Latest from Powys County Times
Powys County Times
20 minutes ago
- Sport
- Powys County Times
Friday's briefing: Lionel Messi free-kick lights up Atlanta and PSG shocked
Lionel Messi lit up the Club World Cup with a fine free-kick as Inter Milan came from behind to beat Porto in Atlanta. Champions League winners Paris St Germain were stunned by South American champions Botafogo in Group B, while Atletico Madrid proved too strong for the Seattle Sounders. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca faced questions over Mykhailo Mudryk, while Real Madrid revealed star man Kylian Mbappe had been discharged from hospital. Closer to home, Wales boss Rhian Wilkinson scaled new heights to announce her Euro 2025 squad. Lionel Messi magic for Miami Messi doing Messi things – unreal free-kick! ⚽️ Enjoy it from every angle 👏👀 Watch the @fifacwc | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #MIAFCP — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 19, 2025 Lionel Messi scored a trademark free-kick as Inter Miami beat Porto 2-1 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to move a step closer to the last 16 of the Club World Cup. Porto took the lead in the eighth minute from the penalty spot but Miami equalised just after half-time through a thumping finish from Telasco Segovia. Messi then gave the Atlanta crowd what they came for when he clipped home a fine 20-yard free-kick in the 54th minute. Igor Jesus scored the only goal of the game as Botafogo stunned Paris St Germain in Pasadena, with Atletico Madrid beating the Seattle Sounders 3-1 in Group B's other game. Elsewhere in Group A, Palmeiras beat Egyptian side Al Ahly 2-0 at the MetLife Stadium – with the match interrupted during the second half because of the threat of lightning in East Rutherford. Enzo Maresca – I'll talk to 'Misha' soon Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has revealed he has not yet spoken to winger Mykhailo Mudryk since the Ukrainian was charged with violating anti-doping rules. The 24-year-old has not played since being suspended last December after testing positive for a prohibited substance, and is facing a lengthy ban after being charged by the Football Association. Blues boss Maresca fronted questions on Mudryk as he prepared the team for their second Group D match against Flamengo in Philadelphia on Friday. 'The last time I spoke with Misha, he was quite good. I didn't see him worried, or at least I didn't see him not good. It was OK,' Maresca said. 'I don't know how he is now, but for sure in the next days, weeks, we're going to have a talk.' Rhian Wilkinson has high hopes for Wales Rhian Wilkinson hiked up Wales' highest peak at Yr Wyddfa before delivering the names of 23 players determined to scale their own summit at Euro 2025. 'It (qualifying) was always going to be an uphill battle with little setbacks,' said former Canada international Wilkinson. 'As we have moved towards the Euros we have talked about the summit, the Everest part of it. That something is impossible until it isn't. 'Outside Wales people can think whatever they want. Our goal is to show up and deliver to the best of our ability. I am sure people will be looking up Wales on a map very soon.' Kylian Mbappe in and then out of hospital Mbappé medical update. — Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) June 19, 2025 Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has been discharged from hospital after being admitted with 'acute gastroenteritis'. The 26-year-old France international missed Wednesday night's 1-1 Club World Cup draw with Al Hilal through illness, with head coach Xabi Alonso revealing he had a fever. Real Madrid subsequently confirmed Mbappe was suffering from 'an acute case of gastroenteritis' and had been admitted to hospital for further tests and treatment, before later being cleared to return to the team's base. 'Our player Kylian Mbappe was discharged from the hospital this afternoon and has returned to the Real Madrid training camp,' a club statement read. 'Mbappe will continue receiving specific medical treatment and will gradually return to team activity.' What's on today? MD2 vs the Brazilian giants. 🇧🇷🔜 — Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) The Club World Cup continues with Chelsea facing Flamengo in Philadelphia. The Blues will be looking to build on their opening Group D win over LAFC, who play ES Tunis in Nashville.
