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Is this why young people struggle to buy houses in Wales? | BBC News

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What do affordable housing, arsonists, tourism, the Welsh language and council tax have in common?

The answer… second homes.

In some parts of Wales, second homes make up nearly a third of all properties. For local young people trying to buy their first home, that raises a big question – are second homes pricing them out of the communities they grew up in?

In this video, we explore the impact of second-home ownership on housing affordability, local culture and community life in Wales. We hear from residents, experts and policymakers to find out whether second homes are a problem, or whether there are other factors making it harder for young people to get on the housing ladder.

From economics and housing policy to tourism and the Welsh language, this is a story about far more than property.

In this video:

00:00 – 30% of houses are second homes in certain parts of Wales
00:47 – Rhodri’s perspective as a young local from Crymych
01:27 – Who is buying second homes in Wales?
01:58 – Gareth Lewis breaks down why second homes are so complicated
03:21 – The impact of second homes in local communities
03:54 – ‘The Right to Live at Home’ campaign
04:46 – Meet Wynfford – he’s been campaigning since the 70s
05:29 – The campaign against second homes turns violent
08:00 – Council tax & planning permission explained
09:00 – Scenario 1: the costs behind a private second home
09:41 – Scenario 2: the costs behind renting a second home
10:31 – Beverley’s view as a second home owner
11:27 – Gwynedd, the county with the MOST second homes in Wales
12:04 – Carol’s view as a local landlord
13:28 – Greg’s perspective as a young local from the Gower Peninsula
13:52 – … and it isn’t just Wales facing this issue
14:50 – What happens next? Gareth Lewis explains

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#BBCNews #housing #secondhomes

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Republicans are pouring money into the Texas Senate race… will they win? | BBC Americast

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It’s been three decades since Texas last sent a Democrat senator to Congress. Will anger towards Donald Trump mean it could …

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Mission blasts off to Mars to grab a piece of its moon | BBC News

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A spacecraft has launched from Japan headed for Mars’s moon Phobos, where it will attempt to grab some moondust and bring it back to Earth.

If it is successful, it will become the first time a sample has been returned from Mars or its moons to be analysed in laboratories here on Earth.

The spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at Phobos in August 2027.

It is hoped that the Mars Moons Exploration (MMX) mission, which is led by the Japanese Space Agency, will solve the mystery of how Mars’s moons formed.

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For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews

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Rough sleeping: ‘To beg for drugs, it’s just horrible’ – BBC News

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Martin arrived in England to try to get off heroin but ended up living on the streets of Newcastle. Life is at “rock bottom” for him and …

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What’s it like being a cat? BBC News

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Subscribe to BBC News www.youtube.com/bbcnews
N.B. Certain parts of this film don’t have any audio. Cats are at a crucial point in their evolutionary journey as they transform from solitary hunters to domestic pets, a study by the BBC and the Royal Veterinary College has revealed. Our felines are adapting quickly to life in densely-packed cities, changing their behaviour to fit in with our 21st Century lives. They are time-sharing territory with other cats, killing less prey and learning to communicate with each other and people, research for BBC Two’s Cat Watch 2014 found. In the first of a three-part series on the lives of modern domestic cats, we look at how our pets experience the world.

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Hiding in Dubai: The VAT fraudster who stole from you – Behind The Investigation | BBC News

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Where is convicted fraudster, Arif Patel?
Criminals defrauding the tax system costs the UK billions of pounds in lost revenue each year.
The BBC’s File on 4 Investigates tells the story of one of the country’s most prolific tax fraudsters, who stole tens of millions of pounds of public money and seemingly got away with it.
In 2023, Arif Patel, from Preston, Lancashire, was convicted of attempting to steal more than £90m of public money and was sentenced to 20 years in jail.
The judge described Patel as being ‘breathtakingly arrogant’ and ‘totally dishonest’.
But Patel wasn’t there to hear this condemnation and he hasn’t served a single day of his sentence because he fled to Dubai more than a decade ago.

In this episode of BBC News: Behind the Investigation, Melanie Stewart-Smith speaks to journalist Ben Robinson, who tells the story of how he got onto the trail of the fugitive fraudster who stole from all of us.

Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews

For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news

#BBCNews #Fraud #investigation #dubai #uk

00:00 The fraudster who got away
00:55 Meet the reporter who chased the story for 20 years
01:29 Who is Arif Patel? The Preston tycoon
02:37 How the VAT carousel fraud worked
03:59 Selling Swiss hats to the Swiss
04:54 Hundreds of officers raid the empire
05:31 Allowed on bail to Dubai and never returned
06:12 “I’m a tiger, not a caged tiger”
07:56 Convicted in his absence: 20 years
10:05 The strange websites praising Arif Patel
12:56 A real photo shows his life of luxury
14:50 The anti-corruption champion reacts
15:54 Dubai’s response and final thoughts

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