Issue 1140 - Monday October 14

Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Former Cardiff University student dies in Half Marathon tragedy Charlotte King Head of News

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ormer Cardiff University student Nicholas Beckley has died after completing the Cardiff Half Marathon. The 35-year old Cardiff Council planner passed away shortly after completing the 13.1 mile race on Sunday 6th October.

After crossing the finish line, Beckley collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. Run 4 Wales, the organisers of Cardiff Half Marathon, reported that he received “immediate attention” and was then swiftly transported to the University Hospital of Wales, where he tragically died.

Beckley’s passing comes after two runners died after completing last year’s race. Last year, 25-year old Ben McDonald from Cardiff and 32-year old Dean Fletcher from Exeter both went into cardiac arrest shortly after crossing the finish line within three minutes of one another.

Beckley has been described by his brother, Andrew, as “a true gentleman”. He said that he loved sport and had run the half marathon twice before and that whilst his brother was born in Devon, “Nick was hugely passionate about Cardiff and saw it as his home.”

“Above all”, Andrew says, “Nick was a family man.” He will be “sorely missed and always loved by all.”

Beckley moved to Cardiff in 2003 to study Strategic Planning and Urban Design here at Cardiff University.

Commenting on his passing, Cardiff University Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen Holford, said, “This has come as a huge shock to us at Cardiff University. Nick was a former student of ours and very much a part of university life.

“Our thoughts and sympathies are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”

Cardiff University’s Development and Alumni Relations team also issued a comment via Twitter which said, “We are devastated to learn of the passing of runner and Cardiff University graduate Nicholas Beckley at [last] Sunday’s Cardiff Half Marathon. The entire university community extends its heartfelt condolences to those affected by his loss.”

After graduating from Cardiff University, Beckley became a Town Planner and then a Senior Planner in Cardiff Council. Councillor Huw Thomas, Cardiff Council leader, said that Beckley was a “rising star”

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14 hydref 2019 14 october 2019

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Price and Reckless talk Brexit and Britain’s future

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ast week, Gair Rhydd interviewed Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price AM and the Brexit Party Assembly Leader Mark Reckless AM. We discussed their opposing views on Brexit, Welsh Assembly business, the possibility of a second referendum and what the future holds for their parties and the United Kingdom.

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Panel yn trafod newid enw’r Cynulliad

W Questions without answers?: The sudden rise in cardiac-related deaths following Cardiff Half Marathon raises questions about what more needs to be done to prevent further tragedies. Source: Family handout and that “he will be sorely missed in County Hall.”

We are devastated to learn of the passing of runner and Cardiff University graduate Nicholas Beckley.

Development and Alumni Relations

Beckley was also an avid lover of sport and played for Cardiff Cosmopolitan Football Club in his spare time. In a statement on Twitter, the club said: “Yesterday we lost one of our own.

Nick Beckley will forever be known for his kindness, energetic spirit and love for his family and friends. Today and every day going forward we send our love to his family and friends.

A truly wonderful man, friend, and brother.”

James Lovegrove, the first team manager, said to the BBC that Beckley was a “lovely lad” and “now he’s lost his life in a cruel way.” Lovegrove said that nobody had any concerns that

there would be “any danger” in Beckley running the half marathon and that the club “can never replace” him.

The Chief Executive Officer of Run 4 Wales, Matt Newman, expressed that Beckley’s passing is “terribly sad news” and that the event organisers will “remain in close contact with [Beckley’s] family and will continue to support them in every way [they] can” during this tough time.

Newman says, “its cast obviously a big shadow on what was otherwise a very good day for Cardiff ”.

2018 marked 16 years since any “incidents of this kind”, Newman elaborates, until the unfortunate deaths of McDonald and Fletcher following last year’s half marathon.

According to Newman, Run 4 Wales has since done “an incredible amount of work in terms of raising the profile” of underlying heart conditions and the dangers of running long distances, reiterating that anyone who had any family history of cardiac conditions or symptoms should consult their GP before the event.

Following the passing of McDonald in 2018, the Ben McDonald Heart Screening Fund, set up by the charity Welsh Hearts, was created to offer free heart screening tests for Cardiff Half Marathon runners in his memory. Anybody aged between eight and 45 was eligible for a screening prior to

this year’s event.

In January 2019, Welsh Hearts also launched a petition which demanded the Welsh Government to provide free heart screening to anybody aged between ten and 35, however, the Government have stated that these sorts of programmes “should only be offered where there is clear evidence that screening will do more good than harm.”

McDonald’s family stated that heart screenings were not something they had ever considered an option and that if he had been screened prior to running, “[they] would have had a test result to look back on” to better understand why he passed away.

Approximately 50 of McDonald’s family and friends walked Cardiff Half Marathon this year wearing yellow t-shirts in his memory. Newman commented that it must have been “an impossible day” for them.

Beckley’s passing ultimately raises further questions about whether those running long distances are aware of the potential risks of unknown heart conditions. Perhaps there is a need for more information about the risk of cardiac arrest alongside greater encouragement for runners to book heart screenings prior to participating in events such as the Cardiff Half Marathon.

rth i Aelodau Cynulliad benderfynu ail-enwi’r Cynulliad yn Senedd Cymru/ Welsh Parliament, bu digwyddiad panel yn y Cynulliad gydag aelodau’r panel, yn cynnwys Steve Brooks (cyn-gyfarwyddwr Cymdeithas Diwygio Etholiadol Cymru) a Rhun ap Iorwerth AC Plaid Cymru, yn trafod y mater. Bu Taf-od yno i gael yr hanes.

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Nobel Prize 2019 winners announced

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he 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics or Medicine has been announced. Teams from the UK and US shared the £270,000 prize equally for discovering how cells in the body sense and repsond to oxygen level changes.

This ground-breaking research has enabled improved treatments for serious diseases.

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Getting to know: Rebecca Astill of Ladies’ Tennis

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n this week’s Getting to Know segment, Head of Sport, Reece Chambers, sat down with Rebecca Astill of Ladies’ Tennis. In a revealing interview, Astill speaks about her love for tennis from a young age and even choosing 9am seminars to play for Cardiff University.

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EDITORIAL

Gair Rhydd 2019/20 Coordinator Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Tomos Evans

Deputy Editors

Charlotte King Sam Tilley George Willoughby

News

Charlotte King Olly Davies Anna Dutton Zoe Kramer

Features

Mustakim Hasnath Sam Tilley

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com

A note from the Editor Nodyn gan y Golygydd Assembly name change: What’s in a name?

Enw’r Cynulliad: Pam newid?

Taf-od

Llion Carbis Aled Biston Rhodri Davies Deio Jones

Politics

Lowri Pitcher Hallum Cowell Tom-Henry Jones Maisie Marston

Comment

Harry Clarke-Ezzadio Kat Smith Nina White

Column Road Indigo Jones

Advice

Molly Govus Rhiannon James

Satwik Speaks Satwik Shivoham

@Caerdydd Tirion Davies

Science

Danny Brown Holly Giles

Sport

Reece Chambers Olly Allen Ella Fenwick Luke Wakeling George Willoughby

Head of Digital Media

What’s in a name?: The name of an institution can have a profound impact. Source: Lowri Pitcher

Aliraza Manji

Social Media Manager Ashley Boyle

Digital Media Editors Matt Hancock-Bruce Daniel O’Callaghan Tom Walker

Graphics Editor Oli King

Copy Editors

Boadicea Dowd Tehreem Sultan

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com

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.

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

Opinions expressed in editorials 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.

Tomos Evans Editor-in-Chief

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he Senedd. Welsh Parliament.

The latest debate to have gripped the floor of the Welsh Assembly, which has inspired much debate on social media, came to a head last week in a crucial vote by AMs. Welsh Assembly Members agreed back in July 2016 that the name of the Assembly should reflect its constitutional status as a national parliament. A public consultation was held by the Assembly Commission between December 2016 and March 2017. According to the Commission’s consultation, 61% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that a name change was necessary to reflect the increased legislative powers of the Assembly.

The original bill would have seen the Welsh Assembly renamed ‘Senedd’.

Labour AM for Bridgend, and former First Minister, Carwyn Jones put forward a backbench amendment to give the establishment the bilingual name of ‘Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament’.

In last Wednesday’s vote, the Welsh Government backed Mr Jones’ proposal as did a majority of AMs. Whilst the amendment has now been passed, the bill itself is still under debate.

But how important is the name of an institution? Is it all just a fuss over nothing? According to the Assembly

Commission’s consultation, 80% of respondents agreed that ‘The name of an institution is important to explain what it does’. The fact that Senedd is a cognate of Senate means that it’s easy enough to understand its meaning and what the Senedd does.

We only need to look at Ireland to see how successful the use of Gaelic has been in the country’s politics with the lower house of their parliament known as ‘Dáil’ and their equivalent of a Prime Minister named Taoiseach. If using Gaelic-only names has worked in Ireland, why wouldn’t Welsh-only names be equally as successful in embedding themselves in the public consciousness in Wales?

BBC News anchor, Huw Edwards, also weighed into the debate in favour of a Welsh-only name. In an interview with the Guardian, Edwards says that “Senedd is now widely established and understood as the name of the democratically elected body in Cardiff Bay”. He goes on to say that “It is not a complex word. There’s none of the usual guff about being ‘difficult to pronounce’, which is always an excuse not to use Welsh in some quarters”. The Senedd would surely have cemented the Welsh language at the heart of our democracy.

This week, on page 7 our Taf-od desk report on an event in the Senedd organised by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) which discussed the Welsh Assembly’s name change.

Tomos Evans Prif Olygydd

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Senedd. Welsh Parliament.

Gwnaeth y ddadl ddiweddaraf i ddominyddu llawr y siambr, sydd wedi ysgogi cryn drafodaeth ar gyfryngau cymdeithasol, gyrraedd pen llanw mewn pleidlais gan ACau yr wythnos ddiwethaf.

Cytunodd Aelodau Cynulliad yng Ngorffennaf 2016 y dylai enw’r Cynulliad adlewyrchu ei statws cyfansoddiadol fel senedd cenedlaethol. Cynhaliodd Comisiwn y Cynulliad ymgynghoriad gyhoeddus rhwng Rhagfyr 2016 a Mawrth 2017. Yn ôl ymgynghoriad y Comisiwn, roedd 61% o’r ymatebwyr naill ai’n cytuno neu’n cytuno’n gryf fod angen newid enw er mwyn adlewyrchu’r cynnydd yng ngrymoedd cyfreithiol y Cynulliad.

Byddai’r bil gwreiddiol yn golygu ail-enwi’r Cynulliad yn Senedd. Ond cynigiodd yr AC Llafur dros Ben-ybont-ar-Ogwr, a’r cyn-Brif Weinidog, Carwyn Jones welliant i’r bil i roi’r enw dwyieithog ‘Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament’ i’r sefydlaid. Yn y bleidlais ddydd Mercher diwethaf, pleidleisiodd Llywodraeth Cymru o blaid cynnig Mr Jones, fel wnaeth y mwyafrif o ACau. Tra bo’r gwelliant bellach wedi ei basio, mae ACau yn parhau i drafod y bil.

Ond pa mor bwysig yw enw sefydliad o’r fath? Ydy e’n ffws diangen? Yn ôl ymgynghoriad Comisiwn y Cynulliad,

roedd 80% o’r rheiny ymatebodd yn cytuno â’r datganiad: ‘Mae enw sefydliad yn bwysig i egluro’r hyn mae e’n ei wneud’. Mae’r ffaith i Senedd fod yn gytras o Senate yn golygu ei bod hi’n ddigon hawdd i ddeall ei ystyr a’r hyn mae Senedd yn ei wneud.

Mae ond rhaid inni edrych ar Iwerddon fel enghraifft o sut mae’r defnydd o Gaeleg yng ngwleidyddiaeth y wlad wedi bod yn llwyddiannus gyda thŷ isaf ei senedd wedi ei enwi’n Dáil a’u Prif Weinidog wedi ei alw’n Taoiseach.

Os mae defnyddio’r enwau Gaeleg rhain wedi gweithio yn Iwerddon, pam na fyddai enwau Cymraeg yr un mor llwyddiannus yn treiddio trwyddo i isymwybod y cyhoedd yng Nghymru?

Mae cyflwynydd BBC News Huw Edwards hefyd wedi cyfrannu i’r drafodaeth gan gefnogi enw Cymraeg yn unig. Mewn cyfweliad â’r Guardian, dywedodd Edwards: “Mae Senedd bellach wedi ei sefydlu a’i ddeall ar lefel eang fel enw’r corff sydd wedi ei ethol yn ddemocrataidd ym Mae Caerdydd”.

Mae e’n ychwanegu: “Dydy e ddim yn air cymhleth. Does dim o’r ‘guff’ arferol am fod yn ‘anodd i’w ynganu’, sydd wastad yn esgus i beidio ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg gan rai. Byddai enwi’r Cynulliad yn Senedd yn siwr o sicrhau lle’r Gymraeg wrth graidd ein democratiaeth.

Yr wythnos hon, ar dudalen 7 mae ein tîm Taf-od yn adrodd hanes digwyddiad gan Gymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg yn y Cynulliad a fu’n trafod newid yr enw.

Charlotte King Head of News

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the police are struggling to tackle Cardiff’s knife crime problem, enough is enough.”

In a statement from South Wales Police, they report that since the expansion of Operation Sceptre, they have been successful in taking 74 weapons off the streets of Cardiff, have carried out 459 stop-searches, made 126 arrests, and seized over £24,000 worth of drugs in street value. Prior to its expansion over the summer months, the operation saw officers making 220 arrests and seizing 90 weapons whilst conducting more

stop-searches and seizing thousands of pounds worth of drugs.

In reference to the operation, Chief Constable Matt Jukes has said that the force’s “dedicated Operation Sceptre teams have played a huge part in [their] fightback against [knife crime, drug possession and serious] by supporting local neighbourhood teams in Cardiff and Swansea.”

Gunney further states that “[South Wales Police] are committed to disrupting criminality on the streets of South Wales.”

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Checkpoint Cymru: Rehabilitation over incarceration

North Wales tackles its rising drugs problem with an initiative that offers individuals rehabilitation rather than a criminal conviction Hebe Fryer Contributor

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fter an emerging drug issue in the region, North Wales Police have recently launched Checkpoint Cymru; a new programme they believe will impact how the police deals with minor drug offences.

The programme in question allows those in possession of drugs to be spared jail time, instead of being offered a year-long education and rehabilitation scheme. Offenders are now being given the option to sign a four-month contract, pledging to accept help from rehabilitation services. If this is successfully completed, the offender is able to leave the scheme without the pressure of a criminal conviction or further legal ramifications.

At the forefront of this scheme, known as Checkpoint Cymru, is Arfon Jones, the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales Police, and member of Plaid Cymru.

Jones himself has served as a police officer for over 30 years in North Wales Police before taking on the position of Police and Crime Commissioner and knows first-hand the effect drug abuse has for the emergency services in the area.

Speaking about Checkpoint Cym-

ru, Arfon said, “[The programme] may even save lives by directing people away from criminality and substance abuse and it could also save the public purse a lot of money because the cost of imprisoning someone now costs £65,000 and £40,000 for every year after that.”

The system was originally conceived at Cambridge University and has already been put into practice at Durham Constabulary where the reoffending rates speak for themselves, dropping from 30% down to 18% following the implementation of the programme.

Jones’ aim as Police and Crime Commissioner is to see the eventual decriminalisation of all drugs.

Although this endpoint is seen as extreme and unnecessary by some, Jones remains strong in his belief that this is “not a soft option” and that “decriminalisation equals diversion”.

The Valium my grandmother took gave her a sense of escape.”

Anna Baker

Anna Baker, the Manager of Checkpoint Cymru, is also quick to defend the programme and challenge the stereotype surrounding those with drug abuse issues, having been raised herself by a grandmother with a prescription drug addiction. Speaking of her own experience, Baker says, “the Valium my grandmother took gave her a sense of escape from her worries and fears but I’ll never forget finding her when she had overdosed.”

It is worth noting that those who have committed more serious offences, including rape and murder, will not be eligible for this scheme, nor will those involved in domestic abuse offences and violence against emergency service workers.

Checkpoint Cymru is namely aimed at giving second chances and is seen by Jones to be “a far better system than blighting someone’s career, someone’s life, someone’s future with a minor conviction on their record.”

As well as helping those suffering with addiction, this programme also sets out to cut crime in the region whilst simultaneously reducing reoffending rates. So, not only does it help the individual but it also takes the weight of these lesser offences off the shoulders of the police and judicial system, some are saying.

Drug-related crime in Cardiff

To contact our news desk, drop us an email at news@gairrhydd.com

Climbing crime rates?: Here is a simplified crime map for Cardiff, July 2019. Source: Wikimedia Commons (image), South Wales Police (data)

NEWS

n light of the perceived rise in knife crime throughout Cardiff, South Wales Police have recently expanded their project called Operation Sceptre.

This is a £1.2 million project funded by the Home Office in order to tackle knife crime, drug supply and serious violence across the city.

According to South Wales Police, the project grew in the summer of 2019, increasing the number of people working on the operation within Cardiff whilst also expanding to Swansea.

Operation Sceptre began over a year ago, however, it was recently announced that as part of the project, South Wales Police will be installing body scanners in various venues across the city to further tackle the city’s knife crime problem.

So far, South Wales Police have invested in eight screening devices which Superintendent Wendy Gunney, the force’s lead for Operation Sceptre, hopes will “help maintain a safe environment, reassure the public and deter anyone thinking of carrying a weapon.”

This recent development in the fight against knife crime was prompted by the tragic knife attack on St Mary Street on July 21 which saw 21-year old Asim

Khan lose his life.

Prior to the attack, South Wales Police emphasised that various bars and pubs around Cardiff were already employing “knife arches” and “detector wands” on individuals entering their premises, but efforts have now been ramped up.

It appears that venues in Cardiff are being given the option to request to have these extra security measures installed.

South Wales Police have also been carrying out “knife crime awarenessraising sessions” with approximately 250 members of staff from some of the biggest nightclubs across the city.

Gair Rhydd contacted the Students’ Union to enquire about their crime prevention initiatives. A spokesperson for the Union said, “[The Union] takes the safety of all students and guests very seriously...[we] will be working with South Wales Police Licencing Department to trial body scanning equipment at specific events.”

However, not all students are welcoming the idea. One Cardiff University student, who has refused to be named, said, “These new security devices are very intimating and demoralising.

“I don’t want security guards searching every crevice of my belongings...We shouldn’t have to be searched because

NEWYDDION

Venues around the city are being offered airport-style security to detect weapons

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/news

Operation Sceptre: A new approach to tackling knife crime in Cardiff

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The annual crime rate in Cardiff sees 3.5 crimes committed per annum per

1,000 workday people.

Compared to the national crime rate, Cardiff ’s crime rate is at 125%.

Drug-related crime makes up 3.2% of all crimes committed in the Cardiff postcode area.

They have increased by

15.1% when compared

year-over-year in the period of September 2018 - August 2019.

Cardiff has the highest crime rate out of 104 postcode areas in England and Wales

Source: Plumplot

Your news desk Charlotte King Olly Davies Anna Dutton Zoe Kramer

4 NEWS The Simpsons: Building a more cromulent Ireland Dervla O’Brien Contributor

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ver the past three years, Ireland Simpsons Fans have gone from a small Facebook group to Ireland’s newest political party born of a meme page.

The Ireland Simpsons Fans Facebook group was set up in January 2016 after a few disgruntled Irish fans felt under-represented within the wider UK Simpsons Fans meme pages.

The page began as a small community for fanatic meme-ers but has since become an Irish cultural sensation.

The page has 105,000 followers, or approximately 2% of the Irish population.

The group’s popularity can be attributed to two key factors: firstly, the show was aired daily on RTE2, Ireland’s largest TV channel, and became a cornerstone of this generation’s childhood. Secondly, the memes in the group have the ability to capture the zeitgeist of young Irish millennials in a way that has not been done before.

The community contribution has led to light-hearted takes on serious news topics and provides people with an outlet to discuss the politics of the day if they feel that traditional news sources have become alienating and increasingly divisive.

During the last few years, a clear trend began to arise in the memes produced for the page. The politics is clearly left-leaning, geared towards young people and their frustrations.

Content often includes healthcare costs, housing prices and transport issues. Some contributors have even produced memes about poor rural infrastructure and the isolation of living in places such as Donegal.

In May 2019, the page had its first foray into politics as members supporting Green Party politician Hazel Chu started to make memes, such as the iconic “I Choo Choo Choose You” card which was Ralph Wiggum’s valentine’s card with Chu’s face photoshopped onto it. When Chu was later elected, she publicly thanked the page for her success.

After seeing the amount of influence wielded in electing Chu, it became apparent the platform had a loud political voice. From here, it was seemingly inevitable that someone would use Ireland Simpson Fans with political intent and so the Irish Simpsons Fans (ISF) Party was born. They officially launched in September 2019 and within the first 24 hours, 800 members signed up to be part of the party.

It now has roughly 1,300 members which is more party members than some parties represented by elected Teachtaí Dála (Assembly Delegates) of Dáil Éireann (the Irish Parliament).

The party has many cromulent policies. They range from “Donegal needs a Monorail (or other train-based transport) in order to rank among its sister cities Ogdenville and New Haverbrook” to “No terf club, not allowed to have one: The ISF Party will turn Ireland into the most progressive country in the world for Trans rights”.

The success of this new vehicle for change highlights how millennials are becoming more visible in politics.

Extinction Rebellion protests enter second week as arrests continue Our reporter spoke to protestors to find out more

Mustakim Hasnath Features Editor

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ith over 1,000 arrested before the start of its fourth day, activists who began demonstrating on October 7 as part of the Extinction Rebellion protests across the capital saw thousands cause disruption, affecting Londoners. The demonstrations have led to blocked roads, activists gluing and chaining themselves to each other and to monuments; they have also severely affected some services on the London Underground and other Transport for London services.

Gair Rhydd interviewed demonstrators across the capital on one of the days when hundreds of protesters were arrested. Throughout the day, Gair Rhydd interviewed over 30 demonstrators.

Fixed on top of a trailer next to Trafalgar Square, an activist who claimed to be the founder of Extinction Rebellion, said to Gair Rhydd, “these events are in response to the zero action from the Government in response to the climate and ecological crisis that we have.”

Over 30 students from Cardiff University allegedly attended the demonstrations last week, the majority of whom are from the ‘Extinction Rebel-

Disruption: XR protestors continue to get arrested as the movement calls on the Government for change. Source: Harry Ramsden

lion Cardiff Students’ group – a Cardiff University Students’ Union affiliated society.

The President of the society, Matt Tomlin, who attends Cardiff University, spoke to Gair Rhydd whilst demonstrating last Wednesday near the Home Office on Marsham Street. The 20 year old, who prefers not to be associated as the President and rejects that the group should be classified as a ‘society’ said, “When XR were here in London back in April, the government declared a climate emergency but nothing has been done about that. It’s a completely nameonly thing, they haven’t done anything to reduce Carbon emissions.”

Tomlin added, “We’ve had lots of examples of students who I didn’t know but are from Cardiff too. It’s looking very promising considering we only started the group a few weeks ago.”

Justifying breaking the law, Tomlin added, “The problem is that many mass movements over the years have had to break the law. They’ve had to stand in the middle of roads and that’s what we unfortunately have to do. We’ve tried happy clappy, civil protest campaigning and nothing has been done about it.”

The protests saw hundreds of young people join in the demonstrations from different parts of the country. Jude, a 17 year old college student from Edinburgh explained, “Well I guess the reason we’re here today is to show our sup-

port because this really is the biggest movement of its kind. And that’s why we’re here to support Extinction Rebellion specifically.”

When asked about the inconvenience people such as himself, as a camper blocking roads surrounding Trafalgar Square, were causing, he said, “yes, loads of Londoners will be pissed off, but at the end of the day I couldn’t give a f***ing s**t. It sounds selfish but we’re at crisis point.”

