrywiolion newydd yn golygu mwy o bwysau ar y gofal iechyd, mwy o addasiadau ym mrechlynnau, a mwy o frechi! Ac fydd y cyfan yn arafu’r broses o ddychwelyd at normalrwydd.

TAF-OD

Pryd o Daf-od: Owain ap Myrddin Myfyriwr yn ei drydydd flwyddyn, Owain ap Myrddin, sydd yn pryd o Daf-od wythnos hwn Yr wythnos yma, mae Owain ap Myrddin yn mynd a ni nol mewn amser i adeg lle’r oedd pawb allan yn mwynhau Pencampwriaeth y Chwe Gwlad hyd a lled Cymru. Ond, mae’r GymGym (Y Gymdeithas Gymraeg) fel arfer yn mynd ar dripiau i Gaeredin neu Ddulyn am benwythnois lle byddai Cymru yn chwarae Yr Alban neu’r Iwerddon. Oherwydd pandemig COVID-19, ni fydd y trip yn digwydd eleni. Felly, dyma Owain yn cofio nol at yr atgofion melys roedd ef a’i ffrindiau wedi creu ar y tripiau.

Eleni wrth gwrs, mae hi’n stori gwbwl wahanol. Does dim tripiau a dim Clwb Ifor Bach ar ddiwrnod gêm ac felly mae’n deg i bob myfyriwr deimlo fod yr wythnosau nesaf yn llusgo heibio gan nad oes fawr ddim i edrych ymlaen tuag ato. Ac i goroni’r cyfan da ni’n byw mewn oes technoleg ac felly mae bron i bob penwythnos cael ei ddechrau gyda atgof gan un o apps cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn dangos Dulun y llynedd neu Gaeredin y flwyddyn flaenorol neu un o Eisteddfodau Rhyngolegol Abertawe ac Aberystwyth. Ond, er mor drist yw’r holl atgofion hynny wrth edrych arnyn nhw yn awr a’u cymharu a’g eleni mae’n rhaid i mi gyfaddau i bod nhw’n dod a’g atgofion melys iawn o’r tripiau hynny. Braf iawn yw cofio hanesion O’Connells, Temple Bar, Doyle’s a Fitzsimons heb sôn am firi Three Sister’s, Hive ac Espionage. Does dim i guro’r tripiau ‘rygbi’ yma er mai’r peth olaf ar feddwl pawb yw’r rygbi i hun heb sôn am bwy da ni’n chwarae. Un o fy hoff bethau am y tripiau hyn yw sut maent yn llwyddo i ddod a’g aelodau’r Gym Gym yn agosach at ei gilydd. Y tripiau yma law yn llaw a sbri rhyngolegol yn aml iawn sy’n dod a blynyddoedd gwahanol o’r Gym

ae misoedd Chwefror a Mawrth fel arfer yn llawn dop i bob myfyriwr Cymraeg gyda dawns y Gym Gym, Eisteddfod Rhyngolegol a thrip Dulun neu Gaeredin i gyd yn digwydd o fewn ychydig wythnosau i’w gilydd. Ar ben hynny mae twrnament y Chwe Gwlad ymlaen ac felly mae Caerdydd yn llawn bwrlwm bob penwythnos gan wneud i gyfnod oer y gaeaf ddiflannu’n gyflym i’r Gwanwyn.

Gym yn ffrindiau da. Mae’n rhyfeddol sut fod rhaid i ni fynd i bybs gwahanol, mewn dinas arall mewn gwlad wahanol er mwyn gadael yn ffirndiau gwell gyda pobol o’r un Brifysgol a ni. Ond diolch i Dduw am y tripiau hynny. Ydi mae’r atgofion hyn yn amlygu nad ydym ni yno eleni – ond mae’n nhw hefyd yn amlygu ein bod ni (wel y rhan fwyaf ohonom ni, sori freshers) wedi cael bod yno ac y cawn ni fynd eto. Eleni oedd ein trip olaf ni fel criw i fod gyda’r Gym Gym ond dwi’n bendant y byddwn ni i gyd yno y flwyddyn nesaf, ac y fl-

2. Beth yw’r digwyddiad sy’n codi’r mwyaf o embaras arnat? Chwydu mewn gig o flaen fy athro Cymraeg. 3. Beth oedd dy air cyntaf? Ham- sydd bach yn eironig erbyn hyn gan nad ydw i’n bwyta cig! 4. Pe fyddet ti ar yr X-Factor, pa gân byddet ti’n ei chanu a pham? Unrhyw yn o ganeuon CPJ! 5. Beth fyddet ti’n ei archebu o’r bwyty Indiaidd lleol? Naan bread yw’r peth gorau ar y fwydlen! 6. Pwy oeddet ti’n ffansio pan oeddet ti’n iau? Draco Malfoy o Harry Potter. 7. Pwy yw dy hoff fand/artist? Panic! at the disco neu Hogia’r Wyddfa.

Aled Biston

Profiad gwahanol: Stryd O’Connels yn Dulyn. Tarddiad: Gianni Zigante (drwy Flickr)

Nansi Eccott

Fy enw i yw Nansi Eccott a dwi’n astudio’r Gyfraith a’r Gymraeg.

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?

wyddyn wedyn, a’r un wedyn i godi peint i’r flwyddyn gollon ni. Wrth edrych yn ôl daw’n amlwg mai nid pa dafarn oedden ni, na pha ddinas oedd hi na beth goblyn oedd pris peint yno sydd yn gwneud yr atgofion hyn cystal. Ond y bobol oedd yno yn llenwi pob bws, cwch a phyb o bob cwr o Gymru gyda’u straeon, eu hwyl a’u caneuon gan greu’r atgofion hyn gyda ni. Ac am hynny, hoffwn ddweud Diolch. Wela’i chi’n O’Connells am 12 Dydd Sadwrn flwyddyn nesaf. €6 am Guinness? Peidiwch a meiddio cwyno.

Trafod gyda’r

taf-od

Alaw Fflur Jones

8. Prosecco neu champagne? Hoffwn i allu fforddio Champagne! 9. Beth oedd y diwrnod gorau iti ei gael erioed? Gweld morfilod gwyllt ar fy ngwyliau yn Canada.

Catrin Lewis

10. Beth yw dy gas beth? Nadrod neu Brussels Sprouts 11. Beth fyddet ti’n gwneud yn ystod dy noson ddelfrydol? Coctels, Just Dance a karaoke gyda fy ffrindiau. 12. Pe taset ti’n gallu bod yn unrhyw anifail am ddiwrnod, pa un fyddet ti’n dewis, a pham? Fy nghi i- mae’n cael ei sbwylio.

Sesh Senghenydd: Nansi a’i ffrindiau yn gwneud y gorau o’r sefyllfa yn SenghenyTal iawn, iawn dd. Tarddiad: Nansi Eccott. 14. Pwy fydd yn trafod ‘da’r 13. Disgrifia dy hun mewn 3 gair.

Taf-od wythnos nesaf? Beth Williams.

taf od Nel Richards

tafod@gairrhydd.com www.gairrhydd.com/tafod

8 TAF-OD NEWYDDION Dai Davies yn marw yn Anwybyddwch y casineb: Carwch eich cwrls 72 oed wedi Mae gan Taf-od neges syml: caru chi eich hun fel yr ydych colli brwydr Annell Dyfri Wyn, sydd bellach yn byw yn ardal Caerfyrddin. Golygydd Taf-od gyda cancr Nododd ‘I fi yn bersonol, fe ae gwallt o bob math yn dreuliais flynyddoedd o oedran Aled Biston

Pennaeth Taf-od

ae cyn-golwr timau Abertawe, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Bangor a Wrecsam, Dai Davies wedi marw yn 72 oed. Roedd wedi bod yn brwydro cancr y pancreas ac wedi bod yn aros mewn hosbis hyd at ddiwedd ei oes. Dros yrfa oedd yn para 18 blwyddyn, chwaraeodd dros 400 o gemau, ac ef oedd y golwr cyntaf i ennill 50 cap dros Gymru. Roedd Davies yn aelod o’r tîm lwyddodd i drechu Lloegr oddicartref yn 1977- y tro cyntaf i hynny ddigwydd ers 1936. Hwn oedd un o fuddugoliaethau enwocaf yn hanes Cymru wrth i gol Leighton James sicrhau bod tîm Mike Smith yn ennill yn Stadiwm Wembley. Yn dilyn ei ymddeoliad bu’n sylwebydd ac yn gyfrannydd hefyd ar raglenni gemau rhyngwladol S4C. Mae’r sylwebydd Nic Parry wedi talu teyrnged i’r golwr. Dywedodd “Roedd o bob amser yn gefnogol, wastad yn fodlon cynnig ei help pan o’n i angen cyfweliad neu wybodaeth… oedd yn ‘ail lais’ mewn sylwebaethu- wastad yn barod i roi gair o gyngor, ac yn rhyfedd iawn dyna un o’r pethau mae’r peldroedwyr fuodd yn chwarae gyda fo yn ei ddweud amdano fo”. Ymunodd gydag Abertawe yn 21 oed, ar ôl gorffen hyfforddiant i fod yn athro ymarfer corff. Gwnaeth ei ymddangosiad cyntaf yn 22 oed cyn arwyddo i Everton am £40,000 ar ôl llond llaw o gemau dros yr Elyrch. Treuliodd cyfnod o saith mlynedd gydag Everton cyn symud i’r Cae Ras ac i glwb Wrecsam, ble chwaraeodd y rhan helaeth o gemau ei yrfa. Wedi gyrfa lewyrchus gyda Chymru, chwaraeodd am y tro olaf yn 1982, gan fethu dim ond chwe gem ryngwladol allan o 58 dros gyfnod o saith mlynedd. Cyn i Neville Southall ennill y mwyaf o gapiau fel golwr, Davies oedd y golwr gyda’r nifer fwyaf o gapiau rhyngwladol. Yn 1981, roedd yn rhan o’r tîm oedd yn enwog iawn wrth iddynt guro Lloegr 4-1 yn y Cae Ras. Wedi iddo ymddeol, dychwelodd Davies i bêl-droed gyda Bangor ym 1985-86. Chwaraeodd yn eu hymgyrch yng Nghwpan Enillwyr Cwpanau Ewrop ac arbed cic gosb mewn gem gyfartal oddi cartref yn erbyn cewri Atletico Madrid. Dychwelodd i Wrecsam am ail gyfnod byr, gan hawlio trydydd Cwpan Cymru ei yrfa, cyn iddo orffen chwarae. Roedd ei farwolaeth wedi dod fel tristwch mawr i bawb sydd yn ymwneud a phêl-droed Cymru a hefyd y clybiau roedd Davies wedi chwarae drostynt yn ei yrfa. Roedd ei gyn-glybiau a chwaraewyr wedi talu teyrnged iddo ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol, yn amlwg roedd Davies yn gymeriad mawr a pherson hoffus ymysg ei gyd-chwaraewyr. Bydd pawb yn ei golli ef, mae hynny’n sicr. Aeth yn ôl i weithio fel athro am gyfnod yn dilyn ei ymddeoliad. Roedd yn Gymro balch ac fe gafodd ei urddo i’r Orsedd yn Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 1978.

gyfrwng i ddathlu hunaniaeth a ddiwylliant, ond yn anffodus nid oes ymddygiad cadarnhaol wedi bod i hyn erioed, yn enwedig i’r rheiny gyda gwallt cyrliog. Symbol o enynnau teuluol neu gefndir ethnig yw gwallt cyrliog ac felly mae’n bwysig ein bod yn dathlu gwallt cyrliog ac yn ei dderbyn yn union fel unrhyw fath o wallt arall. Mae’r gymdeithas ehangach wedi chwarae rhan greiddiol o ran delweddu’r fath yma o wallt fel rhywbeth annerbyniol mewn cyddestun proffesiynol yn y gorffennol. Anaml iawn oeddech yn gweld cyflwynwraig/wr gyda gwallt cyrliog ar y teledu, neu fodel gyda gwallt cyrliog, ond erbyn heddiw mae nifer wedi ymgyrchu dros y diffyg cynrychiolaeth o wallt cyrliog mewn cyfundrefn broffesiynol gan sicrhau bod cynrychiolaeth o wallt cyrliog yn cael ei ddangos fel rhywbeth proffesiynol a normal ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol ac yn gyffredinol. Gyda’r cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn chwarae rôl flaenllaw iawn yn yr hyn sydd yn ein dylanwadu, mae nifer wedi mynd ati i sefydlu cyfrifon Instagram ei hun yn cefnogi’r symudiad, ac un o’r gwynebau cyfarwydd ar Instagram yw Bethan

ifanc yn casáu fy ngwallt, yn meddwl bod gen i wallt anffodus - a dy’ chi ddim yn gallu fy meio am fod wedi meddwl hynny wrth ystyried y negeseuon mae cymdeithas yn ei rhoi am wallt cwrl - dy chi ond yn gorfod rhoi mewn i’r we, er enghraifft, beth y dylech ei wneud a’ch gwallt ar gyfer cyfweliad neu gyflwyniad proffesiynol, ac yn fwy aml na pheidio, yr hyn sy’n dod lan yw y dylid sythu’ch gwallt ac osgoi ei adael yn ei stad naturiol oherwydd yr ystyron mae cymdeithas wedi’u benodi iddo’. Er, erbyn hyn mae ganddi dros 1000 o bobl yn dilyn ei thudalen sef @Cwrls_ wrth iddi ddangos pwysigrwydd dathlu gwallt cyrliog. Nododd mai ‘Nid dyma’r lle i ddathlu delweddau “perffaith” ond yn hytrach i ddathlu ein bod ni oll yn wahanol, bod pob cwrl yn wahanol, a bod hynny yn rhywbeth i’w glodfori’. Dw i’n siŵr bod sawl un yn medru uniaethu â phrofiad Bethan Wyn, ac mae ei chyfraniad yn fawr er mwyn sicrhau bod mwy yn ymwybodol am yr ymgyrch i sicrahu bod y gymdeithas yn derbyn gwallt cyrliog naturiol yn yr un modd ag y maent yn derbyn unrhyw fath o wallt arall. Ychwanegodd ‘Mae ein gwallt yn rhan annatod o’n hunani-

Carwch eich cwrls: Dyle chi caru eich cwrls a chi eich hun. Tarddiad: ashleyinzer (drwy Flickr) aeth ni - ac mae derbyn eich gwallt genhedlaeth iau i garu eu gwallt’. naturiol o oedran ifanc - waeth pa Ychwanegodd ‘mae’n braf gweld y bynnag wallt sydd gennych chi - yn newid o fewn y gymdeithas wrth i holl holl bwysig, angenrheidiol y fwy o bobl ddangos eu gwallt cyrbydden i’n ei ddadlau i hunan hy- liog naturiol ar y cyfryngau cymdeder ac i greu byd sy’n llawer mwy ithasol’. derbyniol’. Felly’r neges y dylwn ni gyd dysUn arall sydd wedi dathlu ei gu fan hyn, yw i anwybyddu ungwallt cyrliog yw Catrin Lewis, rhyw fath o ymddygiad gwael sydd myfyrwraig ail flwyddyn ym Mhri- yn ymwneud gyda ni’n hunain. fysgol Caerdydd. Nododd ‘mae’n Dylem dathlu pwy ydyn ni, fod yn bwysig iawn ein bod yn derbyn falch o ni’n hunain ac anwybyddau gwallt cyrliog o fewn pob sefyllfa unrhyw sylwadau negatif yn ein byac wrth osod esiampl ar gyfer y wydau.

