Western Mail

Rhodri Salutes Wales' Wartime Spirit and Sacrifice 70 Years On

WALES owes a debt of gratitude to those who served and sacrificed their lives in World War II, First Minister Rhodri Morgan said yesterday. As commemorations of the 70th anniversary of Britain's involvement in the war are held today, Mr Morgan said subsequent gener-ations, including his own, had not faced challenges like those faced in 1939-45.

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Murder Accused 'Faced Losing His Home' ; Father Believed Driverline Agency Owed Him Pounds 3,000, Court Told

A DRIVER accused of murdering his boss and tying up and pouring petrol over three other colleagues, had received a letter saying his house was to be repossessed, a court heard yesterday. Russell Carter left his home one day last October and made his way to the Driverline 247 agency at New Inn, near Pontypool, after giving his wife and child a kiss, Newport Crown Court was told.

Power Station Peace Talks to Start Again

FRESH talks aimed at averting industrial action by thousands of engineering construction workers will resume tomorrow as the results of strike ballots start to be revealed. The GMB said yesterday it will give the outcome of its ballot among workers at a number of power stations and other sites to employers at the meeting tomorrow.

The Situation has Been Made More Stressful by Being the Mother of a Particularly Successful Daughter ; Three-Year Driving Ban for Mum of West End Star

THE mother of West End singing star Connie Fisher was banned from driving for three years yesterday for committing two drink-drive related offences in the space of three months. And 61-year-old Janet Fisher put on quite a performance when she appeared for sentence at Carmarthen Magistrates' Court.

Modern Wales Owes the Generation Who Signed Up to Fight Hitler One Hell of a Lot ; First Minister Reflects On How the Nation United Against Nazis On 70th Anniversary of World War Ii

FIRST Minister Rhodri Morgan yesterday described the debt of gratitude modern Wales owes to the generation who made sacrifices and served in World War Two in battle and on the Home Front. With the 70th anniversary of Britain's involvement in the war marked today, Mr Morgan contemplated what it meant for people to go on missions where death was by no means a distant prospect.

The Day Britain Was Told 'Long Struggle' for Peace Had Failed

IT IS 70 years today since Britain declared war on Germany after the Nazi invasion of Poland two days earlier. At 11.15am on September 3, 1939, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain admitted to the nation in a sombre radio broadcast that his "long struggle to win peace" had failed.

A Parachute Mine Went Off a Few Yards Away, Blowing Me Backwards Until I Hit a Wall ... I Dusted My Jacket Down and Applied My Lipstick - My Lipstick Was Like My Armour ; Uk's Youngest Air Raid Warden Recalls the Blitz

SHE brushed incendiary bombs off the roof of a bank, ran towards target areas while others dashed for shelter and simply dusted herself down and applied lipstick after being blown up by a parachute mine. At 17 years old, Elaine Kidwell embodied the nation's Blitz spirit as Britain's youngest wartime air raid warden.

Magazines Created by Welsh Pows in Stalag Ivb Go Online

MAGAZINES created by Welsh prisoners of war in the notorious Stalag IVb in Germany during World War II have been unveiled online by the National Library of Wales. The prisoners were members of the Cymric Club in the grim POW camp near Mhlberg, Germany.

Google Agrees to More Swiss Blurring ; World Newsbulletin

GOOGLE yesterday said its Street View service will blur some pictures from Switzerland even more after a Swiss official said the images were violating the country's strict privacy laws. The blurring of people's faces and car number plates will be significantly improved, said Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel.

At Least 33 Killed by Indonesia Quake ; World Newsbulletin

A POWERFUL earthquake rattled southern Indonesia yesterday, killing at least 33 people. The magnitude 7.0 quake struck off the southern coast of the main island of Java, where most of Indonesia's 235 million people live. With dozens reported missing, the death toll was expected to rise.

Jackson's Estate to Pay for Funeral ; World Newsbulletin

MICHAEL JACKSON'S estate will pay what are being called "extraordinary" expenses for the singer's funeral. A judge in Los Angeles authorised the current administrators of Jackson's estate to pay for the costs of the funeral and burial, which are scheduled for today. Lawyers for Jackson's mother, Katherine, had asked the judge to sign off on the expenses.

Match of the Day for Lineker and Danielle

FOOTBALLER turned Match-of-The-Day presenter Gary Lineker married his model girlfriend Danielle Bux yesterday. A spokeswoman for Cardiff-born Bux said the couple wed in Ravello, Italy, but refused to give any further details.

Murderer Wins Birthmark Surgery Battle ; Uk Newsbulletin

'Soft' Prison Terms Attacked by Judge ; Uk Newsbulletin

A JUDGE said yesterday that courts were being forced to hand out soft jail terms to dangerous and violent criminals because of Government sentencing guidelines. Judge Ian Pearson, who sits at Portsmouth Crown Court, said he and his colleagues were restricted from giving longer sentences for offences such as grievous bodily harm (GBH) and dangerous driving. He added that the courts "shouldn't shirk away from imposing prison sentences when appropriate".

Princes' Phones 'May Have' Been Hacked ; Uk Newsbulletin

THE phones of Princes William and Harry could have been hacked into by reporters, a senior police officer said yesterday as he was questioned by Welsh MP Adam Price. Detective Chief Superintendent Philip Williams, of the Metropolitan Police, was giving evidence to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

'No Double-Dealing' Over Megrahi, Brown Insists ; Conservatives Demand Inquiry Into Lockerbie Bomber's Release

PRIME MINISTER Gordon Brown yesterday insisted there had been "no double-dealing" by UK ministers over the release of the Lockerbie bomber. His comments came as Foreign Secretary David Miliband confirmed Libya was told earlier this year that the Prime Minister did not want to see Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi die in a Scottish jail.

Firefighters Fight Back Against California Wildfires

FIREFIGHTERS reported progress yesterday against a gigantic blaze on the edge of Los Angeles - that might herald greater dangers ahead. The peak southern California fire season has not even started yet, and the worst fires typically flare up in the autumn, when ferocious Santa Ana winds can drive blazes into suburbs.

Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills Afghan Intelligence Leader

A TALIBAN suicide bomber killed Afghanistan's deputy chief of intelligence during a visit to a mosque east of Kabul yesterday, in an attack that left 22 others dead. The bombing, which occurred in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, struck at the heart of Afghanistan's intelligence service and underscored the Taliban's increasing ability to carry off complex and targeted assaults.