Forces from across the country have been drafted in to support the City of London and Metropolitan Police forces during the protests, sharing resources and tactics to maintain order. A tweet from a custody inspector from the Metropolitan Police said, “we have plenty of dedicated cells across The Met for those protestors who act unlawfully”, adding “we’ve stocked up on vegan food too”.

Extinction Rebellion plan for these protests to continue for two weeks from October 7 and London has not been the only city to see protestors take to the streets. Major cities around the world including New York, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro.

Ultimately, in the last UK mass protests, the group wanted to see the Government declare a climate emergency and it did. This time, they want to see the Government announce the next steps. Who knows what will have happened by the end of the week.

‘The Arcuri Allegations’

Boris Johnson allegedly donated thousands of pounds to Jennifer Arcuri’s business, constituting a “conflict of interest”

Jonas Jamarik Contributor

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he recent allegations made against Prime Minister Boris Johnson accuse him of giving preferential treatment, as well as large monetary donations of public money to his friend, American former model and business-woman Jennifer Arcuri.

The concern is over a donation of £11,500 that Arcuri’s company, Innotech, received from London & Partners, an organisation overseen

by Boris Johnson during his time as Mayor of London.

She has also received an additional £15,000 pounds in a government grant to stimulate foreign entrepreneurs in Britain.

Arcuri has also accompanied Boris Johnson on overseas trade missions to Malaysia, New York and Tel Aviv, despite her not qualifying for either trip and her official application being rejected by the government.

The latest issue is a £100,000 grant Arcuri’s company Hacker House received in February of this year.

The grant was awarded by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), as part of a scheme that supports UK businesses in the field of cybersecurity.

The concern is over Arcuri’s eligi-

bility for the grant as she is a U.S. citizen and has been a resident in California since June 2018. The scheme was intended to be only for UK citizens and UK based businesses.

Additionally, the grant was not to exceed 50% of the value of the company it had been awarded to; the available financial information on Hacker House shows the company has had virtually no profit since its launch in 2017.

Arcuri describes Hacker House as a company that uses ethical hacking to help businesses with cybersecurity.

The head of cybersecurity for the DCMS is MP Nigel Adams, appointed by Boris Johnson. He is also known to be his long-time friend and supporter.

An inquiry by the Greater London Authority (GLA) has been launched into Johnson’s case and he has been summoned to appear before a committee of the GLA’s elected members. Johnson was given a two-week deadline to respond to their summons, but that deadline passed on October 8 and it was ignored. The committee will meet this week to discuss next steps.

Johnson has admitted to a close relationship with Arcuri but he denies any allegations of wrong-doing and maintains that he acted with complete propriety when he was

Mayor of London.

The Prime Minister’s failure to respond to the inquiry launched by the GLA could result in up to three months in prison and unlimited fines. It could also see the GLA handing the matter over to the Independent Office of Police Conduct, a watchdog organization for investigating complaints against the police.

Johnson is facing charges of misconduct in public office, which is an offence that has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and can be grounds for a just cause for the removal of a public officer.

The GLA can take a range of actions in their investigation of the

case, for example, they have the authority to ask Johnson to hand over all his communication with Arcuri, whether public or private.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also launched an investigation with London & Partners, the organization which awarded Arcuri’s £11,500 grant. The DCMS is also investigating the £100,000 donation for Arcuri’s Hacker House.

The allegations against the Prime Minister come at a crucial time for the Government as there have already been calls for his removal from within the house. *All information was accurate at the time of writing.

Boris Johnson: Cronyism or simply smitten? Source: Chatham House (via Flickr)

NEWYDDION 5

Germany warns we may be on the verge of another mass refugee crisis The comments come in light of developments in Turkey and Greece

Olly Davies News Editor

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he German Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer, has warned that Europe is on the verge of facing a greater refugee crisis than the one seen four years ago.

In a visit to Greece on October 6, Seehofer warned that the EU was still unprepared for another intake of refugees and migrants on the scale witnessed in 2015, a year during which more than one million refugees and migrants entered Europe illegally via land and sea.

Since the last crisis, Seehofer feels not enough has been done to secure Europe’s external borders. In an interview with the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Seehofer said, “We have to help our European partners even more on patrolling the EU’s external borders. We have left them alone for too long.

“If we don’t we will once again see a refugee wave like in 2015, maybe even greater than four years ago.”

Seehofer is trying to garner support for a quota system for asylum seekers. The plan has committed Germany to accepting a quarter of those who arrive in member states from the sea route between North Africa and Italy. However, according to The Telegraph, he has not com-

mitted to taking any of those who enter the EU from Greece or Spain.

All of this information came to light during the Interior Minister’s official visit to Turkey and Greece which was prompted by the significant increase in migrant crossings in the Aegean Sea over the last 12 months.

Turkey plays an extremely important role in the crisis in that region of Europe because, in 2016, an agreement was made which resulted in the EU giving Ankara €6 billion in return for keeping Syrian migrants in Turkey.

This containment policy proved pivotal in stemming the flow of migrants into the EU, however, the arrangement is now under scrutiny because of accusations that Ankara is no longer turning away Syrian refugees.

A fire last week at the Moria refugee camp on the Greek Island of Lesbos arguably shows the issues of migration to the region. The camp has a capacity of 3,000 people but currently holds 4 times as many and this is seen by some as a direct result of Turkey reneging on the 2016 arrangement. Whatever the cause, it is clear the Greek camps are overflowing.

Marco Sandrome, a field officer with Médecis Sans Frontières, said

Moria has become “the place of hell.”

He also suggested, “No one can call this fire...an accident”, referencing the recent fire which tore through the refugee camp and triggered subsequent protests, due to the overcrowding in the camps.

The impact to the UK is unclear due to the uncertainty of Brexit. If we were to remain in the European Union, we could be obligated to take our share of the refugees entering Europe. However, the EU does not

currently have a binding quota system which Berlin has been pushing for since the initial wave of migration in 2015, something which has received opposition in eastern Europe.

Given the current volatility of the political scene in both the UK and abroad, changes surrounding immigration, asylum seeking and border control are likely to become a key component of any future relationship the UK has with the EU and the rest of Europe.

H

ays Travel has bought collapsed travel agent Thomas Cook. The buy-out could save 555 shops and 2,500 jobs. John Hays, founder of Hays Travel, said “it is certainly our intention to take on all the staff; to welcome them back”, however, there are no guarantees about which stores or staff will be saved.

Fears of recession are quashed after the UK economy sees a successful third quarter

“The place of Hell”: Here are Syrian and Iraqi refugees arriving at Lesbos. Source: Ggia (via Wikimedia Commons)

Religious and political conservative groups are protesting the new legislation Kate Waldock Contributor

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Lacking empathy or genuine concern?: France is one of the countries in Europe which protests the most. Source: Ggia (via Wikimedia Commons)

religious and political groups protesting the fertility bill, with thousands taking to the streets back then to protest. Despite France’s principle of laicité (discouraging religious influence in state policy and vice versa), the country has a largely Catholic history which may be why there has been such a strong opposition to the new bill.

If the bill is passed, this would be President Emmanuel Macron’s biggest social bill since taking office in

Hays Travel buyout failing Thomas Cook and hope to save jobs

Goodbye Thomas Cook.

Source: robertescu (via Pixabay)

France sees a new wave of protestors in response to proposed fertility bill

rance has been rocked by protests this week as huge swathes of people gathered in the streets to protest against a new bill that would allow single women and lesbian couples access to in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

IVF treatment is a process which would allow single women and lesbian couples to have children of their own. According to the organisers of the protest, around 600,000 people turned up to the event but independent research groups put the number at around 74,000. Demonstrators opposing the protest gathered in much smaller numbers. The bill, if passed, would be the first major change in law since France legalised gay marriage in 2013. It has currently passed through the lower house.

The bill would allow all women who are under 43-years old to have access to IVF treatment, no matter whether they were in a lesbian couple or single. The law currently only allows heterosexual couples access to IVF treatment, which some feel is a major inequality for the LGBT community.

In 2013, the legalisation of gay marriage gained a reaction from the same

On an unrelated note...

2017; the bill is due to be debated by the Senate later this month where they will vote on whether it should become law.

Religious groups and politicians alike gathered last week to protest the bill. The Bishop of Bayonne, Marc Aillet, wrote a tweet on Monday October 6 that said (translated), “May God bless those who walk today for the right of every child to have a father #MarchonsEnfants My prayer accom-

panies them.”

Le Figaro, a major French conservative newspaper, put out an editorial on October 7 in which they stated that the bill “threatens the foundation of our humanity”. Even Macron’s own centrist party, La République en Marche, is divided on the issue and what’s more, the Académie Nationale de Médecine (French Academy of Medicine) has expressed concerns over whether the new bill could have a psychological impact on children conceived through IVF who have lesbian couples and single women as their parents.

When LGBT+ students at Cardiff University were asked for their opinion on the issue, Izzy, a Medicine student who identifies as bisexual, said, “as a Christian bisexual I am surprised by the lack of empathy and compassion on an issue that many see as a human right.” She feels as though the bill is “a huge step forward for equality for the LGBT community and equal rights amongst women.” Lesbian couples would normally have to travel across to other countries in order to receive IVF treatment.

France would be following countries including Britain, the Netherlands and Spain if this bill becomes law.

F

ollowing a negative quarter between April and June which saw the economy shrink by 0.2%, there were fears the UK was heading towards a recession. However, in the three months leading up to the end of August, the economy grew by 0.3%. Economist Andrew Wishart says this means that “fears the economy is already in recession have been banished.”

Recession avoided. Source: torange.biz

UK ticketholder claims £170m jackpot

A

UK ticket holder recently won £170 million in the Euromillions jackpot! If the winner is an individual, they would rank in the Sunday Times Rich List’s 1000 wealthiest people who are either residents in the UK or have business links here. The winner will not be identified as an individual or syndicate unless they publicly come forward.

And the winner is... Source: Magnus D (via Wikimedia Commons)

6

taf od

Barn y Bobol

Nerys Davies

Jacob Morris

Myfyriwr trydydd blwyddyn Cymraeg a Gwleidyddiaeth Mae’r gair Senedd wedi tyfu gwreiddiau erbyn hyn. Mae gwrthod cael enw uniaith Gymraeg yn groes i’r ymgyrch i normaleiddio’r Gymraeg ynghyd â bod yn gam yn ôl yn nharged y llywodraeth o gyrraedd miliwn o siaradwyr erbyn canol y ganrif. Mae’r Gymraeg yn perthyn i bawb yn rhugl ai peidio, felly onid yw cael enw dwyieithog yn chwalu consensws ymysg pobl Cymru sydd eisoes yn bodoli; mai’r ‘Senedd’ yw’r enw mwyaf naturiol i bobl ar lawr gwlad.

tafod@gairrhydd.com

Mae Aelodau Cynulliad wedi pleidleisio dros enw dwyieithog Aled Biston Golygydd Taf-od

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Rhys Gittins

i ddechrau, mae’r gwelliant yn cynnig sicrwydd cyfreithiol yn ogystal ag eglurder ymarferol mewn perthynas â esbonio dyletswyddau a chyfrifoldebau gwleidyddol a chyfreithiol y Senedd i’r cyhoedd.

Mae’r newidiadau yn codi statws y “Senedd” a fydd yn cael ei gydnabod yn rhyngwladol. Er y byddai sawl un yn dal i ddefnyddio’r enw “Senedd” yn ddyddiol, mae’r newidiadau yn gadarnhaol ac yn ganmoladwy.

Llion Carbis Aled Biston Rhodri Davies Deio Jones

Panel yn anghytuno â newid enw’r Cynulliad

ae enw uniaith ar Gynulliad Cymru, ‘Y Senedd’, dan fygythiad ar ôl i Carwyn Jones, Aelod Cynulliad dros Ben-y-bont a chyn Prif Weinidog Cymru, cynnig gwelliant o’r meinciau cefn i ail-enwi’r sefydliad yn ‘Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament’. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cadarnhau eu bod nhw’n cefnogi’r cynnig, a bellach mae Aeoldau Cynulliad wedi pleidleiso dros y newid enw.

Ar nos Fawrth, Hydref 8, cynhaliwyd cyfarfod cyhoeddus gan Gymdeithas yr Iaith yn Nhŷ Hywel, Bae Caerdydd. Roedd yn cynnwys panel o siaradwyr megis Steve Brooks (cyngyfarwyddwr Cymdeithas Diwygio Etholiadol Cymru) a Rhun ap Iorwerth AC. Cefnogwyd pob aelod o’r bwrdd enw’r ‘Senedd’, gan nodi eu rhesymau dros gefnogi’r enw uniaith.

Dywed Rhun ap Iorwerth, AC dros Ynys Môn “Cam bychain ond arwyddocaol oedd galw’r sefydliad yn ‘Y Myfyriwr ail flwyddyn Senedd’. Does dim angen enw dwGwleidyddiaeth a’r Gyfraith yieithog, disgrifiwch fo mewn cannoedd o ieithoedd y byd, enw o ydy Rwyf yn ysgrifennu o blaid gwelliant Senedd”. Roedd Leena Sarah Farhat, Carwyn Jones ar gyfer y defnydd o ymgeisydd y Democratiaid Rhydd“Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament”. frydol dros Ddwyrain Sir Gaerfyrd-

Â’r Gymraeg a chymaint o bwyslais arni ers datgan y ymdrech i gyrraedd Miliwn o Siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn 2050, daw’r ddadl ail-enwi yn amserol iawn i ledaenu ymwybyddiaeth o’r Gymraeg o fewn gwleidyddiaeth. Byddai cael enw uniaith Gymraeg wedi gwobrwyo ymdrechion y gorffennol i ymgorffori’r Gymraeg yn ein llwybr gwleidyddol fel cenedl.

Trwy gyfeirio at ein pwerdy gwleidyddol yn ein mamiaith o ddydd i ddydd ond hefyd yn gyfreithiol, y gobaith byddai i adfer ein ffydd yn y dyfodol a rhoi gwleidyddiaeth, treftadaeth a diwylliant Cymru o dan chwyddwydr y byd. Siom felly bod y bleidlais i gael enw dwyieithog wedi’i hennill.

Eich adran taf-od

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Wedi pleidlais o blaid enw dwyieithog i’r Senedd, gofynnwyd i drigolion Caerdydd am eu barn ynglŷn â’r newid yma.

Myfyrwraig blwyddyn gyntaf Datblygu a Chynllunio Trefol

Eich unig gyhoeddiad myfyrwyr wythnosol trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg.

Sefydlwyd: 2003 Am fwy o gynnwys, ewch i gairrhydd.com/tafod

Gwrthwynebiad i’r newid: Y senedd yn newid enw. Tarddiad: Aled Biston din a Dinefwr yn meddwl bod y term ‘Welsh Parliament’ yn gysylltiedig â Llywodraeth San Steffan a Phrydeindod, yn hytrach ‘na Senedd Gymreig.

Mae Llywodraeth Iwerddon, yn cael ei alw yn ‘Dáil’, sydd yn Gaeleg, ac mae’r Prif Weinidog yn cael ei alw’n ‘Taoiseach’. Os gall yr Iwerddon gadw enw iaith sydd mewn sefyllfa llawer gwaeth na’r Gymraeg yn eu gwleidyddiaeth, pam nad yw Cymru’n gallu gwneud yr un peth? Dydy’r enw

‘Senedd’ byth wedi achosi dryswch i neb, ac mae newid enw’r sefydliad i fod yn ddwyieithog yn achosi rhaniad rhwng siaradwyr Cymraeg a diGymraeg.

Ar brynhawn Hydref 9, pleidleisiodd Aelodau’r Cynulliad i newid enw’r Senedd i ‘Senedd Cymru / Welsh Parliament’. Golyga hyn fod y Senedd yn cael ei gyfeirio ato fel ‘Welsh Parliament’ yn Saesneg, ac felly efallai na fydd yr enw uniaith Gymraeg yn

cael ei ddefnyddio yn y cyfryngau di-Gymraeg. Mae nifer megis Steve Brooks a Rhun ap Iorwerth yn gweld hyn fel cam yn ôl yn y Gymraeg, yn enwedig ym maes gwleidyddiaeth, a bod yr enw Senedd tu hwnt i ieithoedd eraill. Mae’r newid enw wedi hollti barn ymhlith cyhoedd Cymru, gyda rhai o’r farn bod y penderfyniad yn tanseilio’r Gymraeg. Tybed a fydd sefydliadau eraill yn dilyn newid enw yn y dyfodol?

CERDDORIAETH

Dathlu 50 mlynedd o label recordio Sain Hanner canrif o gerddoriaeth Cymraeg o’r radd flaenaf

Rhodri Davies Golygydd Taf-od

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m mis Hydref 1969, sefydlwyd un o gwmniau creadigol mwyaf adnabyddus Cymru. Eleni, mae cwmni recordiau Sain yn dathlu hanner can mlynedd o roi llwyfan i rai o artistiaid pennaf Cymru. Dafydd Iwan oedd un o’r rhai a wnaeth ymdrechu i sicrhau bod cerddoriaeth werin, roc a phob yn medru cael rhyw faint o statws ymhlith y miloedd o ganeuon Saesneg oedd yn dominyddu setiau radio’r cyfnod.

Aeth ati ynghyd a’i gyfaill Huw Jones i sefydlu cwmni ar ran y rhai oedd yn ei gweld hi’n anodd i ‘dorri trwyddo’ yn y diwydiant fel ag yr oedd hi. Cafodd sengl gyntaf Sain ei ryddhau ar Hydref 9, 1969. Byddai’r gân yma’n gosod naws gwladgarol sydd wedi bod yn ran anatod o’r cwmni. “Dŵr” gan Huw Jones ei hunan oedd y gân.

Son am y dŵr a foddodd Cwm Tryweryn ydyw. Mae’r gân yn dal i fod

yn boblogaidd heddiw ac yn dal i fod yn berthnasol yn enwedig wedi ymosodiadau ar un o ddirnodau mwyaf nodedig Cymru; wal Cofiwch Dryweryn, Llanrhystud.

Ers y diwrnod hwnnw, mae gan sawl Cymro o gerddor reswm diolch i Dafydd Iwan a Huw Jones. Ymhlith yr enwogion sydd wedi troedio stiwdio recordio Sain yn Llandwrog mae Meic Stevens, Geraint Jarman a neb llai na Bryn Terfel. Hyd heddiw, nhw yw’r label recordio mwyaf yn yr iaith Gymraeg.

Yn ystod datblygiad adloniant cartref, dechreuodd Sain ryddhau rhai o raglenni Cymraeg ar fideo ac yna’n ddiweddarach ar DVD. Mae hyn wedi sicrhau bod rhai o drysorau celfyddydol pwysicaf Cymru ar gof a chadw gan lawer o deuluoedd ar hyd a lled Cymru.

Wrth reswm, mae dathlu mawr i nodi’r garreg filltr hon yn niwylliant Cymreig Cymru. Mae eisioes llawer o ddigwyddiadau wedi cymryd rhan ar hyd a lled Cymru. Un o’r rhain oedd noson i ddathlu yn y Tŷ Gwerin

yng nghwmni Dafydd Iwan, Heather Jones, Dewi Pws, Eleri Llwyd, Cleif Harpwood a Hefin Elis a’r Band.

Mae noson arall o ddathlu wedi’i drefnu yn Theatr Pontio, Bangor ar Tachwedd 23. Mae’r cyngerdd yn nwylo Cerddorfa Cenedlaethol Cymru y BBC a Band Pres Llarregub ynghyd â llu o westeion arbennig.

Tra’n siarad am y broses o sefydlu label Sain mewn cyfweliad ar raglen foreol Aled Hughes ar Radio Cymru ar y 8fed o Hydref, dywedodd Dafydd Iwan eu bod nhw’n “sylweddoli bod y byd recordio yn Saesneg wedi symud ymlaen yn gyflym iawn yng nghyfnod y Beatles ac yn y blaen, a theimlo bod rhaid i’r dechnoleg recordio yn Gymraeg symud ymlaen hefyd.” Mae’n briodol felly fel cwmni oedd yn geffyl blaen yng Nghymru o ran technoleg eu bod yn rhyddhau 50 o’i senglau cyntaf, gan gynnwys “Dwr”, yn ddigidol.

Byddai rhai’n dadlau bod hyn wedi paratoi’r ffordd i sefydlu BBC Radio Cymru sydd bellach yn gartref swyddogol i gerddoriaeth Cymraeg.

Ers dechrau Sain mae mwy o labeli wedi’u sefydlu gan gynnwys Fflach, Côsh a Libertino. Fel un sydd wedi ei arwyddo i Côsh, mae Ifan Pritchard o’r band “Gwilym” yn ddiolchgar iawn i’r hyn mae Sain wedi ei wneud dros gerddoriaeth Gymraeg. “Wrth weld labeli’r sîn heddiw yn datblygu mor dda, fedra ni ddim ond diolch wrth Sain am roi troed yn y drŵs, a gosod cerddoriaeth Cymru ar yr un lefel â cherddoriaeth y byd.”

Mae Sain yn ran annatod o hanes diwylliant Cymru. Dyma i’r 50 mlynedd nesaf!

Dafydd Iwan: Dal i ganu 50 mlynedd yn ddiweddarach. Tarddiad: Plaid Cymru (drwy Flickr)

NEWYDDION

Heddlu Gogledd Cymru yn profi cynllun cyffuriau newydd

Cynllun Checkpoint Cymru yn cynnig cyfle adfeiliad i ddibynnwyr heroin a chyffuriau eraill Deio Jones Golygydd Taf-od

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ae Heddlu Gogledd Cymru wedi lansio cynllun newydd sydd yn rhoi’r cyfle i ddibynnwyr heroin a chyffuriau eraill gael cyfnod o adfeiliad cyn wynebu carchar. Mae cynllun Checkpoint Cymru yn cael ei lansio er mwyn ceisio atal pobl sydd yn fregus rhag dilyn llwybr o droseddau. Yn lle wynebu cyhuddiad troseddol, bydd cyfle i’r troseddwyr fynd ar gynllun blwyddyn addysgol o dan amodau adfeilio. Os nad yw’r troseddwyr yn ‘aildroseddu’ ar ôl y cyfnod 12 mis, ni fydd y troseddwyr yn cael eu herlyn ac felly ni fydd cofnod troseddol.

Wrth arwyddo cytundeb pedwar mis, rhoddir y gefnogaeth i droseddwyr osgoi mynd yn fwy dibynnol ar gyffuriau neu alcohol. Bydd troseddwyr yn cael eu goruchwylio gan ‘lywyr arbenigol’, sef pobol sydd wedi goresgyn dibyniaeth cyffuriau neu alcohol yn y gorffennol. Bydd y troseddwyr yn cael eu cyhuddo’n euog o’r drosedd wreiddiol os ydynt yn torri’r cytundeb.

Mae’r cynllun wedi cael ei gefnogi gan Gomisiynydd Heddlu a Throsedd Gogledd Cymru, Arfon Jones, sydd yn flaenorol wedi ymgyrchu am gyfreithloni pob cyffur. Yn ôl Daily Post, dywedodd Mr Jones, a oedd yn

gyn-arolygydd, “Mae Checkpoint yn gwella cyfleoedd bywyd achos mae pobl yn osgoi cael cofnod troseddol, sydd yn gallu effeithio eu cyflogadwyedd a’u cyfleoedd academaidd.

Buasai’r cynllun yn gallu achub nifer o fywydau wrth arwain pobl oddi wrth droseddu a chamdriniaeth sylweddau, a hefyd arbed llawer o arian ym mhwrs y cyhoedd gan fod cost carcharu rhywun erbyn hyn yn tua £65,000, a £40,000 pob blwyddyn ar ôl hynny.” Mae Jones bellach yn cyflogi deg aelod o staff ar gyfer rheoli atgyfeiriadau, sydd ar drac i fod yn weithredol erbyn diwedd y mis.