Siopa ar lein, ar y soffa, neu’r Stryd Fawr? Nel Richards

Golygydd Taf-od

rth i ddrysau siopau’r stryd fawr gau dros y cyfnod clo, mae pyrth i’r we wedi bod yn fwy agored nag erioed. Mae arolwg diweddar wedi datgelu bod un ym mhob pum siop ar y Stryd Fawr yn wag. Gyda phawb yn treulio’u hamser adref, a nunlle i fynd, mae cynnydd sydd wedi bod yn y nifer sy’n gwario’u henillion ar gwmnïoedd mawr megis, Amazon, Asos, Deliveroo ac Ocado. Neidiodd gwerthiant Amazon 51% y flwyddyn ddiwethaf ym Mhrydain, i fyny £19.5 biliwn wrth i fwy a mwy o archebu o esmwythder eu cartrefi. Er hyn, serch yr elw anferth mae’r cwmni yma’n gwneud, dim ond £14.5 miliwn oedd ei dreth gorfforaethol yn 2019. Mae Uned Bolisi Stryd Downing

yn archwilio’r posibiliadau o godi trethi ar gwmniau sydd wedi elwa o’r pandemig. Cred rhai gweinidogion fod gosod trethi ar gwmnïau sy’n masnachu ar-lein er mwyn cynorthwyo busnesau sydd ar y stryd fawr, heb sôn am fusnesau lleol, bach. Felly, gobeithio welwn ddrysau’n agor unwaith eto yn y dyfodol agos. Syniadau synhwyrol Sunak? Nid oes disgwyl i’r cynnydd yn y dreth ymddangos yng Nghyllideb Mawrth 3ydd eleni, bydd y Canghellor yn canolbwyntio ar ail-sefydlogi’r niwed tymor byr. Er hyn, nododd ffynonellau y Llywodraeth y gallai cynnydd treth fod yn ganolbwynt i’r ymdrechion i dorri dyled Prydain Hydref nesa’. Mae’r Canghellor, Rishi Sunak eisoes wedi gwario mwy na £300 biliwn o’r gronfa o drethi’r Prydeinig ar geisio datrys effaith y Pandemig ar yr economi. Er y gwariant enfawr, mae

Mwy o dreth: Bydd angen i Amazon talu mwy o dreth nawr. Tarddiad: oi Roppa (drwy Flickr)

Sunak o blaid y syniad o godi mwy o drethi ar gwmnïoedd ar-lein, ac yn cefnogi’r newid. Fe fydd yn ymestyn cynlluniau furlough a chymorth busnesau eraill a oedd yn dod i ben yn Ebrill, yn ogystal â chyflwyno cyfres o bolisïau a fydd yn dangos ‘buddion Brexit’. Datgela e-bost, a ollyngwyd, bod y Trysorlys wedi gofyn i Gydffederasiwn Diwydiant Prydain (CBI) a TechUK gysylltu â chwmniau a chasglu barn am fanteision neu anfanteision y fath dreth. Gan ddiystyru’r diwydiant bwyd, neidiodd cyfran gwerthiant manwerthu o 31% i 46% y llynedd, yn ôl data’r British Retail Consortium a KPMG. Felly, yn amlwg mae’r pandemig wedi cael effaith mawr ar yr hyn y mae trigolion yn prynu, hyd yn oed os oes gan neb unrhywle i fynd. Datgela waith ‘ditectif’ James Johnson, cyn-‘ymchwilydd’ Theresa May taw’r dreth ar werthiant ar-lein yw’r ffordd fwyaf poblogaidd o ad-ennill llawer o gostau a gollwyd o grisis cofid. Dywedodd Johnson wrth The Times: “mae pobl yn teimlo’n llethol nad yw manwerthwyr ar-lein yn talu’r dreth ddyledus, a’u bod wedi ffynnu tra bod y diwydiant manwerthu corfforol wedi dioddef dros y naw mis diwethaf”. Onid yw’n iawn fod y cwmnïoedd mawr proffidiol, sydd â chanran uchel o’r monopoli yn talu rhywfaint tuag at adfer yr economi? Mewn ymateb i’r sefyllfa bresennol, fe ddywedodd llefarydd ar ran y Trysorlys: “Rydym eisiau gweld prif strydoedd mawr ffyniannus, a dyna pam rydym wedi gwario degau o filiynau o bunnoedd yn cefnogi canol trefi trwy’r newidiadau a ddaw yn sgîl siopa ar-lein”. Amazon: llwyddiant cyfalafiaeth

neu’n fethiant i fusnesau lleol? E-Lyfr Amazon neu lyfr papur o’r siop lyfrau lleol? P’un ai’n lyfr-bryf neu beidio, mae ymweld â siop lyfrau lleol annibynnol yn brofiad difyr. Daw teimlad melys wrth archwilio a bodio llyfrau newydd eu cyhoeddi, clasuron neu bobolgaidd neu hen lyfr prin – d’ych chi byth yn gwybod beth y’chi dod o hyd iddo. Ond, rhodd y feirws stop ar hyn, unwaith yn rhagor. Bu’n rhaid i ddrysau siopau llyfrau gau a dioddef. Er hyn, roedd yn bosib archebu a chasglu llyfrau wrth fynedfa siopau bach. Cyfleustra, prisoedd rhad a dosbarthu cyflym sy’n denu prynwyr tuag at gwmnïau megis Amazon, Asos a Boohoo. Mae cyhoeddwyr ac awduron yn derbyn llai gan gwmniau mawrion. Fe fyddai cynnydd yn nhrethi y cwmniau yma’n golygu mwy o gyllid i gymunedau sydd wedi’u heffeithio’n arw gan y pandemig. Mae cynnydd yn y defnydd o elyfrau wedi ei wneud hi’n haws nag erioed i brynu, darllen a dadansoddi llyfr o foethusrwydd y cartref, ar ffôn, ipad, gyfrifiadur neu Kindle. Dyma un elfen dyngedfennol y mae siopau llyfrau ar-lein yn cynnig i ddefnyddwyr. Gyda’r lleihad yn y defnydd o bapur mae’r llyfrau yma’n cael eu defnyddio mewn ffordd gynaliadwy ac yn dda i’r amgylchedd, sydd wrth gwrs yn elfen gadarnhaol i’r diwydiant, Mae gan Gaerdydd lawer i gynnig yn sgîl siopau llyfrau bach, annibynnol - Cant a Mil, Caban, Wellfield Booksoop a Troutmark Books: llefydd llond llyfrau Cymraeg, Saesneg, ail-law, newydd, ffuglen a ffeithiol. Llefydd llawn cymeriad. Mae’r angen i gefnogi’n lleol mor bwysig ag erioed.

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POLITICS

YOUR Guardian uncovers evidence of POLITICS Monarchy abuse of power DESK Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

Hallum Cowell

Tom Kingsbury

n invesigation by The Guardian has found evidence that the royal family, including the Queen and her son Prince Charles, has vetted and obstructed laws. On February 7, The Guardian published their investigation into the Queen’s political lobbying, followed a few days later by similar stories focusing on Prince Charles. The Queen has two roles when it comes to passing laws in the UK. The first is Royal Assent, where the ruling monarch approves laws already passed through the House of Commons and House of Laws. It is effectively a final formal act to bring these bills into law. The other element of the Queen’s involvement is Queen’s consent. Queen’s consent has traditionally been seen as another element of the ceremony of the UK Government. A 2014 Parliamentary Committee advised removing this element of government, but because it was believed to have no real impact it remains. It requires the Ruler’s consent on legislation “which would affect the prerogative or interests of the Crown” before it is sent for final approval by the Commons or Lords. The Guardian, who unearthed evidence that Queen’s consent was being used to undemocratically change laws in the UK, have said that over 1,000 draft laws have been sent to the Queen and Prince of Wales under the law of Queen’s consent.

Effectively, if a law which is soon to be voted on in Parliament impacts the private or professional interests of the monarchy, specifically the Queen or Prince of Wales, then it is sent to the ruling Monarch to be checked. The Guardian argues that this allows the monarchy to then lobby the government to change the law in ways that benefit the Crown. The Queen has reportedly lobbied for changes to draft laws with the aim of concealing the extent of her wealth, unearthing a number of government memos held in the national archives, journalists found that transparency laws introduced in 1973, and 76, included a clause which exempted companies run by “heads of state” from disclosing share details. The Guardian also reports that in the 1970s an agreement was reached between the monarchy and the government to create a “state-backed shell corporation” where the Queen could deposit her private wealth free from scrutiny, thanks to the exemption in the 1973 and 1976 laws. Further information has since come to light, this time concerned with heir to the throne, Prince Charles. The Guardian found that Charles had vetted three bills in such a way that subsequently prevented residents who live on estates owned by the Prince from buying these homes. The investigation found that between 1970 and 2020 at least 275 draft laws were seen by Prince Charles and were vetted by him. Included in these laws is everything from foxhunting to inheritance.

Dewi Morris

Morgan Perry politics@gairrhydd.com

British Monarchy: The Royal Family is an internationaly recognised symbol of the United Kingdom, but they seem to have more impact on our democracy than many had thought. Source: Carfax2 (via. Wikimedia Commons)

The Guardian’s investigation revealed three key examples of the Monarchy using the Queen’s consent to modify draft law: the 1967 leasehold Reform Act, the 1993 Leasehold Reform, housing and Urban Development Act and the 2002 Common Hold and Leasehold Reform Act. Through royal consent the Monarchy has vetted over a thousand bills, including five laws relating to pensions, seven relating to the NHS, and two relating to animal welfare. One of the laws in 2006 which pertained to animal welfare was given an amendment which prevents animal welfare inspectors entering the royal estate. Dr Adam Tucker, a constitutional law specialist at Liverpool University, said “A lot of these bills are not distinctively about the crown, or mainly about the crown, or obviously about the crown in any way,” he said. “And yet they obviously still have some content which drags them into the process”. Adding that, “Seeing the sheer range, in this relentless list form, really drives home the sheer breadth of things that the procedure captures.” Buckingham Palace refused comment when asked by The Guardian upon the release of their report but have since made a statement saying that “Queen’s consent is a parliamentary process, with the role of sovereign purely formal. Consent is always granted by the Monarch where requested by the government. Any assertion that the sovereign has blocked legislation is simply incorrect.” It also stated: “If consent is required, draft legislation is, by convention, put to the sovereign to grant solely on advice of ministers and as a matter of public record.” The Anti-monarchy group Republic released a statement authored by Graham Smith which claims “This is a clear abuse of power for personal gain, and it cannot be ignored”. But what does all of this mean for Wales? Many across Wales staunchly opposed the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle in 1969. Protests began at Caernarfon ahead of the investiture, and opposition of the title held by Prince Charles continues, as a title which has its roots in a longstanding Welsh history of Princes. For some in Wales, the opposition to the Prince of Wales remains. More than 30,000 people signed a petition in 2018, opposing the idea of renaming

the Second Severn Crossing ‘Prince of Wales Bridge’ in honour of Prince Charles. At the time, Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price noted, “It’s rare in Wales for tens of thousands of people to sign a petition on an issue like this, with such an emotional and defiant reaction. “Of course it’s not just about the name of the bridge, but the symbolism, and the way the decision was made” he added.

Seeing the sheer range, in this relentless list form, really drives home the sheer breadth of things that the procedure captures Dr Adam Tucker Liverpool University

In recent weeks, we’ve seen a significant increase in support for the proWelsh Indepence group YesCymru. Independence is still a minority view in Wales, and despite a January ITV Wales and Cardiff University poll showing that only 22 percent of Welsh people would vote on behalf of Welsh Independence if given the option, YesCymru saw its membership jump from 2,000 at the start of 2020 to more than 17,000 at the beginning of January 2021. Support for the Independence movement in Wales continues, a matter concerning for the UK Government, could this increase support further? For decades, the divide between supporters of the Royal Family and their opposition has been fierce, and questions have always persisted surrounding their finances. There is a likelyhood The Guardian’s investigation could cause alter the way many had previously perceived the Royal Family. In Wales, with opposition against the Prince of Wales already present, time will only tell how residents will respond to these allegations against the Royal Family. Many are now calling for a more indepth investigation into the allegations made by The Guardian.

Plaid Cymru announces “rapid recovery” policy as election draws near Caitlin Parr Contributor

laid Cymru have pledged that should they win the 2021 Senedd elections their government would announce a £6 billion ‘Rebuild Wales’ rapid recovery plan “Within its first few hours”. Not only does the recovery plan promise thousands of jobs, but also a long-term zero-interest loan system to support businesses struggling due to the pandemic; thousands of new social housing builds; and, a look towards a greener Wales with more electric vehicle charging points and a greater investment in renewable energy for the country, according to Plaid leader Adam Price. The idea of an expansion and

electrification of the rail network and faster broadband to “all parts of Wales” was also outlined by the Plaid leader. As well as the hope of creating positions for 7,500 new teachers, classroom and teaching assistants, childcare workers, care home workers, healthcare workers, and home carers in a bid to “transform a system that has been under-staffed, underpaid and undervalued for too long”. Though Adam Price has said that the plan is “ambitious but deliverable”, he is adamant that the provisions should be implemented as soon as possible in an attempt to tackle an issue that he feels the Labour Welsh Government should have shown “greater urgency” towards during their term. The Rebuild Wales rapid recovery

plan is hoped to be funded partially by the UK Government. It is in a bid to improve relations in green economic stimulus and borrowing powers with Westminster. A “Plan B” has also been announced in preparation for a rejection from the Treasury, that includes acquiring councils’ borrowing powers. It also includes a predicted “appropriate” use of the current Welsh Government’s Mutual Investment Model system. Plaid Cymru have also claimed that this will be their “best ever Senedd election”. With not only the hope of being able to implement policies such as the Rebuild Wales rapid recovery plan should they gain power, but

also to “achieve the long held dream of forming the first pro-independence Welsh Government”. A “Decade of Transformation” under a Plaid government was announced in 2019, before the premise of the coronavirus. It has presumably only strengthened Plaid Cymru’s position on feeling responsible for creating a “caring country” out of Wales in their prospective political term. Announcing the policy, Adam Price said that the party’s plans, “could include building thousands of new social homes, retrofitting existing homes, expanding and electrifying the rail network, and delivering the fastest broadband to all parts of Wales”. In the recent first Welsh Political Barometer Poll of the year, we

can see a 2% increase in support for Plaid Cymru since the last poll released in November 2020. Now with support sitting at 22%, Plaid Cymru are only 4% behind Welsh Conservatives and 12% behind Welsh Labour — who have seen a 4% decrease in support since the November polls. It has been said by Professor Roger Awan-Scully, a polling expert, that the -4% for Welsh Labour is showing a “clear weakening of Labour support”, potentially making room for Plaid Cymru to increase their support even further. From the projected figures, it is predicted that Plaid Cymru will win 15 seats at the upcoming Welsh elections yet fall short of forming a single party government in the Senedd, despite their hopes.

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Comings and goings at No. 10 may threaten the Union

There has been yet more movement in those closest to the Prime Minister, including one that threatens the future of the Union. Morgan Perry Politics Editor

oris Johnson was, only last week, first faced with the resignation of his closest advisor on the Union, and then nearly oversaw the departure of another advisor on ethnic minorities. Luke Graham, the former Conservative MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, lost his seat in the 2019 general election to the SNP. Soon after, he joined No. 10 as the PM’s advisor on the future of the Union, tasked with fending off rising support for the SNP, and subsequently Scottish independence. Graham’s departure comes at a key moment in the history of the UK, but he is reported to have left after those in Downing Street disagreed about how to counteract the rising tide of independence. “There was a lack of faith in letting him do what he needed to do. A lot of his efforts were frustrated by other people in the building,” one source told the Financial Times. Recent support for Scottish independence has placed those in favour as high as 54 percent. This is a significant increase from the 2014 referendum result, where just 44 percent voted in favour. Scottish First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party, Nicola Sturgeon has also indicated that she will move forward with plans to run another impudence referendum in Scotland, should her party win a majority at the Scottish Parliamentary elections in May. Given the increasing support for independence, No. 10 are, therefore, justifiably concerned about the future break-up of the United Kingdom. Johnson himself recently completed a visit to Scotland, against the wishes of the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, not least given the ongoing public health emergency.

