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Politics

Donald Trump wins historic return to the White House

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Donald Trump has been elected the 47th President of the United States, securing a remarkable return to power after his first term’s turbulent end. His victory caps a four-year journey marred by controversies, including a refusal to concede his prior defeat, a violent Capitol insurrection, felony convictions, and surviving two assassination attempts.

Trump clinched the presidency by winning Wisconsin, reaching the required 270 electoral votes. His combative approach resonated deeply with his base, fueling support with a fierce campaign against his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, whom he attacked in intensely personal terms. Trump’s rhetoric painted an apocalyptic vision of America, claiming it was overrun by violent migrants and dominated by social chaos. This stance found a strong following, particularly among men, in an increasingly polarized nation.

“Unprecedented mandate”

In a victory speech Wednesday morning, Trump proclaimed an “unprecedented and powerful mandate” from voters. The election season proved historically contentious, marked by Trump’s survival of two assassination attempts and the sudden replacement of Joe Biden with Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Harris, the first woman of color to lead a major party’s ticket, struggled to differentiate herself from the current administration’s challenges as Biden stepped aside amid concerns about his age.

Trump, now 78, becomes the oldest elected president and the first former president to reclaim office since Grover Cleveland in 1892. His running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, at 40, becomes one of the youngest vice presidents, representing the millennial generation in the highest ranks of American government.

Aggressive agenda

In his second term, Trump has pledged to reshape the federal government and pursue retribution against opponents. With most of his Republican critics in Congress sidelined, he faces fewer constraints. The Supreme Court, now including three Trump-appointed justices, recently ruled in favor of expanded presidential immunity from prosecution, further strengthening his position.

Trump’s victory reflects a national divide over democracy, as seen in a comprehensive survey showing many voters motivated by fears for democratic integrity. Harris campaigned hard on this theme, warning against Trump’s authoritarian tendencies. Yet Trump’s supporters, motivated by concerns over immigration and inflation, backed his hardline stance.

Violence and tumult on the campaign trail

The campaign’s climax was marked by a dramatic incident in July when a gunman fired at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania, grazing Trump’s ear and killing a supporter. Despite blood streaking his face, Trump raised his fist defiantly to the crowd. Weeks later, Secret Service agents thwarted another assassination attempt while Trump was golfing, discovering a weapon in the bushes.

His return to the White House seemed improbable in early 2021, following his departure from Washington amid isolation and impeachment after the Capitol riot. Many dismissed him, but Trump maintained a stronghold from Mar-a-Lago, securing loyal Republican allies like Kevin McCarthy, who visited him shortly after he left office, affirming his continued influence.

Now, Trump enters his second term with sweeping plans to transform American governance, reinforce control, and settle scores, ushering in an era likely to be as divisive and consequential as his first.

News

Plaid politicians criticise final settlement for Ceredigion

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Elin Jones MS and Ben Lake MP call for further support

PLAID CYMRU politicians have slammed the latest budget settlement for Ceredigion, arguing that the Welsh Government’s funding formula unfairly penalises rural communities.

The county has received a funding increase of 3.6% for 2025/26, ranking 15th out of 22 local authorities in Wales. This represents the lowest increase per head of population in the country. By comparison, councils such as Newport and Cardiff received increases of 5.6% and 5.3% respectively.

The Welsh Government’s settlement has left Ceredigion County Council facing a budget shortfall of £7.4m to £7.5m, forcing it to consider cuts to services or significant council tax rises to balance the books. The council is currently modelling a potential 9.7% to 9.9% council tax increase to address the funding gap.

Ceredigion County Council HQ

Elin Jones MS said: “This is a minuscule uplift for Ceredigion Council and will give the council very little flexibility to ease its budgetary pressures. By having a lower than average uplift from Welsh Government, the effect of this will be felt by important local services and the council taxpayers in Ceredigion. If the funding floor had matched the average increase of 4.3%, as had been hoped, then the pressure on services and taxpayers in Ceredigion would have been much eased.”

Ben Lake MP added: “It is disappointing once again that rural councils are being disproportionately underfunded by the Labour Welsh Government. There seems to be an inherent bias in the funding formula against rural areas and this needs to be investigated and rectified. Council taxpayers in rural areas are having to pay more than their fair share and this is increasingly unsustainable.”

Funding concerns and service pressures

The council’s budget report warns of continued financial difficulties, with cost pressures expected to reach £11.8m in the next financial year. These include a £4m burden due to National Insurance increases, £2.4m to cover pay rises for social care workers under the Real Living Wage policy, and an additional £2m for out-of-county children’s placements.

While a 10.5% increase in capital funding from the Welsh Government will provide an additional £612,000 for infrastructure projects, the council states that overall funding remains lower in real terms than it was 15 years ago.

Ceredigion has also suffered a significant cut in its allocation from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which has been slashed by 43% from £8.8m to £5m. The council warns this will impact local economic development projects.

Calls for a fairer funding model

Both local Plaid Cymru politicians and Ceredigion County Council leaders are urging the Welsh Government to implement a funding floor of at least 4.3% in the final budget settlement. The council argues that the current system disadvantages rural areas like Ceredigion, where service delivery costs are higher due to a sparse population and greater travel distances.