Dywedir Jones wrth The Guardian ar ddechrau’r mis fod yno 33 rhwydwaith llinell sirol smyglo cyffuriau yn ei ardal, a bod 90% ohonynt yn cael eu rhedeg o Merseyside, Lerpwl. Ar y cyd gyda Checkpoint, fydd Jones hefyd yn cyflwyno menter arall yn seiliedig ar brosiect gwahanol, sef y ‘Bristol Drugs Programme’, sydd hefyd wedi gweld llwyddiant ysgubol.

Yn ôl y BBC, datblygwyd y cynllun ym Mhrifysgol Caergrawnt a’i arloesi yng Nghwnstabliaeth Durham gyda chanrannau troseddu yn gostwng o 30% i 18%. Dywed yr Arolygydd Iwan Jones o Heddlu Gogledd Cynru “y meddylfryd yw rhoi ail gyfle i bobl ar fywyd, i helpu pobl gael yn ôl fewn i addysg, i helpu pobl gael yn ôl fewn i gyflogaeth. Byddwn yn darpa-

Aled Biston Golygydd Taf-od

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Gweledigaeth Arfon: Comisiynydd Heddlu Gogledd Cymru, Arfon Jones, sydd wedi cefnogi’r cynllun. Tarddiad: Plaid Cymru (drwy Flickr) ru llwybrau i droseddwyr newid eu ffordd o fyw sydd yn cylchdroi o amgylch troseddu wrth ddeall y rhesmau tu ôl eu hymddygiad troseddol.”

Mae Heddlu Gogledd Cymru wedi cael mwy o newyddion da heblaw’r cynllun yn ddiweddar, wrth i Boris Johnson gyhoeddi ei fod am gyflogi

20,000 o blismonai newydd ar draws Cymru a Lloegr. Mae hyn yn golygu fod 62 o blismonai newydd yn ymuno a’r Heddlu yng Ngogledd Cymru yn y flwyddyn nesaf mewn ymgyrch gan y llywodraeth i gynyddu staff yr Heddlu. Croesawyd cyhoeddiad y Prif Weinidog gan y penaethiaid.

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Brexit ac annibyniaeth ar agenda Plaid

Brexit ac annibyniaeth i Gymru oedd prif destunau Cynhadledd Plaid Cymru

Lara Evans Cyfrannydd

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ydd Sadwrn difyr oedd y 5ed o Hydref wrth i dîm o newyddiaduron Gair Rhydd deithio i Gynhadledd Plaid Cymru 2019 yn Theatr Grand Abertawe. Cychwynnodd areithiau’r ail ddiwrnod gydag araith Jonathan Edwards AS. Heb os, effeithiau posib Brexit ar Gymru oedd brif gonsyrn yr Aelod Seneddol dros Ddwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr.

Beirniadodd Edwards “Llafur di-asgwrn cefn” am “agor y drws i’r lladron” wrth gyfeirio at y posibilrwydd o leihad ym mhwerau datganoledig Cymru wedi Brexit. Pwysleisiodd Edwards ei ymdeimlad fod Brexit yn “Prosiect cenedlaetholdeb Saesneg allwedd [asgell] dde” ac arweiniodd hyn at y sôn am annibyniaeth i Gymru, un o brif faterion y diwrnod. Cyrhaeddodd Edwards at y casgliad canlynol; “We can finish the job started by devolution and become a normal, independent, European country.”

Araith Hywel Williams oedd nesaf gyda neges digon tebyg i Edwards o ran dioddefaint Cymru yn sgil Brexit. Ond, daeth Llywodraeth San Steffan o dan

mwyafrif o’i feirniadaeth, yn hytrach na’r Llywodraeth Llafur yng Nghymru.

Yn ôl Williams, “Tacteg i drechu Farage a chadw grym” yw Brexit a “Gwymon o ddynion” yw’r rhai sydd y tu ôl iddo.

Honnodd ymhellach bod Brexit a Llywodraeth San Steffan yn “Bygwth heddwch yn yr Iwerddon”, “Dinistrio amaeth a gwerthu’n gwasanaeth iechyd” ac hyd yn oed “Troi nhw (Y Cymry)’n estroniaid yng ngwlad eu hunain”. Yn sicr roedd honiad Williams; “October 31st will not be the end of Brexit it will be the start” yn grynhoad glir o agwedd y blaid tuag at Brexit.

Pwyslais yr araith nesaf, gan Mary Lou McDonald, Uachtarán Sinn Féin, oedd y cysylltiad cryf rhwng Cymru ac Iwerddon; “Kinship and connectedness between our nations” oedd ysbryd yr araith. Galwodd am “Panceltic antitory politicial culture”, yn sgil effeithiau Brexit ar y ddwy wlad, soniodd ei bod yn “Satisfies only the post-imperial insecurities of toxic English nationalism” ac yn “Jingoism psychology of supremacy”. Yn sicr, mae’n hawdd i weld tebygrwydd yng nghonsyrns y ddwy blaid.

Er yr holl bryderon, cafodd eu codi gan siaradwyr y ddiwrnod, roedd

TAF-OD 7 Bandiau Cymraeg yn gwneud sŵn yng Nghaerdydd enwythnos nesaf bydd llu o fandiau Cymraeg yn gymryd i glybiau Caerdydd i berfformio yng Ngwyl Sŵn Caerdydd. Mae bandiau megis Gwilym, 3 Hwr Doeth, Alffa a llawer mwy yn cymryd rhan yn yr ŵyl sydd yn gweld nifer o fandiau yn perfformio dros dair noson yn y brifddinas.

Mae’r gŵyl unigryw yma yn ddigwyddiad aml-lwyfan, gyda nifer o glybiau ledled Caerdydd yn cynnal bandiau o bob math o genre, a blwyddyn yma mae yna nifer o fandiau Cymraeg yn chwarae. Mae Gwilym yn chwarae yn O’Neills, Papur Wal yn Jacobs a Elis Derby Band yn ‘The Moon’. Ond eleni mae yna dri band Cymraeg yn brif fandiau, sef 3 Hwr Doeth, Chroma a Gruff Rhys.

Mae’r gŵyl yn gyfle gwych i fandiau Cymraeg dangos eu holl dalent ar brif lwyfan y brifddinas. Mae gŵyl Sŵn wedi datgan bod bron pob tocyn wedi gwerthu, ac felly mae’r gŵyl yn addo i fod llawn cyffro â chynulleidfaoedd cyflawn.

Os ydych yn awyddus i weld yr holl fandiau Cymraeg sydd yn chwarae, mae yna ddolen ar wefan swyddogol Sŵn sydd yn rhestru’r holl fandiau a phryd maent yn chwarae. Blwyddyn yma mae yna amrywiaeth o fandiau Cymraeg sydd yn perthyn i genres gwahanol. Mae Alffa a Chroma yn fandiau sydd yn gwneud yn wych o fewn y sîn roc Gymraeg, gydag Alffa yn bwrw dros filiwn o wrandawiadau ar fwy nag un o’u caneuon ar Spotify.

Mae Gwilym wedi camu i frig y sîn pop Gymraeg gyda’i albwm ‘Sugno Gola’, ac wedi cymryd pum wobr yn Gwobrau Selar eleni. Ac mae 3 Hwr Doeth yn dominyddu’r sîn hip-hop Gymraeg, ac mae eu hail albwm sydd yn cael eu rhyddhau diwedd y flwyddyn yma, yn dod a hip-hop clasurol i gerddoriaeth Gymraeg, sydd yn agwedd newydd ar gerddoriaeth Gymraeg.

Yn wahanol i ŵyl Tafwyl a’r Eisteddfod, mae gŵyl Sŵn yn ŵyl cyfrwng Saesneg a Chymraeg, ac mae gan gyfle i fandiau Cymraeg dangos eu talent i gynulleidfa sydd efallai yn anghyfarwydd â’u cerddoriaeth. Dyma adeg gyffrous iawn i fandiau Cymraeg, gobeithio bydden nhw’n cydio’r cyfle i ddiddanu cynulleidfa newydd.

Becso am Brexit: Dyna oedd neges Plaid Cymru.

Tarddiad: Hallum Cowell neges yr araith gloi gan Leanne Wood, yn fwy optimistaidd. Er dywedodd Wood, “For many people politics can feel distant, alien and cartoonish”, nid gwleidyddiaeth dryslyd y wlad oedd wrth graidd ei haraith. Neges o obaith oedd un Aelod Cynulliad Rhondda; ‘There is always hope even if we have to look hard for it.” Yn ogystal â hyn soniodd Wood am y fath o Gymru annibynol mwyaf ddymunol; “an open and

inclusive place where all can be free” a hyn yn dilyn sylwadau Adam Price am refferendwm annibyniaeth cyn 2030.

Roedd prif materion y gynhadledd yn amlwg. Brexit a’r diffyg consyrn am Gymru yn ystod y proses Brexit ydi argyfwng mwyaf y blaid ar hyn o bryd.

Y datrysiad, yn ôl Plaid Cymru, yw yw annibyniaeth ac yn sicr mae yna gred cadarn ymysg aelodau y Blaid, daw annibyniaeth i Gymru.

3 Hwr Doeth: 3 Hwr Doeth yw prif fand yn Fuel nos Sadwrn. Mae Gruff Rhys a Chroma hefyd yn brif fandiau yng nghlybiau eraill. Tarddiad: Huw Bebb

Rhodri Davies Golygydd Taf-od

Pryd o Daf-od Rhiannon Jones

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ae lefelau llygredd aer ym Mhort Talbot wedi gostwng ers gosod terfyn o 50 milltir yr awr ar y darn o draffordd yr M4 sy’n mynd drwyddo.

Datganwyd gan adroddiad diweddar bod lefelau nitrogen deuocsid wedi disgyn o ganlyniad i’r “hotspot” traffig. Cafwyd penderfyniad i leihau’r terfyn cyflymder llynedd wedi cynllun brawf ym mis Rhagfyr. Mae’r terfyn cyflymder wedi’i fonitro gan gamerau sydd yn cymryd cyflymder cyfartalog cerbyd sy’n teithio o gyffordd 41 i 42 yr M4.

Cyfanswm hyn yw 5km.

Daeth y newidiadau i rym o ganlyniad i’r Uchel Lys ddyfarnu nad oedd Cymru’n cyrraedd ei darged i geisio lleihau llygredd awyr. Roedd eu techneg o wneud wedi’i nodi ei fod yn anghyfreithlon.

Dywedodd Ken Skates, y Gweinidog dros Drafnidiaeth ei fod wedi’i “galonogi” gan y newidadau. Mewn datganiad ysgrifennedig, dywedodd Llywodraeth Cymru, “Mae hi’n rhy gynnar i gyhoeddi a chadarnhau unrhyw gasgliadau cadarn ynghylch effaith y terfynau cyflymder o 50 milltir yr awr ar y terfynau NO2.

Bydd angen casglu rhagor o ddata wrth ymyl y ffordd cyn y gall y tueddiad hwn o ran gwell ansawdd aer gael ei gadarnhau. Bydd adroddiad arall yn cael ei gyhoeddi ym mis Mawrth 2020.”

Nid Port Talbot yn unig sydd wedi derbyn y driniaeth yma, mae yna nifer o heolydd eraill sydd wedi derbyn diwygiadau cyflymdra.

Cyflwynwyd y terfynau 50mya ar gefnffyrdd yn Wrecsam a Glannau Dyfrdwy, traffordd yr M4 ym Mhort Talbot, yr A470 tuag at Bontypridd, a therfyn amrywiol ar yr M4 yng Nghasnewydd.

Mae’r terfynau yma wedi’u gosod oherwydd bod llygredd aer yn y mannau yma’n arbennig yn uchel.

Bydd y terfynau yn aros yma nes bod y lefelau llygredd yn cyd-fynd gyda’r lefel gyfreithlon sydd wedi’i osod gan yr UE. Dywedodd Lesley Griffiths, Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, “Mae’n hanfodol sicrhau gostyngiadau brys mewn allyriadau nitrogen deuocsid i fodloni gofynion deddfwriaethol ac i gefnogi ein huchelgeisiau ar gyfer Cymru iachach a mwy cyfrifol yn fyd-eang.”

Daw’r newyddion yng nghanol gwaith parhaol gan y grŵp amgylcheddol “Extinction Rebellion,” i dynnu sylw at faterion sy’n gysylltedig gyda chynesu byd-eang.

Mewn ymchwil a wnaed gan King’s College, Llundain, mae eu gweithredoedd wedi golygu lleihad mewn llygredd yn aer Llundain.

Mae yna ymdrech genedlaethol felly i leihau llygredd yn yr aer sy’n gam gadarnhaol tuag at lleihau effeithiau newid hinsawdd.

Amser a ddengys pun a fydd yr ymdrech hon yn talu ffordd yn y pen draw..

Rhiannon Jones sy’n rhannu ei doethineb am bwysigrwydd dyfalbarhau yn y brifysgol a bywyd ehangach.

Mae’n rhaid imi gyfaddef fy mod i’n teimlo ychydig yn rhagrithiol ysgrifennu am ddyfalbarhad o ystyried ni wnes i redeg Hanner Marathon Caerdydd. Fodd bynnag, dwi’n gwybod fod dyfalbarhau yn ddawn bwysig y dylem ni gyd ddatblygu yn ein bywydau. Mae effaith Hanner Marathon Caerdydd yn profi nid yw

Trafod gyda’r

taf-od

dyfalbarhad yn gorfod bod yn syniad rhamantaidd, delfrydol. Yn hytrach, gall ddyfalbarhad fod yn hynod o realistig.

Yn amlwg, mae dyfalbarhau’n rhoi’r cyfle i ni brofi i’n hun ein bod ni’n gallu cyflawni rhywbeth penodol (fedra’ i ddim meddwl am rywun gwell i greu argraff arnynt).

Heb ddyfalbarhau byddem ni byth yn gwybod a fyddem wedi llwyddo ai peidio. Mae’n gyfle i fagu hyder a dod i nabod ein cryfderau. Wedi dweud hynny, nid yw’r profiad yn mynd i fod yn bleserus drwy’r amser ac mae hynny’n teimlo’n annheg weithiau. Er bod poenau twf yn gorffen fel oedolyn, mae datblygiad yn gallu bod yn llawer mwy poenus - ond fyswn i’n dadlau fod y broses o ddyfalbarhau yn werth pob dim.

Mae dyfalbarhad yn cymryd dewrder ac yn ein helpu i gysylltu gyda rhywbeth mwy nag ein hun. Yn achos yr Hanner Marathon, cafodd sawl achos gwych eu cefnogi a sawl person eu cofio o ganlyniad i waith caled y rhedwyr a’r gwirfoddolwyr.

Rwy’n siŵr eich bod chi’n rhannu fy edmygedd tuag at y rhai gymerodd

Nedw Clwyd. Gwleidyddiaeth a Hanes fodern.

Pilsner?

3. Beth oedd dy air cyntaf?

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

Sgorio hat-trick ar fy debut i Lannefydd.

10. Beth yw dy gas beth?

Bêcd Bîns.

Mam.

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

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

Gig Travis Scott, wedyn allan yn y dre.

Greatest day.

12. Pe tastet gallu bod yn unrhyw anifail am ddiwrnod, pa un fyddet ti’n dewis, a pham?

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

Chicken Korma, pilau rice a garlic naan.

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

Nedw yn y Nou: Ymweliad Nedw i stadiwm Barcelona.

Tarddiad: Nedw Clwyd

Sloth, fel fy mod i’n gallu diogi.

13. Disgrifia dy hun mewn 3 gair.

Boi reit arferol.

Rhianna.

14. Pwy fydd yn trafod ‘da’r Tafod wythnos nesaf?

7. Pwy yw dy hoff fand?

Jac Osian Phillips.

Y Cledrau.

Gwydnwch a dyfalbarhau: Dyfal donc a dyr y garreg.

Tarddiad: Rhiannon Jones

Nedw Clwyd

8. Prosecco neu champagne?

Pam?

Dathlu’n wallgo’ pan nath Sterling sgorio erbyn Spurs yn y Champions League, tan nath o ga’l ei wahardd gan VAR. Gutted.

Y newyddion da yw, mae’r sgil o addasu yn rhywbeth mae bodau dynol wedi bod yn gwneud ers y dechrau ac yn hanfodol ar gyfer bodolaeth.

Rydw i o bawb yn gwybod bod hyn yn hawdd anghofio pan mae’n amser mynd i’r gym. Mewn gwirionedd, bydd rhwystrau ni allem eu rheoli yn codi o hyd ond gydag ychydig o greadigrwydd a phenderfynoldeb, mae modd eu goresgyn. Os dim byd arall, o leiaf gallem ni ddweud nad ni oedd yn rhwystro ein hun.

Rhowch gynnig ar ddyfalbarhau (ac un arall) ac rwy’n siŵr wnewch chi werthfawrogi’r canlyniadau llawer yn fwy.

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

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

2. Beth yw’r digwyddiad sy’n codi’r mwyaf o embaras arnat?

rhan ac mae modd i ni gyd arddangosdyfalbarhad tebyg yn ein bywydau ehangach hefyd.

Er pwysigrwydd dyfalbarhau, mae’n bwysig peidio tanbrisio gwerth gosod uchelgais personol yn y lle cyntaf gan fod y cam yma’n gallu bod yn anghyfforddus iawn. Os ydych chi’n gwybod beth rydych chi eisiau cyflawni a sut i gyrraedd y nodau hynny, rydych chi ar eich ffordd.

Nawr, tuag at ddechrau’r flwyddyn academaidd, yw’r amser perffaith er mwyn gosod nodau. Nodau sy’n siŵr o deimlo’n heriol ryw bwynt yn y flwyddyn.

Yn anffodus, dydw i ddim yn credu fod talentau heb ddyfalbarhad yn ddigon gan fod rhwystrau am godi o hyd. Felly, mae dysgu i ddyfalbarhau yn gwneud y mwyaf o’ch cryfderau eraill yn hytrach na’u gwastraffu.

Dylem ni geisio gwneud dyfalbarhau yn arfer dda fel ein bod ni’n fwy parod i ymdopi a goresgyn sefyllfa pan mae rhwystrau mwy difrifol yn codi. Gall yr arferion fod mor syml a gorfodi ein hun i fynd i’r llyfrgell neu i ailedrych ar ddarlith doedden ni ddim yn hyderus gyda.

Llawenydd Llannefydd: Nedw sy’n cadw’r bêl yn rolio yr wythnos hon.

Tarddiad: Nedw Clwyd

taf od

8 TAF-OD Lleihau llygredd ym Mhort Talbot

CHWARAEON

Mentro yn yr Hanner Marathon

Profiad golygydd Taf-od o’i ras gyntaf yn y brifddinas Deio Jones Golygydd Taf-od

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ua mis Ionawr diwethaf, eisteddais yn y dafarn gyda rhywfaint o ffrindiau, a’r sgwrs ddaeth i destun oedd Hanner Marathon Caerdydd. Ar ôl ryw beint neu ddau, roeddwn wedi cofrestru i’w redeg. Rhywbeth na fuaswn erioed wedi’i grybwyll a tan y pwynt hwnnw doedd gen i ddim math o ddiddordeb ynddo. Roedd fy ‘alter-ego meddw’ wedi penderfynu ei bod hi’n amser am her newydd. Rhywbeth gyda arwyddocad i gymryd fy amser am ychydig o wythnosau.

Buan aeth y misoedd heibio, a minnau’n pendroni am bryd i ddechrau hyfforddi. Yn bersonol, rwyf wastad wedi bod yn un ‘funud olaf ’, sydd yn cael trafferth darganfod cymhelliant i ddechrau gwneud unrhyw beth, ond y tro yma, roedd hi’n stori gwahanol. Roeddwn wedi penderfynu gwneud Hanner Marathon Caerdydd tuag at achos Awyr Las o dan Gronfa Sue Owen, ac felly roeddwn yn benderfynol o beidio dod yn agos at orfod tynnu allan o ganlyniad i ddiogrwydd fy hun. Roeddwn i’n cyrraedd adref ar ôl bod yn rhedeg ac yn cerdded o amgylch y tŷ fel Jac y Do, ond mi roedd o werth o.

Roedd y rhediad dwythaf cyn y diwrnod mawr yn dorcalonus. Mae Hanner Marathon yn 20km, ac yn

Dyfalbarhad Deio: Gwenu o glust i glust. Tarddiad: Tomos Topps. fan hyn roeddwn i’n straffaglu ar ôl 7km. Roeddwn yn grediniol fy mod i’n mynd i dynnu rhywbeth yn fy ngoes, felly penderfynais gadael llonydd i’r rhedeg am 4 diwrnod cyn y digwyddiad. Hyd at heddiw, nid ydwyf yn gwybod os oedd honno’n syniad da neu beidio.

Daeth diwrnod y Hanner Marathon yn sydyn. Ni chysgais ryw lawer y noson cynt wrth i’r nerfau gynyddu’n raddfol. Deffrais yn olew o fuan i feddwl fy mod i’n ‘fyfyriwr ystradebol ddiog’. Rhoddais yr uwd yn y meicro a dechrau rhoi’r rhif rhedeg ar fy ngrhys-t. Wrth i mi gerdded draw am ganol y ddinas, newidiodd y nerfau yn syth. Roedd gweld

y torfoedd o bobl o’n ngwmpas wedi troi’r nerfau anghynnes yn adrenalin. Gwelais gwynebau cyfarwydd fy mam a’m chwaer yn nghanol y dorf, ac ar yr adeg yno newidiodd naws y dydd o bell ffordd. Gyda ‘Eye of The Tiger’ yn chwythellu yn fy nghlustiau, cododd fflamau’r castell a chychynwyd y ras. Roeddwn wedi deall fod dŵr fesul pob tri milltir, ac felly roedd hwnnw’n gweithio fel ryw fath o gymhelliant seicolegol i mi o wybod fy mod am gael ryw ddau funud i gael fy nghefn ataf pob tri milltir.

Erbyn milltir rhif naw, roedd y tanc yn gwagio. Roedd y coesau yn straffaglu. Roeddwn yn dechrau mynd i stad o banig. Allan o nunlle, daeth

y gerddoriaeth yn fy nghlust i stop.

Roedd fy ffon yn canu. Y peth cyntaf ddoth i’m meddwl oedd “Pwy ddiawl sy’n ffonio fi yng nghanol Hanner Marathon Caerdydd?!” Pwysais y botwm ateb ar fy nghlustffonau a cheisiais gael ryw ‘helo?’ allan o fy ngheg. Mam oedd yno. Clywais lawr y ffon ‘Deio! Ti’n gwneud yn wych!

Da ‘ni’n tracio chdi ar yr app! Ryw dri milltir ‘sgen ti i fynd!’

Ar ôl y galwad yna, newidiodd bob dim. Daeth rhyw egni o rywle nad oeddwn i’n gwybod oedd yn bodoli. Rhedais drwy Cathays fel lleidr, yn pasio fy ffrindiau’n gweiddi fy enw, gyda peintiau yn eu dwylo a’r wên mwyaf ar eu gwynebau. Y last stretch. Dechreuodd ‘Croeso’ gan Band Pres Llanreggub chwarae yn fy nglust, a minnau’n bownsio rhedeg gyda’r gân.

Mae’r gornel olaf erbyn hyn yn ychydig o ‘flur’, ond dw i’n cofio’r emosiynnau’n iawn. Dyna lle oedd fy mam, chwaer a fy nghariad yn disgwyl amdanaf wrth y linell orffen. Ar ôl ei chroesi, roeddwn wedi mynd o deimlo fel athletwr i blentyn bach, wrth i mi geisio dal y dagrau yn ôl wrth eu gweld nhw. Dw i’n grediniol roedd eu cymorth nhw wedi fy llusgo ar draws y lein orffen. 2:12:17 oedd fy amser, ond y cyflawniad mwyaf i mi oedd gorffen y ras. Roedd breuddwyd meddwol mis Ionawr wedi dod yn realiti.