He won’t be going it alone on his mission to save the Union, however. There were reportedly plans to send Prince Edward – the Queen’s youngest son – and Sophie – his wife – as a means of fending off the rise of the SNP and building support for the United Kingdom. The Independent suggests that the pair could have been asked to take up full time residence in Holyrood, directly opposite the Scottish Parliament building. Though these plans are not yet set in stone, and nothing official has been announced, the response of SNP MP Chris Law indicates that the plans are unlikely to go down well with those north of the border. Closer to Westminster, however, Boris Johnson has already moved to replace Luke Graham following his resignation. He’ll be replaced by Oliver Lewis, a key Conservative actor in the Vote Leave movement, and part of the Brexit trade negotiations. As head of a “beefed-up union unit”, he’ll be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Union moving forward. At a time of growing support for the likes of pro-Welsh independence movement YesCymru, and increasing tensions over the Northern Ireland protocol on the island of Ireland, Lewis is certainly likely to have his work cut out. The re-shuffle in the Union unit wasn’t the only change this week; another of Boris Johnson’s advisors – that responsible for minorities – also reportedly contemplated resigning. Samuel Kasumu blamed tensions within the government, and “politics steeped in division” for his near resignation. In the letter, as published by the BBC, he also nodded to the conduct of equalities minister, Kemi Badenoch, who publicly criticised the work of a black journalist on Twitter after she contacted her office for

a comment. After raising the issue with higher-

team to even point to an expected standard, but it did not materialise.”

Downing Street: The heart of British Government oft sees minsiters shuffle and jostle for posistion. However, these recent ‘Cummings and goings’ could see the Union in peril. Source: robertsharp (via. Wikimedia Commons) ups, he noted the lack of response. Kamusu said: “I believe the Ministerial Code was breached. However, more concerning than the act, was the lack of response internally. It was not ok or justifiable, but somehow nothing was said. “I waited, and waited, for something from the senior leadership

It was Kamusu’s intention to stand down before the end of May. After he spoke with the MP for Stratford-on-Avon, Nadhim Zahawi, on Thursday, February 4, however, he withdrew his letter. This likely won’t be the last of Boris Johnson’s resignations. Some have already been quick to point out that he’s overseen more ministerial resignations than any other recent PM, and he’s only just over a year into the job. Johnson’s biggest challenge, however, will be ensuring he can fend off a potential crisis across the Irish sea, ensure the effective roll-out of the coronavirus vaccine and maintain the integrity of the Union.

I believe the Ministerial Code was breached. However, more concerning than the act, was the lack of response internally. The Cabient: Luke Graham, Advisor on the Union, and Samuel Kasumu, Government Minority Advisor, are both out amid the reshuffle. Source: Number 10 (via. Flickr)

Samuel Kasumu Former Government Minority Advisor

£6,000 spent on luxary chocolate triggers ICO investigation

Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

fficals in the UK government have begun an investigation into another expenses scandle as over £6,000 was spent on chocolate using a corporate credit card. The £6,248.40 was spent at Hotel Chocolat, a luxury chocolate gift shop, on December 21. This payment accounted for the largest recorded amount spent by a government working in 10 months and was included in the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) corporate charge payments of over £500 for the 2020/21 tax year. Typically the list includes credit cards being used for adverts, web design and job listings as opposed to last minute Christmas gifts. The ICO is an independent, government-funded, agency which is responsible for regulating data use as well as privacy issues and requests pertaining to the Freedom of Information Act. The government funds the ICO partly through private organizations who pay a data protection fee as well as grants from public money. During the 2019-2020 tax year the ICO received £4.6 million of funding from the government, equivalent to roughly 700,000 shopping trips of this magnitude John Slater, an FOI campaigner said, “I don’t know what’s worse: the fact that someone who had access to the credit card did this, or that they thought it was OK.” The chair of the National Association of Data Protection Officers, Jon Baines, added “Whatever the rights and wrongs of that, the fact the ICO published this information under public sector transparency measures shows both the benefit of those measures, and the benefit of someone taking the time to review the information.” Stories often crop up about government ministers or staff abusing the expense system in place, such as, in 2009 when a major scandle erupted in Westminster after the Daily Telegraph published a full list of MP’s expenses which showed MPs had claimed on redesigning their homes, over-claiming council tax and evading tax among other things.

Hotel Chocolat: Source: Edwardx Hands(via. Wikimedia Commons)

12 POLITICS In other news Allegations

of widespread Human Rights abuses in Uighur detention camps Tom Kingsbury Politics Editor

Hong Kong’s education bureau has released new guidelines that teach students about the National Security Law, saying the law is “for the sake of Hong Kong’s continuous development and long-term prosperity”. Teachers will be encouraged to report any support among the children for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Certain books, as well as songs, will also be banned songs that children would sing over the Chinese national anthem.

Pakistan has banned the execution of people who suffer from serious mental illness. The country’s top court ruled that “if a condemned prisoner, due to mental illness, is found to be unable to comprehend the rationale and reason behind his/ her punishment, then carrying out the death sentence will not meet the ends of justice”. The new law is seen as a landmark for Pakistan which currently has over 4000 inmates on death row. Crimes ranging from murder to adultery and blasphemy are currently punishable by death in Pakistan.

Disclaimer: This article covers subjects that some people may find distressing.

BBC report has provided firsthand accounts and expert analysis which details systematic and brutal practice of rape and torture in what China claims are “re-education” camps. More than one million Uighurs have been detained in Xinjiang, China, according to independent estimates. One report also found that China is forcing sterilisation on Uighur women

in an attempt to limit the population of Uighur people. China states that the camps are for re-education, but there have been widespread reports of human rights abuses, and some nations have now started to describe China’s actions as genocide. The report includes accounts from former detainees and workers at the facilities, and provides testimony of “an organized system of mass rape, sexual abuse and torture.” The report includes harrowing accounts of widespread sexual abuse and violence in the camps, from a number of individuals who were detained in or made to work in them. The BBC talked to Tursunay Ziawudun, who fled Xinjiang after her re-

Chinese secrecy: The Chinese government make it very difficult to get reliable information out of the camps. Source: chriskyfung (via. Pixabay)

lease, and is now in the US. Ziawudun says women would be taken from the cells and into “black rooms”, where there were no security cameras. In these rooms, she says, women were raped and tortured by masked Chinese men. Ziawudun said she herself experienced torture, and was raped by multiple men on three occasions. Qelbinur Sedik says she was brought into the camp and coerced into giving the detainees lessons as a Chinese language teacher. She told the BBC that one of the policewomen at the camps told her: “Yes, the rape has become a culture. It is gang rape and the Chinese police not only rape them but also electrocute them. They are subject to horrific torture.” An expert on China’s policies in Xinjiang, Adrian Zenz, said the testimony he had gathered on this issue “confirms the very worst of what we have heard before”. “It provides authoritative and detailed evidence of sexual abuse and torture at a level clearly greater than what we had assumed.” In response to the allegations, the Chinese government said the camps were “vocational education and training centers” and that the government “attaches great importance to protecting women’s rights”. The Chinese foreign ministry later called the findings a “false report”. The US Government said it was

“deeply disturbed” by the accounts. A spokesperson said: “These atrocities shock the conscience and must be met with serious consequences.” In January, the outgoing Trump Administration called the Chinese government’s actions genocide. This was later endorsed by the new Biden administration. The UK Government’s criticism has been less overt, though Nigel Adams, Minister of State for Asia said: “Anybody who has seen the BBC report cannot help but be moved and distressed by what are clearly evil acts”. This statement was made in response to an urgent question posed by MP Nus Ghani, who said: “These horrifying stories added to the huge and growing body of evidence detailing atrocities perpetrated by the Chinese authorities in Xinjiang – atrocities which may even be genocidal.” More than 180 organisations have called on governments to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said the UK is considering a boycott, but that he would need to see enough evidence in order to make that decision. Raab stopped short of calling the Chinese government’s policies genocidal, a move that has been criticised by some MPs, including from within his own party. An independent tribunal in Britain is set to meet in May to establish whether China’s actions constitute genocide.

Republican Party faces identity crisis Members of the Republican party find themselves at a crossroad after Trump’s defeat in the least election Dewi Morris

Political Editor

India and China have pulled back from their disputed border after months of growing tensions. The disputed area runs for 2,100 miles along the Himalayas and is called the Line of Actual Control. Who owns what in this area is poorly defined and the two nuclear armed nations have seen sparadic clashes along the line as claims are staked and tensions escalate. Now that both armies are set to withdraw from the region it seems that this dispute will be settled in the negotiating room rather than on the battlefield.

Iran has produced uranium metal, in a breach of their 2015 nuclear deal. International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors confirmed the existence of 3.6g of the uranium metal in Isfahan in early Febuary. Iran has said that its nuclear research is only focused on producing nuclear reactors to power thier country, however other nations fear that they are looking to develop nuclear weapons. Uranium metal is used to make the core of atomic bombs.

he Republican Party is facing an identity crisis. The GOP, as the party is often referred to, is at a political crossroads where it must decide whether to cut its ties with former President Trump and return to traditional Republicanism, or to continue its endorsement of the former president and his brand of populism. The past month has seen Republicans debate punishing two congresswomen, Majorie Greene and Liz Cheney, in what the New York Times dubbed a proxy battle for the future direction of the GOP. How Republican leaders will deal with the two lawmakers (Greene for her unsettling statements and extreme right views, and Cheney for voting to impeach Trump), will set a precedent for what the Republican party will stand for post-Trump. Marjorie Greene was elected in November and became the first congressperson who supported QAnon (a conspiracy theory group labelled as potential domestic terrorists by the FBI). Greene, a fan of conspiracies, has previously shared false information on social media, such as claims that the 9/11 attacks were a hoax and that John F. Kennedy Jr.’s death in a plane crash was in fact an assassination ordered by Hillary Clinton. She also shared a meme which pictured herself holding a gun next to Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who are members of a progressive group nicknamed ‘The Squad’. It was cap-

Trump’s departure: Former President Donald Trump’s departure has left the Republican Party reeling. Source: Gage Skidmore (via. Wikimedia Commons) tioned “Squad’s worst nightmare”. to be blacklisted. Nancy Pelosi, who When Facebook deleted the meme Greene had previously endorsed Greene claimed Democrats were executing, remarked: “You would “trying to cancel me out before I’ve think that the Republican leadereven taken the oath of office”. ship in the Congress would have Greene presents a dilemma for some sense of responsibility to this the GOP. Her inflammatory lan- institution”. guage risks pushing the party furKevin McCarthy, the House Rether towards the right. publican leader, issued a statement However, many argue that if Re- in which he condemned Greene’s publican leadership were to punish actions while alleging Democrats’ her, they would risk alienating vot- expulsion of Greene was an “uners as well as signifying a break from precedented step to further their Trump, who highly praises Greene partisan power grab”. as a “future Republican star” and “a The same day as Greene was exreal WINNER”. GOP leaders decid- pelled from her committee duties, ed to allow Greene to keep her role Republicans held a vote on whether on the congressional committee for they would strip Liz Cheney of her Education and Labour, as well as the leadership position over her vote committee for Budget. to impeach Donald Trump. The However, on February 4, Greene vote was alleged to be 145 to 61 in was exiled from her committees favour of keeping Cheney, accordby the Democrat held House in a ing to sources familiar with the revote of 230 to 199. While she was sults. While this showed most Renot ousted by Republican leader- publicans would not wish to punish ship, 11 Republicans voted for her Cheney, it also illustrates a signifi-

cantly fractured party. Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate leader, supported Cheney who he called “a leader with deep convictions and courage.” He hinted at Greene being a “cancer” in the party. While McConnell, along with vocal Republicans have rushed to either side of the divide, McCarthy stood by Cheney while too maintaining that Greene should not be punished. Former Republican Mark Sanford summed-up McCarthy’s dilemma, saying: “You can’t do the normal political song and dance and appease this side slightly and appease that side slightly. The whole nature of the Trump phenomenon is there is no appeasement.” Cheney along with other moderate Republicans and Republican members of the Lincoln Project (an action committee which aimed to stop a Trump re-election by campaigning for Democrats in some close races) continue to dissociate from the former President. Cheney told Fox News: “We have to take a really hard look at who we are and what we stand for […] We have to be in a position where we can say we stand for principles, for ideals.” The battle also continues on the further right of the rift. On February 6, Wyoming Republicans voted to censure Cheney who represents their third district. 17 Republican senators are needed to vote against Trump for him to be convicted in his second impeachment trial, which began February 9. It will be worth watching whether the increasing divide within the GOP will embolden enough senators to make the statement against their former leader.

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COMMENT

YOUR The Golden Globes 2021 Toxic Positivity and the snubs and surprises harsh reality of being nice COMMENT DESK T T Shivka Singh Contributor

Molly Govus

Sian Hopkins

Cerys Ann Jones

Izzy Morgan comment@gairrhydd.com

he Golden Globe Awards are accolades recognizing excellence in film and television. These prestigious awards have been bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association since 1943. The Golden Globe awards are held in the month of January, kicking off the film industry’s award season. The Golden Globes have had 77 annual ceremonies. As the first big award ceremony in the Hollywood calendar, The Golden Globe is often seen as the ‘Academy Award predictor’. As everything this year has been different from usual, the Golden Globe awards, too, were delayed. The 78th Golden Globe Awards are scheduled to take place on February 28th. Recently, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the nominees for 2021. Six-time Golden Globe winner, Sarah Jessica Parker along with another Golden Globe winner, Taraji P. Henson, disclosed the nominees. The event will be hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who have hosted The Golden Globes multiple times in the past. It is almost customary for award nominations to receive a mix of sweet and sour reactions. The Golden Globes 2021 came with pleasant surprises in the form of some heart-warming nominations; however, it had a good share of baffling snubs. Unortunately, the snubs outnumbered the heart-warming surprises. Continuing its dominance, Netflix bagged a total of a whopping 42 nominations which isn’t suprising considering the amount we have been watching during lockdown. The most criticised nomination for the award has been ‘Emily in Paris’ which was nominated for not one but two categories. It bagged the nomination for Best Musical or Comedy series while the lead actress, Lilly Collins, was nominated for Best Actress. Another unexpected nomination was James Corden being nominated for his performance in ‘The Prom’. This Ryan Murphy film featured iconic stars like Meryl Streep, who has a record of the highest 32 nominations which makes Corden’s nomination a bigger surprise. James Corden also received outrageous backlash for his roleplay as

a gay man, which was called stereotypical and homophobic. A very pleasant surprise has been the nomination of three female directors out of five nominees, for the first time ever. While Regina King got nominated for her directional debut in ‘One Night in Miami’, filmmaker Chloe Zhao bagged the nomination for ‘Nomadland’. Zhao became the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated in the Best Direction Category. Actress-turned-director, Emerald Fennel, was nominated for her directional debut film, ‘Promising Young Women’. Another celebrated nomination has been Tahar Rahim for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture. This year sported many excellent and critically acclaimed Black-led ensembles like ‘Da 5 Bloods’, ‘One Night in Miami’ and ‘Judas and Black Messiah’. However, none of these highly praised movies could grab a nomination for Top Film category. ‘Da 5 Bloods’ was completely shut out, without a single nomination. Isaac Chung’s immigrant drama, ‘Minari’, received all praises from the critics but couldn’t find a place for Golden Globe nominations. It could fit in many categories, including Foreign Language Drama, Direction and Screenplay. Michela Cole’s ‘I May Destroy You’ was omitted from nominations. This movie was magical in its portrayal of the aftermath of sexual assault and the power of healing. The streamer’s most watched original series to date, ‘Bridgerton’, was completely shut out. Meryl Streep has been a long time HFPA favourite, bagging 32 nominations over the years, but this was all ignored this year. Her acting in both ‘The Prom’ and ‘Let Them All Talk’ was praiseworthy. Since The Golden Globe awards have often been viewed as an “Oscar predictor”, the expectations from the nominations are set high. Although, this is not entirely true, the audience has still witnessed many similarities over the years. This could often be due to the similarity in categories and winners or the party-mood, but as The Golden Globes is the first big award ceremony in the Hollywood calendar, it sets the bar for viewer expectations.

