Live: Wales breaking news plus weather and traffic updates (Thursday, June 13) (2024)

Goodnight

That's all for tonight. We'll be back on Friday morning for more breaking news, weather, traffic updates and more.

Police launch appeal for missing man

Police are appealing for information about a man who has been missing for six months. Kevin Machent, 38, was last seen in early January 2024 in the Llanrumney area of Cardiff.

South Wales Police have now released a missing persons appeal in an attempt to find out more about his potential whereabouts. Kevin is described as roughly 5ft 10in tall and is of slim build with short dark hair, a medium-length beard, and brown eyes.

Anyone who may have seen Kevin, or who has information which will help police find him, is asked to contact them quoting occurrence number 2400184852. They can be contacted via their website live chat, an online form, or by emailing swp101@south-wales. police.uk or calling 101. In the case of an emergency always dial 999. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or through their online form.

Crash in Cwmbran

There has been a crash in Cwmbran which has closed a road in both directions. Inrix reports that Henllys Way is closed in both directions from Greenmeadow Way to Ty Coch Way due to an accident.

Traffic monitoring cameras appear to show traffic is coping well.

M4 bridge to close overnight

A key motorway bridge will be shut to traffic tonight. The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge will be closed on the westbound carriageway from junction 22 to junction 23 for Rogiet from 10pm tonight (Thursday) until 6am tomorrow due to essential roadworks.

A number of other closures will take place along the M4 in the coming days. They are as follows:

• Westbound junction 22 entry slip road closed from 9pm on Friday, June 14 to 6am on Saturday. June 15
• Eastbound junction 23 to junction 22 from 9pm on Monday, June 17 to 6am on Tuesday, June 18

Traffic Wales advises that the diversion route is on the M48 Severn Bridge.

Labour launches general election manifesto

Labour has launched its general election manifesto. In it Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has set out his plan for "change" promising to "restore hope" , "end the Conservative chaos", "turn the page decisively" on Conservative ideas, and "rebuild our country". The bold offer also includes details about what a government led by Sir Keir would do for Wales.

We've taken a look at what the manifesto means for Wales and you can read that in full here.

All lanes reopened on A449

All lanes have now reopened on the A449 after the earlier vehicle collision with a barrier, which had caused heavy traffic from the A40 Raglan interchange to the A472 Usk Interchange.

A477 closed due to serious accident

The A477 has been closed in both directions due to a serious accident. Inrix reports that the road was shut at around 4.30pm n both directions and that the incident happened at the Llanddowror turnoff.

Traffic maps show there is congestion in the area.

40-minute delays on Brynglas Tunnels

There are currently 40-minute delays on the Brynglas Tunnels. Inrix says: "Delays on M4 Brynglas Tunnels westbound before junction 26 A4051 (Malpas Road). Travel time is 40 minutes."

One lane of A449 closed due to crash

One lane of the the A449 is closed due to a vehicle colliding with a barrier. Inrix reports that one lane is closed and there is very slow traffic due to an accident on the A449 southbound from the A40 (Raglan Interchange, Raglan) to the A472 (Usk Interchange, Usk).

Man carried out 'brutal attack' after 20 pints

A man downed 20 pints of cider before brutally attacking a man who had previously had an affair with his partner, a court has heard.

David Davies repeatedly punched and kicked his victim to the face after coming across him outside a pub.

Welsh MP refuses to apologise for 'error of judgement'

A Welsh Conservative MP who works as an aide to Rishi Sunak and put a £100 bet on the election being called for June 4 has refused to say anything more about it.

Craig Williams was approached by a reporter for S4C in his constituency but refused to add to his statement apologising for an "error of judgement".

Gran, 82, spends 18 hours in hospital corridor

An elderly woman endured 18 "hellish" hours in a Welsh hospital corridor awaiting medical care and a bed, her daughter has disclosed.

The subsequent CT scan revealed that she had sustained two new fractures to her neck in addition to a third, previously undiagnosed fracture from when she was 14.