Dygnwch Cymru yn profi ffrwyth

Cymru yn sicrhau lle yn wyth olaf Cwpan y Byd ar ôl curo Ffiji 29-17 Tom Moore Cyfrannydd

Dangosodd y tîm eu

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el, yndoedd hi’n gêm agos?

Yn dilyn ein llwyddiant yn erbyn Awstralia, bu bron i ni chwalu’r ymdrech yn erbyn Ffiji.

Roedd pob eiliad yn llawn cyffro, gyda phedair carden felen yn cael eu dyfarnu, saith cais a gêm hynod brysur i’r dyfarnwr, Jérôme Garcès.

Dechreuodd Cymru’r gêm yn wael, wrth ildio cais yn y drydedd funud, gyda Tuisova yn defnyddio’i nerth i dorri drwy dacl Josh Adams. Ar ôl y cais, gwaethygodd sefyllfa Cymru wrth i Ken Owens gael ei hebrwng oddi ar y cae gyda charden felen yn dilyn cais aflwyddiannus Ffiji. Munud yn ddiweddarach, llwyddodd Murimurivalu i groesi’r llinell gan sgorio ail gais i’r tîm o Ynysoedd y Cefnfor Tawel.

Ond nid oedd tynged Ken Owens yn golygu’r diwedd i’r chwaraewyr yn y coch. Dangosodd y tîm eu dygnwch drwy barhau i gynnig her i’r sawl oedd yn amddiffyn dros Ffiji.

Arweiniodd hyn at ail garden felen y gêm, gyda Cavubati’n ymuno â Ken Owens yn y ‘sinbin’. Gweithiodd hyn o blaid y Cymry, gyda Dan Biggar yn llwyddo i ddarganfod gwagle y tu ôl i Volavola ar yr asgell dde, gan gicio’r bêl i ddwylo Josh Adams, a thrwy hyn yn llwyddo i ennill ein pwyntiau cyntaf o’r gêm.

dygnwch drwy barhau i gynnig her i’r sawl oedd yn amddiffyn dros Ffiji Tom Moore

Adams ar asgell: A fydd Adams yn disgleirio eto ym mhencampwriaeth Cwpan y Byd? Tarddiad: Reece Chambers Ond nid dyna oedd diwedd y cyffro! Cymerodd y Cymry fantais o’r ffaith bod Cavubati dal yn y ‘sinbin’, ac erbyn iddo ddod nôl ar y cae, roedd hi’n bryd i Kunastani ei adael, gyda thrydedd garden felen y gêm gael ei dyfarnu. Cynyddodd y tensiwn ymhellach wrth i Josh Adams groesi’r llinell am yr ail dro.

Er gwaetha’r dechreuad gwael, llwyddodd y Cymry i adfer eu hunain, gyda’r sgôr hanner amser yn darllen

14-10 i Gymru.

Deg munud mewn i’r ail hanner aeth Cymru lawr i 14 o chwaraewyr unwaith eto wrth i James Davies atal momentwm a derbyn carden felen arall. Yn ystod y deg munud heb Cubby (James Davies) ar y cae, cafwyd un funud dyngedfennol, pan gafodd Dan Biggar ei fwrw i’r llawr.

Yn wir, roedd pob Cymro’n ofni’r gwaethaf fod pencampwriaeth Biggar ar ben. Yn ffodus, cododd ar ei

draed a rhedeg oddi ar y cae.

Llwyddwyd i gael y sgôr yn gyfartal yn dilyn cic gosb Patchell o fewn munudau o fod ar y cae.

Munudau’n ddiweddarach, cyflawnodd Josh Adams ei hat-tric yn dilyn toriad gwych gan Jonathan Davies. Yn dilyn hyn, sicrhaodd y Cymry eu buddugoliaeth wrth i Gareth Davies redeg trwy’r chwaraewyr o Ffiji cyn pasio’r bêl i Liam Williams er mwyn sicrhau’r pwynt ychwanegol. Enillodd Cymru’r gêm o 29-17.

Yn dilyn y fuddugoliaeth hon, mae Cymru nawr wedi cymhwyso i’r wyth olaf ac fe fydd canlyniad gêm yn erbyn Uruguay (sy’n digwydd ar ôl i’r papur fynd i brint) yn penderfynu a fyddwn yn aros ar frig y grŵp.

Rwy’n disgwyl pymtheg o chwaraewyr newydd i wynebu Uruguay a buddugoliaeth gyfforddus i ennill y grŵp.

TAF-OD 9 Caerdydd ac Abertawe yn anelu am ddyrchafiad Llion Carbis Pennaeth y Gymraeg

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ae’r cyfnod diweddaraf o bêl-droed rhyngwladol yn cynnig cyfle i ddadansoddi dechrau timau Cymru yn y Bencampwriaeth i’r tymor newydd ac nid oes modd diystyru dechrau ardderchog yr Elyrch i’r tymor.

Er gwaethaf y golled ddiweddar yn erbyn Stoke City (buddugoliaeth gyntaf tîm Nathan Jones yn y Bencampwriaeth) a’r ffaith mai ond un fuddugoliaeth sydd wedi bod yn ei pum gêm ddiwethaf yn y gynghrair; mae Steve Cooper wedi perfformio’n arwrol hyd yma.

Gyda chyllid cyfyngedig, mae’r Elyrch yn cystadlu gyda phrif gewri’r gynghrair am ddyrchafiad i Uwch Gynghrair Lloegr.

Ond £495,000 gwariwyd ar chwaraewyr yn ystod yr Haf a deilliodd hynny yn llwyr o arwyddo Kristoffer Peterson o Heracles. Gan eithrio Jake Bidwell, a ymunodd â’r Elyrch am ddim, roedd Sam Surridge, Ben Wilmot, Freddie Woodman a Aldo Kalulu oll wedi ymuno’r clwb ar fenthyg.

Fodd bynnag, mae’r Elyrch yn preswylio yn y bedwerydd safle yn y gynghrair, ond un pwynt yn brin o West Brom sy’n arwain y Bencampwriaeth. Ymhellach, mae ganddynt record amddiffynnol arbennig – dim ond naw gôl maent wedi ildio mewn 11 gêm.

Mae’r gallu i gadw Borja Baston a Andre Ayew gyda’r clwb wedi profi’n dyngedfennol wrth i’r ymosodwr o Sbaen sgorio chwe gôl mewn deg ymddangosiad yn y gynghrair, wrth i Ayew gyfrannu at bedwar gôl (sgorio un, creu tri) mewn wyth gêm hyd yma. Bydd tîm Steve Cooper yn eiddgar i sgorio rhagor o goliau, dim ond 16 mewn 11 maent wedi sgorio, ond rhaid cydnabod gwaith ardderchog yr hyfforddwr hyd yn hyn.

Wedi dechrau cymysglyd wrth ddychwelyd i’r Bencampwriaeth - collodd Caerdydd dau o’u tair gêm agoriadol - aeth yr Adar Gleision ar rediad o saith gêm heb golli cyn iddynt herio West Brom yn yr Hawthorns yn eu gêm ddiwethaf.

Er gwaethaf y canlyniad gyda thîm Warnock yn colli o 4-2, ond chwe phwynt sy’n gwahanu’r Adar Gleision yn yr 11eg safle a West Brom sydd ar frig y tabl.

Yn amlwg, mae breuder amddiffynnol Caerdydd yn broblem ac un annisgwyl i dîm sydd wedi bod yn hynod gryf o dan arweiniad Neil Warnock. Mae Caerdydd wedi ildio 16 gôl yn barod y tymor yma, sy’n rhyfeddol wrth ystyried mai ond 39 gôl ildiwyd yr Adar Gleision mewn 46 gêm wrth iddynt ennill dyrchafiad i Uwch Gynghrair Lloegr dwy flynedd yn ôl. Ond, nid oes rhaid i gefnogwyr Caerdydd digalonni, yn enwedig wrth ystyried nid yw Caerdydd wedi colli ar dir Stadiwm Dinas Caerdydd unwaith yn y gynghrair y tymor yma.

Mae sylfaeni Caerdydd ac Abertawe am dymor da wedi’u gosod.

POLITICS

POLITICS

To contact our politics desk, drop us an email at politics@gairrhydd.com

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/politics

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

10

Your politics desk Lowri Pitcher Hallum Cowell Tom-Henry Jones Maisie Marston

Interview with Plaid Cymru Leader Adam Price AM

Gair Rhydd attended the Plaid Cymru conference and spoke with party leader Adam Price, touching on Brexit, divisive politics and the possibility of a general election Aliraza Manji Head of Digital Hallum Cowell Politics Editor

D

uring his parliamentary career he was a vocal opponent of Tony Blair, being ejected from the House of Commons after accusing the Labour leader of “misleading” Parliament. After standing down from Parliament in 2010, he was elected to represent Carmarthen East and Dinefwr in the Welsh Assembly in 2016. During his leadership bid, Price proposed a number of new policies such as a publicly owned Welsh energy company and Welsh independence by 2030. Since becoming party leader he has spoken favourably of cooperation between the Celtic nations including a Celtic development bank.

What do you think of the current state of Parliament and British Politics?

Well I think it is difficult, we are running out of adjectives. We seem to be caught in this dark merry-go-round, and the system is paralyzed and obviously democracy is dysfunctional.

We do not have a written constitution and that’s probably part of the reasons for the crisis.

People’s trust in politics has collapsed and that includes public institutions. This has consequences that go way beyond Brexit because if people do not trust in the political system, how are we going to improve things?

There is a wider backdrop, there are deeper questions and we cannot go on like this.

We have got an answer for that in Wales. The question is what is England going to do? - Hopefully this will also create a debate in England about how to do things differently.

We seem to be caught in this dark merry-go-round, and the system is paralyzed and obviously democracy is dysfunctional.

Adam Price AM

Jo Swinson has acknowledged a potential election pact between the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, a tactic used in the recent Brecon and Radnorshire by-election. Would this be a tactic you would be happy to implement during a possible general election? And how exactly would it work?

Yes, I think in principle, we said clearly that we want to work with all the pro-European parties at this par-

ticular time. We are obviously different to the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats, but at this particular time there is a single issue which is dominating in Westminster, consequently it’s right for us to find reasonable ground.

We did that obviously in the byelection very successfully and made a difference by dropping out in order to better compete against a Brexit supporting candidate. I think if we can extend that principle to other elections, particularly a general election, then let’s try and do that and see where we get in the next few days, weeks, and months.

Jonathan Edwards used the term ‘tin-pot dictator’ to describe the current government. Do you think it is justified to use this language and do you think you need to be toning down the language you use to describe others in politics?

Well, look, he did say ‘tin-pot’ didn’t he? I think there is a balance to be struck because politics is an arena where people will passionately disagree and I think, in democratic politics there should be those disagreements expressed clearly. On the other hand, I think we have seen particularly in recent weeks the way that anger can take over in something much darker which, in extreme scenarios can turn into violence.

I think the distinction that I would draw is using colorful and expressive language is part of the necessary expressive culture of politics; but what I think we’ve seen recently is almost the kind of cynical, focus group, decision to use certain trigger words which maybe opinion poll data has suggested would resonate with a certain section of the population which are feeling very, very angry. I think particularly, the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister of everyone and should always be careful. We should all be mindful and we have got to make sure we differentiate between policy, political disagreement and the person as much as we can.

There are circumstances where you have to call it as it is, for example, I was thrown out of the House of Commons for calling Tony Blair a liar over the Iraq War, and I did not do that because I hated him as a person, as I got on reasonably well with him as a person.

I think there is a balancing act, but certainly what we say now is potentially very-very irresponsible, as we know Jo Cox tragically died as a result of this weaponising of hate.

If there was a vote of no confidence in this government, how would your party vote in Westminster?

It depends on the consequences.

It’s terrible to talk about what’s happening at the moment and it’s hard to make it sound as if people are not playing games; but there is a lot of

game play despite the seriousness of the situation.

So, if traps are being set then you have to be careful not to fall into them.

But, I think the most important thing is that we take no-deal completely off the table, we do not want to vote for a vote of no confidence and somehow by accident get no deal Brexit.

Our view, very strongly is to actually campaign for a referendum, a People’s Vote now before an election. The trouble is if we call a general election we have nothing to go on during the campaign. If you do not have a referendum first then what is the point of having a general election. In an election Brexit will dominate the election and all the other things we should be talking about will get mixed with this single issue and I do not think that is good for democracy. What we should do is consider Brexit on its own through a public vote then have general election.

Would your policy of revoking Article 50 overturn the will of the Welsh people which was to leave the European Union?

I think that our view very strongly is that we should have a referendum when we have a deal. That actually recognizes the fact that there was a majority across the UK for leaving, in principle, and now we are a bit clearer on the details of that, people should be asked again; is this the version of Brexit you want because as we know there are nineteen different versions and many of them will please different segments of the electorate.

There is one circumstance where we would support revoking Article 50, we have said it now and we would be in the same position after a general election which is to reject no-deal.

We think there should be a referendum, the only way to see the impact of one referendum is to surely have a new referendum. Despite all of this I

A better place?: Adam Price presented his view for a better Wales. Source: Hallum Cowell

think we should never allow no-deal to go through under any circumstances as trade is going off the cliff, so you have got to pull the emergency cord.

If necessary, we will support revoking Article 50 to stop a catastrophe.

What is next on the agenda politically?

What we are trying to do is to reinject hope back into politics. We are keen to improve politics; it is about fixing problems. We need to deal with all of the challenges and opportunities that we face whether it is climate change, reviving our economy here in Wales to make a successful future for Wales, invest in infrastructure, all of this new technology that is developing, how can we use that?

We must try and improve our society. I think we can start to see forward.

Let’s try to move on from this period of despair in politics and start to talk about accepting stuff from how we get from this to a better place.

Talking Politics: Adam Price with Hallum Cowell and Aliraza Manji at the party conference in Swansea. Source: Aliraza Manji

GWLEIDYDDIAETH 11

Interview with Welsh Assembly Brexit Party Leader Mark Reckless AM

Reckless discussed the current state of politics, what he considers to be a ‘clean brexit’ and what the future holds for his party Lowri Pitcher Head of Politics

M

In the event of an early general election or possibly even the next assembly elections, do you think that the Brexit Party is in a position to contend for seats which in South Wales, for example, are Labour heartlands?

I think it’s possible. I think that the trajectory of the Brexit Party will depend a lot on what happens to Brexit and the extent that other parties sell out the referendum result or somehow succeed in blocking Brexit or delivering a Brexit in name only. I think that would increase the political appeal of the Brexit Party. Otherwise, if we see the Conservative Government genuinely take us out of the EU possibly with a clean break then many of our supporters will support that. This Party was created to ensure the referendum result was delivered and that politicians were held to their words.

That’s the thing we understand and accept but we’ll be putting forward other proposals in other areas as well.

What is a clean Brexit?

I think a clean break is having no overarching deal. People talk about no-deal but that’s a bit misleading because a whole series of mini deals

Plaid Cymru politician Studied European Community Studies at

Cardiff University Was an MP in Westminster from 2001 - 2010

ark Reckless initially entered politics as an MP for Rochester and Strood in the 2010 general election. In 2014 he left the Conservative Party and sought a by-election which he won as a UKIP candidate. He lost this seat in the 2015 general election. In 2016 he was elected to the Welsh Assembly and has since been appointed leader of the Brexit Party in the Welsh Assembly. Read our interview below, a full version can be found online.

What do you think of the Welsh Government’s position on Brexit?

I think that they should stick to their knitting and that Brexit is generally not a devolved issue and is a topic that Westminster takes the lead on. Yes, there are some interactions with devolved institutions and it’s proper for them to plan for that, particularly if we are leaving without an overarching agreement.

However, that’s not the same thing as to let it become the dominating focus and driver of the Assembly. It is good to see that last Tuesday was the first time in several weeks that we didn’t discuss Brexit. But more than anything else, for Mr Drakeford, rather than discussing their preparation, the Welsh Government talks about trying to block Brexit which in our view is denying democracy after they promised to respect the referendum in 2016.

Adam Price AM

Elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2016

Became leader of Plaid Cymru in September 2018

His seat has been held by Plaid Cymru since its creation in

1999

Free Trade: Mark is eager to decrease or remove tariffs from a number of products in the UK’s post-Brexit trade deals. Source: Mark Reckless will be done. They may be unilateral measures, but in reality, they will interrelate with other countries.

At least at an official level, there’s likely to be discussions about how that works. A lot of the no-deal planning that we’ve been doing and the EU has been doing has put in place a whole series of mini deals. If we were to leave without an overarching deal, what I call a clean break, I think the policies and interests of Ireland will become very very different. Ireland is our most natural and closest partner and you’d expect to be our strongest supporter in arguing for good, close workable trade relations. The problem is the issue of the backstop that has been used to set them against the UK. I think that would be reversed as soon as we left without an overarching agreement and they’d be looking to patch things up as quickly as possible.

People talk about no-deal but that’s a bit misleading because a whole series of mini deals will be done Mark Reckless AM

So many people say that a no-deal Brexit or any Brexit at all would be catastrophic for Wales, why do you think they’re saying this?

We had that argument in the referendum and they lost. I think the Labour Party has become distant from those it proports to represent and they have taken the side of the EU against the side of the people in Wales who voted to leave. Simply, with Plaid Cymru they claim to be a

party of Wales yet they want to turn against the decision of the Welsh people to leave the EU. First and foremost in the Brexit Party we are democrats. We had a referendum and we promised to implement the result and until we implement the decision of that referendum it would be completely wrong to seek to reverse it. Unfortunately, that’s what [Labour and Plaid Cymru] have become about and that’s why the Brexit Party has come to represent people who want to deliver on Brexit.

First and foremost in the Brexit Party we are democrats.

We had a referendum and we promised to implement the result Mark Reckless AM

Is the Brexit Party a one-issue party? If not, what else would be in your election manifesto?

We’re still developing our policy ideas and it’s 18 months until the Welsh Assembly manifesto launch, which would be my focus. What I would say is that we want to leave the European Union not because we have any problems with the Europeans, the issue is how it’s governed and we think it is better to have a more democratic system with power being exercised closest to the people it affects.

We don’t want to leave just to get power back to London or Cardiff, we want it to be put to a more local level, be it at a local government level or down to individuals. We think that’s a more responsive democratic system

where people take more decisions and power for themselves and where there’s an element of direct democracy through signings of referendums or recalls of politicians who don’t do what they say. The ultimate aim is to try and make the government more accountable to the people it’s meant to serve.

We’d like to see further devolution to local governments and individuals where not everything is decided at the Westminster or Cardiff level.

What are your predictions as to what will happen next with Brexit?

I think the most likely scenario is that the negotiations with the EU such as they are will breakdown and that the Conservative Party will try to go into an election at least saying it’s willing to leave without an overarching agreement.

What I don’t know is whether people can trust them and if they were to get a majority, would they do that or would they go back to a Theresa May type of deal? Also will they be allowed an election?

There’s an extension with the EU that is meant to be for something and potentially it could be for an election.

Would Labour MPs and other parties vote for an election when they are so far behind in the polls?

My greatest fear is that Boris Johnson is left in Downing Street not able to do anything, being sort of a zombie government which is kept in a state of suspended animation. We do not want to be a part of the EU while there are people in Westminster blocking an election because they don’t want to lose their seats.

And finally, asking as a student newspaper, what is your favourite pub meal?

Fish and chips with a good tartare sauce.

He has a majority of 8,700

Mark Reckless AM Brexit Party politician Elected as a

Conservative MP in 2010

Defected to UKIP in 2014 and successfully won a byelection Lost his seat in 2015 to Conservative Kelly Tolhurst

Elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2016 as a UKIP representative

In 2017 he left UKIP and joined the Conservative Group in the Assembly Left the Conservative Group in April 2019, sat as an independent AM and joined the Brexit Party a month later

12 POLITICS Diplomatic Parliament prorogued for a second time immunity row over death of Last week, Parliament was prorogued for a second time in order to hold a Queen’s Speech to set out the Government’s agenda Harry Dunn Maja Metera Contributor

O

n August 27, 19 year old Harry Dunn died in a hospital where he had been taken after a head-on collision with a car near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire. It was later discovered that Anne Sacoolas, wife of a US diplomat, had been involved in the accident where a car is believed to have been driving on the wrong side of the road.

Following the accident, the spouse of the US diplomat left the UK after claiming diplomatic immunity – a right ensuring that diplomats and their families are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country’s laws.

Regarding Mrs Sacoolas’ behaviour immediately after the incident, Detective Superintendent Sarah Johnson said, “Northamptonshire Police followed all of its usual procedures following the incident, including liaising closely with the suspect, who engaged fully with us at the time and had previously confirmed to us that she had no plans to leave the country in the near future.”

Following Mrs Sacoolas’ decision to leave the UK, Harry Dunn’s parents are now seeking justice, claiming, “We have nothing. No justice. We have nothing to put our minds at rest.”

According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomatic immunity can be waived by the country that originally posted the diplomat.

The US Embassy in London offered its “deepest sympathies” to Dunn’s family but rejected the request to block Sacoolas’ right to avoid prosecution.

The family is now considering suing US officials. One of the options is a civil claim for compensation against the US Department of State. They have also launched a campaign called ‘Justice 4 Harry’. The fundraising page has raised over £10,000 to bring the diplomat’s wife back to the country so that the case can face the UK justice system.

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that he “called the U.S. ambassador to express the UK’s disappointment with their decision, and to urge the embassy to reconsider it.” It is also reported that he is now set to meet with the Dunn family.

Moreover, Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his condolences and commented on the issue in the Guardian stating: “I hope that Anne Sacoolas will come back and will engage properly with the processes of law as they are carried out in this country.” He added, “I do not think that it can be right to use the process of diplomatic immunity for this type of purpose. (…) If we can’t resolve it, then of course I will be raising it myself personally with the White House.”

For now, it seems unlikely that the diplomatic immunity will be waived.

However, members of Harry Dunn’s family have pledged to continue in their quest for justice and have said that they would even travel to the US to ensure the return of the suspect.

Tom-Henry Jones Politics Editor

F

or the second time in two months, Boris Johnson has prorogued Parliament. Despite the first attempt by the Government to prorogue having been ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court three weeks ago, the ruling did not stop the Government from proroguing once more. However, unlike the first attempt which proposed Parliament to be shut down for 24 days the latest was only set for a three day period of prorogation.

The purpose of the decision to prorogue was to allow the Government to have a Queen’s Speech on October 14. A Queen’s Speech is used historically to set out the Government’s new agenda and the political direction which it seeks to take while in power. This was the same reason that the Government used previously to defend its decision to prorogue, however due to the length of the prorogation and its timing meant it was ruled unlawful and portrayed to be thwarting Parliament’s attempts

to block a No-Deal exit from the EU. There remained opposition to the latest decision to prorogue but it was far less than previously. This is because Parliament has already passed legislation through the Benn Act, that is designed to stop a NoDeal Brexit on October 31. There was also less opposition because it became clear that the Government’s intention was to have a Queen’s Speech and not to use it as an excuse to force through a No-Deal Brexit.

As the Brexit deadline of October 31 draws closer, time is running thinner for the Government. The key date remains October 17, the date of the EU Summit in Brussels. This is where Boris Johnson and EU leaders intend to reach a new Brexit deal to be brought before the Commons to be voted on. However, the signs are growing that a potential new deal is unlikely to fly. Early signs show that the proposals tabled by the Johnson Government are not welcomed by the negotiation team of the EU. The Government has also proposed that unusually MPs will sit in Parliament on Saturday October 19.

Halloween: The Brexit deadline of October 31 is fast approaching.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

This sitting will potentially be when Boris Johnson brings back his new Brexit deal to be voted on. Johnson has no majority and the chances of his Brexit deal passing rely on Independent MPs and Labour rebels who might back his possible Withdrawal Agreement.