Molly Govus

Comment Editor

his article comes from my heart, and it is hard for me to admit some of the unhealthy coping mechanisms I have acquired whilst struggling with my mental health. Looking back, I have always been the one to praise an optimistic mindset. I share endless quotes on Instagram and I have a Pinterest board dedicated entirely to ‘Self-Encouragement’, but, at some point for me, this all became a façade. Do not be alarmed; there is, of course, nothing wrong with having this positive outlook on life. It can be healthy, empowering, and brilliant to think in such a way. Although, for me, I was using selfcare quotes to justify my extremely unhealthy and self-deprecating behaviour. Once you fall into this abyss, it can be very hard to stop. It wasn’t until I saw a brilliant Instagram post from @das.penman that I realised I had been bringing ‘Toxic Positivity’ into my life. As an avid English student, I do tend to love the occasional oxymoron, but this one stood out to me prominently. This oxymoron had been controlling my life for as long as I could remember. Toxic positivity is the ‘good vibes

Source: Kreatikar (via. WikimediaCommons)

only’ approach to life; it is a way of thinking that rejects difficult emotions in favour of an, often false, sense of positivity. This resonated so much with me, maybe more than I care to admit. I had been living an overgeneralized extreme and I had been minimizing and denying any trace of human emotion that wasn’t positive. I caught myself thinking, ‘how exhausting!’ until I realised that yes, it was exhausting, because I had been putting myself through it. I find that I am extremely scared of negative emotions. I hate being angry, I don’t like being sad, and I don’t like projecting any of that negativity onto other people through fear of being a burden. There’s clearly a lot to unpack here, but I urge you to stay with me. Imagine the scenario: I’m in bed, sad, curled up under a million duvets, struggling to stay awake even though it’s only 12pm. The sun is up, yet I have already given up for the day. I scroll through my Instagram, or my Pinterest, and see a post. It says, ‘It’s okay if you didn’t get out of bed today – anything you do is enough’. I smile to my phone, feeling as though I deserve to shut myself away from the world. I haven’t changed my clothes in two days, I have got no work done in the meantime, but at least I received the validation I craved from one small quote. It goes without saying, that this scenario paints a clear picture as to how positivity can be toxic. Now, I am the last person to have thought that positivity could be anything but positive, but there is a lesson to be learnt here. Sometimes, when we display harmful behaviours, they need to be tackled head on. Quite brutally, I realised that seeking toxic positivity from my phone and going back to sleep wasn’t going to help me succeed. The quotes wouldn’t help me be productive or get things done, instead quite the opposite. It was honestly such a revelation for me to realise that this was a real thing, and it began to make sense in my head as to why allowing yourself to do nothing didn’t actually feel good at all in some circumstances. I’m sure I still have a long way to go in re-wiring my mindset, but this is only the start for me, and hopefully for you too.

What has Jackie Weaver shown us about female empowerment in politics? Izzy Morgan

Comment Editor

ou’ve probably heard the name Jackie Weaver in the last week. The viral sensation from Handforth Parish council made the news this week after an online meeting turned into ‘anarchy’ (in about as dramatic a way as a local council meeting can be). But does the treatment of women in this meeting say more about how we treat women in power than we’d like to admit? The age of online meetings has led to an unprecedented insight into, what is from the outside, a simple zoom meeting discussing parish business. The meeting left

many online shocked and amused as to the level of drama that took place at the meeting and the public proceeded to mock the video in all the ways that the internet knows best. The meeting kicks off to a contentious start when Jackie Weaver is immediately dictated to by the chairman and the rhetoric that you can observe towards Jackie in particular is in, whilst immediately amusing, an angered and demeaning tone used against her when she is attempting to start the meeting. It definitely speaks to a greater problem especially when it got so bad that one of the call members had to ask other members of the call to be respectful to Jackie Weaver following some angry shouts, laughing and disrespectful behaviours be-

ing exhibited. Now, this behaviour towards women in positions of power is dangerous, demeaning and frankly unacceptable in society but it’s definitely not the first time and probably not the last time we will see this treatment of women. Granted, it is on the surface a very funny video that undoubtedly symbolises a very new approach to traditional issues in the age of the pandemic. However, the rhetoric we see is almost disturbing but can go totally unnoticed in today’s society as we are so used to seeing the making fun of and the putting down of women in our society who occupy ‘powerful’ positions in the press - it is unsurprising that it goes unnoticed. We have seen this countless

times before like when the infamous headline “Nevermind Brexit, who won Legs-It’ featuring Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon in an important political discussion about the future of Britain. Their efforts were reduced to a story which made their legs the main feature. While the headline was publicly condemned, it does highlight the issue of how women are constantly reduced to their features, put down or seen as unworthy in offices of power, however powerful that position may be. It shouldn’t matter whether it’s in Handforth Parish Council or the office of the Prime Minister, we are consistently reminded why society needs to do more to empower women of all ages.

Source: mohamed_hussan (via. Pixabay)

SYLWADAU

Dr. Alex appointed as UK Mental Health Ambassador The radical The appointment of a young doctor shows a turning point in the UK’s mental health support Cerys Ann Jones Comment Editor

uring Children’s Mental Health Week, the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, appointed A&E doctor and previous Love Island contestant, Dr. Alex George, as the youth mental health ambassador for the government consequent to his influential advocacy encompassing the topic. His position will assume immediately with assisting the shaping of policies, whilst providing advice and support for the youth of the UK. Despite working closely with governing bodies, he will remain independent from the British Government whilst undertaking this unpaid position. The coronavirus pandemic has catalysed the importance and prevalence of mental health nationwide. The prime minister asserted that the predominant focus of Dr. Alex’s role will be on the mental health of children and young people, who have “heroically adapted” during the international health crisis, to which he followed: “This has understandably had a huge impact on their mental health, so I want to shine a spotlight on this vital issue ahead of their return to school”. Dr. Alex’s clinical expertise and personal experience will be utilised to champion the government’s work on the mental health of children and shaping policy on improving support for school pupils, college, and university students, whilst raising the profile of mental health education and wellbeing in teaching facilities across the UK. The influential figure who rose to prominence on the fourth season of Love Island has since tragically lost his younger brother, Llŷr, to suicide, and has been campaigning for better support for mental health sufferers ever since. He further explained that this tragic loss was a contributing factor behind his reasoning for undertaking the government- assisting role. He stated: “I lost my brother this summer, he was 19 and about to go to medical school, and we were incredibly proud of him as a family and he sadly took his own life. And I think the pressures of this pandemic played a huge part”. Dr. Alex is therefore fully aware of the negative implications of mental health and will continue to positively

Sian Hopkins Comment Editor

W Former Love Island star: Breaking away from stereotypes, Dr. Alex shows hope and motivation for the future of young people within the UK. Source: Tumisu (via. Pixabay) influence the nation alongside parliamentary policies encompassing mental health issues. In a post revealing his governmental position on Instagram’s social platform, Dr. Alex stated: “Never has mental health been as important as now. From schools to universities, the NHS and the wider public, mental health matters”. The emergence of the role preceded the introduction of numerous government support initiatives created to address the mental impact of the pandemic on young people within Britain. Despite the establishment of 180 mental health support teams across the UK by the NHS in collaboration with the Department of Education, mental health campaigners have warned society of the long waiting times for those attempting to access support. A study conducted by the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests that two-fifths of patients waiting for mental health support and treatment contact emergency or crisis services. As part of his position assisting the British Government, Dr. Alex will be part of the Mental Health in Education Action Group, chaired by Children’s Minister Vicky Ford and Universities Minister Michelle Donelan, created to specifically focus upon the youth of society returning to schooling facilities preceding lockdown. He will function as the voice of young people within governing bodies, he

‘Mental health is being taken seriously’ Beth Williams Contributor

contrast to those being condemned for their “essential work” trips to Dubai, Dr Alex is certainly an individual worthy of being called an influencer. Being announced as a youth mental health ambassador to the government is suggesting that the topic of mental health is finally being taken seriously and recognized as a priority. Despite entering the public eye due to appearing on “Love Island”, I believe that Dr Alex is qualified for the role due to his experience of working as a medical professional. Unfortunately, Dr Alex also has a personal connection with the topic as he lost his younger brother, Llyr, to suicide last year. He’s displayed across the media how this tragedy has made him more passionate to

figures behind LGBT+ Rights

advocate over youth mental health services. Being a high profile celebrity with a large online following, Dr Alex will make the issue more visible and will hopefully help break the stigma surrounding seeking mental health support. What is even more important than Dr Alex’s appointment is what the government will do next. This new role and the images from Dr Alex’s meeting with Boris Johnson were highly publicised across traditional news platforms as well as social media. The news was met with overwhelming support and praised the government for the appointment. I hope the government aren’t using the opportunity they have to improve youth mental health care as well as its depiction as a publicity stunt to win back the public support they have lost due to their response to the coronavirus.

said: “Right now young people need a voice in government, and I hope that through this role I can advocate for meaningful change in this area. I hope to have a positive impact on the lives of young people and their education for good”. Dr. Alex will supply input on issues being faced by the children and young people of British society, providing expert advice on what more could be done to ensure that the mental health curriculum is of an exceptional standard. His appointment will additionally contribute towards the existing support currently provided by the government to ensure that the mental health of young people is highly prioritised. Such support includes the Wellbeing for Education Return project which functions to provide funding to councils to offer training and advice from mental health experts to education facilities on how to best support their pupils. Dr. Alex will utilise his existing influential platform to disseminate information regarding policy development, and will continue to raise awareness encompassing mental health, through which he will “signpost the support that is already available”. Since his appointment, Dr. Alex has pledged to use his high profile to “move mountains”. His undoubtable devotion for wider recognition and policy creation and evolvement regarding mental health

has been recognised by the Mental Health Director for NHS England and NHS Improvement, Claire Murdoch, who stated “I met Dr. Alex recently and was struck by his commitment to the NHS and the mental health of our nation”. The two will work alongside one another to evoke positive change within the public domain. Murdoch stated: “It has been a tough year, but the NHS is here for children’s mental health, and with the help of Dr. Alex and our partners in health, education, and charities, we will keep working hard to make sure every child in this country get the mental health support that they deserve”. The A&E doctor has successfully defeated the stigma and stereotype encompassing Love Island contestants, who were previously regarded as unintellectual, self-absorbed characters. Dr. Alex George returned to his profession as an A&E doctor working at the University Hospital Lewisham in South East London following his appearance on the reality TV show, illuminating his passion for the wellbeing of individuals. The British Government has succeeded to recognise the needs of society. By appointing an influential yet relatable figure as the government’s youth mental health ambassador, they have demonstrated an ability to evolve following the requirements of the nation during a period of such uncertainty.

‘A proactive action has been taken’ Shaniece O’Keefe Contributor

he government’s recent focus on mental health with Dr Alex has been a steady push in tackling the current mental health problem amongst young people in the UK. The specific focus on young people’s mental health and addressing the problems faced by them, whether that be primary, secondary or universities students has been a positive shift in focus when talking about the difficulties the pandemic has given people. The UK’s attitude towards mental health is becoming more beneficial with not only focusing on people with existing mental health problems, but also giving the support and tools to all people in schools, in order for them to be able to cope and function in

society. A big attitude change the UK has shown is treating mental health like physical health. Making healthy choices daily and putting just as much focus on your mind and mental well-being has and is the most significant change in thinking about mental health the UK has seen in recent months. This proactive action taken by the government is long overdue as the rise in young people’s mental health problems could have been predicted much earlier on in the pandemic. However, the positive move in investing in this mental health ambassador role with an influencer who his large following can relate to can have such a positive impact on the lives of young people and with the return to school that many young people will be facing this intervention could not have come at a better time.

ith the recent release of the boxset ‘It’s A Sin’ on Channel 4, the programme explores the effects of the AIDS epidemic on a small group of friends within the LGBTQ+ community. The scary fact is, that unless you lived through the 1980s there is little taught within school education about the frenzy of the epidemic, as I personally feel I had no real knowledge of the devastating confusion at that time. With February being LGBTQ+ month, I realised there is not just a lack of education on the AIDS epidemic, there is a missing chunk of history in all education about revolutionary figures within LGBT+ history and the fight for their rights. Throughout history and education within schools, there is a lack of minority figures discussed and acknowledged as a primary part of history. Whilst today’s society has made some progress in equality for society over the last decade, there is still a hidden part of history that in some cases should be more important and talked about widely. Russell T Davies explains the inspiration behind the development of his TV series ‘It’s A Sin.’ He explained to GQ Magazine that the plot came from when he first discussed that his childhood friend, Jill, kept frequenting the AIDS wards of hospitals to sit with estranged men dying of a mysterious illness. “She said, ‘That’s a good idea for a drama.’” Jill is featured throughout the series, played by Lydia West, and becomes one of the biggest advocates to help those suffering from AIDS, and visiting those who are isolated and abandoned because of the virus. Without the recent release of the series, I would have had no idea of the desolate conditions in which men suffering from AIDS were subjected to, nor of the figures like Jill who made all the difference in fighting for their rights. With this in mind, delving further into history and articles, I found many important figures involved in the revolution of LGBTQ+ rights and advocates for equality. I could go back centuries to eras where gender fluidity and sexuality were not even frowned upon, to those like Alexander the Great, but here are some I personally wish I had been taught about in school. Delving right back to the 19th century, wherein Germany Karl Heinrich Ulrich was forced to resign from his job as a civil servant in 1854 because of his homosexuality. From then, he was thought to be the first gay man to publicly speak out about LGBT rights, urging the German Government to repeal the anti-homosexuality laws in place. Similarly, later in the 19th century, Magnus Hirschfeld, a German physician and sexologist coined the term ‘transvestitism’, establishing the world’s first gender identity clinic. In Berlin he was an openly gay man who campaigned for gay rights, yet unsurprisingly, his research and library of his Institute of Sexual Sciences was burnt down by the Nazi regime.

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ADVICE

YOUR How to be more money conscious in 2021 Money is an issue many of us worry about. How can we fix that and reduce anxiety? ADVICE DESK F Vicky Witts

Head of Advice

Vicky Witts

Megan Evans advice@gairrhydd.com

Cardiff University’s LGBT+ services Vicky Witts

Head of Advice

eing a university student often means that you can truly express who you are without fear of judgement. It’s a time when they are just starting to explore their identity. Whether as a member of the community, or as an ally looking to learn more, knowing what LGBTQ+ services your university offers may be both rewarding, and educational. SocietiesThere are a number of clubs and societies within Cardiff University’s Students’ Union which you can be a part of such as TANGGS (Transgender, Ally, Non-binary, Gender questioning, and Gender non-conforming Society), the LGBTQ+ Association, and CU Pride. These clubs offer many different socials, fundraising opportunities, and awareness campaigns, as well as the opportunity to meet other members of the community. EventsThroughout the month of February, the Students’ Union is also offering a range of events to celebrate LBGTQ+ History Month, such as showcases, and Tea and Talk events, where students can interact with the LGBTQ+ Association and ask questions. Other servicesIf you are looking to join the university as a first-year student next year, there is also the opportunity to apply to live in a ‘LGBTQ+ students & Allies’ accommodation if you would prefer to live with people who will be better able to understand your identity.

inding the motivation to save money can often be difficult, especially when online shopping means that most of the things that we want or need are easily accessible to us almost all of the time. The Office for National Statistics found that this online spending has been increasing, contributing to 36.2% of total retail sales in the UK in November 2020, from only 21.6% in 2018, demonstrating how more people are turning to quick online shopping. In addition to the already difficult nature of saving, the coronavirus pandemic has meant that many of us are taking to spending as a hobby rather than a task, as restrictions mean that much of the tasks that we would usually find entertainment in are unavailable to us. Therefore, it is almost understandable that our spending habits have increased, whilst our ability to save has decreased, putting many of us in negative financial situations that we may need help to improve. Why bother saving money? The question of why and when to save money may be an important one to consider if you feel like you need to alter or improve your spending habits. Whilst the general consensus tends to be that spending is bad and saving is

good, it is important to acknowledge that occasionally treating yourself with some retail therapy can be beneficial in the short term to boost your mood. However, if you feel that you are overspending, and unable to save money for longer term investments that you may want, it is important to learn how to control your spending impulses. With limitations on where we can go and what we can do, it may seem tempting just to spend large amounts of money on clothing or books or other hobbies that you do not necessarily need, simply because it feels as if you are not needing to save money for going on nights out or saving for a holiday. If this is the case, establishing good spending habits may be important so that Creating a place for savings For many people, the main reason that they spend money is simply because it is accessible to them, and so, they feel that they should spend it. The feeling that your money is ‘burning a hole in your pocket’, is a common one, and can also make it very difficult to save if you are looking to make a bigger purchase that will take a longer time to save for. In order to stop you from impulse buying, it may be useful to create a savings fund where you can put some money away to save for a specific purpose. A more old-fashioned way of doing this is by buying a piggybank

or a savings tin, and it can often feel quite exciting and rewarding to physically put money in one as you know that you are contributing for something that you really want in the future. Alternatively, with a large majority of spending now being online and less in cash, using a virtual equivalent may be more beneficial to you overall. You could therefore chose to open an entirely new savings account with your bank, or utilise features such as on online banks like Monzo, where you can create specific online pots of money were a small portion of the money that you get into your account can be automatically transferred to slowly start you saving. Sell before you buy If you find yourself constantly looking to online clothing retailers in your free time, you may

find that a lot of your money being spent each month is on new items of clothing. Not only does frequent online clothes shopping mean that you may be spending large amounts of money, but it can also mean that you find yourself running out of room in your wardrobe because of the large amount of clothing that you have collected. A good way to tackle both problems and save money is by going through your closet and selling any items that you no longer want or wear. Apps and websites such as Depop have become popular methods for people to sell and buy vintage and used clothes, and advertising some of the items that you no longer want may help you to free up space in your wardrobe, whilst also helping you to improve your finances.

