Thousands of people are expected to attend Port Talbot this weekend as the town gears up to welcome an annual Welsh festival.
The Urdd Eisteddfod is a celebration of Welsh culture when children and young people up to the age of 25 take part in a variety of competitions.
There are 400 of them in total, including singing, reciting poetry and dancing.
The Urdd organisation itself was established more than a century ago in 1922, with the aim of giving children and young people in Wales the opportunity to learn and socialise in the Welsh language.
Its six-day Eisteddfod is held during May half-term and in a different part of Wales each year.
The Urdd Eisteddfod broke its own records last year, with more than 100,000 registrations to compete.
Image: A choir competes at the 2024 Eisteddfod yr Urdd. Pic: Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Margam Park is home to this year’s event – the first time since 2003 that it’s played host.
Among the main prizes up for grabs this year are the chair (awarded to the main poetry competition winner) and the crown (awarded to the main prose competition winner).
This year’s crown and chair have been made using some of the final pieces of steel produced at Port Talbot steelworks before the closure of the blast furnaces last year.
Image: The chair at the 2025 Eisteddfod yr Urdd was created using some of the last pieces of steel produced at the Port Talbot steelworks. Pic: Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Image: Pic: Urdd Gobaith Cymru
There are some new additions to this year’s Eisteddfod, including awards for singing, musical theatre and acting, named in honour of Sir Bryn Terfel, Callum Scott Howells and Matthew Rhys.
Another new award – the Amy Dowden award for dance – will also be awarded for the first time this week.
Speaking to Sky News, Strictly Come Dancing star Dowden said it was a “real honour” to be supporting the next generation of dancers.
“The arts and the industry is tough, and I just hope that [the young people] can see that I’ve managed to push myself through it,” she said.
“I’ve worked hard, I’ve had a few challenges along the way. Hopefully I can help inspire them as well.”
Image: Amy Dowden. File pic: PA
‘It’s like Britain’s Got Talent’
As a former competitor herself in what is one of Europe’s largest touring youth festivals, Dowden says she “couldn’t imagine [her] childhood without it”.
“I’ve loved Eisteddfods since I can remember. Every year at school I took part in everything, from the baking to the reciting poems, to the folk dancing, to the creative dancing,” she said.
“The Urdd Eisteddfod is literally like one big talent competition, it’s like Britain’s Got Talent.”
The winner of the Amy Dowden award will get one-to-one sessions with her as part of the prize, as well as masterclasses at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
They will have the opportunity to perform on an international stage and also win a cash prize.
“I know from my dance training and everything, each of those is so beneficial to getting yourself to that professional level,” Dowden added.
Richard E Grant has shared an emotional video of his trip to Barry – the town made famous by the hit TV show Gavin And Stacey.
He was joined by the show’s co-creator Ruth Jones, who is best known for playing Nessa.
They are both filming a new drama called The Other Bennet Sister, which delves into a character in Jane Austen’s Pride And Prejudice.
Grant excitedly said “oh my god” as he stood outside Stacey’s family home – and headed across the road to Uncle Bryn’s.
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Prosecutors and defence lawyers have rested their cases in the sex-trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, bringing more than six weeks of testimony against the hip-hop mogul to a close.
The high-profile trial has heard from more than 30 witnesses, including the rapper’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, as well as former employees of his company Bad Boy Entertainment, male escorts, law enforcement officers and hotel staff.
But one person jurors won’t hear from is Combs himself.
Confirming this to Judge Arun Subramanian, the rapper said he had discussed the issue of testifying “thoroughly” with his team and made the decision not to give evidence. He also thanked the judge and told him he was doing an “excellent job”.
Image: Cassie Ventura was heavily pregnant when she testified at the start of the trial. Pic: Jane Rosenberg/ Reuters
After the prosecution rested, the defence team moved for the judge to acquit the 55-year-old – a fairly standard move – saying attorneys for the government had not provided evidence to prove any of the charges filed.