The Johnson Government has now

reached crunch point, yet the big question still remains as to whether he can stick to his repeated promise of delivering Brexit by October 31. If he cannot bring back a deal to the Commons or MPs do not agree to a no-deal, Johnson will be forced to ask the EU for a extention to the Brexit deadline.

Domestic Abuse Bill reaches House of Commons committee stage

The landmark Bill passes its first and second reading in the House of Commons and now enters the committee stage Maisie Marston Politics Editor

W

hen the Prime Minister acted to prorogue Parliament, the Domestic Abuse Bill was among some bills which were automatically dropped, and its future depended on the Government’s agenda for the next parliamentary session. However, after the prorogation was overturned in a judgement by the Supreme Court, the bill was reinstated, and has now reached the House of Commons committee stage.

The legislation, first introduced by the Government on July 17, has been an ongoing project for three years as a collaboration between victims, organisations and parliamentarians.

Labour MP, Jess Phillips, a champion of the Bill and former Women’s Aid worker, has described it as a ‘rare bird’ due to its cross-party support.

At its second reading, the legislation was passed unanimously, and MPs agreed to carry over the Bill to the next session of Parliament.

Every year it is believed that around two million people in England and Wales are victims of domestic abuse,

‘Rare bird’: This marks one of the rare bills with cross party support.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

of which two-thirds are women.

Recent measures have seen local authority spending on refugees fall and charities believe there are a lack of services in many places so victims of abuse are turned away. In order to tackle this problem, the Bill will aim to raise awareness of the issue, improve the effectiveness of the justice system so it provides protection for victims and brings perpetrators to justice, and enhance the support available for victims of abuse by statutory agencies.

Measures will include establishing a Domestic Abuse Commissioner, and provisions for new Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders which will ban abusers cross-examining victims in the family courts.

In addition, a first government definition of domestic abuse will be established to include financial abuse and non-physical controlling and manipulative behaviour.

During the debate, an emotional speech was delivered by Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield, who added her personal experiences of coercive control. The Labour MP described “constant hurt” in an “emotionally exhausting” relationship.

Her speech also challenged the traditional understanding of domestic abuse, saying that “domestic violence has many faces” and that “sometimes there are no bruises,” blaming TV

portrayals for misleading perceptions.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow thanked Duffield for sharing her experiences, saying they were “simultaneously as horrifying and moving a contribution in the chamber as [he has] heard in 22 years membership of the House”.

Domestic violence has many faces... sometimes there are no bruises.

Rosie Duffield MP In her first speech from the backbenches since 1998, former Prime Minister Theresa May added that the Bill was a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to make sure we take a step change in the approach we take to supporting victims and to dealing with domestic abuse.” Introducing the Domestic Abuse Bill was originally a commitment made in her party’s 2017 election manifesto, with a draft bill announced in 2017 Queen’s Speech.

The Bill has now progressed onto the committee stage of the House of Commons, where it will be considered in close detail and may be subject to rewording or amendments.

GWLEIDYDDIAETH 13

Turkish forces enter Kurdish territory In other news... along Syria’s northern border President Erdoğan’s actions have been widely condemned by the international community

Hallum Cowell Politics Editor

L

ast Wednesday, Turkey launched an offensive into Syria just days after US President Donald Trump withdrew American forces from the region.

Turkey is hoping to create a ‘safe zone’ along its border with Syria by clearing the area of Kurdish militants and house Syrian refugees in that area. The area Turkey is hoping

to occupy is also considered Syria’s breadbasket and is home to over two million civilians according to the International Rescue Committee.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Twitter that “Turkish warplanes have started to carry out air strikes on civilian areas,” and that there is “huge panic among people.”

This is a highly contentious move by Turkey as the area they are attempting to clear is held by the Kurds, an ally to the US in its fight against Is-

A close guard: Turkish forces partolling northern border in 2018.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

lamic State.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Twitter that the offensive aims to “prevent the creation of a terror corridor across our southern border, and to bring peace to the area.” He added that the move would “preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and liberate local communities from terrorists.”

The international response to this action has been largely condemned Erdoğan’s decision. France and the United Kingdom are planning to request an emergency UN Security Council session while Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EU Commission, has urged Turkey to “halt its military operation.

In Syria, the Kurdish people are a minority, making up only seven to ten percent of the population. This ethnic group has been oppressed in Syria for decades. When the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2012, Kurdish leaders refused to take sides, however, and the Syrian Government forces eventually left Kurdish areas to fight elsewhere.

Ever since, Kurdish militants have been in control of the northern tip of Syria, an area that borders Turkey and Iraq. The largest of these militias is the People’s Protection Units

(YPG), a group that has been allied to the SDF after IS launched attacks on Kurdish areas of control. These two groups are themselves supported by the Western coalition, led by the US. Turkey claims that the YPG is a faction of a Kurdish rebel group that has been fighting Turkish forces for years.

The attack has been widely criticised both in the region and in the international community, especially due to the fact that Tukrey is a NATO member. Key allies of US President Trump have denounced Turkey’s actions as well as Trump’s decision to remove the small number of American military personnel in the area.

Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Lindsey Graham, a usual supporter of Donald Trump has said he will be leading an effort in Congress to “make Erdogan pay a heavy price” and added that he would “pray for our Kurdish allies who have been shamelessly abandoned by the Trump administration”.

At least one hundred people had died within 48 hours of the offensive. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has threatened to destroy the economy of Turkey if it did “anything outside of what we think is humane.’’

Hong Kong Chief Executive implements emergency law to ban face masks

Protesters could be sentenced up to a year of imprisonment if arrested for wearing a face mask while demonstrating Jack Hannigan Contributor

S

ince June, the people of Hong Kong have been protesting a law which had it passed, would have allowed the extradition of people from Hong Kong to China. However, despite the bill being scrapped; the protests have continued.

These protests have resulted in violence from protestors and the police who have used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons against protesters. Now, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam, has used colonial era powers to pass an emergency bill which bans masks from being worn.

If the ban was an attempt to stop the protesters, it has done the opposite.

Thousands took to the streets to protest the ban. What began as a peaceful march soon turned violent as police attempted to disperse the crowd by using rubber bullets and tear gas whilst protesters threw bricks, molotov cocktails, and vandalised the city.

The law was implemented overnight on October 4 and arrests have already been made, those arrested for the crime may face punishment of up to a year’s imprisonment.

Some have described the implementation of the ban as the first step

to an authoritarian government as Lam implemented emergency powers stemming from Hong Kong’s colonial days. Since the protests started four months ago, the turnout of the protesters are estimated to have reached up to two million people, in an administrative region with a population of seven million.

Hong Kong was handed over to Chinese rule in 1997 and has been under the ‘one country two systems’ rule in which Hong Kong retains its autonomy until 2047. However, with less than thirty years until the promise ends, Hongkongers are continually anticipating the consequences of closer alignment with China.

The ongoing unrest has begun to affect businesses, Ms Lam who previously described protestors as being ‘spoilt children’ has gone on to accuse the protestors of ‘half paralysing the city.’ Due to the protests, Hong Kong has closed banks, its metro system and various shopping malls. Further restrictions have also been threatened such as implementing curfews.

When asked whether the protests would damage Hong Kong business one spokesman speaking to the BBC said protests would “affect sentiment and retail businesses, but in the longer term will not pose a threat to Hong

Kong’s economy and global standing as one of the top travel destinations of the world.”

Chinese influence over businesses is also is evident through Hong Kong’s flagship airline company, Cathay Pacific, which has fired staff who participated in any of the protests. Businesses which have been deemed to be pro-Chinese have been targeted by vandals. The Hong Kong Government also requested schools to provide them with details of any students

who wore masks for political reasons or who had any unexplained absences.

Many businesses have reported drops in revenue. Many shops are having to close early to avoid violence. The vast majority of tourists who travel to Hong Kong come from mainland China and with Chinese media outlets portraying the protesters as destroying the city, this has prompted many to cancel their trips for fear of their safety.

En Masse: Protests go on despite continued force from the authorities. Source: Studio Incendo (via Flickr)

Two individuals have been killed after a gunman opened fire outside a synagogue in the German city of Halle. Two others were seriously injured. The event took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. The gunman live-streamed the event on Twitch, the video has since been removed and the suspect has been arrested.

In Bangladesh another student has been killed after criticising the ruling party the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). Critics, students and pressure groups who oppose the BCL are subject to political violence from the student wing of the ruling party. Following the most recent death of Abrar Fahad demonstrations have broken out in universities across the country.

Ecuador has witnessed escalating violence and demonstrations, protesting against the Government’s austerity measures have prompted President Lenin Moreno to move his administration out of the capital, Quito. Two weeks ago, the Government declared a state of emergency and a curfew has been put in place to deescalate the clashes.

Indonesia’s Chief Security Minister Wiranto was stabbed by a suspected Isis radical during an official visit to Pandegland. The minister sustained two stab wounds, but is reported to be in a stable condition. In addition, a police officer, a university employee and aide were injured. Police have arrested a husband and wife in connection to the attack.

In Egypt, more than 100 children have recently been detained for protesting against the Government. Despite Egypt legislating in 2013 to effectively ban protests, the demonstrations have persisted since September 20. It is estimated that a total of 3,000 people have been detained during protests against President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi’s rule.

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14

Your comment desk Harry Clarke-Ezzidio Kat Smith Nina White Columnist Indigo Jones

Wellbeing modules: mental health and universities Disclaimer: This article deals with sensitive themes which some readers may find distressing.

Anna Hart Contributor

T

he mental health crisis among university students hit the headlines in 2017 as the national media reported on the high number of student suicides at the University of Bristol, where 13 students are believed to have taken their own lives in the last three years. A survey conducted

by Dig-In and The Insight Network in March of this year found that almost 34% of students “have experienced a se-

rious psychological issue for which they felt they need professional help”, whilst almost 88% of students “reported that they had struggled with feelings of anxiety”, showing the prevalence of mental health issues among the student population. With NHS mental health services drastically underfunded and university counselling services overwhelmed with the number of students seeking help, what more can and should universities be doing to support their students’ mental health?

In a survey conducted by the emo-

Empty chairs: According to Vice, university dropouts due to mental health have increased by 1,000% in the last four years.

Source: Nathan Dumlao (via Unsplash)

tional fitness app Fika, 96% of students think universities should teach emotional education, which would mirror the new wellbeing modules to be introduced in schools from September 2020.

These classes will educate students on ways to be resilient, the importance of self-care and how to look after their mental wellbeing. Emotional education in universities would be an important step in the right direction, bringing student mental health to the forefront of universities’ priorities. This would provide many benefits including equipping students with knowledge, tools and resources to better cope with mental health struggles and helping to combat stigma through opening up the conversation around mental health. However, this must not be seen as a replacement or substitute for direct intervention for struggling students, such as one-to-one counselling or group therapy.

Universities have a duty of care for their students, which includes ensuring they have access to support services that will provide help and guidance when needed, in order to ensure they can achieve their best during their time at university. Student counselling services are vital to support those students who need professional help for mental health issues they encounter during their studies. One student told Gair Rhydd that they think wellbeing modules “could only give generic advice that would help some but not more severe and nuanced cases” because “they don’t allow for individualisation and confi-

dentiality”. Emotional education would, therefore, need to be part of a holistic approach to mental health support, which would also include both university counselling and NHS mental health services.

Mental health service provision for students cannot be solely the duty of universities; it is the responsibility of the NHS too. More funding is required of both organisations to provide an adequate service readily accessible to those who need it, in order to reduce excessive waiting list times, which can leave struggling students and young people without support.

As Jade Yap, Research Officer for The Mental Health Foundation, suggested in an article on suicide prevention in universities, a collaboration between different sectors could work well to reduce the number of suicides among students. A collaborative approach between universities and the NHS, which would involve greater funding for counselling services available to young people and improved mental health education through wellbeing modules, would help to combat the student mental health crisis.

If you have been affected by any of the issues covered in this section you can seek help via the Student Support Service provided

by Cardiff University.

The dark side of designer cats Justin Bieber’s part-exotic cats are more damaging than he thinks

Kat Smith Comment Editor

W

ith thousands of homeless cats being killed each year after being left at shelters, Bieber’s resistance to criticism over his part-exotic cats is sickening.

The Canadian musician has defended buying a pair of Savannah cats for $35,000 (£28,000) after being criticised by Peta. He told them to “go focus on real problems”, failing to realise that buying and publicising the purchase of ‘designer cats’ actually is a real problem.

Some may say that the expectation placed on celebrities to act ethically is too high, their every move scrutinised by the media and hoards of spectators on social platforms in ways that us ‘normal people’ do not experience.

However, when so much good can be done in such a small act, it is hard not to call out irresponsibility. And what Bieber is being criticised for is not an act just falling short of saint-like, but one that is destructive.

While I always believe that the adoption of animals is the better option, it’s even more important to advocate it if you are in a position of power.

Buying pedigree or part-exotic cats is never a good option in my eyes, but it is an especially damaging and cruel precedent to set when you are a world-famous figure with a lot of influence over your fans.

Defending his ‘purchase’, Bieber stated “I believe in adopting rescues but also think there are preferences and that’s what breeders are for.” The discussion of ‘preference’ when it comes to animals feels wrong in so many ways. It echoes the sentiment of black cats not being deemed suitable for social media because of their fur making them hard to photograph clearly.

Animals are not a fashion statement - they are a companion. Knowing that my cats were the last ones left at the shelter because their fur wasn’t going to contribute to someone’s Instagram feed makes me lose faith in our connection with other sentient beings.

What’s more, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, approximately 3.2 million cats enter US shelters each year, and 860,000 are euthanised. When faced with the obscene statistics, preferences seem not only

worthless, but cruel. In stark comparison, Lizzo recently brought rescued puppies out on stage in Washington D.C. to urge concert attendees to adopt and donate to the shelter. She confronted the fact that these pups were going to be euthanised had they not been rescued; animal euthanasia is something Justin Bieber has shown little awareness of.

And if Bieber had accepted that buying rescues is better than buying from a breeder when faced with scrutiny, his actions would be more respectable. The rigorous denial and justification of his actions are what makes him such a bad example. His statement that he “believe[s] in adopting rescues” is worthless when he insinuates that this belief doesn’t apply to him. Does his wealth make him above this ethical judgement? Just because money can buy some things, does not mean that we should buy them.

If Justin is going to defend his purchases to the bitter end, we need more awareness to be spread about the number of homeless animals all over the world. There are so many fantastic shelters and charities in the UK, such as Cats Protection who rehome cats,

educate owners and help 500 cats daily. And if you can’t or don’t want to drop everything and adopt a cat, you can always donate to support animals in need.

Furry friends: Thousands of cats are looking for a home as we speak.

Source: maja7777 (via pixabay)

SYLWADAU

Considering the case of compulsory vaccinations

Is Matt Hancock right to make vaccinations mandatory for children?

Oli King Contributor

H

ealth Secretary Matt Hancock has stated that he is seriously considering mandatory vaccinations for kids, something which at first consideration I firmly disagreed with.

I thought it would be a violation of an individual’s bodily autonomy by the state. Hancock’s announcement comes at a time when vaccination rates are falling, with concerns clearly being sparked about the effectiveness of herd immunity, as an increasing number of the herd are becoming vulnerable. Rates have fallen yearly since 2013, but the drop is only actually 1.6% in that time, with 93.1% of children in England still being vaccinated before their first birthday. It seems rather a load of hot air for what amounts to about a 0.3% drop a year; that is surely a small enough number that the government could reverse it with increased education and guidance from doctors?

Mandatory vaccinations should not be needed so long as the government is competent enough to reverse the trend.

I won’t discuss the link to autism, the scientific consensus is clear and I’m no vaccinologist, but there are other reasons some choose not to vaccinate.

There are non-controversial risks; in the US one botched vaccine gave 40,000 people polio, and there are possible side effects too. For this reason I don’t want to be entirely dismissive of antivaxxing, and when in small numbers they can stay quite safe free riding off of others immunity, and aren’t opening themselves and others up to big risk.

But what if vaccination rates do keep falling? Thinking now, I would vaccinate my future child, likely without hesitation, but as I’ve never been in the situation to make the choice, I decided to ask someone who had. Firing off a quick text to my mum, her reply struck me. It had been a trivial decision, albeit one that as I considered things, could have had potentially massive ramifications. I realised the debate of bodily autonomy is a bit of a misnomer, because really it is parents enacting their judgement. Had I and many others not been vaccinated, what would I have thought if I had caught an easily preventable disease? What would I have thought of my mother for the decision she had made for me? It wasn’t my decision at all to be vaccinated even though it was my body on the line. I trust my mother made the right decision, but that isn’t a luxury that can be extended to all for sure, so perhaps it could be better to trust the state if the risks incurred by not being

vaccinated rises. I know I would rather be mad at those in Parliament than my parents should they make the wrong decision.

Whether it can be considered a debate of bodily autonomy or not, there is little harm in allowing a few individuals to make the choice not to immunise.

But, if those choosing not to becomes

too large a number, and herd immunity begins to stutter and fail, then it is time for the government to step up in the name of children’s health. I just hope that the Government is competent enough to reverse the decline without forcing vaccinations and kicking up a storm with those who don’t want their children vaccinated.

Safer schools?: Should compulsory vaccinations also be considered for children in Wales?

Source: Nicole Honeywill (via Unsplash)

Trump’s so-called ‘spies’

Why whistleblowers should be able to speak without fear Caitlin Powell Contributor

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he President of the United States has once again fulfilled expectations in launching a verbal attack against anyone who criticises him. Why is this worth commenting on? His statements this time have reached new levels of menace that are now barely veiled by his farcical ramblings.

The ongoing impeachment inquiry following the complaint of a whistleblower, who alleged that Trump broke the law by pressuring Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to unearth harmful information on the Biden family, has sent the media into a spiral with calls for impeachment. And this debate has been exacerbated by a second whistleblower coming forward.

But, amid the debate and furore in Washington, a point of concern worth noting is that Trump’s comments are evolving, and becoming more than his typical, rhetorical tweets that seek to discredit those threatening his authority. During a private event at the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, Trump said: “Who’s the person that gave the whistleblower the information? Because that’s close to [being a] spy,” following this with the comment, ‘You know what we used to do in the old days, when we were smart, right? The spies and treason? We used to handle it

a little differently than we do now.”

Time Magazine reported that representatives Eliot Engel of New York, Adam Schiff of California and Elijah Cummings of Maryland said in a joint statement that Trump’s comments are ‘reprehensible witness intimidation’ and that ‘threats of violence from [Trump]… have a chilling effect on the entire whistleblower process.’

It is hard not to agree with this statement when one considers the history of spies and their punishments, from expulsion of Aldrich Ames from the USA to Soviet Russia after being found guilty

for trading intel to the KGB regarding names of known CIA operatives acting within Soviet jurisdiction, to the poisonous nerve agent attack on former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter in Salisbury, and the execution of Soviet Aviation specialist Adolf Tolkachev after he was found guilty for being a member of the KGB who passed multiple documents to the CIA. While his mention of spies and treason seems a ridiculous introduction of James Bond-esque paranoia onto the political stage, when one considers the recent history of spies, President

Trump: The US president is doing great harm by demonising whistleblowers and those who stand up to him Source: Gage Skidmore (via Flickr)

Trump’s outward threat towards the anonymous whistleblower serves as a horrible wake up call to how the Trump presidency works – produce farcical vitriol and demonise the critic at the same time. For Trump’s followers the use of loaded words such as ‘treason’ and ‘spy’ function as reasoning for ire to be directed at whoever made the complaint, endangering the whistleblower further.

The identities of the whistleblowers remain anonymous, however the knowledge that both come from the US intelligence community means that when President Trump calls ‘treason’ on these individuals, it enlarges the already wide rift between the presidency and intelligence services, Trump has already had run ins with this community, specifically with the FBI during the Russia investigation in his first year in office. In short, his words are not only overdramatic but harmful to both the individuals who have come forward, and the tenuous relationship between the Oval Office and Intelligence.

President Trump’s words have created fodder for commentators, journalists and bloggers for years, and this article is no exception. These comments on the whistleblowers turns a political event into a farce of spies, treason and intimidation that creates a caricature of modern American politics that echoes a poorly written Cold War novel demonising those speaking out.

15

Can you put a price on justice?

Nina White Comment Editor

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ave you ever considered what it would be like or what would happen if you found yourself in a situation where you needed legal representation? Would you be able to face court alone?

This could be through a dispute with a neighbour, your employer or in a criminal case. In the past, though this itself would be stressful enough, at least you could be sure of being able to have legal representation. Previously, the general position was that everybody, regardless of their financial circumstance, should have the right to legal representation. This is where legal aid came in.

Since 2012 though, with the implementation of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO), that right can no longer be guaranteed. This has led to law centres across the country closing down, meaning that people in certain areas of the country have not been able to access legal aid at all. This should concern everyone who cares about justice.

If you need legal aid but cannot afford it, your only option would be to represent yourself in court, left alone, without specialist knowledge - surely this is unjust?

This law had been heavily criticised by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and NGOs such as Amnesty International, who have described it as ‘a two-tier legal system, open to those that could afford it but closed to those who could not pay’.

It is true that a number of charities exist which provide support to those in need of legal aid, such as the Personal Support Unit and the Free Representation Unit - which often consist of law students volunteering their time and using their passion for social justice to try to make a difference to people’s lives, but should people have to rely on charity when justice is surely a fundamental right?

Article 6 (Right to Fair Trial) of the European Convention of Human Rights states that a person has the right ‘to defend himself in person or through legal assistance of his own choosing or, if he has not sufficient means to pay for legal assistance, to be given it free when the interests of justice so require’. With that in mind, how can it be right that these severe cuts to legal aid are denying people their right to access justice?

Undoubtedly, the legal system is a complex system to navigate. Legal jargon almost acts as a form of gatekeeping and ordinary people may find it difficult to explain complex legal arguments.

In my view, law should be taught in secondary schools. The legal concept ‘ignorantia juris non excusat’, which most people would not be aware of, outlines that ignorance of a certain law does not excuse you from being prosecuted under that law.

As well as being better informed of our legal rights and obligations through education, it should never be the case that justice is only for those who can afford it.

16

COLUMN

Indigo Jones

COLUMN ROAD

Our culture, our conversation B

Welsh speakers come together for independence: There is a rise in Welsh speakers and support of an independent Wales, so why should we be silenced Source: Aled Biston

eing bilingual, or speaking another language, is something valuable that not many people can do. This asset is usually seen as a positive and something to be proud of whether that’s for general discussion or something to boost your job prospects. Although, some people become offended, or feel isolated, if other languages are spoken in front of them if they cannot speak said language. This feeling is understandable as nobody would like the feeling of being excluded from a conversation.

As a fluent Welsh-speaker, who was brought up in an English-speaking household, I am used to my day to day life being bilingual where I often have to switch languages. I attended a Welsh medium primary school, comprehensive and Sixth form whilst growing up, and now in university I study Welsh language modules. Growing up in this environment meant that I would speak Welsh in school, and English at home, meaning I often spoke Wenglish (a combination of the both).

Growing up speaking Welsh wasn’t seen as cool as we were encouraged to speak the language at school, therefore my friends and I were very unlikely to speak Welsh to each other outside of school.

As I grow older, I have gained a new sense of appreciation for my other language and ability to speak it.

Although, I do still pick and choose when it’s appropriate to speak the

language as I try not to isolate others but censor myself in the process.

There is a well-known stereotype surrounding Welsh-speakers, which is that if they are speaking Welsh then they are usually talking about someone. This stereotype is often untrue. It is not the intention

The target of a million Welsh speakers is deliberately ambitious.

Welsh Government

of Welsh-speakers to isolate those around them, usually it comes naturally for them to speak the language, especially if they inevitably come from a Welsh speaking household.

There is usually a story that travels around the internet where English speakers state that they “walked into a pub and everyone automatically started speaking Welsh” in order to talk about them.

When bumping into a Welshspeaking friend whilst talking with non-Welsh speakers, my automatic reaction would be to speak Welsh.