Powys County Times
21 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Powys child sex offender faces more jail for breach of order
A CHILD sex offender will be sentenced next month after he spent time with a female under 16 whose parent was not aware of his past convictions. Mark Colling breached a court order when he spent time with a parent and their children, but had failed to reveal his past. The 52-year-old is subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), which stipulated he could not spend time with girls under the age of 16 unless it was with a parent or guardian who knew about his past. But he failed to disclose this to one parent who said they would not have allowed children to spend time with him had he done so. Colling, previously from Llandrindod Wells but now of Tan Y Foel in Llanymynech, admitted breaching the sexual harm prevention order last autumn when he appeared at Welshpool Magistrates' Court in May. Colling appeared at Mold Crown Court via videolink from prison in Stafford on Thursday, June 19; having been recalled to prison in October. Representing Colling, Philip Clemo said his client admitted the offence and had been recalled to prison due to the offence taking place while he was on licence. 'He has gone about his business in prison, getting qualifications,' said Mr Clemo. 'He is awaiting a parole board hearing and his offender manager said they would recommend his release. 'For reasons that escape me, he was not charged for this offence until May. I accept he committed the offence while on licence, but he has had to wait until May to be charged.' Judge Rhys Rowlands adjourned the case until July 2. He told Colling: 'Pease do not read anything into that, this is a serious matter. 'It will be difficult for the court to draw back from anything other than an immediate custodial sentence.'
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Climate
- Powys County Times
Searing heat this week made ‘100 times more likely' by climate change
Searing temperatures of 32C this week have been made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change, scientists said. A rapid study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) research group also found the current heatwave in the south-east of England was around 10 times more likely than without human activity warming the planet. Dr Fredi Otto, from Imperial College London, warned heatwaves are 'silent killers', with the impacts of heat 'severely underestimated' and the UK unprepared for the kind of conditions hitting the country into the weekend. Older people are at the highest risk of death, as well as those with heart issues, respiratory illnesses and conditions such as diabetes, while this kind of heatwave earlier in the summer is more deadly as people are less acclimatised to coping with the warmer conditions, the experts warned. And wildfires are an 'emerging risk' in the summer in the UK, with conditions becoming more like southern Europe, the researchers said as they urged people to be very careful about barbecues, cigarettes and glass which can all ignite fires in the hot, dry weather. The study by WWA, which seeks to provide rapid assessments of the role of climate change in specific extreme weather events such as heatwaves or rainstorms that lead to flooding, is only the second time it has analysed an event as forecasted rather than one that has just happened. The analysis, which drew on observations for early summer heat in the south east of the UK, found that a heatwave – defined as three days of temperatures above 28C for the region – in June would be expected once every five years today. But without humans warming the atmosphere by around 1.3C since pre-industrial times, such a heatwave would only have occurred about once every 50 years, the study shows. The heatwave was made approximately 2-4C more intense as a result of the overall warming of the planet, meaning the current weather 'just wouldn't have been a heatwave without human-induced warming', Dr Ben Clarke, from Imperial College London, said. Temperatures had been forecast to hit 32C across the south east on Saturday and had already reached that level on Thursday in London. Heat of that level could be expected in June once in 25 years in the current climate, but only once in 2,500 years in June before industrialisation, the researchers said. While the impacts of temperatures rising above 30C are not as severe as the record-breaking heat topping 40C in some places in July 2022, the researchers warned people were still at risk. They urged people to ensure they were drinking enough water, and to encourage elderly relatives to do the same, avoid areas with high air pollution, keep windows and curtains shut during the day, and consider going to cooler public buildings such as museums to protect against the heat. Dr Clarke, researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, said: 'This heatwave is another reminder that our planet has already heated to a dangerous level. 'We're at 1.3C today, but heading for around 3C this century. 'With every fraction of a degree of warming, the UK will experience hotter, more dangerous heatwaves. 'That means more heat deaths, more pressure on the NHS, more transport disruptions, tougher work conditions and poorer air quality.' Dr Otto, associate professor in climate science at the Centre for Environmental Policy, said: 'We know exactly what has intensified this heatwave – burning oil, gas and coal, which has loaded the atmosphere with planet-heating greenhouse gases. 'It is totally insane we have political leaders in the UK trying to drag us back to the past with calls for more fossil fuels. 'The climate will continue to drive increasingly dangerous heatwaves, fires and floods in the UK until emissions are reduced to net zero globally.' She added that while people working in air conditioned offices would 'probably be OK' this week, poorer people working outdoors, in kitchens or other hot environments and then returning home to poorly insulated flats would be enduring hot conditions throughout. 'Making our societies more equal is essential to reduce the impacts of climate change,' Dr Otto said.
