51 m. ago Whether wistful or euphoric, Brian Wilson made pop’s most overwhelmingly beautiful music

He was the Beach Boys’ resident genius, seeping melancholy into even peppy teenybopper hits. Beyond all the myths about his life, that brilliance is still intoxicatingBrian Wilson, visionary creative spirit for the Beach Boys, dies aged 82Brian Wilson: a life in picturesIt’s fair to say that no one who bought the Beach Boys debut single in 1961 would have realised they were in the presence of genius. Surfin’ sounded exactly like what it was: one of dozens of cheap, hastily-recorded singles released on a tiny independent label to cash in on the burgeoning craze for surf music, albeit a regionally-successful example of type. You might easily have expected to never hear of the band who made it again.But the 19-year-old Brian Wilson was determined – he was the taskmaster that had relentlessly drilled his unwilling younger brothers Carl and Dennis into learning to harmonise – and a quick learner. The leap in quality between Surfin’ and its 1962 follow-up Surfin’ Safari was striking. The ...

Politics

59 m. ago Major road opens to traffic after most expensive upgrade in Welsh history

The £2 billion project to upgrade the A465 Heads of the Valleys road began in 2002 and has now been fully completed

Politics

4 h. ago Welsh Race Across the World couple Fin and Sioned's relationship, background and health battle

The Carmarthenshire couple are the youngest participants to take part in the BBC travel programme

Events

5 h. ago Twelve of Brian Wilson’s greatest songs – from surf to psychedelia and beyond

Elaborating classic pop and doo-wop into divinely beautiful and inimitable hitmaking, these are some of the late musician’s most unmistakable masterpiecesBrian Wilson, visionary creative spirit for the Beach Boys, dies aged 82Although co-written with Gary Usher, this reflective hymn to isolation was pure Brian autobiography, conceived as the pressures of pop success loomed. “I had a room I thought of as my kingdom,” Wilson said, “somewhere you could lock out the world.” The domain in question was the Wilson family’s music room where Brian slept “right beside the piano”. Part-inspired by the Charms’ 1956 doo-wop hit Ivory Tower, which the Wilson brothers sang themselves to sleep with, In My Room sonically recreates Brian’s feelings of sanctuary by blending his brothers’ sweet-sad harmonies with finger cymbals, harp glissandi and Santo & Johnny-style Sleep Walk guitar. Soothing yet eerie, the song spoke to the nation of 60s teenagers whose only refuge was their bedroom, and whose ...

Politics

5 h. ago Lifeguards 'could have deterred' boy from fatal jump at Welsh beach

David Ejimofor, 15, died after getting into trouble in the water off Aberavon Beach in south Wales

Events

5 h. ago Growing proportion of aid budget to be spent on asylum hotels next year

Hotel accommodation for asylum-seekers strips money from the aid budget and threatens the health of people seeking safety, charities warn

Economics

6 h. ago 'Ambitious and bright' hiker died after falling from Welsh peak as friends watched on in horror

Maria Eftimova died after falling nearly 65ft from Tryfan in Eryri

Events

6 h. ago 'It took me into the darkest spot of my life': Wynne Evans opens up on Strictly controversy in first TV interview

The Welsh opera singer says he has been left ‘shocked and horrified’ by everything that has transpired over the last six months

Politics

6 h. ago Tonight's rugby news as Farrell fights back tears in Lions phone call and Welsh star slams 's**t' situation

The latest rugby news and headlines from Wales and beyond

Sport

6 h. ago Harrowing moment hiker saw friend 'freefall 65ft to death' on dangerous mountain walk

Maria Eftimova, 28, was out hiking in the Welsh mountains with pals when she suffered the fatal fall on the 3,000ft high Tryfan mountain in Wales' Snowdonia National Park

Events

6 h. ago Psyllium husk is being touted as ‘nature’s Ozempic’ – here’s what experts say

It often looks like tiny wood shavings or a gloopy gel, and experts say it has benefits – but make sure to take it with lots of waterGen Z in the US: tell us how you spend your moneyAs Ozempic and similar GLP-1s have transformed the world of weight loss, health companies and influencers have been scrambling to find “nature’s Ozempic” – cheaper, non-prescription products they claim can help with weight loss. The latest buzzy supplement? Psyllium husk.“Psyllium husk has become popular thanks to a wave of social media influencers and wellness personalities touting its ability to suppress appetite, regulate digestion and even mimic the effects of more costly medications,” says Lena Beal, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But comparing it to Ozempic is “oversimplified and misleading”, she warns. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Government’s £445m for railways in Wales branded ‘peanuts’ by Tories

The investment in Welsh rail announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her spending review will be spent on new stations and upgraded lines.

Economics

7 h. ago Tiny island 'just as good as Majorca and Ibiza' but with hardly any tourists

Formentera is the smallest of the Balearic Islands, but it is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, and has everything that Majorca and Ibiza has to offer

Politics

8 h. ago Welsh council makes surprising decision after reviewing all of its 20mph roads

The decision has divided opinion

Politics

8 h. ago Welsh tourist vanishes on holiday and found on life support in hospital

It's thought 29-year-old Ashton Jones, from Cwmbran, was violently attacked after he became separated from his friends

Politics

9 h. ago UK village with just 150 residents is hidden gem with 'stunning views' and waterfall

The Lake District National Park is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and charming villages, drawing visitors from across the globe — but this spot is a hidden gem

Politics

9 h. ago 'It took me into the darkest spot of my life': Wynne Evans says Strictly controversy left him feeling suicidal

The Welsh opera singer says he has been left ‘shocked and horrified’ by everything that has transpired over the last six months

Events

11 h. ago Rachel Reeves reveals hotels WON'T be used to house asylum seekers

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has told MPs that asylum hotel use will end by the end of this Parliament, which she said will save British taxpayers around £1billion a year

Society

11 h. ago Wynne Evans says Strictly controversy took him into ‘darkest spot’ of his life

The Welsh opera singer, 53, was a presenter on BBC Radio Wales until he announced he had been dropped by the BBC.

Politics

11 h. ago News | JV between Euragone IM and Mata Capital to acquire a London hotel

News | JV between Euragone IM and Mata Capital to acquire a London hotel  CoStar

Politics