Perhaps I’ll then speak English to stop them from feeling excluded.

On the other hand, Welsh speakers are usually already speaking the language, and therefore are unlikely to switch to English to not offend an English speaker who isn’t part of the conversation, but why should they have to?

Welsh is often considered a “dying language” and this couldn’t be further from the truth. The Welsh Government have started a new strategy to increase the number of Welsh speakers to one million by 2050, they stated that: “The target of a million Welsh speakers is deliberately ambitious. Its aim is to change people’s mindsets and work towards a situation where the Welsh language is truly thriving”. Although, how is the language meant to thrive with its speakers choosing not to speak the language to avoid hurting the feelings of those around them?

This rise in Welsh speakers is something to be hopeful for the future of Wales. In an interview with BBC Cymru Fyw, the former Welsh Language Commissioner, Meri Huws explained that “The figures are encouraging and suggests we are moving in the right direction in our efforts of increasing the number of people who are Welsh speakers”.

Hopefully, the increase in Welsh speakers also means an increase in tolerance towards people using and communicating in the language. The Welsh language represents a long line of history and culture that our country of 3.2 million has to offer.

You’d visit a castle or a Welsh history museum so why not learn elements of our thriving language.

Alternatively, rather than us suppressing our language and ability to speak, it perhaps it would be worth more non-Welsh speakers attempt-

We are moving in the right direction in our efforts of increasing the number of people who are Welsh speakers Meri Huws

ing to learn parts of the language, to encourage the use rather than to suppress it. Although, this could be applied to everyone when travelling to any country. For example, learning some French when travelling to France or the odd greeting in Spanish before exploring Spain.

This minimal effort to appreciate the language as well those speaking it demonstrates the respect you have towards them and their country. I know from a personal point of view how appreciated learning even a few words of Welsh would be for someone from the country. The odd ‘shwmae’ or ‘diolch’ is welcomed by

all and nobody would judge for mispronunciation, the attempt to learn is what is important.

As I stated previously, I understand how those who are unable to speak the language can feel isolated, as I usually switch to English to avoid insulting those around me, which usually includes my Englishspeaking parents. The feeling of being excluded from certain conversations can feel disheartening, and in turn disappointing as you aren’t fully involved. Inevitably everyone has been left out of certain discussions due to language barriers, whether you are stuck in between a conversation between two Erasmus students or otherwise. Therefore, by knowing the feeling perhaps us Welsh-speakers should feel more sympathetic towards those who don’t know the language. If we could be more understanding, then perhaps there would be less of a stigma towards speaking other languages.

This column thoroughly discusses Wales and those who are Welsh speaking, but it represents more than us as a country. It represents those who are from other countries coming to Wales and how they feel perhaps struggling to understand English let alone Welsh. Maybe, this article is my way of diplomatically agreeing with both sides as I can relate to both. But perhaps, it’s a pleadto both Welsh and English speakers to take each other in to consideration and respect eachother.

We are Student Minds,

a nationally affiliated and leading student mental health charity.

We empower students and members of the University community to look after their own mental health, support others, and create change.

We run a weekly self-help peer support group for students managing mental health difficulties.

ADVICE

Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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CYNGOR

18

Disclaimer: This article deals with sensitive themes which some readers may find distressing.

Molly Govus Advice Editor

I

t is safe to say, this is a tough topic for some. Although this subject may be one that makes you want to shut down your computer, close your eyes and pretend that the world is a wonderful place, it is vital that we all listen to the facts about domestic violence in order to support those going through it.

The awareness of this horrible topic gives those suffering in silence a voice louder than they could ever create themselves; it is, for this reason, that we must buckle down to the facts of domestic violence within the UK. First of all, we need to establish the statistics. It’s easy to let this pass over our heads, but it is integral that we actually think about the data; at the end of the day, these aren’t just numbers. They are the thousands of abuse victims behind them, all of which with individual lives and personalities.

The truth is domestic violence is on the rise and shows no evidence of decreasing. The Office for National Statistics (2018) reveals a five-year-high increase in England and Wales, with 173 people being killed in domestic violence related homicides in the last year.

This is an increase of 32 people since

2017.

The Domestic Abuse Bill is expected to become law in November 2019, and we can only hope that the number of cases will significantly decrease as a result. Sources like the Guardian (2019) have said the sad truth that “without the necessary action to address violence against women and girls, these appalling statistics are unlikely to be reduced.”

This is a fact that can only be rectified with awareness and action; of course, an awareness month every October will raise thought and action within the public eye, but this is something that should be thought about and acted upon every day, not just one month within the year.

For victims and survivors, domestic abuse is a painful and ongoing ordeal, not just once a month but every single day, and it’s those that have a voice that have the responsibility to rectify the issues and speak up for those who cannot.

The ManKind Initiative awareness group focuses on male domestic violence within the UK; in March 2019, the group released 45 key facts on the male victims of domestic and partner abuse based on 16-59-year olds.

One of the most prominent facts is that there were a shocking 695,000 male victims of domestic violence in 2017/18.

Whilst women have more reported cases of domestic violence, it is impor-

Domestic Abuse Awareness: We should be aware every day, not just in a single month Source: Matthew Smith (via Unsplash) tant to consider that male-targeted domestic violence often goes unreported due to fears of humiliation and judgement; awareness of the fact that the statistics may not be wholly representative of male victims is integral to understanding the vast range of domestic abuse across the UK. This particular topic is close to my heart because I am one of the statistics.

I’ve been in the middle of such ordeals as a young child and been witness to the terrifying stories.

It happens to people like you and me, people who are seemingly ordinary with seemingly mundane lives.

Why exercise should be a part of your daily routine

P

Molly Govus Rhiannon James Columnist: Satwik Shivoham

If you have been affected by any of the issues covered in this section you can seek help via the Student Support Service provided by Cardiff University.

Kickstarting your fitness journey Anurag Hegde Contributor

Your advice desk

Domestic abuse is not a façade or a story to be scared of; it is real, and we all have a responsibility to speak out against it, whether it be Domestic Violence Awareness month or not.

hysical exercise is a life hack. Don’t believe me? Numerous scientific studies have proven that daily exercise of just 30 minutes is known to halve the risk of major health conditions such as coronary heart diseases, strokes and even diabetes. Additionally, there are mental health benefits such as overall mental well-being and even an increase in self-esteem. Therefore, unlike most life hacks, this one actually works.

Your time at university may be a challenging one, especially for your health and therefore I believe that including at least some amount of exercise or physical activity in your daily schedule is paramount. This is not just for the direct benefits.

Once you start exercising, eating healthy also makes sense. I personally started eating healthier because it complimented my workouts and it helped me feel even better on the inside. All of this sounds very cliché, but its true. I suggest that you try it out for yourself.

If all of that isn’t convincing enough, according to the NHS “it’s medically proven that people who do regular physical activity have a 30% lower risk

Motivation station: The first step of your fitness journey is to start.

Source: Victor Freitas (via Unsplash) of early death”.

Knowing where to begin can be daunting, especially if you haven’t engaged in physical activity for a while but don’t worry, the first step

is simple; just start. It’s a lot easier than it seems. Be it a game of tennis, or football or maybe going for a daily run.

It doesn’t matter what form of physi-

cal activity you choose; all that matters is that you do something you love. Finding a passion for exercise is crucial to the longevity of your fitness journey. Don’t wait for Monday. Don’t wait for the beginning of the next month or for the New Year. Whatever it is, go out and start now and believe me, I can vouch for the fact that you will thank yourself after three months.

The benefits are tangible.

My background and my fitness experience were integral for forming a healthy lifestyle. I had a major health scare in 2017 and those three days that I spent in the ICU were the worst three days of my life.

After recovering, I made myself a promise to never be in that situation again. In order to ensure I could achieve my goals, I signed up for the gym. At first, I didn’t enjoy it, but the important part is that I persevered.

There were days that I felt lazy, days that I felt like taking a day off but it’s important to persist.

Eventually, exercising became a habit and part of my normal routine, and once I started to see results my motivation increased twofold. Not going to the gym became stranger to me than going.

Give it a chance and then look back in three months and see how you feel.

CYNGOR 19 Money Management: is it SAD Disorder: the mental health issue that comes around once a year that difficult?

Winter Blues

Sai Contributor

I

f you generally lose your energy and strength, get more easily irritated and more hopeless as soon as autumn and winter roll around, you are not alone.

SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or ‘winter depression’ is a sort of seasonal depression, where during some times of the year, usually in winter, the symptoms of depression are heightened.

According to the NHS the symptoms of SAD are due to a decrease of sunlight during autumn and winter months, which leads to the hippocampus of your brain not working properly.

As the hippocampus is responsible for the production of melatonin, serotonin and your general body clock, you’ll experience more fatigue, loss of appetite and overall depression.

This lack of sunlight is also why the Nordic countries see more cases of SAD than southern nations. Of course, some people are more affected than others and therefore symptoms and treatments will vary.

Having depression which worsens a lot in winter is really quite annoying.

Just when university starts all my energy leaves me, I get agitated, hopeless and my depression worsens drastically.

In the beginning of the semester its still fine so I think little of it, but especially as assessments get nearer,

I have to convince myself that it’ll get better just so that I don’t drop out completely. Luckily it does get better!

And from experience I can tell you there are a few things which make it a bit more bearable.

The first thing to do is make sure you get up every day at the same time.

Set your alarm clock to preferably before noon (its hard but that’s how you get that sweet daylight we need) and make yourself get up.

Find something to convince yourself with, maybe set your alarm to a really upbeat song, or make someone record a message to make you get up.

And once you are up, treat yourself to a lovely cup of hot chocolate, coffee or tea or something you Seasonal Depression: Where symptoms of depression are heightened genuinely enjoy. due to the weather. Source: Randy Jacobs (via Unsplash) The second big thing is getting outside once a day.

If you go out and maybe jog for According to PhD Lawrence Even if it is just to go for a walk for a few minutes, or when you get Robinson in July 2019, SAD affects ten minutes, it is vital to get fresh air home do a ten minute work out and between one to two percent of the and especially daylight. stretch, that’s already enough to get population and it is particularly If you can afford it, go treat your- your body going, wake you up and common within women and young self to a visit to Costa or Hoffi Coffi overall make you feel better. Doing people. or whatever you like. some physical activity during the Although it only affects a handful If you don’t feel like doing that or day also helps you sleep later on, of people within the UK, it is still an can’t afford it, Bute Park looks lovely and makes you feel more accom- issue that should be taken seriousthroughout the year, and you’d be plished as well. ly. In fact, a milder form of winter able to watch squirrels and the ocThe bottom line is getting into a blues can affect as many as 10-20% casional dog. routine, even if that can be extreme- of people according to the same Also, make sure to exercise. It ly difficult sometimes. study. No matter where you live, the doesn’t have to be much, and going Even if you don’t manage to do good news is that it will, ultimately, for a walk is already something, but everything, or wake up every day, get better. as with all depression related health you are trying and maybe just tryThere is hope; take that from a issues, exercise does actually make ing is what will make it better in the successful third year with Seasonal it better. end.

Affective Disorder.

Plastic-free Periods

Helping the planet, one period at a time Hannah Priest Contributor

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alf of the population deal with getting their period once a month for the majority of their lifetime. Recently, it has been questioned how environmentally friendly our monthly sanitary products are. It takes centuries for a tampon or sanitary pad to decompose, especially if it is wrapped in plastic, and with the average woman using an estimated 11,000 tampons throughout her lifetime this is a frightening reality. From the plastic wrapping of a sanitary pad, to the string and applicator of a tampon your period products could be made up of 90% plastic. It really is time to start looking into alternative sanitary products.

Finding alternatives can be daunting and it’s very easy to slip back into old habits, I hope this article is useful for anyone wanting to reduce their plastic usage. There are a range of different plastic free period products to suit a wide range of needs. With over one million tampons being flushed down the loo every day in the UK, your period isn’t just bothering you anymore.

A common alternative is the menstrual cup, it is a reusable alternative to

Plastic-free tampons: Switching to enviornmentally friendly sanitary products could be easier than you think. Source: Josefin (via Unsplash) the typical tampon. A menstrual cup is a small foldable cup that you insert into your vagina, and it collects the blood for up to twelve hours. You then remove the cup and pour out any liquid, give it a good clean and it’s ready to be reused.

Menstrual cups are becoming more and more popular because as well as being eco-friendly they don’t dry out your vagina and they aren’t made with harmful chemicals. The average cost

of a menstrual cup is between £10£20, therefore could save you money in the long run as you don’t have to continually purchase tampons.

If you prefer pads over tampons the cloth sanitary pads could be the alternative for you. These are extremely similar to the classic plastic sanitary pad, apart from the fact they are made from cloth! This means, that after each use instead of throwing your sanitary pad away, you simply put it in the

washing machine to clean. This may not be the best option if you’re not great at keeping up with your washing pile but once you get into the routine it’s simple and easy. The average cost for a cloth sanitary pad is £15 for a pack of five.

However, if reusable sanitary products aren’t for you don’t threat because there are also lots of plastic-free single use sanitary products out there! With companies like Totum, who make both their tampons and pads certified organic cotton and use biodegradable products for the tampon applicator and wrappers.

Although, single use products are never the best for the environment, using these plastic free tampons and pads are still a great step in fighting plastic pollution. The average cost of 100% cotton tampons and pads is between £2-£4 depending on the brand.

These are the most popular plastic free period products available, but they aren’t the only ones. It may be daunting to switch from your trustworthy typical tampons and sanitary pads but, the change can be as small as switching to cotton-based products and the effect on the planet is a happy one. Everyone needs to be more green, so why not start with your period products.

Grace Crowley Contributor

F

or the majority of students, university is a first-time dive into managing your own finances.

Dealing well with money is a valuable lesson to learn, and what better time than now? With food to buy, bills to pay, and fun to have; there really is no better time to improve your financial skills. As daunting as it seems, a few tips here and there will make managing your money that little bit easier – I hope this article is a useful guide whatever your situation is.

The most common financial worry for new and old students is budgeting - the food shop, bills and every-day costs can make budgeting confusing, but it’s not as difficult as it seems. The best way to start is by weighing up how much money you have to spend in a week/month, and what you need to prioritise spending your money on.

Planning your outgoing transactions at the beginning of every month takes the stress away and then there’s no need to worry until next month. Additionally, you have the added bonus of potential money left over, which can be spent on whatever you wish for.

There are ways to food shop with little expenditure, such as making

Although it is easier said than done, it is important to not let money become an unbearable stress. your own lunches and buying in bulk and freezing what’s left over.

It’s not a big adjustment to make, and the money you save is free to do with whatever makes you happy.

If you’re thinking ahead and wondering how to manage your money on a bigger scale than just university life, there are many ways you can save money for your future. There are many different bank accounts out there with high interest relative to the general interest rate, with good options for the future too.

One way of saving is to use a ‘Help to Buy ISA’. Thinking about buying a house can seem like an extreme step for students but it has the added benefit of a place to store money with high interest, and an incentive for continually saving. Depending on what your money situation is, different options will always suit different people.

Although it is easier said than done it is important to not let money become an unbearable stress in your life. Sticking to your budget and being mindful of your spending will relieve this stress. Don’t forget to treat yourself now and again, while keeping within your budget of course.

COLOFN

20

SATWIK Speaks

Satwik Shivoham

Step forth, don’t go unheard!

How can you make your mark?: There are plenty of opportunities to make a difference. Header: Jon Candy (via Flickr); Main image: StockSnap (via Pixabay); Right image: Dean Moriarty (via Pixabay)

L

et’s admit: our university isn’t perfect. Nor is our city, or the students residing in it. Time and again, we come across the same kind of unpleasant experiences but somehow, no one seems to take notice or action. We’re perhaps so accustomed to our problems that we just laze around hoping they change “someday” because of “someone”.

Every student I interact with is troubled greatly by something or the other, and to my surprise, none of those complaints are isolated. Hundreds of people feel the same way, yet things remain the same.

Lots of issues bother students nightlife culture, university administration, city life, etc., and it remains to be a constant burden until they finally graduate and naturally recall all the “good times”, and side-line the struggles they went through, without realising that they are merely passing on those troubles to future students.

The power of “collective action”, you’d assume would work, except there isn’t much action, only talk.

For instance, almost every other day, for one whole year, when I walked to my lectures from Talybont, I’d see people sigh and object to all the wet filth they’d step on, on Colum Road. For five days a week, for almost 12 months, everybody just sighed to themselves and moved on, with ruined white shoes and sometimes, shattered beer bottles hurting

them. The stench remained, so did the filth and nothing changed. The city picked up the bins every day, but nobody did much about the trash out on the pavements. Everybody was having fun on the nights out, so everyone naturally overlooked them. I’m sure you’d have noticed the complaints about Cardiff nightlife too by now. I believe the amount of inappropriate behaviour that goes around is on the rise, by men and women alike. Funnily enough, the people who complain still go, perhaps face those issues over and over and come back disappointed, only to move onto the next day, and the next night out. Nobody becomes tolerant, don’t get me wrong, but everybody becomes “accustomed”. Rather than a problem that can be fixed, we end up perceiving it as a “phenomenon” that just exists. It ends up becoming something we “expect” on a night out, but is that really the right way to go about it?

The point I’m trying to make is that there are so many things that happen so often that they become a part of our environment, almost as if they belong there. Think about it, they’ll continue to cause you inconvenience, frustration, perhaps even pose a serious safety and health threat, but you move on after a few minutes of grumbling about it.

You’d be surprised to know the kinds of ideas students have about

change. It’s not just about pollution or nightlife safety, people are beginning to be more concerned and aware about climate change, safer sex, body-shaming, helping the homeless, and other similar very important things but ultimately, no change comes because of one reason only: They don’t make earnest efforts to be heard.

If everybody has great ideas they come forward and share, they’ll change the world.

If everybody has great ideas they come forward and share, they’ll change the world. But if all that desire you have for change just becomes restricted to a bit of complaining to your peers, or maybe a post or two on “Overheard at CU”, you can expect things to be just as they are even after you have left university. The same problems will pass onto another batch, and another, and another.

You, and everybody alike, must feel a responsibility to make your life and the life of everyone around you better in some little way. Start by not doing the things that would hurt somebody’s patience, then begin to discourage those around you

from engaging with things which’d hurt others, and after you’ve accomplished this, take to a bigger platform to voice your concerns. It is first important to be self-aware, and then crucial to make others aware.

Take my words to be just a reminder that you are paying hefty sums to be at university, you are individual people who deserve their own mental peace and all the safety, good health and experiences, so don’t settle for anything less. If anything threatens any of the above, do more than just sigh at it. You must take pride in the fact that our university and its students are as responsive and vigilant as they can be, and you must seek to raise your voice. There are good chances that hundreds are struggling with what you go through, and your stepping forth may just change their lives for the better too!

You have designated authorities, email addresses and contact information all around you, and when faced with these problems, all it takes is a serious letter of concern because that can spark real investigations and changes. Moreover, you could use the Student Media and make students (and people in general) more aware and more mobilised about everyday issues that may threaten their mental peace. Cardiff Student Media has a team of very capable and devoted people working constantly to deliver credible, meaningful information,

but the best thing is, they’re one of us. They’re able to better empathize with you, but also give you a platform to voice your concerns on - you have no idea who might just be listening and who might become really motivated to help you, and a hundred others along with you, make amends.

Make the effort to raise the issues with people who are responsible and answerable.

Remember that these are your prime years. You have incredible passion and determination in you to bring about big changes in the way things are done, perceived or dealt with. If you laze around about your troubles now, you will probably develop a habit and throughout life, continue to take things as they come. Your natural instinct will be to always count on other people to “go first” and this’ll be an endless cycle of procrastination and sufferance.

So, make the effort - raise the issues with people who are responsible and answerable for making your ride through the university and city life as smooth as possible. It requires more effort and even courage, but it will reap good results.

Postgraduate open day Discover the benefits of postgraduate study at Bristol.

Explore our excellent facilities, outstanding student support and buzzing city campus at our open day.

Book your place today at: bristol.ac.uk/gr-pg-openday

GWYDDONIAETH

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SCIENCE

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22

2019 Nobel Prizes winners awarded The 2019 Nobel prizes in Physiology and Medicine, physics and chemistry have been awarded last week.

Danny Brown Science Editor

Physiology and Medicine

T

he 2019 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded on Monday October 7, to researchers William Kaelin, Sir Peter Ratcliffe and Gregg Semenza.

Kaelin and Semenza, from the US, and Ratcliffe, from the UK, shared the £720,000 prize equally for discovering how cells in the body sense and respond to oxygen level changes. Their research shows how cells respond by increasing the number of blood cells and blood vessels, but their discovery goes further than this fundamental physiological process.

The breakthrough has led researchers to improved treatments for serious diseases such as anaemia, heart disease and cancer, among many others.

Cambridge University’s Randall Johnson, professor of molecular physiology and pathology, said this year’s Nobel laureates “have greatly expanded our knowledge of how physiological response makes life possible.”

“This year’s Nobel laureates “have greatly expanded our knowledge of how physiological response makes life possible” Randall Johnson Cambridge University

Physics uesday October 8, saw the No-

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bel Prize in physics awarded to cosmology and exo-planet researchers James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz.

Cosmologist James Peebles, was presented with half of the £720,000 prize for laying the foundations of modern cosmological research. Of

The internationally coveted nobel prize: Associated with a medal, diploma and cash award this prize will be the highlight of these winners’ careers. Source: Adam Baker (via Flickr) note, his exploration of the faint microwave radiation which fills the entire universe from 400,000 years after the big bang, which led him to realise that this radiation contains clues as to what the universe was like soon after the big bang and how the universe has evolved in the 13 billion years since.

Exo-planet researchers Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz shared the other half of the prize equally in acknowledgement of their 1995 join discovery of the first planet outside our own solar-system, an exo-planet.

The planet was discovered orbiting a star in our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The two used custom made instruments at the Haute-Provence Observatory in southern France, and were able to see planet 51 Pegasi b, a gaseous ball comparable with the solar system’s biggest gas giant, Jupiter.

“This takes us a step towards the fascinating question of detecting evidence for life on the nearest of these exoplanets” Prof Martin Rees Britain’s Royal Astronomer

Chemistry

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inally, the Nobel prize in chemistry. was awarded on Wednesday, October 9. John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino equally shared the prize for their work in the development of lithium-ion batteries.

Out of the discoveries and research mentioned, this is probably the one which has affected the average person the most in the past 50 years. Lithiumion batteries power most electronic devices, ranging from smartphones to

laptops, even to electric cars.

In the 1970s, Stanley Whittingham worked on developing alternative energy technologies which didn’t rely on fossil fuels. He started researching semiconductors and found an energy rich material, which he went on to use as an innovative part of a lithium battery.

Goodenough extended the research Whittingham started and in 1980, he demonstrated that an alternative material would allow the battery to produce voltages twice as high as the batteries Whittingham developed.

Akira Yoshino went on to use Goodenough’s battery as a basis to create the first commercially viable battery in 1985. He made a significant change to the original battery developed by Whittingham which made the battery a lot safer, as the type of lithium initially used was incredibly flammable.

Lithium-ion batteries have revolutionised our society and we have relied on them heavily ever since they first made their way onto the market in 1991.

“At the time we developed the battery it was just something to do, I didn’t know what electrical engineers would do with the battery. I really didn’t anticipate cellphones, camcorders and everything else

Your science desk Danny Brown Holly Giles

Nobel Prize for Physics: James Peebles’ insights have given new perspectives on our place in the universe.

Source: Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

John Goodenough Nobel laureate 2019

GWYDDONIAETH 23 Paralysed More than a quarter of UK mammals man walks face extinction, says new report again four years after The State of Nature report released this week shows the drastic impact accident, due to mindof climate change on UK animals, plants and wildlife reading exoHolly Giles Extinction Stats

26% of mammal species are at risk of disappearing altogether 20% of plants and 15% of fungi are also facing an extinction risk 41% of species have declined in the last fifty years Scotland saw a 24% decline in average species abundance 60% of "priority species" have declined since 1970 12% of invertebrates have been lost since 1970 A quarter of moths and nearly one in five butterflies have become extinct

Science Editor

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new report from The State of Nature was published last week, looking at the distribution of UK wildlife and the changes in animal and plant abundance across our country.