Managing money: Managing your finances can be incredibly stressful. Source: nattanan23 (via Pixabay)

How to deal with leaving university in 2021 Tirion Davies

Editor in Chief

y March 23, we will have been in lockdown for an entire year in the UK. A year many of us won’t be able to take back. For many of us, almost half of our education at university will have been online, and as we quickly approach the summer, it can seem scary to have to leave university. In a climate where many are losing their jobs, finding a job can seem near impossible for new graduates. We are luckier than some, however. Those who graduated last summer are likely still feeling the effects of graduating into a COVID-19 climate. As reported by the BBC, City Mental Health Alliance found that around half of students report feeling low after leaving university. So, how do we cope with leaving university at a time where everything seems so uncertain? Accept it’s okay to struggle Everybody struggles, it’s a part of life. But, struggling does not mean you’re failing – it means you just need a bit of help. Many of us have been in education since we were around 3 years old. 18 years of our lives have been spent in an education system which, for the most part, has clear instructions and you always know there is an option to continue on to the next step. When it comes to leaving university and heading in to working life, it can be worrisome be-

Graduating in 2021: Graduating during a pandemic can be terrifying without the proper tools to cope with what comes next. Source: greymatters (via Pixabay)

cause a large majority of us have never experienced it. We’re not always taught life skills in school. Unfortunately, it’s mainly getting you to a point where you can move on to the next step. When that next step is no longer education, there’s no doubt it’ll be hard. But people have been making the transition for years. You have the ability to do so, too – even if you don’t think so. We all seem to think that people with jobs have their lives together, when the reality is that everyone’s struggling. There may even be a CEO somewhere thinking “Oh God, this is hard”. Admitting you’re struggling with the idea of leaving university is nothing to feel guilty about. Speak to others The worst thing you can do when you’re struggling is keep it

to yourself. It can be incredibly hard to reach out to somebody and admit you need help, but you’ll feel all the better for it. It can be a family member of a parent you trust, a friend who’s already made the transition, or you could even ask questions through online forums. There will always be someone willing to help. It may surprise you to find that many find it to be a relief to hear someone else is also struggling! There is often an expectation that we have to keep everything to ourselves but hearing someone else say “I don’t know what I’m doing” makes many of us say “Oh good! I don’t have a clue either!”. Do some research Some recent graduates have begun an open discussion about life after leaving university.

Casting Researcher Emily Cohen started a podcast called Working it Out in 2020 to help teach recent graduates about things which often go unsaid. The podcast discusses topics many aren’t informed of when they first leave university and teaches new graduates about how to face situations you feel unequipped for. Similarly, Cardiff University alum, and former Quench Editor-in-Chief Katie Huxtable started her own online platform in 2020 called The Graduate Club, after graduating from Cardiff. There she discusses the process of finding a job and coping with life outside of education. Recent graduates are doing more and more to open the discussion about leaving university, and there are plenty of tools available thanks to social media. It’s worth looking for accounts and websites you may find helpful. Assess your options You don’t, of course, need to jump into a career as soon as you leave university. Some continue on to a Masters’ degree to continue their education, and some choose to take a gap year. Find what fits best for you. Don’t feel you need to rush into a job or another year of education if you don’t know what it is you want to do with your life. Taking the time to really find out what you want to do will be all the more beneficial. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have figured out your entire life-plan by the time you leave university.

COLUMN Megan Evans

MEGAN’S MUSINGS

‘Self Help’ giving Self Hope: The wisdom I have discovered has built me with more confidence to live life exactly the way I want to, even with my anxiety. Source: Pxhere

he consumption of self-help books have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, as like myself, many have felt trapped with the fear of the future being stripped away from us and want to read something inspiring in order to gain a real insight into the here and now. The self-help book has the intention to instruct its readers to solve personal problems, and they take their name from ‘Self-Help’, an 1859 novel by Samuel Smiles. I have become much more drawn to the readings and rituals of brilliant minds, who have dissected the process behind self-criticism and mental health in ways that nobody else could do within the pages of a book. As a Literature student, I find reading extremely comforting, but especially when I read the pages of a book that I feel a deep connection for. Matt Haig’s ‘Reasons to Stay Alive’ really deeply touched my heart the moment I delved into its pages. Matt puts himself in the vulnerable position, discussing moments of his life that made him realise he suffered with depression. I feel like books that are written in this memoir format really ingrain into my brain, as it feels a lot more personal, and it isn’t just a book that is bombarding you with statements like ‘Everything happens for a reason’. As much as I like reading positive affirmations from time to time, the more successful selfhelp book needs to show the reader

the genuine struggles, and what really drove them out of that mindset. This for Matt was a whole host of things from literature, love, running, travel and time. From my experience, time is the biggest healer. You need to allow yourself to feel down or unhappy, in order for you to feel completely content in the future. I say this as some of my experiences from my past have led me to feel completely miserable, but that is so needed for the future you to embrace, and move from. Time also gives you perspective to not rush, as there is so much time to achieve what you want to, as long as you allow it.

From my experience, time is the biggest healer. You need to feel down and unhappy to feel completely content in the future. I read ‘You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life’ by Jen Sincero on a holiday a number of years ago, but the impact of the advice it gave me, I still use to this day. Jen is a successful life-coach, and she picks apart elements of day to day

living, with anecdotes, daily exercises to help you to free your mind from the self-sabotaging behaviours that make you doubt how you can achieve success. If you need a fun way of transforming your life, I highly recommend this book. Even at 16 years old, I found this immediately shifted my mindset. Growing up self conscious and fearing the judgement of others, this ensured reality that every person experiences these similar feelings, and it is about combating it so you can still be the person you want, even if you don’t believe it in the moment. Another book that I loved was ‘Mad Girl’ by Bryony Gordon. Being a successful journalist, I was instantly drawn to her as this was a person I was aspiring to be. She explores through her charismatic and warming humour her relationship with depression and OCD with this honesty that I only wish more people could be like. Her self-help novel is far more than just stating her illnesses, and more so delving into the depths of her inner psyche. Her attention to detail is brilliant, and I resonated with this book like no other, as her wisdom is down to accepting and learning from her mistakes from the past, and embracing them with full force. That is something that is hard to do, and I admire her putting her vulnerabilities out for the world to see. She is truly inspirational, and I cannot recommend this

book enough to anyone who wants to see an account that shows the trials and tribulations of living. I’m sure a lot have heard of ‘Women Don’t Owe You Pretty’ by Florence Given and ‘What a Time to Be Alone’ by Chidera Eggerue. Both of these books are what a lot of young women are reading, which are empowering accounts to not only challenge outdated views that have been supplied through the patriarchy, but show you how to really invest time within yourself, in order to become a better person.

You need to refuse mistreatment from others that are giving you negativity and time to process feeling alone ‘Women Don’t Owe You Pretty’ hones in on the toxicity that revolves around toxic beauty standards, misogyny and sexism that still exists in the world, and turning insecurities into a weapon of empowerment. ‘What a Time to Be Alone’ focuses on the most important and a vocal point we fear the most: being alone. I find the thought of being alone the most terrifying thing in the world, but actually, she unpicks and tran-

scends this importance of having time to develop a healthy relationship with yourself, which is inevitably, the most important thing we can all do. At only 22 years old, Eggerue develops practical advice to teach you that the things we fear are the reasons we are not progressing. Her philosophy preaches the importance of ‘security in solitude’ and setting out how easy it is to slip on how you want to be treated. You need boundaries, you need to refuse mistreatment from others that are giving you negativity, and time to process feelings alone. Lastly, a book that I read that genuinely inspired me to write this column, was ‘Good Vibes, Good Life’ by Vex King. He admits himself that he is not always been the most positive, but through use of Law of Attraction and gaining positive vibrations when bad things happen, you can reaffirm what path your life takes. He also interwove details of his life, and how he managed a to be fulfilled which is all down to mindset. I have come to terms with the fact that you can genuinely be happy with your life and the path you take as long as you assert positivity wherever possible, and accept flaws. I am still aware that the self-help book isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I’m very happy to have discovered them, to help me navigate the changing world and aid my anxiety.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

diet has a lifelong impact on health YOUR Childhood The food we eat as a child alters our gut microbiomes, giving the SCIENCE phrase ‘eat your greens’ an entirely new importance for us today DESK T Shivika Singh Contributor

Holly Giles

Rowenna Hoskin

Mili Jayadeep

Jack Robert Stacey science@gairrhydd.com

hroughout childhood we are constantly bombarded with the phrase “eat your greens” but researchers have shown that this phrase may be even more important than previously recognised. Whilst it helps you grow and supplies you with important nutrients and vitamins throughout your development, studies suggest it may also have a lifelong impact on your health. A recent study, conducted by University of California-Riverside (UCR), suggests that what you consume as a child, casts lifelong impact on your health through the gut microbiome. This study in mice suggests that eating too much fat and sugar in childhood can alter an individual’s microbiome for life. The microbiome refers to all the microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses) that live on and inside a living organism. This study is the first of its kind, showing a significant decrease in the total number and diversity of gut bacteria in mature mice that were fed an unhealthy diet during youth. This means people who ate poorly through childhood may have an altered microbiome, predisposing them to health complications as adults. UCR evolutionary physiologist Theodore Garland, explained: “We studied mice, but the effect we observed is equivalent to kids having a Western diet, high in fat and sugar and their gut microbiome still being affected up to six years after puberty”. Whilst the microbiome includes bacteria all over the body, the largest population are found in the gut where they have many uses including stimulating the immune system, contributing to digestion, helping synthesize vitamins and detoxifying harmful chemicals. In a healthy body, there is a balance of pathogenic and beneficial organisms. Disturbance in this balance would mean that the body could become susceptible to diseases. A paper describing the study has recently been published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. For this research, mice were divided into four groups: one with a healthy diet and no exercise, one with a healthy diet and exercise, one with an unhealthy diet and no exercise, and one with an unhealthy diet

Eat up: The study gives the phrase ‘Eat your greens’ a whole new level of importance with results showing it impacts health for life. Source: Congerdesign (via Pixnio)

and exercise. After three weeks, all mice were fed a standard diet and no exercise to replicate the mice reaching adulthood. When the research reached its fourteenth week, the team examined the diversity and abundance of bacteria in the animals in order to see the effect of their initial plans. Some important outcomes suggested that the quantity of bacteria and other microorganisms was significantly reduced in the western diet group. Even after consuming the standardised diets, the impact of previously consumed unhealthy diets, couldn’t be recovered. It was also found that the bacteria involved in carbohydrate metabolism, Muri baculum intestinale was significantly reduced in the western diet group. Another important part of the analysis suggests that the gut bacteria are sensitive to the amount of exercise the mice undertook. The mice fed a standard diet and exposed to exercise were found to have increased levels of Muri baculum while the mice fed on a high fat diet and no exposure to exercise were found to have decreased levels of the same bacteria.

Some examples of unhealthy diet can be, sugary drinks, cakes, and milkshakes. They are very high in fats and sugar but low in nutrients like protein, vitamins and minerals that constitute a balanced diet. Hence, it is important to make rational food choices from a young age. Another research conducted by the American Heart Association concluded that healthy behaviours in childhood may reduce the risk of adult obesity and heart diseases. Parents and caregivers must play a significant role in helping children generate healthy eating behaviour that can function as an asset, later in life. So what is eating well? According to NHS guidance, healthy eating involves eating a balnaced diet on at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, eating lots of fibre (as this benefits the bacteria is your gut), having some protein, some dairy (or dairy alternatives) and plenty of fluids. Most people in the UK consume more calories than we expend, leading to a net gain of weight. Having a healthy diet and limiting your consumption to match your expenditure benefits your quality of

life and your health. The NHS also highlights the importance of carbs explaining that starchy foods should make up one third of all food. Whilst it is preferable to choose wholemeal options, this is a stark contrast to the carb-free slogans seen in many crash diets. We are designed to eat a varied food plate and eating lots of grains, pulses, fruit and vegetables is good for you and your microbiome. In simpler words, healthy childhood habits form a consolidated base for the life ahead. The damage done to the body as a result of consuming unhealthy diet in early stages of life, is hard to recover. As a takeaway, Garland stated, “You are not only what you eat, but what you ate as a child”. “We studied mice, but the effect we observed is equivalent to kids having a Western diet, high in fat and sugar and their gut microbiome still being affected up to six years after puberty”. Theodore Garland

UCR evolutionary psysiologist

Cardiff Student, Amy Murray, authors published paper during degree Holly Giles

Head of Science & Technology

or most people it is not until completion of a PhD that they will have the anticipated moment of seeing their name as the lead author of a research paper. It is an elusive moment that many scientists strive towards, but for student Amy Murray this moment has already happened. Aged 21, Murray is 7 years younger than the average age for this achievement. Amy Murray is an undergraduate student at Cardiff University who completed a placement year at CUBRIC (Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre) as part of her neuroscience degree. Here she worked

on a study with Dr Thomas Lancaster and Dr Hannah Chandler looking at the links between the genetic risk of developing Alzheimer’s and the effect on the size of key brain structures. The study, published in the journal Neurobiology of Ageing, found that the polygenic risk of Alzheimer’s disease is linked to hippocampus and amygdala volume. This finding could help improve the accuracy of models looking at Alzheimer’s disease risk and may provide additional therapeutic windows in future studies into the prevention and treatment of the disease. Reflecting on the news of her publication Murray said: “When my supervisors said we should submit the paper for journal publication I didn’t really know how unusual it was for a student to be a first author – I just thought

‘Well, this will be pretty cool and it’ll be good for my CV’. When I got the email to say it would be published, I danced around the room and called my mum. The first thing she said was ‘my daughter’s going to be famous’ – and I had to say ‘No mum, calm down, I’m not going to be famous quite yet.” Speaking to Cardiff University, Murray also told of her experience as a PTY student: “I have advanced academically and personally in leaps and bounds from the support and opportunities afforded to me by Tom and Hannah – and I’ve genuinely loved learning and actively processing data, coding, and adding to the published paper. I loved working on every aspect of the study – and it’s really made me want to do more hands-on research.” When asked what advice she would

give to people considering a PTY, Murray told Gair Rhydd: “For those considering a PTY or research: The only way to know if you want to train in that field or do that type of work is to give it a try... but be sure to do your research on potential supervisors. The skills and methods they use will be implemented in your research, so if you’re not into animal studies, don’t choose a supervisor who uses animal models in their research. Try to get the most out of your experience - any opportunities that come up, take them! Although I was still an undergrad while doing the research project, I would say that my research experience involved quite a big change in attitude to how I work and manage my time compared to that as a student, but you can quite quickly learn and adapt as you go.”