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Met Police introduces patrols to protect women and girls at concerts
New measures are being introduced to tackle sexual offences against women and girls at concerts in London, the Metropolitan Police said. It comes ahead of 51 large-scale music events planned in London this summer, with more than three million people set to attend shows at Wembley Stadium alone. The Met has introduced new violence against women and girls (VAWG) patrols alongside the V100 project, a new data-driven approach to identify serious sexual offenders and prevent crimes. The operation began on June 5 at US singer Beyonce's concert at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and led to the removal of an individual on suspicion of stalking and threatening behaviour, as well as the arrest of a man for upskirting, who remains on police bail. Ben Russell, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police, said: 'The V100 is our approach to identifying those men who are at the top end of carrying out the most serious and harmful attacks against women and girls – that's multiple serious sexual assaults. 'Thankfully, there are a relatively small number of offenders who we believe are behind the most serious crime. 'In the short time we've been running this initiative, we've already arrested 177 of our V100 nominals and 129 of them have been convicted for a range of serious offences. 'And this is about identifying through our data the men posing the biggest risk of women and girls in London and taking action in a very targeted, precise way.' He added: 'With our VAWG patrols, there's two parts to them: Firstly, it's about engagement, so our officers talk to the public, really engage with them, having conversations, helping people to feel safe, and letting them know that if they've got concerns, they can come and speak to us. 'But the other part to it has a much harder edge, which is looking at the crowd and saying, 'who should not be here?' 'So that will not be so visible to normal concert-goers, but we will approach people we think should not be there and we will make sure they leave venues and leave the areas as quickly as possible.' An additional 565 officers and staff have been drafted into public protection roles across the force, aimed at enhancing the domestic abuse, rape and sexual offence investigation teams. The Met has also increased its live facial recognition tools to locate those wanted for offences and those subject to court orders, including sexual harm prevention orders. Mr Russell added: 'For us and the Met, protecting women and girls has been one of our number one priorities for a while now, and we're working really closely with the Government on that, and we're supportive of the mission to try and halve violence against women and girls, over the life of this parliament. 'Part of the way we look at our success is trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police, so we track on a regular basis how much people feel that they think we're doing a good job, and that's something working with the mayor's office, we track regularly. 'It's also about just getting out and arresting people at these events. We think if we spot people in the crowds who are committing these offences and are making arrests, that's a good result. 'Equally, if we recording and these crimes, that tells us that the public have the faith to come forward with over three million people coming to these events in the summer, we know that some crime will take place, a relatively small amount, but when we're able to track it to identify it, to record it, and arrest suspects, that for us is a good result.'
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Powys County Times
Groe footpath in Builth Wells to be partly closed next month
A FOOTPATH in the popular Groe area of Builth Wells will be partly cut off to the public for one day next month due to a popular motorsport event being held in town that day. The Nicky Grist Stages Rally comes to Builth on Saturday, July 12, which will require the closure of part of the Groe footpath for the day. The section of path that will not be accessible is 210 metres long and runs adjacent to North Road and Church Street, from the Alpha Chapel access point to Builth's Ysgol Calon Cymru campus. 'We have received the following notification from Powys County Council regarding an upcoming short term temporary closure of public rights of way, which is needed due the Nicky Grist Stages Rally motorsport event on 12th July,' said Builth Wells Town Council in a post on its Facebook page. 'Paths to be closed (are) Footpath 8, Builth Wells, from SO040510 to SO038512, for approximately 210 metres. 'Alternative route: Follow Church Street then North Road to entrance to Builth Groe at play area and vice versa. 'By way of explanation, Powys County Council adopted a revised protocol for authorising motorsport events on March 3, 2020, which now requires that public rights of way be closed for the duration of a motorsport event.' Organisers of the rally confirmed last month that the stage would be returning to Builth. With the rally so start in Strand Street while the finish will be on the banks of the River Wye, and the service area will be located on the Groe, on the town's rugby pitch. 'I am delighted that we have got what is probably the most-liked stage of the Nicky Grist Stages back in the 2025 edition – Route 60,' said Nicky Grist. 'Route 60 is such a fantastic stage with wonderful high speed and flowing corners that nearly everyone enjoys. 'I was also overjoyed when we found out that Storm Darragh did not affect us anywhere near as badly as other stages in Wales and I am looking forward to catching up with everyone at the event in Builth Wells in July.' 'At the beginning of the year there were some doubts as to whether we would be able to run the 2025 Nicky Grist Stages, thanks to the damage caused in the Welsh forests by Storm Darragh and military training operations combining to seriously curtail the stage mileage available to us on both NRW and MOD land,' admits Neil Cross, the clerk of the course. 'However, with the invaluable co-operation and hard work of NRW, the MOD and Rally4Wales we have instead put together a fantastic route.' Organisers thanked Powys County Council, Builth Wells Town Council, Builth Wells Rugby Club and local businesses and residents for their support. Further details about the 2020 protocol can be found at