One of the most shocking figures from the report was that 26% of UK mammals are at serious risk of extinction. It also said one in seven species are threatened with extinction, and 41% of species have declined in the last 50 years, and it’s not just animals that are at risk: 20% of plants and 15% of fungi are also facing extinction. This may not be as compelling as cute rabbits and chicks but plants and fungi are fundamental to our ecosystems and are the building blocks for the rest of our wildlife to thrive upon.

The lead author of the report, Daniel Hayhow from the RSPB, said: “We know more about the UK’s wildlife than any other country on the planet, and what it is telling us should make us sit up and listen.

We need to respond more urgently across the board.” Rosie Hails, from the National Trust, confirmed this statement by saying: “The UK’s wildlife is in serious trouble…we are now at a crossroads when we need

to pull together with actions rather than words.” These views echo the news headlines seen daily calling the public to action against climate change and global warming.

The report, however, did have one positive finding: the amount of time donated by volunteers to environmental projects has increased by 40% since 2000, amounting to 7.5 million hours. People across the country are getting involved in this movement and it has already had an

impressive effect in the Forest of Dean where charity organisations are responsible for the return of the pine marten, which is one of the rarest mammals in Britain.

The public are reacting but as this new report confirms, we are not doing it fast enough or significantly enough to meet the needs of our environment. Animals of the UK need our immediate attention, otherwise our iconic Great British Countryside will be changed forever.

Pine Marten: Previously endangered animal that has been brought back in the Forest of Dean due to the work of volunteers Source: Phil Fiddes (Flickr)

Research centre for anxiety and depression to be opened in Cardiff

Centre focussing on young people’s mental health will be established at Cardiff University with backing of £10m from the Wolfson Foundation Emily Hatter Contributor

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his week saw the confirmation of the Wolfson Centre for Young People’s Mental Health; it will be a dedicated re-

search centre where experts at Cardiff and Swansea Universities will work to gain a better understanding of mental health conditions.

The universities have partnered with the Welsh Government, NHS Wales, University Health Boards

Glamorgan Building: Cardiff has always been at the peak of social research but with this new centre it will be boosted to new heights (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

and schools across Wales for this project.

The centre will focus on five key areas including: the processes behind how anxiety and depression develop; the reasons for the recent rise in these conditions among teenagers and young adults; the role of genetics compared with environmental factors in mental health; the role of schools in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing; and, finally, developing a support system for children and families where a parent suffers with a mental health condition such as depression.

Through these five pillars of research the centre hopes to transform the experience of teenagers and students with anxiety or depression throughout Wales and the UK. Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “There is still much to understand about the causes, prevention and treatment of mental health, and it is an area that has traditionally

75% of young people with an anxiety disorder or depression go unrecognised and receive no intervention. The impact on the young person, their family and their life chances can be devastating”

Paul Ramsbottom, Wolfson Foundation

been underfunded in the UK. 75% of young people with an anxiety disorder or depression go unrecognised and receive no intervention. The impact on the young person, their families and their life chances can be devastating.”

The centre hopes to provide teenagers with the right help, advice and support they need to overcome these conditions. With their research the experience of mental health could be changed forever.

Holly Giles Science Editor

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his week has marked a breakthrough in rehabilitation technology with a paralysed man taking his first steps in a mind-controlled exoskeleton. This may sound like something from a far-fetched scifi plot but new studies show this could actually be a reality.

Thibauld, who was paralysed four years ago after an incident in a nightclub, underwent surgery to implant 64 electrodes into his brain over the areas that control movement. He then learnt how to control an avatar in a virtual simulation using these implants.

This was then translated into an exoskeleton this week where Thibauld thinks of the command, it is then sent to a computer and then forwarded to cause movement in the exoskeleton.

Despite not being perfect (it scored an accuracy of 71% in its latest tests), Thibauld says the device has been utterly transformative: “It was like [being the] first man on the Moon. I didn’t walk for two years. I forgot what it is to stand, I forgot I was taller than a lot of people in the room.”

This week certainly marked a big step forward for this program but it is far from completion. Professor Alim-Louis Benabid, the president of the Clinatec executive board, explained the current restrictions on the device: “He does not have the quick and precise movements not to fall, nobody on earth does this.

We have [however] solved the problem and shown the principle is correct. This is proof we can extend the mobility of patients in an exoskeleton. This is in [the] direction of giving better quality of life.”

There is still progress to be made until we can expect to see this device in-situ outside of the lab. At the moment they are restricted by the amount of data they can receive from the brain, meaning only 32 of the 64 electrodes are currently being used.

However, as computer programs and artificial intelligence continue to develop we will see these restrictions broken down.

It was like [being the] first man on the Moon.

I didn’t walk for two years. I forgot what it is to stand, I forgot I was taller than a lot of people in the room” Thibauld, participant

There are also plans to develop finger control to allow Thibauld to pick up objects. Until then, Thibauld will continue to control his wheelchair using the implants, with the knowledge that walking in an exoskeleton is no longer a far-fetched fantasy but simply a matter of time.

I WANT WOMEN TO BE REPRESENTED. DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU? NOMINATE YOURSELF NOW FOR THE AUTUMN ELECTIONS

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Looking for part-time work?

Looking to get some extra cash in your pocket after a Freshers’ blow out?

Here’s just a selection of opportunities currently available through Jobshop!

Pharmacy Retail Counter Assistant

Bar/Retail staff

PAY: £7.70 (U25’s) £8.21 (25+) DAYS/HOURS OF POST: 12 – 16 hours per week DETAILS & MAIN DUTIES: A Cardiff based pharmacy requires a part-time retail assistant (training provided). The role will include processing sales, orders, customer enquiries, invoices and stock control.

PAY: £7.70 (U25’s) £8.21 (25+) DAYS/HOURS OF POST: Sat Nov 30th WALES V BARBARIANS DETAILS & MAIN DUTIES: You will be working on the bar and food units at the Principality Stadium. Bar experience is not essential but you must have excellent communication and customer service skills.

PLANNING ON WORKING ON OPEN DAY (26 OCTOBER)?

You must be registered with Jobshop before Friday 25 October! Visit cardiffstudents.com/jobshop for details on how to sign up. If you’ve already signed up, make sure you’ve given us your bank and tax details so there’s no delay in your payment.

Contact Jobshop for details on how to apply. To start receiving job alerts for all our vacancies please head to our website for details of how to sign up.

2nd floor, Students’ Union

029 2078 1535

Jobshop@cardiff.ac.uk

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26

Amazing autumn trails

Walks around Cardiff to keep you occupied this autumn Tirion Davies @Caerdydd Editor

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ollowing the Cardiff University Half Marathon last weekend, there are many who have undoubtedly been inspired to get off the sofa and start their fitness journey. Whether you’re ready to dive straight in and start running immediately, or you’d rather begin by taking long walks, Cardiff has plenty of trails on offer. Wrap up warm and take time out of your day to experience Cardiff in all its Autumnal glory this October.

Walk the whole way to Brecon or stop off at Castell Coch on the Taff Trail, or take a walk around Coopers Field and Roath Park, but know there are plenty of pubs along the way. You can do the hard work, but you can get your reward afterwards, too.

Cooper’s Fields in Cardiff is part of Cardiff ’s Bute Park. On your way to the Fields (where Bonfire Night events often take place, in case you’re hoping to go out this November 5th), walk through the Bute Park grounds to get the most of the Welsh capital’s park. Have a look at the famous Blackfriars Friary, a friary with quite the history. Occupied for 288 years before its dissolution in 1538 during the rule of Henry the VIII, it had been the site of many historical events. In 1404, the site had been sacked and burned

by Owain Glyndwr during his cam-

Bute Park tulips: The flowers on a beautiful day. Source: Tirion Davies

Events - October 2019 St. David's Hall Cardiff: Ocean Film Festival World Tour Tuesday, October 15 7:30pm The Music of Bond Thursday October 31 7:30pm

Bond, James BondSource: TNS Sofres (via Flickr)

Viola Arena Cardiff:

Your @Caerdydd desk Tirion Davies

As one of the best parks in Cardiff, Roath Park is perfect for anyone searching for a way to spend an hour or two. With its vast lake, the park has plenty to see, along with its Victorian-style garden and historic sights.

Ice Hockey Cardiff Devils home games: Thursday October 10, 7:30pm Tuesday October 15 , 7:30pm Saturday October 19, 7:00pm Sunday October 27, 4:00pm Wednesday October 30, 7:30pm

Castell Coch: The Gothic-inspired castle in all its autumnal glory. Source: RJMorgans (via WikimediaCommons) paign, and the extent of the site was not revealed until its excavation by the Marquess of Bute in 1887. The developments made by the 5th Marquess of Bute has helped to make Bute Park what it is today. Take it all in as you walk through Bute Park, its landscape offers insight into the wealth and ambition Cardiff was developing during the Victorian era, and it’s more than just a pretty park.

Bute Park and Cooper’s Fields hold special significance in Cardi In 1947, the 5th Marquess of Bute gifted Cardiff Castle and its grounds to the people of Cardiff. Bute Park is now considered the ‘green heart’ of Cardiff and Cooper’s Field is home to numerous events over the year.

Bute Park is a hub for wildlife and brilliant for an afternoon walk around Cardiff. On your way through Bute Park and Coopers Fields pop in to the Secret Garden Café for something warm and a treat before you head home, with cakes and drinks available at the environmentally-friendly café.

The River Taff flows through the heart of Cardiff before joining the River Estuary. If you’re interested in a walk along the riverside, the Taff Trail is perfect for you this Autumn.

You could even walk all the way up

to Brecon, but I’d recommend you only follow the trail as far as Castell Coch if you’re looking for a long walk.

A peaceful walk along the river, combined with arriving at a Gothic Castle (Castell Coch was redesigned by the third Marquess of Bute in the Victorian era to create a medieval and Gothic masterpiece) is perfect for a pre-Halloween walk. By following the trail through Bute Park, you will also pass the Melingriffith Water Pump, built in 1807.

The Lewis Arms, on the corner of Merthyr Road and Castle Road along the path near to Castell Coch, has a small beer garden and is perfect for a refreshing drink and food after your journey to the castle.

There’s also a chip shop along the way, for those who’d prefer a greasier option. A new tea room is also open across the road from the Lewis Arms, as a café alternative.

Although, if you’re not a fan of walking quite that far between Cardiff Centre and Tongwynlais but still want to see Castell Coch, there’s always the option to jump on the train. From Cardiff Center, grab a train to Taffs Well and walk the short distance to the Gothic castle and its grounds.

A lighthouse was constructed on the lake, with a scale model of the ‘Terra Nova’ ship as a memorial to Captain Scott and his team who sailed to the Antarctic from Cardiff in 1910. The park has a Victorian elegance, and it has long had a status as a Conservation Area which has prided itself on its gardens. There are flowerbeds along the promenade, and a rose garden is famed at the park. A Victorian glass house sits in the park, which is home to koi and tropical plants.

Head over to the Terra Nova Café for some warm food and a warm welcome to the Roath area.

A short walk from Cathays campus, and more than worth the trip, Roath Park would be perfect for anyone hoping for an afternoon with nature.

Being at university means that an afternoon away from your laptop can be a necessity.

A remarkably green city for a capital, there are plenty of options for walks around Cardiff when you need a day off – or if you want to start training for next year’s half marathon!

New Theatre Cardiff:

Clwb Ifor Bach:

Cardiff events:

Watermill Theatre: Macbeth October 9 to October 12 , matinee and evening performances available

Oddity Road October 17, 7:00pm

Poppy Run Cardiff October 27, 11:00am, Bute Park

The doctor or Watermill Theatre: A the creature?

Midsummer Night's Source: InsomDream nia Cured Here October 8 to Oc(via Flickr) tober 12 - matinee and evening performances available

Georgia October 31, 07:00pm

Curtains October 14 to 19 October - matinee and evening performances available Frankenstein October 28 to November 2 - matinee and evening performances available

The lighthouse on the lake: Source: timcela for Pixabay

Be/Longing September 27 - October 30, 4:00pm (recurring event), Pierhead Cardiff Bay

9Bach + Adwaith October 22, 7:00pm 9Bach. Source: Rhdori ap Dyfrig for Wikimedia Commons.

Cardiff University Cirque du Soul October 14, 10:00pm, Y Plas YOLO October 16, 9:00pm, Y Plas Cardiff Student Media Welcome BBQ October 17, 5:00pm - 10:00pm, Revolution Cardiff (tickets available online)

Halloween Nights October 29, 30, 31, 6:00pm 9:00pm, St Fagans National Museum of The Abernodwydd History Farmhouse, St. Fagans. Source: Adrian PRYZM: Platt (via Wikimedia Commons) Quids In! Ft. Tracy Beaker October 14, 10:00pm

Atilla

October / Hydref Ibibio Sound Machine 15/10/19, £14 ADV

The Struts 17/10/19, £19.50 ADV

FROM THE JAM "Setting Sons" Tour 19/10/19, £27.50 ADV

Black Star Riders 24/10/19, £29.50 ADV

Feeder

December/ Rhagfyr

February/ Chwefror

Devin Townsend

Kano

05/12/19, £25 ADV

01/02/20, £30 ADV

16/11/19, £17.50 ADV

LIVEWIRE THE AC/DC SHOW

BABYMETAL

Attila

06/12/19, £16 ADV

07/11/19, £25 ADV

Reel Big Fish 14/11/19, £18.50 ADV

The Amazons

17/11/19, £15 ADV

Primal Scream 23/11/19, £27.50 ADV

Airbourne 24/11/19, £25ADV

November / Tachwedd Loyle Carner 05/11/19, £22.50 ADV

Happy Mondays 29/11/19, £32.50 ADV

Bedlam presents: The High Contrast Band

20/02/20, £32.50 ADV

10/12/19, £15 ADV

March/ Mawrth

Shellac

Gabrielle Aplin

Against The Current

14/12/19, £20 ADV

13/03/20, £20 ADV

Bury Tomorrow

Fish

15/12/19, £20 ADV

19/03/20, £32.50 ADV

Shed Seven 16/12/19, £28.50 ADV

29/11/19, £15 ADV

All tickets subject to booking fee. Codir ffi archebu ar bob tocyn. | cardiffboxoffice.com | cardiffstudents.com/boxoffice

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SPORT

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CHWARAEON

28

Your sport desk Reece Chambers George Willoughby Ella Fenwick Luke Wakeling Olly Allen

For more content, head to gairrhydd.com/sport

UK edges closer to first-ever NFL franchise The sport is growing in popularity this side of the pond

George Willoughby Deputy Head of Sport

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upport for the NFL in the United Kingdom has been rising exponentially since the first game took place at Wembley back in 2007.

The New York Giants came away victorious over the Miami Dolphins and it marked the start of the NFL’s international expansion into the UK. The agreed plan was for one match to be played in London every season, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell continued to push the sport with more agreements made to increase the number of games played in London.

In 2012, the Jacksonville Jaguars confirmed they would play one of their regular-season home games in London for four straight seasons starting in 2013. They would soon extend this through to 2020.

During the same year, a second fixture was announced meaning multiple games would be played in the UK for the first time.

This pattern of staging more matches in the UK has continued year-on-year, and we are now at a stage where a total of four NFL games are to be played across London: Wembley, Twickenham, and the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are the three current venues.

It is worth noting that whilst Tottenham’s stadium will predominant-

ly be used for football, its design was purposefully constructed to accommodate future NFL matches as a part of a 10-year plan.

Since its completion, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has already hosted a brilliant match between the Chicago Bears and Oakland Raiders.

The second encounter at the stadium is between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday 13 October.

Playing all these games is great, however through the heightened publicity of the sport in the UK and Roger Goodell’s international vision for the NFL, many are wondering whether we might see a franchise based in the UK permanently.

This has supposedly always been the target, with the hope of establishing a franchise in London by 2025. But how realistic is this aim?

The first aspect to look at is ownership. Fulham owner Shahid Khan also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars who are very familiar with playing in the UK. The Glazers’ family control the ownership of Tampa Bay, as well as Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke occupying the majority share of the Los Angeles Rams. From this perspective, the links are already there.

In terms of fans, support will be crucial for the creation and longevity of a London franchise.

Over 60,000 people packed into the Tottenham Stadium for the first

NFL match, and the tickets were extremely difficult to purchase.

That one game alone shows the passion of the UK fans, which is another favourable aspect for the potential franchise switch.

Some inevitable obstacles are the transport implications, as the London team and other NFL franchises will be travelling regularly.

This includes players, staff and of course the equipment in what would be a troublesome task of preparing for a trip over the Atlantic.

In addition, the ominous problems it could cause to the schedule - especially the post-season.

If a team has to play in London for one game in the play-offs, this pre-

sents an unfair scenario for the away team.

What makes the NFL in the UK so special is that it is not a weekly occurrence. Tickets sell out at record-breaking speeds because there are limited opportunities to watch American Football throughout the season.

The biggest question will be whether the novelty would wear off if there was a permanent London franchise.

Talks of an NFL team in London have been progressing for years now, but with the resounding success of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before this becomes a reality.

NFL in North London: The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has already hosted one fixture. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Is the international break good for Premier League and Championship clubs?

FOR

Alex Hall Contributor

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s a Bristol City supporter, I believe the international break to be a positive due to the numerous benefits for both the supporters and players.

The clear advantage of international breaks is that it provides players who do not represent their national teams with a well-earned break.

The Championship is known to have arguably the most congested schedule of the domestic leagues due to 24 teams competing and clashes with cup fixtures occurring regularly.

Therefore, a week of rest can be vital for a Championship side like Bristol City to regain fitness levels and also recover from minor injuries. In a post-match interview following The Robins’ last fixture before the break, head coach Lee Johnson emphasised the importance

of the international break saying that “it allows us to breathe”.

For those players that are involved with their respective national teams, it gives them a chance to gain further experience playing with different players and in different styles, making them more adaptable when they return to their club.

I believe this is especially important in the Championship as they are given the chance to play with and against players of a higher quality, improving their development.

In addition, it needs to be recognised that international football still provides excitement for a lot of people, and there needs to be time for countries to qualify for the finals of competitions.

Fans of nations that have smaller populations anticipate these breaks as it gives them a chance to get excited about football. So even though you get the odd fixture and bore draw, international football is still an entertaining prospect in many respects.

AGAINST

Reece Chambers Head of Sport

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ith eight matches gone in the Premier League, teams are beginning to find their feet in the league - or not, in the cases of Manchester United and Spurs. So, what better time to stop that momentum than by shoving an international break into the schedule?

For context, this ‘against’ piece was constructed three days after Liverpool made it eight wins from eight in the league, so I’m still on cloud nine.

With eight points between the Reds and Manchester City, this international break has probably come at the worst possible time.

Laporte is injured, Stones, too, and Guardiola’s side have just lost their second game of the season - a 2-0 defeat to Wolves at home. So, this rant may or may not contain some bias given the disruption caused to Liverpool’s 100% win record so far this campaign.

In essence though, the break in mo-

mentum can apply to any team. Solskjaer argued - after United’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle - that the international break had come at just the right time. But, I’d argue against that. His players now travel all over the world to represent their respective countries which is an incredible honour. But, from the club’s point of view, this is extra minutes in their legs, countless hours travelling and presents a serious risk of injury.

The end result of the international break is not valuable rest. It may be for the likes of James Milner and Joel Matip who have sacrificed their international careers to focus on club football. But, in the most part, it results in extra fatigue for players in games that are almost always a foregone conclusion.

This dislike of the international break is similar for most Liverpool fans who, generally, feel a disconnect with English football. These reasons go beyond football and lay deep in history. Essentially, the break represents a hiatus in the Premier League season that only adds to the concerning state of player welfare at the top of our beautiful game.

CHWARAEON

ToTo contact contact our our sport sport desk, desk, drop drop usus anan email email atat sport@gairrhydd.com sport@gairrhydd.c

Horse Racing event provides a new take on student nights out C

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Jack Vavasour Cardiff Blues Columnist

Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

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raditionally, Horse Racing is associated with enthusiasts, extravagant events such as ladies day and an expensive day out. This is spent dressing to the nines, a crowd of fascinators and flat caps, strategically betting on the array of horses available in each race.

This is a luxury that cannot usually be afforded by students, however a gap in the market was discovered by Invades.

Over the weekend, Invades hosted a horse racing event at Chepstow racecourse, for six different universities, which included Cardiff University.

In a recent interview with Dominic Matcham, founder and managing director of Invades, he explained the creation of his business model: “I wanted to bring different universities together, I was a former student at Loughborough University, which is a small town. There was a limited amount of clubs and events.

Nights out became a cycle of the same events and seeing the same people.”

Matcham began to create events that were purely night club based, creating a company of logistics for students to use to tour other UK universities. Eventually, Matcham wanted to expand the horizons of the company.

“Over one of the summers, my friends and I attended the horseracing. It was a

great day out and I began to think about how I could position this in the market for students. Changing the association of horse racing so that it was affordable and convenient,” said Matcham.

The Invades horseracing tour aimed to bring together 63 different Universities over 13 different days. After the first successful races held in Nottingham, jockey clubs were in contact to collaborate to host more races.

This included Arena racing, who own 18 racing venues and control a vast amount of horse racing fixtures, including Chepstow racecourse. Invades also works closely with sports clubs and societies at universities across the country through event attached sponsorships.

There are many controversial beliefs in Horse Racing and one of those is in the animal welfare of the horses.

“Many people have been in contact over the welfare of the horses. All racecourses are in association with the organisation, ‘British Horseracing Authority’. They work within equine welfare, which all racecourses take very seriously. All horses have to fill long-listed criteria in order to be deemed fit to race and are checked multiple times. There are also a large number of horse doctors on site.” said Matcham.

Horse Racing is also seen to have a negative connection with gambling.

Students attending these events are not encouraged to partake in this but are exposed to get caught up and place a

Young Crowd: A recent event at Uttoxeter, where six universities were brought together from across the Midlands Source: Invades bet for the occasion. The race courses where Invades races take place do provide bookies. Intervening with betting would change the dynamic of the races, because of the link between the two.

The racecourses want to recreate the same atmosphere and professionalism as if it were the Grand National or the Royal Ascot. Betting is a big part of horseracing culture and has been labelled as an addiction. With students, being tight for money and unseasoned at betting, the racecourses have taken the role of gate-keeping.

The nature of this event is designed for students, so people will be avail-

able to give tips and tricks on betting, supplied by the racecourses. The racecourses cannot be held liable for students betting, therefore responsibility in gambling is self-reliant.

“Invades has no association with betting at our events. The focus of our races is not betting but bringing people together for an enjoyable day out. We are in no moral position to encourage betting in students.” commented Matcham.

The listing of the rest of the racing tour can be found on Invades’ Facebook page. They are also currently in the midst of creating another tour in the Summer for after exams.

The Hundred: An introduction to the ECB’s new format Anurag Hegde outlines the new T20 cricket tournament

Anurag Hedge Contributor

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he England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are all set to run the inaugural edition of ‘The Hundred’ in July 2020.

This new franchise style format, consisting of eight teams, could well turn out to be a mastermind creation and help the globalisation of the sport.

However, cynics would say it could also end up as a failed ploy, which may have only been created to maximise advertising revenue in the first place.

Here is some more information about ‘The Hundred.’

The Hundred is set to depart from many of cricket’s traditional rules and concepts.

The new format will consist of 100 ball innings, as the name suggests and will be divided into 10-ball ‘changes’.

Such a stunt has never been attempted in cricket before wherein the root concepts of the game have been ‘changed’.

A bowler is allowed to bowl either five or 10 consecutive deliveries and

can bowl a maximum of 20 balls in the game.