Amy is currently in the final year of her degree, after which she hopes to undertake a PhD into the genetic basis of changes in the brain seen in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. With this incredible start to her career it is clear she is destined for great things, both in Cardiff and beyond. When my supervisors said we should submit the paper for journal publication I didn’t really know how unusual it was for a student to be a first author” Amy Murray

Cardiff University Student

GWYDDONIAETH A THECHNOLEG

Altering male-chick sex to save 7 billion chicks a year Rowenna Hoskin Science Editor

ggs are a brilliant source of protein, vitamin D, B2, B12 - but they are also the source of 7 billion male chick’s deaths. Farmers must replenish their egglaying stocks of hens but, naturally, only half of the chicks that hatch are female. It is considered uneconomical to grow the male chicks for meat as that industry has artificially bred much faster growing breeds. In many countries then, these male chicks are shredded but in the UK we gas them. 7 billion lives wasted, but what if those male chicks could be altered before hatching to become female egg-laying birds? The Israeli startup company Soos Technology, founded in 2017, has visualised this concept. Having received $3.3 million in investment and prize winnings, the company wants to make commercial hatcheries kinder and more economic by altering the sex of poultry embryos as they develop. The mechanism used for this sex alteration is the exposure of eggs to sound vibrations, which Soos Technology claims, alters the gene expression in developing male embryos. Instead

of testes developing, an ovary forms (birds only have one). The company has found a 60% increase of observably female chicks in its experiments and expect this figure to increase. “We are changing to sex of the chicken to dramatically decrease male chicks culled,” says Yael Alter, Soos’s CEO. Even if the figure never reaches 100% efficiency, with 7 billion male chicks slaughtered pointlessly every year this technology could still make a massive difference. The company is currently piloting its technology at an egg farm in Israel and has two other pilots lined up with an Italian and US egg producer. Soos is not the first company to attempt to solve the male chick problem, but the others have focused mainly on detecting the sex before hatching so the males can be disposed of before hatching. Hatcheries are looking at methods of reducing male chicks as some European governments are trying to end male chick slaughter - France being just one who has pledged to end it by 2021. While sound changing sex may seem far fetched, other external environmental factors such as temperature, determines many reptile species genders. There is also science that indicates that gene expression can be

influenced by sound. A recent study showed that when some types of cultured mouse cell were bombarded with sound emissions, genes coding for bone formation and wound healing were suppressed. “It is not yet widely accepted, but sound can be a biostimulation source at cellular level that triggers gene responses,” says Masahiro Kumeta, a researcher at Kyoto University in Japan pioneering this work. Soos uses speakers to transmit sound to the eggs over the course of the first 13 days of incubation. It is a loud continuous beeping noise, audible to the human ear, that plays for several hours every day. The most important factors of the sound is the frequency and volume - temperature and humidity are controlled variables. Alter added that Soos is seeking patents for the method. She says that Soos has treated batches of thousands of eggs at a time and “over and over” achieved a 60%-plus skew that has risen to 70% in some areas of the incubator. Calculations are based on visually sexing the chicks that hatch and retaining those determined to be female. Their DNA is then sampled at random, observing the presence of some genetic males. The majority of chicks are not kept under observation for longer than 30 days but 1,500 chicks,

deemed to be female, were grown for two years to observe egg laying. The genetic males were observed to lay at the same rate, they did not produce fewer eggs overall, and the treatment didn’t do any harm in any other way. Soos speculates that sound suppresses the expression of the DMRT1 gene - widely accepted to be responsible for sex development in poultry. Like humans, bird inherit sex chromosomes (ZZ for males and ZW for females within the avian system). A gene on the Z chromosome, DMRT1 regulates gonad development, when two are present testes develop. If DMRT1 is suppressed in male embryos it shrivels one testes so an ovary can develop. “You can change the phenotype in birds,” says Alter, though she admits that Soos doesn’t know exactly how the sound achieves this result. Many scientists find Soos results to be unlikely and believe that the 60% skew may have happened by chance depending on sample size. Peer reviews are needed and Soos acknowledges that more testing is needed. If this technology is proved to be successful, billions of poultry lives can be saved. In a society that consumes eggs at a great rate, this sex change could prove to be revolutionary to the poultry industry.

was an “immense victory” for climate activists around the world. “It’s a victory for all the people who are already facing the devastating impact of the climate crisis that our leaders fail to tackle. The time has come for justice,” Rinaudo said. “This legal action has brought millions of people together in a common fight: the fight for our future. The judge’s landmark decision proves that France’s climate inaction is no longer tolerable, it is illegal. But the fight is not over. Recognising the state’s inaction is only a first step towards the implementation of concrete and efficient measures to combat climate change.” The court determined that the state should pay compensation for the “ecological damage”, that they “should be held liable for part of this damage if it had failed to meet its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” A claim for symbolic compensation was not upheld, instead saying that compensation should be made “in kind”, with damages awarded “only if the reparation measure were impossible or insufficient.” Individuals were ruled as being entitled to seek compensation themselves for the ecological damages caused by France’s failure to comply with the targets it had set for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It said that the state has two months to respond and a further investigation was necessary. In a symbolic gesture, the court

awarded each organisation a €1 for “moral prejudice.” It labelled the state’s failure to honour its climate commitments as being “detrimental to the collective interest.” The four NGOs that took the state to court – including Greenpeace france and Oxfam France – claimed the win to be “revolutionary.” The four organisations filed the case back in 2018 with the French prime minister’s office in December 2018 but received an ‘inadequate response’ triggering them to file a legal case in March 2019. In response to the ruling, the French government has pledged to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. These are not new pledges, they are synonymous with the pledges that countries involved in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement made. The problem is, according to the NGOs, that France is exceeding the limits of its carbon budget and there is not enough being done to improve the energy efficiency of buildings or in the development of renewable energy. Carbon emissions have been proven to directly affect the physical and mental health of citizens. The government’s failure to address these factors is thus directly affecting the quality of life of people in France. France’s greenhouse gas emission dropped by 0.9% in 2018-19, when the annual drop needed to reach its

targets is 1.5% until 2025 and 3.2% afterwards. The French government rejected the NGOs accusations of inaction and called for the court to refuse the claim for compensation. It argued that it could not be held accountable for climate change when they are not responsible for all global emissions. While it is certainly true that every western country contributes massively to the global emissions, it is easy to blame others while the matter is still relevant to France’s actions. Only 7 out of 194 states and the European Union are on track to meet the agreed goals – it is a global failure, France is correct. However, to demonstrate that governments will be held accountable for their actions - or in this case inaction – is a massive power shift. It signifies that governments cannot make promises to acquire votes but must follow through and improve their action towards the climate emergency that is fast enveloping the world. This victory is that of the people, the climate activists who signed the petition that kickstarted the court action. It demonstrates a general consensus that more must be done to save the planet. Time is not our friend, it is swiftly running out and if we cannot change our behaviour the world as we know it will be replaced with an uninhabitable Earth.

French state convicted for climate crisis failures marking a win for environmental activitsts Rowenna Hoskin Science Editor

he French state has been held accountable in court for their lack of respect for their promised commitment to address the climate crisis. A Parisian court has convicted the state on the basis that they have broken their promise of combating the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. In what has been hailed as a historic ruling, the court found the state to be guilty of “non-respect of its engagements” aimed at tackling the climate crisis. The legal case was brought by four French environmental groups after 2.3 million people signed a petition. “This is a historic win for climate justice. The decision not only takes into consideration what scientists say and what people want from French public policies, but it should also inspire people all over the world to hold their governments accountable for climate change in their courts,” said Jean-François Julliard, the executive director of Greenpeace France, one of the plaintiffs. The judgement is a push in the right direction to force action in regards to global warming, it will be used to push the French state to act against the climate emergency as they promised. Cécilia Rinaudo, the director of Notre Affaire à Tous (It’s Everyone’s Business), another plaintiff, said it

Word of the week: Paris Climate Agreement • A legally binding document signed by 196 parties at COP in Paris in 2015 • The goal is to limit global warming to below 2, but preferably 1.5 degrees celsius • It was considered a historic landmark in the fight to combat the climate crisis as it brings nations together in a binding document for a common cause • Countries submit their nationally determined contributions every 5 years

Wood can easily be made into energysaving transparent windows Hallum Cowell Deputy Editor

esearchers at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Maryland have devised a new way to make wood into transparent windows. At the moment, transparent wood is produced by soaking it in sodium chloride which removes lignin from the wood which allows light to pass through. Lignin is a complex organic polymer which forms structural materials in plants and algae. This polymer is especially important in the formation of cell walls, particularly in wood and bark. The new method instead modifies the lignin by removing the molecules that give the wood its’ colour. By brushing the wood in hydrogen peroxide, best known as disinfectant, then leaving it under an ultraviolet light which aims to simulate natural sunlight. The wood is finally soaked in ethanol to remove any gunk and to clear the pores. At the end of this process the wood, now transparent, allows 90 percent of light through and is 50 times stronger than transparent wood using the now outdated method. This research has been part of a movement for a “wooden future”, a return to the simplistic and sustainable basic material source. Making wood as solid and insulating brick or as transparent as glass opens a forest of possibility for humanity’s green future. Some researchers are hopeful that wood could one day replace hydrocarbons, which they argue would have a hugely positive affect on the Earth’s climate. Liangbing Hu, one of the pioneers of the research, said that “the transparent wood is lighter and stronger than glass. It could be used for loadbearing windows and roofs,” adding that, “it can be potentially used to make a see-through house.” Most modern structures are constructed from steel and concrete; however, this is proving detrimental to the environment. Steel production makes up roughly three percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions while the production of concrete accounts for five percent. If these materials could be phased out and replaced with wood, it could prove to be revolutionary in the fight for a greener environment. Wooden skyscrapers are the next challenge, and the race is on for who can build the largest wooden structure, the current record holder is the Mjøsa Tower in Norway which stands at 16-stories. These advancements are thanks to cross-laminatedtimber (CLT). CLT is made by gluing together a number of solid-sawn lumber at right angles to increase stability and while first developed in the 1990s has seen a recent surge of interest and attempts to improve the material. Projects like these wooden windows suggests that the future of human architecture will resemble Tolkien’s Lothlórien rather than modernist concrete jungles. In the future, perhaps our buildings will be environmentally friendly and sustainable, and we will return to the trees that we once climbed down from.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Expedition may have discovered the “smallest reptile on earth” Emma Williams Contributor

uring an expedition to the rainforests of Northern Madagascar, a group of researchers – lead by Dr. Mark Scherz, an Evolutionary Biologist at the University of Potsdam – uncovered a minuscule lizard belong to the species of chameleon named Brookesia nana. According to a new paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the body of the female measures three quarters of an inch, but smaller yet, the male ‘nano-chameleon’ measures just half an inch. To put that into perspective, the lizard’s entire body can fit onto the tip of a finger. Mark Scherz commented: “It feels silly to be like, ‘Oh, it’s a few millimetres smaller than this other thing’. But when millimeters are two or three percent of your body size, then that’s a lot change.” Previously, the record holder for smallest reptile on the planet has been held by the Sphaerodactylus arisae, or Jaragua dwarf gecko, which measured 0.63 inches from snout to the base of the tale, fitting on a US 25-cent coin. However, this seemingly tiny 0.1 inch difference is a whopping 18 percent of the Brookesia nana’s entire body size. The paper also reveals that this is not the only intriguing calculation made in regards to Earth’s smallest reptile. Despite the adult male only measuring 0.53 inches, it possesses genitals measuring almost 20 percent of its body length. This was discovered as the researchers investigated what species the creature is, as reptile genitalia is often specific to its relative species, as Scherz explained in a series of tweets on January 28th, 2021. However, the team hypothesise that this oversized undercarriage is because the females of the species are significantly larger and thus they need these unusually large, two-pronged sex organs – known as hemipenes in lizards and snakes – to more easily and effectively copulate. Sadly, this new species is at high risk of extinction as deforestation threatens the wildlife, eradicating their habitats to use land for growing crops or raising animals, as Scherz points out: “It’s all good and well to say, ‘Oh I really hope that people stop deforesting this forest, but until the economic future of Madagascar changes, there’s no hope for any of its wildlife because the people have to eat.” Fortunately, however, the habitat of these lizards, an area of rainforest known as Sorata Massif, is part of a newly protected area within the rainforests. Consequently, the Brookesia nana – whom, despite being chameleons, don’t have much capacity for changing colour – are safe for now. In addition to having discovered another unique species in the Northern Madagascan rainforests, this new finding highlights on the importance of preserving natural habitats and the fauna living in them. With the possibility that other new and interesting species have yet to be found and identified by humans, perhaps we have yet to scratch the surface of the vast biodiversity of our rainforests.

World’s Richest Person, Jeff Bezos will step-down as Amazon’s Chief Executive to persue other ideas Catarina Vicente Contributor

n the 2nd of February 2021, Jeff Bezos, the founder of the multi-national technology company Amazon, announced that he was planning to step back from his role as Chief Executive in order to pursue other areas of the business. Operated initially out of his garage in Seattle, Bezos founded Amazon back in 1994 with the assistance of his then wife, MacKenzie Scott. Amazon (now estimated to be worth USD 1.7 trillion dollars) started as a small online bookseller but, increased its variety of products over time to incorporate electronics, entertainment and even groceries into its ever expanding catalogue. As one of the most successful companies of all time, the e-commerce giant skyrocketed financially during the pandemic and saw monthly sales reach in excess of $100 billion dollars. In the letter declaring his departure from Amazon, Bezos commented that: “Right now, I see Amazon at its most inventive ever, making it an optimal time for this transition”. In his stead, Andy Jassy will become Chief Executive – Jassy previously worked as Chief Executive of Amazon Web Series (AWS), the company’s cloud computing business that dominates a third of the internet’s cloud business, used by governments, companies and individuals to store data. AWS remains to be Amazon’s most profitable business and accounts for approximately 52% of its profits over the last quarter. Jeff Bezos, now 57 years old, will continue within the company as its Executive Chairman and, by stepping down from his prominent role, aims to pursue his other interests a greater amount of “time and energy”. Within this, Bezos intends to work closely with other new and exist-

The self-made tech magnate: Jeff Bezos founded Amazon back in 1994 from his garage in Seattle and grew it into a world beating, multi-national e-commerce colossus. Source: Seattle City Council (via Flickr) ing aspects of his empire, including space exploration, his Blue Origin company, climate change and the Washington Post. In many ways, this announcement to step down occurs at the height of Bezos’ fame and, as such, he is still expected to remain a vital part of Amazon’s decisionmaking processes. Tim Hubbard, an Assistant Professor of Management at the Mendoza College of Business, noted that this move “might be freeing for him to have the space to personally innovate again” and that Andy Jassy “is a natural fit” for the CEO role at Amazon. Carolina Milanesi, an industry commentator and analysist at research company Creative Strategies, attested that this decision to step

down has not diminished Bezos’ power within Amazon and, evaluating the founder’s new role, believes that Bezos will continue “making an impact on the future of the company”. Bezos’ unexpected departure, however, has sparked some controversy following recent investigations into the operation of Amazon’s Fulfilment Centres and the company’s wider business practices. The transition may indicate that for the core of the company, it’s going to continue down the path it’s going” Tim Hubbard

