News
Wales retains fairer student loan repayment system
THE MINISTER for Education and Welsh Language has announced Wales will retain our current fairer and progressive student finance repayment system, despite changes made in England.
Wales’s student support repayment system has historically been aligned to England’s, but adopting the new English system would mean Welsh students would repay loans over a longer period of time, with higher earners paying less and middle- and lower-income earners paying back more than at present.
Last year the Welsh Government had originally decided to temporarily retain the current student loans system for the academic year to assess the changes being made in England.
Jeremy Miles has now decided to retain the current, fairer and more progressive system for future years, subject to annual review to ensure it remains sustainable.
The current progressive system of student finance means that Welsh undergraduate students have less to repay on average than their English peers as we continue to provide non-repayable grants and they receive a guaranteed level of maintenance support irrespective of their household income.
The Minister for Education and Welsh Language said: “The UK Government’s regressive reforms benefit the highest earners and worsen the position of middle and lower earning graduates.
“Though Wales’ repayment system has historically been aligned to England’s, my view is that the new system in England is not a good deal.
“The reforms benefit the highest earners and worsen the position for middle and lower earning graduates. Women are also disproportionately affected.
“We certainly shouldn’t be asking teachers, nurses and social workers to pay more, while the highest earners pay less.
“I can therefore announce today that we will not move to the system adopted in England but will retain the current system. This means Welsh graduates will continue to repay loans for a 30-year repayment period rather than 40-years as will be the case in England.”
Community
Woman rescued from coast path after ankle injury
Coastguard teams called to Dinas Island near Pwllgwaelod
A WOMAN was stretchered from the coast path near Pwllgwaelod after suffering an ankle injury.
HM Coastguard Fishguard was tasked at 5:22pm on Friday, June 27, alongside HM Coastguard Teifi, to assist the casualty on Dinas Island.
The teams attended the scene near Hendre Farm Campsite and Cottages and, with help from the landowner, were able to quickly locate the injured woman.
Her injured limb was immobilised before she was carried by stretcher to her nearby car, where family members were able to take her on to hospital.
Fishguard Coastguard thanked the landowner for their help.
Entertainment
This Ain’t Texas organisers admit Carmarthen festival ‘didn’t go exactly as planned’
ORGANISERS of a country music festival held in Carmarthen have thanked visitors for their support while admitting that parts of the event “did not go exactly as planned”.
This Ain’t Texas Festival took place at the United Counties Showground on Saturday (Jun 27), promising live country music, line dancing, American BBQ, street food, western-themed stalls and family-friendly entertainment.
The event was part of a UK-wide tour, with the Carmarthen date promoted as a Nashville-style day out for families and country music fans.
But after the event, a number of attendees took to social media to raise concerns about queues, parking, food options and the overall organisation of the day.
In a statement posted online, organisers said: “Thank you, Carmarthen. What a day.
“Firstly, we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came out and made this event so special. The support, energy, and positive feedback we’ve received across the country has been incredible, and we’re truly grateful for every single one of you.
“That said, we also know that not everything went exactly as planned. We’ve received some constructive feedback from attendees, and we want you to know that we’ve listened carefully.”
Some visitors said they had enjoyed the atmosphere, music and line dancing, while others said the event had fallen short of expectations.
One attendee said the day had been “very disappointing” after booking early-bird tickets and looking forward to the festival for months.
Another visitor said the bar queue was long, adding that they had queued for more than an hour, although they still felt the ticket price had been good value.
Others called for more food choice, including vegetarian options, and said parking and space on site would need to be reviewed if the event returned on a larger scale.
There was also praise for the local line dancing element, with one attendee saying it had “definitely added to the experience”.
The festival had been advertised as a one-day country and western-themed event, with live tribute acts, dancing, food, drink, stalls and activities.
Community
Civic service brings Pembrokeshire towns together in Haverfordwest
A CIVIC service has been held at St Mary’s Church in Haverfordwest, bringing together civic leaders, councillors, cadets and community representatives from across Pembrokeshire.
The Mayor’s Civic Service took place at 11:00am on Sunday, 28 June 2026, at the historic High Street church, one of the county town’s most familiar landmarks.
The service was hosted by Haverfordwest Town Council and attended by the Sheriff of Haverfordwest, Cllr Dani Thomas-Turner, Deputy Lord Lieutenants, the mayors of Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Neyland and St Davids, members of the Guild of Freemen, the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet and the Mayoral Cadet.

St Mary’s Church has stood at the heart of Haverfordwest for more than 800 years. Built in about 1200, its size and position have made it one of the town’s dominant historic buildings.
Cllr Randell Izaiah Thomas-Turner said the occasion had been “truly special and humbling”.
He said: “It was an honour to gather in one of our town’s most historic and beautiful buildings, a church that has stood at the heart of our community since the 12th century, bringing people together in faith, service and reflection.”

Cllr Thomas-Turner and the Sheriff thanked all those who attended, saying the presence of civic representatives from neighbouring towns reflected the “strong spirit of friendship and partnership across Pembrokeshire”.
They also paid tribute to fellow town councillors, the Guild of Freemen, and the cadets who supported the service.
Cllr Thomas-Turner added: “Days like today remind us that civic life is about more than titles and chains of office. It is about service, community, friendship and working together for the good of our towns and our county.”
He said the event had been a proud day for Haverfordwest, adding: “Haverfordwest truly is the Best in the West.”
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