An innings kicks off with a 25 ball powerplay in which only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle.

The tournament will feature eight franchise teams from seven cities in England and Wales.

These include Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Birmingham Phoenix, Trent Rockets, Welsh Fire, London Spirit, Oval Incredibles and Southern Brave.

The Hundred is set to depart from many of cricket’s traditional rules

Welsh Fire: The Cardiff side will play at the SWALEC stadium.

Source: Alan Hughes

Each team will field both a Men’s and Women’s team in the competition.

The tournament will run over a 38day period between July and September next year.

Each team will play four home and four away games, which totals to 32 league matches.

The top four teams in the league table will advance to the playoffs stage which is similar to the one used

in the Indian Premier League (IPL), known as the Page playoff system.

Each bowling side is allowed a timeout of two and a half minutes, which increasingly looks like a marketing tactic included to appease advertisers rather than provide the players with a break.

Nonetheless, the tournament seems to have been designed to closely resemble the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash

League (BBL) without being too obvious.

Each team will consist of 15 players and can include a maximum of three overseas players.

Players will be signed using a twostage draft system, the first of which was completed on October 3.

This was where the teams had the opportunity to sign one centrally contracted England Test-player and also two ‘Local Icons’ (players in their catchment area).

Stage two of the draft will be held on the 20th of October where teams can sign players from a larger pool of players.

The draft can be viewed live on television and social media.

The Cardiff based Welsh Fire will call the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff their home ground.

So far, the team has signed Jonny Bairstow as their centrally contracted player and Tom Banton and Colin Ingram as their local icons for the men’s team.

They’ve also signed Katie George and Bryony Smith for the Women’s team.

‘The Hundred’ presents an interesting future for ECB cricket, time will tell whether it is a success or not.

ardiff Blues kicked off their season with a trip to South Africa to take on the disappointing Southern Kings. They were less than convincing despite claiming a victory over their southern hemisphere rivals. Admittedly, the Blues have been damaged more

by World Cup absences than their South African counterparts, yet will need to improve if they wish to be serious contenders.

Following victory in South Africa, the Blues hosted their first home game of the season and welcomed Edinburgh. Edinburgh are a well drilled side who, under Richard Cockerill, have become a formidable force in the Pro 14 and Europe in general. Despite this, the Blues would have been hoping to come away with the win. Unfortunately, due to penalties conceded, the Blues were overpowered by a strong and resilient Edinburgh side. Not only did they fail to win but also failed in achieving the bonus point. This can often prove costly during the latter stages of a season.

Cardiff now face an uphill battle as they have a number of important and difficult fixtures coming up.

The easiest of these fixtures would appear to be Benetton Treviso at home at the end of November. John Mulvihill and his men must be wary though as the Italians will be looking to make up for lost time after a poor start to the season, with many of their players at the World Cup due to their centrality in the Italian side.

Before that the Blues must travel to Europe in order to take on Rugby Calvisano and Leicester Tigers.

Calvisano should be an easy victory for any side; they play in Italy’s top tier and have somehow snuck into the Challenge Cup this season.

Anything other than a bonus-point victory should be seen as an embarrassment. Leicester will offer a real challenge. They are a sleeping giant of European rugby and their slowdecline has been painful to witness from every fan of the sport. They have recruited poorly with only one or two big name signings.

Elsewhere, Blues players have been impressive on the greatest stage, the World Cup. New boy Josh Adams saved Gatland’s side against an impressive Fiji. Adams scored a wonderful hat-trick that forced his side beyond the Fijians. Hallam Amos, the only Blues player in the Welsh squad to have not yet featured, will no doubt get his chance against Uruguay. Josh Navidi has also impressed and is consistent as ever. Yet no Welshman will forget Adams’ hat-trick and it will live in memory for a long time.

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Premier League so far: Liverpool lead the way as Spurs struggle

Olly Allen Sport Editor CCFC Column

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he international break gives us the perfect time to reflect on Cardiff City’s season so far, with the club 11th in the Championship table following four wins, four draws and three defeats.

This, you would say, is a fair position for a side who have been rather Jekyll and Hyde in their displays.

At home, the Bluebirds have been formidable and are one of just three teams in the league yet to lose at their own ground.

They also have the joint-best defensive record in this regard, having conceded only three goals at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Home supporters were also treated to the club’s biggest win in 20 months at the start of October as they saw their team dispatch inform Queens Park Rangers 3-0.

A rare clinical edge was shown that night in CF11, as the Bluebirds had just 28% of possession but took their chances at crucial moments.

Making the Leckwith ground a fortress for the rest of this season will be crucial, especially as their record away from home has been dismal, with performances a lot more worrying.

Only three clubs have worse records than Cardiff on the road, with the Bluebirds yet to win outside of the Welsh capital.

Arguably their worst performance on their travels so far came at Reading, where they were defeated 3-0 by a Royals side who have won just once more in the league since then.

In truth there could have been more goals at the Madejski Stadium, with the hosts also missing a penalty, as Cardiff looked disorganised, inept and unsure of themselves.

This does appear to have been the low point though, as Cardiff have drawn at Blackburn Rovers, Derby County and Hull City since then before showing at least some fight in a 4-2 defeat at current league leaders West Bromwich Albion.

If you were to pick out the strongest area of the Bluebirds team so far, the midfield trio of Leandro Bacuna, Joe Ralls and Marlon Pack would take some beating.

Now free of being forced to cover at right-back, Bacuna is a settled presence in the middle of the park, helping out in both attack and defence.

Ralls meanwhile started the campaign in tremendous form with two goals in four games, and summer signing Pack has already shown his quality upon returning from injury.

Ahead of those three, there is perhaps a slight concern over the lack of a regular goalscorer, but that is less of an issue at the moment thanks to the burden being spread around the team - 11 different players have scored for the Bluebirds so far.

Cardiff have a tough period ahead when domestic football returns, as they host eighth place Sheffield Wednesday who have the joint most wins in the league, face an intimidating trip to Millwall and encounter a first South Wales derby in five years against promotion pushing Swansea City.

Stay tuned with Gair Rhydd Sport for the latest updates in the coming weeks.

With the international break upon us, we summarise the Premier League’s first eight weeks of action

couldn’t have come at a better time for them.

The managerial sack race is well under way. First to go was Watford’s

Javi Garcia already winning that race being replaced by their former manager Quique Sánchez Flores. Flores, breaking the rule of never going back to your ex, must be already ruing his return after the 8-0 drubbing they received from Manchester City on September 21 and have yet to win a game.

This is despite having the talents of former Arsenal man Danny Welbeck and former Barcelona player Gerard Deulofeu going forward. They have scored the fewest goals and in defence are second goals conceded. Relegation seems inevitable, but a handful of wins is all they need to escape the relegation zone.

The return of legendary player, now manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer began so promisingly for Manchester United. Except they have gotten off to the worse start they have had in 30 years, now entering the international break having deservedly lost to Newcastle.

The Longstaff brothers in midfield for Newcastle showed the fire and grit missing from United. The question is, how long does Ole have to turn it around? They return to play

Most goals

Most conceded

Jack Hannigan Contributor

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ith just eight games played of the new Premier League season, we enter the second international break of the campaign.

The drama, romance and heartbreak of the Premier League is well under way. Liverpool are flying and look like this could finally be their year, Manchester city are stumbling behind them, with a vulnerable defence due to Laporte’s injury. Manchester United and Spurs seem to be sinking fast with no signs of turning it around so far, the international break

Liverpool have started this title race just as they finished the last.

Liverpool on October 20. Unless a completely different United turn up defeat seems inevitable with Ole at the wheel.

If a club legend returning to his club means crumbling into mediocrity at one club. At Chelsea, the future looks bright, with a transfer ban and the sale of Eden Hazard you’d have been forgiven had you thought Chelsea would struggle this year.

Frank Lampard has put his faith in the Chelsea youth, Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount particularly have lit up the Premier League. Whether the young players can sustain this for the entire season is yet to be seen but Chelsea look like the top four contenders with a squad boasting the experience of Olivier Giroud, Willian and Pedro to carry through any dips in form from the Chelsea youth.

Spurs aren’t having much luck after they were pulled apart by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

When fans were hoping for a response, Brighton kicked them whilst they were down to beat them 3-0 at home. A defeat in which Hugo Lloris made yet another amateurish mistake

– and also left him with a freak injury when landing awkwardly and dislocating his elbow, ruling him out for the rest of the year.

Liverpool are sitting comfortably at the top of the table, eight points clear of fellow title rivals Manchester City.

However, City overturned an eightpoint deficit from Liverpool last year to snatch the title. With 30 games left to go and 90 points left to fight for, City’s success appears teetered on how quickly Laporte returns.

Shown in their most recent loss to Wolves as time and time again Wolves got through on goal, only poor finishing meant Guardiola’s side didn’t face a truly humiliating defeat at the Etihad.

How all of these teams will fare after the international break is anybody’s guess – it’s a period in which clubs like Liverpool will despise, but clubs like Spurs and Watford will cherish.

What happens over the next month or two is likely to characterise the rest of the season and, if previous Premier League seasons are anything to go by, expect the unexpected in one of the UK’s most prized possessions.

Premier League so far: In numbers Manchester City (27)

Most wins

Most losses

Norwich City

Liverpool

Norwich City

(21)

(8)

(21)

Asher-Smith leads female success at World Championships Luke Wakeling Sport Editor

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t’s all about the women and it should have been, says Dina Asher-Smith, the new icon in British sport after setting the British records for the 100m and 200m, winning silver and gold respectively, whilst also attaining silver in the 4x100m relay.

The trio of medals meant she became the first British athlete to win three medals at a single World Championships.

The records don’t stop there. Asher-Smith started her record-breaking weak becoming the first British woman in 36 years to win an individual World Championships sprint medal – taking silver in the 100m. Then came

the 200m final, where the 23-year-old became the first British woman to win a major global sprint title in a British record time of 21.88 seconds.

Praise was deservedly high for Asher–Smith, particularly for her attitude and progression as an athlete, with Denise Lewis claiming, “she has broken the American dominance and the Jamaican stranglehold on this competition.”

Katrina Johnson-Thompson also won gold in the heptathlon, impressively beating Jessica Ennis-Hill’s British record with a total of 6,981. The 26-year-old was 137 points clear in first position going into the final event – the 800m, where she ran a personal best to win in a time of 2 minutes 07.26 seconds. This was her fourth PB of the Championships. It is clear then

that the women have dominated this competition for Team GB, after the men only won a silver in the 4x100m.

Instead of shying away from centring these feats on gender, AsherSmith believes it is a great opportunity to celebrate female sporting achievement: “It’s a good thing we’re talking about women. It’s always been a negative thought – it’s been about sport and then about us women. Now the boys aren’t getting a look in because we’re better.”

Ashleigh Nelson, who ran the third leg in the 4x100m, hopes that their success can motivate young British woman to stick with sport and ignore the stereotypes that society places on female athletes.

“Women shy away from being strong women,’’ as she explains men

“can be strong and independent and that’s great…but if it’s a woman (people say) ‘oh, she’s too strong’”.

Nelson adds that for female athletes, “the drop-out rate is very high.

When I left high school, the girls who still did PE there was only about five of us. That’s just not good enough.”

Too often a celebration of women’s sport is avoided to evade potentially difficult discussions on comparisons between genders and a fear of being patronising.

‘Celebration’ here is key; pro-female, not anti-male, is the aim. Female sporting achievement deserves recognition, especially after a spectacular and record-breaking championships for the women’s team. As Asher–Smith exclaims, “Now’s our time, so let us shine.”

BUCS Highlights

CHWARAEON 31

A round-up of Cardiff University’s sporting action from the second BUCS Wednesday of the season

Cardiff 3-1 Medics Men’s Football

Ryan Dabbs Contributor

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e went into the game knowing it was very important because we wanted to start the season with a win as well as it being against the medics.

They started well for the first 20 minutes but a few tactical changes from us meant that we grew into the game and started to create more chances.

Our first goal came from a ball that was played over the top to Leigh Allan who took a good touch on the wing and crossed across goal to Munashe Mandaza who beat his man to the ball and tapped home from a few yards out.

The game was lively throughout with both teams putting in big challenges, but nothing went too over the top and fortunately nothing boiled over in what was a goodspirited game. The second goal came from Mandaza, again, who picked the ball up on the halfway line, turned his defender and drib-

T

bled the ball towards the goal before slotting it in the bottom corner.

Halftime came and we knew we still had a lot to do to stay in the lead.

At the start of the second half they came out with high energy from the outset and put us under pressure.

Within a couple of minutes they scored a scrappy goal from a corner with the ball pinballing around the box before they eventually scored.

This kicked us into gear a bit and we managed to settle down a bit more and with a few substitutions we managed to cause more problems for them before we eventually scored a breakaway goal through Tiago Soares.

Soares dribbled past a few players and struck on his weaker left foot just inside the box that managed to somehow make its way past the keeper.

This calmed the game for us a lot and we managed to soak up the pressure they were placing on us for the remaining 20 or so minutes. But, we managed to see the game out and secure our first three points of the season as we push to secure promotion after being relegated last season.

Preview for next week

he men’s rugby team will be aiming to bounce back from their defeat to Leeds Beckett when they make the short trip to Bath, who are yet to win a game this season having lost to Exeter, Durham and Swansea so far.

Meanwhile the women, after their fantastic 41-36 victory over Cambridge, host Sussex.

In football, the men will be facing their rivals at Swansea University in a local derby.

The women’s team will be playing against Bristol after drawing 2-2 with Bath this week.

Finally, the netball team will be coming up against Exeter 2s, having narrowly lost their opening fixture 42-37 to Bristol.

Pushing to secure promotion: Source: Cardiff University Men’s Football

Cardiff 6-0 LSE Men’s Tennis 1s

Tom Davenport Contributor

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great result for the Men’s Tennis first team after an impressive victory over LSE. A 6-0 win on the first week of the season was a perfect way to start the campaign. It was a long day of travelling for the team, over the bridge to London, but completely worth it for a memorable first week of BUCS action.

A big singles win for fresher Ben Mcmanus, 7-6 7-6, in a very close match where he saved six set points in the second set to stop it from going to a third proved to be an afternoon highlight.

Wins from Aydin Caglayan in the singles in addition to a doubles win for Tom Davenport and Andy Gorvin meant that we were in a very

good position to take the match. Just needing one more win, we swapped over for the last round of matches.

Both Davenport and Gorvin won their singles leaving Aydin and Ben Mcmanus to finish off, coming from a set down to take the match in a championship tiebreak.

It was a great performance in the end from the boys and a big shoutout to Ben Mcmanus who played very well in his first ever BUCS match.

A tough test against Bournemouth University in a couple of weeks gives the boys time to prepare for a challenging match.

For now, Cardiff Tennis’s men’s first team will be very happy with an impressive start to the season against LSE. Their next fixture against Bournemouth University will be a better indicator of their chances of success this season.

Cardiff 10-23 Leeds Beckett

Men’s Rugby faced defeat for the first time this season, with an experienced Leeds Beckett side winning at Llanrumney Ben Lovell-Smith Contributor

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ardiff University Men’s Rugby pulled off a strong bonus-point win at Llanrumney in their first home match of the 2019/20 BUCS Super Rugby season against Northumbri.

Llanrumney also saw Cardiff’s first home defeat of the season to an experienced Leeds Beckett side in extreme weather conditions, losing 10-23 to the Yorkshire side.

Following a great start to the season, Cardiff headed into a showdown with Beckett hoping to make it three wins out of three in BUCS Super Rugby. Beckett also came into this match with great confidence, having won their Varsity match last Wednesday against the University of Leeds.

However, the weather conditions would play their part with torrential rain making it difficult to handle the ball.

Cardiff coaches joked about having to do some gardening before kick off, such was the effect of the weather on the pitch.

The first half was a very one-sided affair. Leeds Beckett’s experienced side pinned Cardiff into their own half for the majority of the half. Cardiff showed tremendous heart to keep the scores level in the early minutes of the contest.

However, the weather conditions would finally take their toll. Beckett arrived with a game plan suited to these conditions, using a forward orientated attack and very limited backline play.

Their tall and rangy winger, William Lewin, laid the first punch in this match with what looked like a wasteful up and under kick. Causing utter confusion in

the Cardiff cover defence, Lewin regathered the bouncing bomb to score under the posts. Just moments later, the heavens opened. Beckett continued to dominate the game, commanding both the lineouts and scrums. Determined defence was the only thing keeping Cardiff in the match.

Beckett showed incredible patience, executing their game perfectly, Cardiff were being suffocated and gave away a great deal of penalties in the opening 40 minutes. Finally, a flustered lineout gave Cardiff an attacking scrum on their five metre line and a chance to clear, but it was not to be. Beckett’s scrum dominance won the ball against the head and they pushed Cardiff over the line for a vital score.

Fresher Ed Dunford slotted a penalty expertly from 40 metres out, finally putting some points on the board for Car-

diff, before heading into the break 14-3 down.

Cardiff came out in the second half with rejuvenated spirit, showing fantastic energy and determination. Penalties began to fall the way of Cardiff, enabling them to grasp a stranglehold.

Some fantastic hands and patience from the backs kept the pressure on, but it would be the forwards that would crash over from short range - scored by replacement Sam Starks, on the base of the post, to put Cardiff back into the match.

Nevertheless, the experience of Beckett came to the fore, as they stabilised the match and slowly killed it off.

Three cooly converted penalties from Carmarthen boys Connor Lloyd and Steffan James put Beckett into a comfortable position, finishing the game 10-23.

Getting to know...

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Rebecca Astill Ladies’ Tennis

or this week’s ‘Getting to Know’ segment, our Head of Sport, Reece Chambers, sat down with Rebecca Astill of Ladies’ Tennis to discuss her involvement in the club, how she got involved, and much more.

Like many student athletes, Astill became involved in the club through a Give it a Go session in first year.

“I turned up to the tennis Give it a Go session in my first year and the captain at the time asked me to come along to trials which were on the following Sunday. I wasn’t expecting to get onto the team - but here I am in third year, playing for the team,” said Astill. Having played tennis for the majority of her life, the Tennis club’s Welfare Officer recalls her earliest memory on the court.

“My mum took me and my brother along to a coaching session on a Saturday morning at a club which she had been recommended by a friend. She wanted us to play a sport which we could always play together - which also had a good mix of boys and girls so we could make our own friends. I don’t think I even hit a ball in my first session, but I like to think I’ve improved slightly 14 years later.”

With tennis becoming an important part of her university experience, the third year Journalism and English Literature student is still reveling in the success of Welsh Varsity 2018 against a familiar face.

“My personal highlight was my first year Varsity match against Swansea - I played my doubles partner from home and beat her in a match tiebreak. I hate playing my friends and it was nerve-wracking but so many people were supporting so I felt the love.”

But, as with most sports at university, it takes a large amount of commitment to balance studies, training and matches. For Astill, balancing the time is possible and she’s even willing to switch to a 9am seminar.

“All of our training sessions are in the evenings so I make sure I work hard during the day times. If I can, I move seminars to 9am so I have less chance of missing them.”

When given the choice of winning Varsity or the BUCS League, Astill immediately chose Varsity, noting the amazing atmosphere every year.

“I’d rather beat Swansea at Varsity. We won our league and beat Swansea last year so we didn’t have to choose. But the atmosphere at Varsity is always amazing - people who aren’t even involved in the tennis club come down to support and it’s great to win in front of your university. It’s the biggest feeling of community spirit.”

Now in her final year of study at Cardiff University, Astill has the luxury of looking back on her university experience. Although she joined the club in first year, she wishes she had been more confident from the beginning of her university journey.

“My advice to my fresher self would be to have some more confidence.

No one notices the age gap between different years at uni in the same way as people did at school. Speak up and make more of an effort to get to know the social side of the club.”

To contact our sport desk, drop us an email at sport@gairrhydd.com

sport

London franchise Advanced plans continue Page 31

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BUCS Highlights Wednesday round-up Page 30

Premier League A summary of the league so far Page 29

Dina AsherSmith success Luke Wakeling Sport Editor

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ritish athlete Dina Asher-Smith showed her class in a controversial World Championships in Doha. Even with all the drama, AsherSmith stayed focused to bring home gold in the 200m and a respectable silver in the 100m. She also set British records with her fantastic performances. AsherSmith did not shy away from celebrating her successes, which has caused her to reinforce the importance of recognising female success in sport.

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Student Horseracing Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

Finishing Line: Crowds cheered as runners crossed the finish line of the Half Marathon. Credit: Huw Evans Agency

Several records broken at Cardiff Half Marathon George Willoughby Deputy Head of Sport

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he Cardiff Half Marathon took place on Sunday 6 October, and it was once again another fantastic showcase of distance running.

The desire and determination of the runners was at the forefront of the days action, whilst a wonderfully supportive crowd packed the streets of the Welsh capital.

To find out more about the event, Gair Rhydd Sport spoke to Steve Brace who is the Cardiff Half Marathon Race Director. The event has a rich history, and Steve was able to give us some more information.

“The 2020 Cardiff Half Marathon will be the 17th year of the event.” Said Brace.

“The race is growing year-on-year, with a record 27,500 entrants in 2019.”

“Now, the Cardiff Half Marathon is

part of the Superhalfs - a half marathon series alongside Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen and Valencia.”

Not only was there a record number of entrants, but a new fastest course time was also set. Here is what Brace had to say about the new record.

“We were thrilled to see a new course record in the men’s race, so congratulations to Leonard Langat on a fantastic run this year.

“We would like to also say a huge congratulations to Lucy Cheruyiot, who came out victorious in the women’s field.

“The standard of elite runners we get is improving each year as the event gains global recognition and we hope that the introduction of the Superhalf series will attract more first-class half marathon runners in future years.”

As well as the Cardiff Half Marathon being a terrific sporting spectacle, it is also a great way of raising substantial amounts of money for a plethora of

charities. The importance of such work is very important to Steve and the rest of the organisational team.

“The Cardiff Half prides itself on being the single largest multi-charity fundraising event in Wales.” Said Brace.

“The charity fundraising aspect of the race makes it what it is today.”

“In 2018, over £3 million was raised and we are obviously so proud to be able to work with so many charities at the Cardiff Half Marathon.”

Run 4 Wales work on event planning as soon as the event ends in a continual improvement process.

Steve Brace, Half Marathon Director

To many, the thought of completing a half marathon may seem quite daunting.

Yes, physically and mentally you will be tested, but it really is an opportunity for

everyone to get involved with.

Our final question to Steve Brace was what advice he would give to anybody thinking about partaking in next year’s race.

“Do it, there’s nothing else like it.” To be part of the buzz in Cardiff is an experience you’ll likely never forget.”

“50,000 spectators will cheer you on from the iconic Cardiff Castle start line to the finish on King Edward Vll Avenue.”

“If it is training you are worried about, do not be, as it is a flat route good for first-timers. We also send out a half marathon 12-week training plan for all levels of runner when the time comes.”

A big thank you to Steve Brace, Cardiff Half Marathon Race Director for taking the time to answer our questions.

To end the article, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Nicholas Beckley who sadly passed away shortly after the completion of the race.

D

om Matcham, founder and managing director of Invades, gives a brief overview of the student horse racing. Aiming to bring different universities together across the UK, for a unique and exciting experience. Following the likes of the Grand National and the Royal Ascot, students have been given the opportunity to dress to the nines, in a “convenient and affordable” way. The most recent event was held at Chepstow racecourse, with over 3000 students invited from six different Universities, including Cardiff University.

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The Hundred Anurag Hegde Contributor

T

he new hundred ball format will be commencing July 2020. Despite much criticism, the ECB has approved the new competition which will be sure to divide opinion once it begins. The competition will consist of eight teams with both men and women having a representative side. The Wales region has a team called the Welsh Fire and they will play some of their games at the Bristol County Ground and Taunton. Whatever the outcome, the introduction of the Hundred will mark the start of a fascinating period in short-format cricket.

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