Assistant Professor at the Mendoza College of Business

With over 1.1 million employees worldwide, the company has faced criticism for an apparent unethical treatment of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of those in opposition to Amazon’s business practices, including activist group Public Citizen, have also called for increased transparency and for Andy Jassy to respond to their concerns as part of his new role as Chief Executive. Whilst Bezos’ decision came as a surprise to many industry experts, the impact of this switchover on the Amazon’s day-to-day operations is currently unknown. As such, the e-commerce giant is due to see several other changes throughout the rest of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boston Dynamics announces long-awaited arm attachment for its famed Robot Dog ‘Spot’ Jack Robert Stacey Technology Editor

ollowing advancements in its unique robotics technology, Boston Dynamics has announced a new series of products designed to optimise its existing ‘Spot’ robot for a wider range of remote, potentially hazardous operations. Announced back in 2016, ‘Spot’ is an agile, quadruped robot designed to collect data and perform simple physical tasks around humans in potentially dangerous, industrial environments. Specifically, the company has revealed the ‘Spot Arm’ which uses the mechanical appendage to manually or semi-autonomously manipulate a variety of objects, from rotating valves and turning knobs to pulling levers and opening a variety of doors. Boston Dynamics, the Hyundai owned and Massachusetts-based engineering company, specialises in designing and creating the “next-generation” of robots which, through a combination of high-tech software and compact mechanical design, award their products with

enhanced mobility. Since it was founded back in 1992, the company has continued to develop a series of high-performance, intelligent robots that can be operated across a variety of industries in order to safely work “in unstructured or hard-totraverse spaces and positively impact society” as a result. Zack Jackowski, Boston Dynamics’ lead robotics engineer and Chief Engineer on Spot, attested that “a lot of industries have sites with important equipment” which, in addition to being “largely unstaffed”, usually require “hours to dispatch someone to go check on something relatively simple”. Speaking on the company’s developments, Jackowski contended that workers would be able to safely “follow up on an alarm going off or a routine inspection” by remotely controlling a Spot: “they can just dial into a robot, stand up, and go take a look around”. According to a recent press statement, there are now over 400 Spots around the world with several seeing successful use in a wide array of industrial environments, including nuclear power plants, offshore oils fields, construction sites, and mines. Most notably, engineers and de-

velopers at BP are working alongside Boston Dynamics to outfit Spot for their own day-to-day operations and have voiced ideas to use the robot to improve efficiency and keep workers safe at many stages of their manufacturing processes. In addition to the new armequipped iteration of Spot, Boston Dynamics has also introduced the ‘Spot Enterprise’ which, with the ability to self-charge using a docking station, boasts a greater level of independence and can operate with very little human guidance. This new model builds on the existing abilities of the base Spot robot, featuring improved hardware that processes the robot’s surroundings in order to allow for safe, clear, and efficient behaviour when controlled from afar. Critically, the ‘Enterprise’ model is well suited to being operated in remote environments as it can traverse through a broader range of areas which, perhaps more importantly, allows it to collect and later offload larger data sets collected during its assigned task. Robert Playter, the CEO of Boston Dynamics, recently spoke on the progress made on the Spot project and said that “since first launching

Spot, we have worked closely with our customers to identify how the robot could best support their mission critical applications”. Confirming that the company would continue to focus on the development and testing of Spot, Playter also highlighted that it would still be critical for Boston Dynamics to use “reliable data collection” techniques to ensure that the robot functions as intended in “remote, hazardous, and dynamic worksites”. The release of the ‘Enterprise’ version, in many ways, acts as a culmination of the company’s 28-yearlong efforts in developing modern robotics technology and, as such, brings us ever closer to a more integrated future alongside similarly advanced robots. Spot’s sophisticated software and high performance mechanical design enables the robot to augment difficult or dangerous human work” Mark Ralbert Chairman and founder of Boston Dyanamics

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The LGBTQIA+ figures associated with Wales YOUR @CAERDYDD Wales’ strong history is uncovered during LGBT+ History Month DESK L Fflur Trevor

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Gŵyl 2021: Wales’ lockdown festival Tirion Davies

Editor in Chief

new Welsh festival is being launched this year, as a way of being music, laughter and culture to the Welsh people, almost a full year since the beginning of the initial 2020 lockdown. The BBC’s Culture in Quarantine initiative has brought together four of Wales’ biggest festivals of the arts, comedy and music. For the first time since the beginning of all four festivals, there will be a joint collaboration between Wales’ Festival of Voice, one of the UK’s biggest music events FOCUS Wales, the Aberystwyth Comedy Festival and Other Voices Cardigan festival to bring together four aspects of the vibrant Welsh culture. The festival was filmed in accordance with ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, ensuring that citizens who have missed arts venues and live concerts will get the opportunity to enjoy them once more, although in a slightly different way this year. Gŵyl 2021 features Gruff Rhys (frontman of popular band Super Furry Animals), musician Cate Le Bon, comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean, and harpist Catrin Finch, along with other, emerging talents from across Wales. Director of BBC Wales Rhodri Talfan Davies noted that Gŵyl 2021 would provide “a much needed blast of creativity” for a nation which has been in lockdown for a full year without access to the arts. Gŵyl 2021 will be online and on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru between March 6 and 7, with exclusive highlights of the Other Voices Cardigan event available on S4C additionally.

GBT+ history is a crucial aspect of Welsh history but is rarely spoken about due to the discrimination the community has faced. The majority of LGBT+ history taught in the UK is presented with an English and London-centric viewpoint, relating predominantly to London-based political activism and London-based arts. There were, of course, Welsh activist part of that fight, including Leo Abse MP who piloted the Sexual Law Reform Act, and writer, historian and trans woman Jan Morris, as well as Ruth Hunt, who was at the head of Stonewall. But for the most part, their work is rarely recognised. Wales’ LGBT+ history as a whole is often reduced to stories such as the Ladies of Llangollen, two aristocratic women who eloped in 1778, but little is taught about the real history - and hardly ever do we get to learn about the people at the heart of the fights. February is LGBT History Month in the United Kingdom, which aims to share and educate the public on LGBT+ history. To coincide with LGBT+ History Month, here a five Welsh LGBT+ figures from past and present we should all make sure we’re familiar with. Gareth Thomas Ex Welsh Rugby Union player Gareth Thomas was one of the first openly gay players in the Sport. Thomas also received a HIV positive status in 2019 and has subsequently used his platform to break the Stigma surrounding HIV, including making a 2019 documen-

LGBT+ history in Wales: Wales has a vast LGBT+ history worth learning about. Credit: Pride Cymru tary detailing his diagnosis, and showcasing that he is just as strong as ever. Despite his diagnosis he continues to live a healthy life, whilst living with HIV. In 2010, he was voted the most influential gay person in the UK in the Independent on Sunday Pink List and was appointed an CBE for his services to Sport and Health. Adam Price Leader of Plaid Cymru, Adam Price has spoken openly about the difficulties of growing up in the 1980s with Section 28. Section 28 was a law passed in 1988 under Margaret Thatcher’s Government which forbade councils and schools from promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship. Nevertheless, he is the one of the

first openly gay Welsh politicians and has attended Pride marches in Cardiff. Plaid Cymru’s Pride Event, helmed by Adam Price and held in 2019, saw over 15,000 people in attendance, a huge number for a Pride event held in Wales. He was also named at number 12 on the WalesOnline Pinc List 2019 for figures making a positive contribution to LGBT+ life in Wales. Adam Price told BBC Breakfast, “I’m sat here on the sofa with you as an out gay leader of the Party of Wales. “We can make progress, politics is about changing things for the better” Russel T Davies Welsh screenwriter and television producer Russel T Davies has had a very successful career within the television industry.

He famously revived the Dr Who series and wrote episodes from 2005-2010 as well as the 90s TV show Queer as Folk. Davies identifies as gay and his experiences are reflected in his new semi-autobiographical series, It’s a Sin. The series, which has been widely acclaimed, follows five friends over a decade as they struggle to cope with the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Russel T Davies commented on his new series, saying, “I must have known hundreds of lads like them, but though we all had those mad nights on the town, I was lucky, I escaped HIV” Ruth Hunt, Baroness Hunt of Bethnal Green Cardiff native Ruth Hunt is a Welsh Administrator who was the Chief Executive of Stonewall, a charity that advocates for LGBT rights in the UK. Hunt is a practising Roman Catholic and within her work aims to integrate faith leaders and LGBT+ communities. In 2015, she received an honorary fellowship from Cardiff University, where her mother was then a professor of nursing. This is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to incredible Welsh people at the heart of the LGBT+ community. Although this list is by no means touching the surface, it is a starting point for those interested in learning more about those involved in LGBT+ history in Wales. Although homosexuality was made legal in 1967, people within the LGBT+ community continue to get marginalized within society due to their sexual orientation. LGBT+ History Month is vital to share the work and lives of these figures and celebrate the diversity of Wales.

Tiger Bay FC: the club that brought together a community Tirion Davies

Editor in Chief

iger Bay FC is not a football club too many of us would be familiar with. Nestled in a small area of greenery in Butown, shadowed by Welsh skyscrapers, Canal Park is easy to miss. Where there were once huge stands and thousands standing in an adoring

crowd, the pitch is now surrounded by an idustrial estate and rows of flats. Built upon the industrial waterway system between Cardiff city and its docks, the pitch now houses just two goal posts, the only indication that football might be played on this small but mighty pitch. Although, for the Butetown community of Tiger Bay, Saturdays allowed this ground to become the heart of the community, with Tiger

Tiger Bay: These statues in Cardiff Bay are one of the only reminders of the incredible community. Source: Robin Drayton (via. Geograph)

Bay FC playing match after match to its loyal supporters. The club’s roots began in 2009, started by first and second generation Somali immigrants eager to play football but without much option in the area. With seven teams spanning 100 players, Tiger Bay FC prides itself on giving its players an opportunity to play a sport they love in a diverse and inclusive way. The Tiger Bay community is one which has often overcome harship. A diverse community since the 19th century, Tiger Bay has been home to hundreds of people from varying backgrounds, since the community began at the heart of the Industrial Revolution, when Cardiff ’s docks were one of the most successful in the world. 26-year-old Tiger Bay FC Manager Mustafa Mohamed began playing for the club at 17, and since then has become instrumental in encouraging young players from around Butetown to join. For many of those Mr Mohamed trains, Wales Online notes the majority have worked under his guidance since they were 14 years old. As an area of Cardiff with reportedly the highest level of child poverty, Tiger Bay FC is incredibly important to its players, as a beacon of hope. Speaking with Wales Online, Mustafa Mohamed noted, “It takes a village to raise a child and that resides with us. There’s a lot of stigma about the Butetown area with drugs and crime and things like this,

but in my opinion, it’s one of the safest places in Cardiff. “You’ve got the freedom to express yourself, between your religion, your culture, the neighbours all know each other, everyone looks out for each other. “When you’re part of a team you don’t want to go down the wrong path because everyone is watching you”. Holding the games at Canal Park is incredible important to the team, as the grounds stand opposite the Tiger Bay Community Centre, a building which has been integral to the community’s history since the 1960s. As a community which is closer than arguably most in South Wales and Cardiff, the residents of Tiger Bay are glad to see that the team is getting the recognition it deserves, with clubs from all over Cardiff travelling to play against Tiger Bay FC. For many, it is a place of safety and fun, and a way to escape when the world seems a little dark. For a community often forgotten about in the history and redevelopment of Cardiff, clubs like Tiger Bay FC are incredibly important and hold a value which is and irreplacable and holds an abundance of hope and love, shaping a community for players from the age of 14. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the crowds which once gathered are no longer taking their place in the stands and things seem a little quieter. Tiger Bay FC seems like a football club unlikely to back down from a challenge, and there’s no doubt they’ll be back soon.

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The brilliance of Brady

Following a record breaking seventh Super Bowl triumph we examine the qualties and achievements that makes Tom Brady the undoubted greatest ever football player ever Bill Vickress Contributor

T Tom Walker

Freddie Bennett

om Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV may have tied up once and for all a debate that dominates almost every sport: The greatest of all time. The game finished 31-9 following a great performance from the Tampa Bay defence in particular, holding the most prolific offense of the last 2 years to just 9 points, with all their points coming from field goals. Tom Brady, a player with one of the slowest ever recorded quarterback 40-yard dashes, a secondstring choice in his early college years, and most importantly a player who was selected by the New England Patriots at pick 199 in the 2000 NFL draft, has become almost undeniably the best football player to ever live. With seven championships to his name, Brady has just taken over any other team Superbowl win counts in the NFL, making him more successful than any team as well as any individual. Nowadays NFL scouts are very heavily focussed on quarterbacks’ athletic qualities such as speed, throwing arms and agility while moving in the pocket. With this we see a league filled with cannon

Ella Fenwick

Ben Lovell-Smith sport@gairrhydd.com

Longevity: Brady spent 20 seasons at the Patrioits (Credit: Mayaluk via Wikimedia Commons.

throwing arms like Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes as well as lightning fast athletes like Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson. With new upcoming quarterbacks in college also following this suit in Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields who are likely to be the first two drafted this year, the Brady mould is slowly disappearing. The 43-year-old’s throwing arm is not overtly strong, and he certainly is not the fastest or most agile quarterback ever, even in his early years he was one of the slowest in the league. So, what makes Tom Brady so special? For me there are three clear qualities that stand out more than any quarterback ever. Work ethic is one of the most prevalent and important qualities for any player of his stature and leader to have. Brady has played in the NFL for 20 years; he still works at his game as if he were a rookie. A lot of older quarterbacks begin to take their feet off the gas, that’s what separates Brady from any other senior player before him. At age 43, he works as hard as he possibly can to defy odds and the pretence that people his age cannot play at that level. Across sport, other athletes who stay at these heights at older ages, Lebron James and Cristiano Ronaldo spring to mind, have the same adage of win as a team, set the example to work as hard as possible, this drive is key to having a long and successful career. His experience is incomparable and an invaluable aspect to his game which feeds into all of his other attributes, his ability to teach and lead his teammates. This becomes most obvious in the postseason when inexperienced, yet talented players are able to elevate their games in accordance to Brady’s. The Buccaneers played unbelievably well in this postseason, winning three games on the road with lots of personnel who have not been on that stage before now. Much of this can be accounted for by the way they were led and set up, fighting for games harder than any other team, for each other as a team rather than individually, an issue common with young talent. Finally, Brady bares the unparalleled ability to recognise and read defences. This enables him to have the crucial extra seconds in the pocket with the knowledge in ad-

GOAT: A seventh ring puts Brady in a bracket of his own. Source: All-Pro Reels (via Wikimedia Commons) vance of which option to go to before throwing the ball. But pivotally, he has been able to adapt these skills on and off the field quickly, to his new team this year, to new players coming and going when he was in New England and to the way the game of football has changed over the last three decades. People can no longer look and weigh all of his success on a wellrun franchise in New England with one of the best coaches ever in Bill Belichick. He has hopped over to a new team in Tampa with a completely new core, coaching staff and playing system almost seamlessly. With many, including myself, predicting he would not be able to before the season start. Only someone willing to learn and adapt at an age where most people are set in their ways would be able to do what he has done this year.

For me, the greatest of all time debate is over when it comes to football. Brady has surpassed other greats such as Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Johnny Unitas and Dan Marino to name a few. Many would argue were all more physically talented than Brady, but 10 Superbowl appearances, seven championship rings, five Super Bowl MVPs, make him untouchable in terms of his career success. As for his career statistics, whether it be his overall value rating, taking into account his yards per game, touchdowns, interceptions and adjusted net yards per attempt-in the postseason and/or regular season, no one comes above Tom Brady. It is going to take something generationally outstanding to outdo his achievements and prolonged display of ability. We are lucky to be able to witness this historic talent and long may it continue.