They then presented a brief case themselves, submitting more text messages as evidence to show Combs and his girlfriends were in loving, consensual relationships, and making a few stipulations about testimony, but calling no witnesses. This lasted for less than an hour.
They have previously conceded Combs has been violent in the past, something he is “not proud” of, but said this did not make him a sex trafficker.
The charges against ‘Diddy’
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex-trafficking, and two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has strenuously denied all allegations of sexual abuse. The hip-hop mogul’s defence team has described him as “a complicated man” but say the case is not.
They have conceded Combs could be violent and that jurors might not condone his proclivity for “kinky sex”. However, they argue this was a consensual “swingers” lifestyle and was not illegal.
Combs has remained in jail without bail since he was arrested in New York in September last year.
Throughout the trial, defence lawyers have made their case for exoneration through their questioning of witnesses called by the prosecution, including several who gave evidence reluctantly or after they were granted immunity to testify.
Prosecutors argue Combs coerced and forced Cassie and another former girlfriend, who testified under the pseudonym Jane, into “freak off” sex sessions with male escorts, and used his business empire to facilitate these, as well as drug use, and cover up bad behaviour.
Image: Jurors have seen several clips of explicit footage. Pic: Jane Rosenberg/ Reuters
During the first week of the trial, Cassie, 38, spent four days giving evidence. Heavily pregnant at the time, she told jurors she felt pressured to take part in hundreds of “freak offs” with male sex workers as Combs watched.
She told the court they became so frequent during their relationship, which began in 2007 and ended in 2018, that they were “like a job”, and she had barely any time for her own career.
The singer and musician gave birth two weeks after her testimony, her friend and former stylist confirmed as he gave evidence himself in court.
Jane testified for six days about similar sexual performances, which Combs referred to as “hotel nights”, “wild king nights” or “debauchery” with her, the court heard. Like Cassie, she said she felt coerced into engaging in them because she loved the music star and wanted to please him.
Jane dated Combs on and off from early 2021 to his arrest in 2024.
Jurors have been shown several recordings of these sex sessions, lasting more than 40 minutes in total. The footage was shown on monitors and jurors used headphones, keeping it private from the media and members of the public in court.
In her opening statement, defence lawyer Teny Geragos called the videos “powerful evidence that the sexual conduct in this case was consensual and not based on coercion”.
The trial also heard from Mia, another alleged victim who testified under a pseudonym. Mia was a former employee of Combs, who told the court he sexually assaulted her on several occasions in the years she worked for him.
She had never told anyone about the alleged abuse until the investigation into Combs, she said, telling the court she was ashamed. “I was going to die with this,” she said, becoming tearful on the stand. “I didn’t want anyone to know ever.”
The trial has been eventful, with one juror dismissed and replaced by an alternate after it emerged he had given conflicting evidence about where he lives. The judge said he had “serious concerns” that not being truthful about this could potentially mean he wanted to be on the jury for a particular reason.
And at one point, Combs was warned by the judge for nodding enthusiastically toward jurors during a section of cross-examination by his lawyers. The judge said he could be excluded from the trial if it happened again.
Court is not in session on Wednesday. The trial continues on Thursday, when closing statements from the legal teams will begin.
Former Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The 67-year-old announced his diagnosis on social media, saying it was one of stage four “advanced” cancer.
He said he was “fortunate to have a simply outstanding medical team” looking after him that was “administering the best possible care with expertise, compassion and sensitivity”.
“I’m responding positively to their excellent treatment, and feeling well,” he added.
“I’m blessed to be fortified by the monumental love and support of my wife, family and close friends.
“Needless to say, my message to all men over 50, in high risk groups, or displaying symptoms, is get yourself tested and campaign for routine prostate screening by the NHS.
“Early detection is crucial. And be aware, this disease can sometimes progress rapidly without obvious symptoms.”
Image: Murnaghan also presented on BBC News and ITV News
Murnaghan said he would be taking part in Sir Chris Hoy’s charity bike ride in Glasgow in September, which aims to “shine a spotlight” on stage four cancer.