[Flintshire] council is poised to introduce monthly black bin collections in a bid to improve its recycling rates.

Flintshire Council is currently facing the threat of fines of more than £1m after missing the Welsh Government target of recycling 64 per cent of the rubbish it collects for the last four financial years.

With the goal set to increase to 70 per cent in 2024/25, the local authority is now planning to only pick up general waste from residents once every four weeks.

Politicians have previously resisted switching from the present fortnightly arrangement due to concerns over how it will impact residents.

However, senior officials have warned change is necessary to avoid further financial penalties.

The Welsh Government promised to introduce a law banning lying politicians before the next Senedd election after striking a last-minute deal to avert defeat.

Mick Antoniw, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government’s chief legal adviser, reached an agreement with Adam Price just before a key vote on creating an offence of deception.

Under the elections bill, Mr Price proposed a four-year disqualification for Senedd members, ministers or candidates found guilty of deliberate lying.

Mr Antoniw stopped short of supporting criminalisation as he invited the Senedd’s standards committee, which is holding an inquiry on accountability, to make proposals.

He said: “The Welsh Government will bring forward legislation before 2026 for the disqualification of members and candidates found guilty of deception through an independent judicial process.”

Tata is to take steps to cease operations at its steel plant in Port Talbot earlier than planned because of a strike by Unite, workers have been told.

The company had been planning to shut down one of the blast furnaces by the end of June and the second one by September.

But workers at the South Wales site have been told that because of the strike by members of Unite, from July 8 Tata can no longer be assured of sufficient resources being available to ensure safe and stable operations.

A message to employees said: “Therefore, we are left with no alternative but to take preparatory steps to cease operations on both blast furnaces and safely isolate them no later than July 7.”

Porphyra umbilicalis, Bara lawr, the Welshman’s caviar, Laver bread. A dark green – or is it red? – or pink or deep brown? seaweed that is simultaneously the crowning joy and sharpest point of division of all Welsh foods.

Crowning joy, because this is a true delicacy, with a deep umami flavour and a rich, smooth texture that fills your mouth.

Sharp point of division, because, like Marmite, this is a love-it-or-hate-it foodstuff, shunned and adored in equal measure even within the same family.

Arne Slot has conducted his first interview as Liverpool head coach and detailed his excitement at leading the team into a new era.

The Dutchman sat down with Liverpoolfc.com at the AXA Training Centre on Wednesday for a wide-ranging chat about the role he officially took up on June 1, having arrived after three successful seasons at Feyenoord.

Slot talked about his work since taking charge, succeeding Jürgen Klopp, and what he and his coaching staff bring to the club.

He also expressed a determination to establish a special connection with Liverpool supporters as he looks to reward them with success and a side to be proud of.

Wales has the highest rate in the UK of working age people not in employment or looking for a job, according to new estimates.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that 28.4% of 16-64 year olds in Wales were economically inactive in the three months to April, compared to a UK average of 22.3%.

But the jobless rate in Wales of 3.5% was lower than the UK average of 4.4%.

The ONS has warned that the figures should be treated with caution because of shrinking response rates to its survey.

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Long-term sickness is the biggest reason, followed by studying and home-making.

First Minister Vaughan Gething has lost a vote of no confidence in his leadership in the Welsh Parliament.

29 voted in favour of the resolution, while 27 voted against.

Mr Gething is not obliged to quit, as the result is not binding, but it places him under additional pressure after weeks of criticism.

The Senedd vote was called by the Conservatives over donations made to Mr Gething’s leadership campaign by a company owned by a man previously convicted of environmental offences.

There are 60 members of the Welsh Parliament - Labour holds exactly half of the seats with 30 members, while there are 16 Tories, 13 Plaid Cymru members and a solitary Liberal Democrat.

Wales' First Minister Vaughan Gething looks set to face a vote of no confidence when the Senedd returns next week.

The Welsh Conservatives are said to be very likely to table one ahead of a deadline of 18:00 BST on Wednesday, with the vote to take place on 5 June.

Mr Gething has faced unrelenting pressure after accepting £200,000 of donations to his recent Welsh Labour leadership campaign from a company whose owner was convicted of environmental offences.

Labour holds 30 of the 60 seats in the Senedd, so for the vote of no confidence to succeed at least one Labour Member of the Senedd would need either to vote in favour of the motion or abstain.

On 17 May the Senedd Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said it was "odds-on" that a no confidence motion would be called.

He was speaking after Mr Gething sacked one of his ministers, Hannah Blythyn, for leaking messages to the media, something she denies.

Plaid Cymru has challenged Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to a Wales specific TV debate with Senedd leader Rhun ap Iorwerth to give a “full picture” of choices faced by voters in the upcoming General Election.

Westminster Leader Liz Saville Roberts made the call in letter to the leaders of the Conservative Party and the Labour Party saying that any televised debate that excludes Plaid Cymru will “mislead viewers in Wales”.

She warns that the election – set for July 4 – is so far being framed “through an English lens” due to Wales’ “weak media landscape”.

In her letter to the party leaders, she wrote: “Broadcasters have a duty to give an accurate reflection of the choices at the ballot box in all countries across Britain. But as your parties call the shots when it comes to broadcasters’ decisions for debates in this election, you must show leadership.

“I therefore invite both of you to make clear that you would be happy to debate Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth in a Wales-specific TV debate. Come and defend and debate your own parties’ record here in Wales: from the chronic mismanagement of our NHS to the severe underfunding of our public realm.

“A multi-party leaders’ debate is the only way to reflect the democratic choice facing people in this election. I implore you to accept our offer, so that voters in Wales can have a true sense of the choice facing them in this election.”

The councillors whose shock decision to leave Labour and form their own new party – Flintshire People’s Voice – at Flintshire County Council’s AGM have spoken out about what drove them – and their hopes for the future.

The shock move was led by Penyffordd councillor Alasdair Ibbotson during last weeks AGM of Flintshire Council at County Hall in Mold.

Their decision took the council by surprise – and saw Labour lose a number of key positions, while clinging onto the leadership by a single vote.

In his speech in the chamber, Cllr Ibbotson referenced disagreements with a cabinet member over the accuracy of information provided to a committee, describing it as “a matter of honour”.

Cllr Ibbotson said “this took place in a secret section of the meeting of the environment committee in January, relating to the council’s fleet contract, which has been in the news again recently after the provider entered administration.”

“Council rules prevent disclosure of discussions relating to contracts from being made public, so frustratingly, residents of Flintshire are prevented from knowing the exact details.”

“These contracts involve millions of pounds of public funds. It’s the bare minimum to expect cabinet members to know what’s in them, and to be able to give truthful and accurate responses to basic questions.”

Wylfa on Anglesey has been chosen as the preferred site for a large-scale nuclear power plant, the UK government said.

The site was bought by ministers for £160m from previous developers Hitachi who abandoned plans for a new reactor in 2019.

International energy companies have begun talks with the UK government to start building the new Wylfa plant.

Liverpool Football Club can announce Arne Slot has agreed a deal to become the club’s new head coach, formally taking up the position on June 1, 2024, subject to a work permit.

The 45-year-old will join the Reds from Feyenoord ahead of the 2024-25 season after a deal was reached with the Eredivisie club for his services.

Slot will replace Jürgen Klopp at the helm following his decision to step down from the post at the end of the current campaign.