Although Bale may have failed to produce the results that Spurs were hoping for, the least they could do is create more opportunities for him to prove his position on the team. Admittedly not much can be done from the bench but then again is Mourinho being given much to work with. It does beg the question though; has Bale still got that fire in him he had before? Former Wales manager, Chris Coleman, defended the recent play from Bale insisting the Welshman’s capabilities shouldn’t be written off just yet; “We all know what a world-class player he is. He can win a game, he can score a goal from nothing, he’s got a last pass.” Speaking of Wales, with the Eu-

ropean Championships (hopefully) on the horizen, Bale will want to get some decent minutes under his belt prior to travelling with the Wales sqaud. His influence and impact for Wales is undeniable and he will desperately want to be fit heaading into the summer. Returning to the Premier League should have been an opportunity for Bale to redeem himself but at the moment it is not looking good. Bale’s heart is failing to be in the game and at the end of the day what is to blame. The injuries, the team, the management or purely the fact he might have just lost his spark. Who knows? But at present it has been made clear by Bale; Wales, Golf, Madrid… Spurs.

Gareth Bale: Lack of form an invebitble decline or just a poor spell? Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

ndeniably a Welsh treasure, Gareth Bale rose to stardom stealing the hearts of football fans across the nation. Winning four Champions League titles during his career, the 31-year-old Welshman can’t be denied of his natural talent on the pitch. Yet with his recent performances, well more lack of at Tottenham, has Bale found himself losing that charisma he once had. Bale made a return to the Premier League at the start of the season, with Real Madrid loaning the winger to Spurs; but currently Bale has been nothing more than a myth

in his short spell. Only scoring one goal so far this season has left Bale looking like an expensive bust for the team, with the player spending more time on the bench than the pitch. With the previously successful player struggling to break into the swings of things at Tottenham under the reign of Jose Mourinho and an injury in the mix, Bale’s luck only went from bad to worse. After it became noticeable to fans that Bale was being contained to the bench it didn’t come as a shock when he was omitted from the squad when they played Everton in the FA Cup. In a press conference, classic Mourinho was quick to jump to a vague answer on the matter claim-

ing Bale had “feelings he was unhappy with.” This added further confusion to fans as Bale had taken to social media 24 hours previous in a contradicting statement writing “good session today.”

“We all know what a world-class player he is. He can win a game, he can score a goal from nothing, he’s got a last pass.” Chris Coleman Fo r m e r Wa l e s M a n a g e r From this you could say it is pretty clear to see where Bale might be spending the remainder of his time this season.

CHWARAEON

Loren Dykes hangs up the boots in search of new challenge CCFC Column We look back at the brilliant career of former Wales and Cardiff City Ladies defender following her retirement from the professional game and analyse her services to women’s football in Wales. City Ladies. One of Dykes biggest career moves however was in 2008 where even now she is recognised for her continued success as a player for Bristol City. While representing the team Dykes went on to lead them to win a promotion to the Women’s Super League. Dykes also found herself appearing twice on their team in the Women’s FA Cup finals, and further went on to play in the Women’s Champions League in 2014. After reaching over 150 appearances on the pitch in a Bristol City kit, Dykes finally called it quits on her time playing for the team last July. Although she returned to play for her first team Cardiff City Ladies, Dykes didn’t stray far from Bristol City and soon began her training as an assistant coach.

New path ahead: After a long and successful playing career Dykes is looking for a new challenge in the game. Credit: Kunjan Malde FAW

Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

fter 13 years and 105 caps playing for Wales, Loren Dykes has announced her retirement from the professional football scene. The 33-year-old Welsh defender decided it was time to hang up her boots in exchange for a new path in football. “I have decided that now is the right time to announce my official retirement from football. It has been in the pipeline for quite some time,” Dykes said. Even from as early as her debut

Dykes wasted no time in building her legacy in Welsh football. From winning her first Wales senior cap in 2007 against the Netherlands to reaching her 100th cap mid 2019 in a 0-0 match facing Czech Republic, Dykes would have never even dreamed of being crowned Wales’ second centurion alongside fellow teammate Jess Fishlock; “Playing for my country has been the greatest honour I could have ever wished for and has given me memories that I will cherish for life.” Although celebrated for her great progress made on the Wales team, it all started for Dykes at university when she began playing for Cardiff

“I now look for ward to helping to continue the growth of the game in Wales and help inspire future players in a coaching capacity,” Loren D ykes Wa l e s Fo o t b a l l P l ay e r Not only has Dykes left a longlasting impression in her performance on the pitch, she continued to be part of the growth in football playing an important role as an ambassador for social inclusion charity, Street Football for Wales. Bringing

nothing less than her A game to the table to succeed as an ambassador during the 2019 Homeless World Cup in Cardiff, Dykes did not seem to stop there as in 2019 she was also appointed an MBE for her services to women’s football in Wales. Despite her bustling career on the pitch Dykes has switched it all in to work towards her full UEFA coaching licence while continuing to coach Bristol City in the WSL along with the Wales Under-15s; “I have slowly made the transition from player to coach over these past few months,” Dykes commented. “I want to fully focus my energy on my development as a coach, with responsibilities at both club and youth national level as I work towards the completion of my UEFA A coaching licence.” It will be exciting to see how Dykes will work from the sidelines training players and whether her extensive knowledge on the pitch will be bagging Bristol City more victories in the upcoming seasons. Dykes is looking forward to the future of her new role but wishes nothing more as a coach than to continue inspiring those in the football world; “I now look forward to helping to continue the growth of the game in Wales and help inspire future players in a coaching capacity,” Dykes added. “I would like to thank my family, teammates, coaches and staff for everything they have done for me; None of this would have been possible without them. I now look forward to what the future holds.”

Long road ahead in tackling athlete abuse on social media platfoms Ben Lovell-Smith Sport Editor

t has been known for some time that social media can become a cesspit, filled with trolls, abusers, discrimination and nastiness. In recent times this vial of hate seems to have been taken up a notch, particularly amongst the sporting corners of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. New accounts from prominent sporting names opening up about the abuse they have faced seems to have become a daily occurrence. Newcastle manager Steve Bruce as well as football referees Mike Dean and Ryan Atkin came out last week to reveal they had received death threats online. Whilst, defenders Axel Tuanzebe and Antonio Rudiger became the most recent Premier League footballers to reveal that they had been the targets of racist online abuse. The discriminatory tone of abuse, usually racist or sexist, is common. Football is certainly not the only guilty party. The opening Six Nations weekend, Ireland fly half Billy Burns was subject to a torrent of online abuse following his error at the conclusion of the Wales vs Ireland match. Whilst, former England rugby women’s captain Maggie Alphonsi has spoken out in the Daily Telegraph about the sexist abuse she faced following her commentary appearance on ITV’s coverage of Italy vs France. Furthermore, a 2020 BBC Survey found that 30% of female British sports women had been trolled on social media - up 14% from 2015.

The argument surrounding facebook is that this abuse represents a wider societal issue and this may be true, racism in particular is not exclusive to social media, but should these organisations be doing more to protect users? Instagram announced last week that it will impose stricter penalties for online trolling. Individual Instagram accounts will now be deleted if found guilty of racist abuse. Whilst, police authorities have demonstrated the consequences of abusing social media privileges. This month a 35-year-old man was arrested and charged after posting an offensive social media message about the late Sir Captain Tom Moore, demonstrating the role that the legal system could come to play within this issue.

Ultimately though, these companies can’t stop abuse at source, this expression of hatred is a societal issue and it is no doubt exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic. But should the issue be dealt with reform rather than punishment? One of the fascinating parts of abuse faced by Premier League footballers is the amount of young teens who are found guilty. In October, Wilfried Zaha faced racial abuse from a 12 year old boy. The boy subsequently took part in a

Time for change: Rudiger was one of the recent footballers subject to social media abuse. Source: Brian Minkoff-London Pixels (via Wikimedia Commons) reeducation programme led by ‘Kick cial media companies need to step it out’ and was reported to have re- up and take accountability and acgretted his actions. Thus underlin- tion to ban abusers from their plating the role that education systems forms, gather evidence that can lead should burden within this matter. to prosecution and support making The government is also beginning their platforms free from this type to take hold of the issue, promising of abhorrent abuse.” that it will start forcing social media Ultimately though, these compacompanies to do more to prevent nies can’t stop abuse at source, this online abuse. Oliver Dowden - the expression of hatred is a societal isSecretary of State for Digital, Cul- sue and it is no doubt exacerbated ture, Media and Sport - tweeted; by the effects of the pandemic. “We are going to change the law Sports fans have been left at home to make social media companies frustrated, faced with no channel for more accountable for what happens emotion or expression but through on their platforms and they can start their smartphone, where once they showing their duty of care to players had the more private or consuming today by weeding out racist abuse outlet of the pub or stadium envinow. ronment to express their views less “Players must not be abused for directly. doing their jobs, enough is enough.” The issue must be fought on a Whilst the FA announced follow- number of fronts, but the wheels of ing the case of Axel Tuanzebe, “So- progress have begun to turn.

he departure of Neil Harris and the hiring of Mick McCarthy has brought around a muchneeded change of atmosphere at Cardiff City following a poor Christmas and New Year period. At the time of writing, the Bluebirds are unbeaten since McCarthy took over the reins on January 22. It seemed like Cardiff had re-found their mojo under Harris at the beginning of December, beating Huddersfield, Watford and Stoke consecutively to make the playoff spots a realistic target after a poor start to the season. But a loss to Welsh rivals Swansea sparked the start of the dismal run that saw them sat 15th in the Championship and 13 points off the playoff spots. McCarthy’s experience at this level is irrefutable. The 61-year-old manager is coming up to 30 years in management in a career that has seen him manage Wolves and Sunderland in the Premier League as well as the Ireland national team. However, the appointment of another tried and tested veteran manager seems like another step sidewards. In theory McCarthy is only set to manage the team until the end of the season but has made his intentions clear in wanting to stay past that. The club is crying out for a more defined on pitch direction compared to the short termism thinking evident in decisions like the appointment of McCarthy and the peculiar signing of Johnny Williams from League One club Charlton on deadline day. There has been a lack of identity of Cardiff City’s on field play this season. The signings of Harry Wilson and Sheyi Ojo would indicate a shift to a more “on the floor” style adopted by many teams in the modern game. But the contrast to the likes of Kieffer Moore and now departed Robert Glatzel, as well as the more conservative fullbacks does not lead itself to that particular style of play, making for a mixed bag of performances this season. But credit where credit is due McCarthy seems to have stumbled on something good in his first few matches, and as cliché as it is the “new manager bounce” is a saying that currently holds true for Cardiff so far. There is some logical psychological thinking you can apply to that famous phrase, but in Cardiff’s case it was hard to get much worse than those final games under Neil Harris. Two back-to-back score draws against fellow Championship middlers Barnsley and Millwall stopped the rot, before an impressive away win at rivals Bristol City provided Cardiff with their first statement performance under the new boss. A combination of Wilson, Ojo and Moore as a three up front is an intriguing and exciting combination, with the latter combining brilliantly for the second goal against Bristol City. Another win at Rotherham in snowy conditions a few days later will also have filled Bluebirds’ fans with some hope, with goals again coming from Ojo and the newly deployed wingback Joe Bennet. The unpredictable nature of the Championship makes me hesitant to put my hat on them finishing outside the top six, but currently those who occupy the slots are more established teams than Cardiff right now. A similar run to the one that got them into the playoffs at the back end of last season is obviously not out of question, but the hill may be a little too high to climb this time.

Reporting by Tom Walker

Gareth Bale:

Can he reignite his career and become the footballer that he once was? page 24

SPORT CHWARAEON CCFC: New manager bounce and tactical triumphs so far FOOTBALL

Tom Walker

Head of Sport

ollowing the seemingly inevitable sacking of manager Neil Harris, Cardiff City elected former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy as his successor, to guide the club through to the end of the season. His early tenor has been a promising one, picking up a few wins with some new look lineups and tactics. Cardiff will need to find and maintain a run of form if they have any hope of promotion to the Premier League, a daunting prospect. Head of Sport, Tom Walker analyses the appointment of McCarthy and his first few games as manager. Continued on page 25

Former Wales and CCFC defender Dykes retires FOOTBALL

Ella Fenwick Sport Editor Brothers in arms: The cancellation of BUCS has left Cardiff Uni FC with no fixtures. Credit: Cardiff University Football Club.

Cardiff Uni FC remain enthusiastic despite BUCS fixture cancellation Freddie Bennett Sport Editor

he 2020/21 BUCS season has been cancelled. Gair Rhydd Sport Editor Freddie Bennett caught up with Cardiff University Football Club’s social media and Kit Secretary Matthew Kimmins to discuss their response to the news and their hopes for the future of the team. After hearing the news, Kimmins said that the decision did not come as much of a surprise as they “kind of saw the news coming’’. “There was a little bit of hope for January, but that soon died down’’, Kimmins explained. However, this does not mean that there has been any lacking effort from the side. The social media and Kit Secretary said of the team that: “the boys’ effort and attendance throughout the first semester was immaculate’’. Kimmins gave a special mention to the enthusiasm shown in the training sessions: “training has been keeping the lads interested and developing skills with some fun, tactical ses-

sions, which always helps’’, he said. It is good to see that the team remains enthusiastic about the sport even with not very much game time. Hopefully when the return comes, they can take this onto the pitch. This news has come off the back of some positive times for the team. Kimmins mentioned that “you really would have thought that we were training for something’’ given the hard training and motivation from the team. This speaks volumes of the character of the team that even in these uncertain times, the team were still training just as hard as normal with sometimes four sessions a week. Before the Christmas break, the team were able to get some game time in Intra-mural games against the Cardiff University Medics. Kimmins is sure that when teams can return to the field, the Medic side will want to get revenge on their 1-0 loss to Cardiff University first team. Given the ever-changing circumstances at the present time, there are no solid plans for when Cardiff University FC may return to the pitch. However, Kimmins highlighted the future opportunity for games

whenever possible. He said: “we have been in conversation with a few universities to get some friendlies for the lads when we are able to and it is sensible to do so’’. While this is an exciting prospect, it is difficult to be overly optimistic about the chances of this for the remainder of the year. While the news did not come as much of a shock to the side, “it still hurt as we feel we have some special teams that would be fighting for titles in their leagues’’ Kimmins added. It may be a shame that we do not get to see this in the current time, but hopefully once teams can return to play, we get to see these special talents winning titles for Cardiff University. For much of the team, there would have been hopes for this year’s Varsity competition as many of the lads might be in their final years and may not get another opportunity to play in Varsity. However, it is looking likely that this year’s competition will not go ahead unfortunately. In the short term, Kimmins and the rest of the committee are looking to keep all those involved with

the team as safe and healthy as they can be before getting them back on the pitch. He emphasised that the short-term goal was maintaining the same levels of motivation for training. “Short term the goal is getting the lads training again together, keeping morale high and developing players as we have been before Christmas’’, he added. The team wants to return to the pitch with as strong a team as they can cultivate. However, there is hope for the long term future. The team has been busy in this hiatus developing more players. Kimmins told me ‘’that we have added a few more talented players this year, therefore like the season when Covid disrupted play, we expect to be fighting for titles’’. At the moment it is unclear when we will next get to see Cardiff Uni FC back on the pitch in BUCS competition. However, for now it is good to hear that the side are still training hard and motivated to do well when they do return. Hopefully in the not too distant future we will see the talented teams back on the pitch and pushing for titles in their respective leagues.

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

aving become Wales’ second ever football centurion, Loren Dykes has decided it is time to hang up her boots and head down a new football path. After a highly successful time on the pitch for not only her national team but for the likes of Bristol City and Cardiff City Ladies, Dykes is swapping in her kit and pursuing her new career in coaching. Bringing both her extensive knowledge and successes to the table it will be exciting to see the impact Dykes will have as a coach in the near future. Continued on page 25

Social media abuse in sport: What can be done? SPORT NEWS

Ben Lovell-Smith Sport Editor

eports of sports stars facing social media abuse has become a recurring news story. An issue which has come to light seemingly in correlation with the pandemic, sports stars are increasingly accessible and especially vulnerable. Whilst sports fans have become particularly exposed and isolated by their situation. The UK government, the FA, Facebook and Instagram have all spoken out recently regarding the problem, but the issue is complicated. Who should shoulder the responsibility? What can be done? Continued on page 25