Plaid launches election manifesto

Plaid Cymru have launched their General Election manifesto, with calls for the UK to rejoin the Single Market.

Rhun ap Iorwerth, the leader of the party, pledged to put Wales first, with a fight for fairer funding for the country at the launch event in Cardiff on Thursday.

The party is calling for windfall taxes on oil and gas companies, money "owed to Wales" in rail funding and for closer ties with the EU- which the country left following Brexit. See the key pledges here.

Dramatic change in weather

Weather forecasters are warning of winds of more than 50mph and heavy rain affecting most of the country by the end of the day.

It might be June, but it looks set to feel more like the middle of autumn as an area of low pressure moves in from the east. Read more here.

Man dies after A40 crash

A man has died after a crash in Carmarthenshire which closed a section of the A40 for around 10 hours.

The collision happened shortly after 1pm on Wednesday, June 12, between Llanwrda and Llandovery and involved a campervan and a motorcycle.

Burglars target family after items put on Facebook Marketplace

A gang of burglars from the Bristol area travelled to Wales to raid a farm and steal off-road bikes, a court has heard. David King, Sheldon Meaker, and a third male equipped themselves with masks, gloves, and bolt cutters and crossed the border in a stolen van.

Swansea Crown Court heard the trio were caught red-handed stealing a scrambler motorbike from a shed in the early hours of the morning - one was caught at the farm, one ended up getting stuck under the farmer's pickup truck after fleeing on one of the stolen machines,

YouGov poll shows who won Sky News general election debate

A poll suggests that Keir Starmer won the Sky News debate by a clear margin. A snap YouGov poll that followed the Battle for No10 debate on Wednesday night showed the Labour leader winning by a margin of almost two to one.

Around 64% of those polled said Sir Keir was the better performer, ahead of Mr Sunak who had the approval of 36% of 1,864 respondents.

The good news for the Labour leader comes as he prepares to launch his full general election offer after saying it will not contain any "tax surprises" for voters. Read more here.

Fire closes busy Newport road

Emergency services are at the scene of a fire that has seen a busy Newport road closed for hours.

They were called to reports of a fire at an address in Commercial Road, Newport, at around 4.30am on Thursday, June 13.

Gwent Police has said that there are no reports of injuries to residents. Live updates here.

Club's tribute to rugby stalwart

A community has come together to pay tribute to a beloved father, partner, and rugby club stalwart after he died suddenly during a game of tag rugby.

Lee Southall, 36, fondly known as the “people’s captain” at Hollybush RFC near Blackwood, became ill during the friendly session on Tuesday evening. Read how the community has rallied here.

Rail passengers warned as line blocked

Train services are at a standstill on the line between Ystrad Rhondda and Trehafod.

Transport for Wales says it is due to a problem with the signals at Dinas, Rhondda.

Rishi Sunak aide faces gambling inquiry

A Welsh politician who is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's private secretary is facing questions after it emerged he placed a bet on when a general election would be held just days before it was announced. It is understood Craig Williams, who was MP for Montgomeryshire at the time, placed a bet of £100 on a July election being called.

The Gambling Commission have now launched an inquiry into the matter. Read more here.

Police incident closes Newport road

A police incident has closed a busy Newport road.

Commercial Road is currently closed between Albert Street and Frederick Street.

Gwent Police says: "Diversions are in place which may cause congestion. Please avoid the area if possible and find alternative routes for your journey."

Met Office forecast for Thursday

It is the calm before the storm this morning as it turns wet and windy today, with coastal gales in the west. Here is the full forecast for Wales today:

Showery rain soon reaching western coasts this morning and quickly spreading to the rest of Wales. Thereafter generally wet with periods of heavy rain. Becoming unseasonably windy for many with gales likely on western coasts. Feeling cool for June. Maximum temperature 15 °C.

Cloudy and damp this evening with drizzle and rain at times. Turning drier overnight but showers remain possible. Winds easing though staying breezy on coasts. Much milder than last night. Minimum temperature 10 °C

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