Western Mail

Rugby Meltdown

Welsh rugby chiefs were last night facing up to potential meltdown in our regional game ... just 10 weeks after the high of Mike Ruddock's national team winning the Grand Slam. The four Welsh regions - Llanelli Scarlets, Neath-Swansea Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and the Newport-Gwent Dragons - are to hold urgent talks this morning after, in effect, being kicked out of the Celtic League.

Going Crazy About the Web Market for Gadgets

The first signs of summer may be here, but Phillip White's thoughts are focused on Christmas. His website, Crazyabout- gadgets.co.uk, has arrived on the internet.

Technology Wales Event Cancelled As Its Organisers Cease Trading

The company behind what was billed as Wales's showcase technology event has ceased trading. After what organisers TH Events described as a 'series of unfortunate circumstances' its Technology Wales conference (TWO5), which was postponed days before it was due to be staged on May 20, will now not take place at all. The company was planning to reschedule it for October.

Tighter Purse Strings 'Could Benefit Peacock'

Retailer Peacock yesterday said the discount end of the clothing market was holding up well despite a growing reluctance of shoppers to splash out on fashion. Cardiff-based Peacock Group, which operates the Peacocks, bonmarche and Fragrance Shop brands, said like-for-like sales rose 3.6% in the year to March 31, adding that the value sector had grown at a faster rate than the clothing market overall.

'I Grabbed Him Under My Arm, but He Kept Slipping Back'

The baby brother of a two-year-old boy who drowned in a holiday park pond was the only witness to the accident. Alex Marsden was just 14 months old when his brother Matthew drowned while on a family holiday.

Blessed Are the Peaceful Laptop Users in North Aisle

A quiet corner of St John's Church in Cardiff's bustling city centre is being turned into a wireless broadband internet zone. The Rev Keith Kimber is setting aside a part of the north aisle of the church to widen the church's appeal and create an area where laptop users can work in seclusion without noisy distractions.

Confidence Rises with End of Election Uncertainty

Business confidence has risen sharply in the past month now that uncertainty over the effects of the last Budget and the general election have ended, a new survey showed yesterday. A poll of 200 firms by Lloyds TSB Financial Markets revealed that the service sector was the most optimistic.

Politics in Way of Fairness in Trade

When the Berlin Wall cracked and collapsed it was assumed the days of fierce economic debates were buried beneath its bricks and barbed wire. Subsequent decades, prominent policy pundits predicted, would feature a steady liberalising of economies, freeing of trade and unfettering of capitalism.

Postman Pat in Us Breakthrough

Shares in Entertainment Rights hit their highest level for four years yesterday on news of a 'landmark' deal to broadcast Postman Pat episodes in the United States. Analysts said the agreement with HBO - the biggest premium pay- TV channel in the US - opened up a potential market of more than 35 million homes.

Mandelson Launches 'Gladiatorial Clash' with Us Over Aircraft Subsidies

European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson yesterday announced tit-for-tat legal moves against Washington in the latest round of an escalating transatlantic feud over aircraft subsidies. The former cabinet minister warned it would be 'the biggest, most difficult and costly legal dispute in World Trade Organisation history.'

Pub Pioneer On the Road to a Better Type of Food

Great pubs should be places where it is possible to enjoy the finest quality food, according to the ambitious founder of Artizan Leisure. Phil Thomas aims to create a network of pubs which serve food normally found only in top restaurants. The first pub to be bought by the venture is The Bush in the village of St Hilary, in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Green Homes for Tenants

United Welsh - a housing association recently named the fourth best employer in Britain - is building a development of environ- mentally-friendly homes. The houses, in the Caerphilly community of Pontywaun, are south facing to benefit from as much natural heat and light as possible.

We Are Celebrities

Catherine zeta-jones could be lining up alongside a string of A- list celebrities announced as part of an 'all-star' golfing showdown in Wales. Zeta-Jones and husband Michael Douglas have been tipped to join the line-up announced yesterday for the competition, featuring teams from Europe and America.

Ex-Welsh Office Minister Hits Back Over Criticism of His Move to Top Nhs Job

Former Welsh Office Minister Win Griffiths yesterday revealed he had been approached late last year by 'someone political' about taking a top job in the NHS. But the recently retired MP for Bridgend said he could not remember who that person was.

Ryanair's Profits Take Off Again, but so Does Fuel

Low-cost airline Ryanair said yesterday its prospects appeared more positive than a year ago after it posted a 19% rise in annual profits. The Dublin-based carrier, headed by chief executive Michael O'Leary, exceeded forecasts with profits of 268.9m euros (pounds 184m) for the year to March 31.

Footballers' Wives Lift the Shed Roof

One of the UK's biggest independent TV production firms said yesterday its interim profits had quadrupled as the Footballers' Wives phenomenon showed no sign of slowing down. Shed Productions has been recommissioned by ITV for a fifth series of the hit show, which chronicles the colourful lives of characters such as Amber Gates and Tanya Turner.

American Critic Finally Invests in Northern Ireland

A LONG-term American critic of employment practices in Northern Ireland announced yesterday he is committing millions of dollars towards business development in the province. Alan Hevesi, controller of the pounds 66bn New York State retirement fund, is investing pounds 3.75m with Belfast private equity fund Crescent Capital in a new pounds 22.5m venture capital fund sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland.

'You Won't See Me On Checkout 25 Any More'

Welsh lottery winners Ken Henry and Sandra Fosbrooke plan to buy a new house, two cars and a villa abroad - but first they want to take a long break. As revealed in the Western Mail yesterday, the couple won pounds 12.8m on the weekend's Lotto Extra draw with the lucky numbers 5,7,9,12,18 and 39. It is the most ever won in Wales.

Wales Selling Itself to World

Leading figures from the global tourism industry will be Wales later this year for a business to business event. When last held two years ago the Wales Tourist Board's Showcase conference gave over 100 tourism businesses across Wales the opportunity to sell themselves to 250 UK and international decision makers.

Powerstationsold Forpounds 500m

One of the UK's newest and most efficient power stations was acquired yesterday in a deal worth around pounds 500m. International Power, which has 37 sites in 17 countries, said it had teamed up with Japanese counterpart Mitsui to buy the Saltend power plant near Hull.