The council’s financial resilience report warns that without changes to the funding formula, future budgets will remain unsustainable, with increasing pressure on council taxpayers to make up for shortfalls.

Elin Jones MS and Ben Lake MP have vowed to continue lobbying for a fairer deal for Ceredigion, highlighting the disproportionate burden placed on rural communities compared to urban areas.

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News

Hydrogen fuel plant development planned for Pembroke Dock

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A 15MW green hydrogen fuel production facility scheme at a Pembrokeshire dockyard has been submitted to county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire county Council, green energy specialists Haush Ltd is seeking permission for the facility, including electrolysers, compressors, a substation, and associated infrastructure, at Gate 4, Pembroke Dockyard, The Dockyard, Pembroke Dock.

Green hydrogen is produced from water, in an electrolysing process using electricity obtained from renewable sources, in this case through an 11kV substation supplied by renewable electricity via the national grid.

A supporting statement through agent Locogen Consulting Ltd, a specialist Renewable Energy Consultancy based in Edinburgh, says: “Haush’s vision is to address one of the biggest challenges of our time – decarbonising the transportation and construction industries. Their innovative solution lies in working in partnership with communities to produce Green Hydrogen, a clean and renewable energy vector that can significantly reduce carbon emissions.”

It adds: “The applicant has sought to identify opportunities to produce and supply Green Hydrogen across the UK to areas where it is most needed. The site was considered suitable for the proposed development, as it would align with the ambition for Pembroke Dock Marine to transition to a world-class centre for marine energy and engineering, focussed on the low carbon energy sector.

“The applicant’s ambition to deliver the proposed development, which would produce clean energy from Hydrogen, aligns with the aspiration and vision for Pembroke Dock Marine.”

It says there would be up to six HGV movements to and from the site per day when operational, with “each taking approximately five hours to fill to capacity, resulting in a low turnaround of vehicles to and from the site”.

On safety issues, it says: “The site would utilise rigorous safety measures, alongside the applicant adopting a production strategy that further reduces the risk profile.

“Most notably, there will be no fixed onsite storage of Hydrogen. Instead, Hydrogen will be produced and compressed on-demand and will be transported immediately offsite using operated tube-trailers owned by the applicant.”

The application will be considered at a later date.

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News

Significant funding boost restores Welsh publishing to pre-cut levels

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THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has confirmed a major funding boost for Wales’ publishing sector, restoring its financial support to pre-cut levels and reinforcing its commitment to the creative industries.

An additional £272,000 will be allocated to the sector through the Books Council of Wales (BCW), as part of the government’s Final Budget for 2025-2026. This is in addition to an earlier uplift of £120,000 announced in the draft budget, bringing the total increase in funding for the next financial year to £392,000.

This move effectively restores the sector’s overall funding to 2023-2024 levels, reversing reductions made in the previous budget cycle. The BCW, which operates as an arms-length body, will oversee the distribution of these funds to publishers across Wales.

Investment in international presence and diversity

The Welsh Government has also reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to promoting Welsh publishing on the global stage. Additional funding is regularly provided to the BCW to support Welsh publishers at major international events, including the Frankfurt Book Fair and the London Book Fair. Last year, 18 Welsh publishers attended Frankfurt, where they showcased their work to a global audience.

Beyond international outreach, the government is investing in broadening audience engagement through the BCW’s New Audiences Fund, managed by Creative Wales. Over the past three years, £1.5 million has been channelled into more than 100 projects, leading to the creation of 117 new jobs and commissioning of over 540 pieces of work. The initiative aims to increase diversity across the publishing sector.

Beneficiaries of this funding have included a range of innovative projects and organisations. Broken Sleep Books received support for a literary festival, while the anthology Writing Back Home—a collection of letters from Syrian writers to their homeland—was made possible through this scheme. News platform Nation Cymru has used the funding to nurture creative talent, while the history magazine Hanes Byw has supported authors in their research fields.

Government stance on publishing support

Jack Sargeant, Minister for Culture, welcomed the funding confirmation, describing it as a clear signal of the Welsh Government’s commitment to publishing as a core part of the nation’s creative economy.

“This significant funding confirmation shows how serious we are about supporting Welsh publishing as a priority creative sector,” he said. “Despite the creative sector’s continued brilliance, I am all too aware of the challenges also being faced. I welcome the strong and constructive relationship the Welsh Government has with the Books Council as we look to write a positive next chapter for publishing in Wales. Our Final Budget will no doubt bring good news for the wider sector too and is a positive step forwards from which we can build together.”

Wider investment in arts and culture

The publishing sector is part of a broader Welsh Government strategy to enhance funding for arts and culture. The total additional investment in arts, culture, heritage, and sport revenue for the 2025-2026 budget now stands at £9.6 million, bringing the total allocation to £122.5 million.

Additionally, capital investment in this sector has seen a dramatic rise. The 2025-2026 budget allocates £73.8 million in capital funding—an increase of £18.4 million compared to 2024-2025. Since 2014-2015, capital investment in the sector has surged by 274.2% in real terms.

This funding increase represents a renewed push to support Welsh publishing, bolster the creative economy, and ensure the sector remains resilient in the face of economic pressures. With restored funding levels and a clear strategy for international and domestic growth, Wales’ publishing industry is set to enter its next chapter with renewed strength.

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