16/08/2016 BBC Wales Today

Tonight's headlines: Hoping to make history -

cyclist Becky James goes for gold tonight.

A medal of any colour would mean a record haul for Welsh

An emotional wreck. It has been so stressful. I can't imagine what

Becky must be feeling. Happy now she has got through to the semifinals.

She already has an individual silver medal at these games. We will know

by the end of the evening whether she can add to the tally are not.

There could be a medal in the sailing.

This is where Hannah Mills spent much of her time

Can she turn London silver into Rio gold?

Also tonight, looking beyond the beautiful scenery.

Could litter and a lack of public toilets be turning tourists away

But we'll be asking why most new mothers in some of our poorest

communities still prefer to bottle feed their babies.

History beckons for Becky James and for Wales.

She's going for gold for Great Britain in Rio tonight

and if she wins a medal of any colour it will be a record

haul for Welsh athletes at an Olympic Games.

Sailor Hannah Mills from Dinas Powys could soon secure another gold too.

In a moment, we'll speak to Tomos Dafydd at

Cardiff Bay Yacht Club - Hannah Mills' home club.

But first let's hear from our reporter who's

We're in between sessions here at the moment, but in less

than two hours' time this velodrome will be the focus for

Abegevenny's Becky James will be back on this track

fighting for a place in the women's sprint final.

If she does it, then what a story for an athlete who has openly

admitted that two years ago she was in a really unhappy place

One win away from a medal, two whens away from goal. Automated code

before Becky James and Wales at the velodrome. Already a silver

medallist at these games, the former double world champion could soon be

adding to her collection. And Becky has been so impressive in

qualification. An Olympic record on Sunday and she has just cruised past

the world champion of China to secure her place in the final four.

And years ago Rio seemed like a distant dream for this Abergavenny

girl. Illness and injury made her question the sport she loved. It has

been a journey for the whole family. An emotional wreck. So stressful. I

can't imagine what Becky must be feeling. Happy now she has got

through to the semifinals. Can you believe we are here? A silver medal

and another one possibly on the way? It is unbelievable she has got to

where she is. It just shows the work ethic she has got and the commitment

and dedication. And the love for the sport. If she didn't have the love,

she could have walked away from it. She absolutely loves it. How close

was she from doing that a few years ago? Very close. Just with the

support of British cycling and everybody around her, it has kept

her motivated. She has stuck with it and that is down to her. And for

those back home who followed her career throughout, July of seeing

this recent success. She joined the cycling club and had been identified

as a talent in a school session. I don't think anybody appreciated how

good she was going to call on to become. Tonight she will be tested.

She goes against an opponent from the Netherlands who has previously

won gold. She can keep going for a long time. But she hasn't got the

same top acceleration. She needs to place your strength. She needs to

make sure she is not caught in a long drag race. It will be a tough

ask, but Becky James has already shown she is one determined

competitor. Here is the all-important timetable for you back

home. Semifinal at 8pm. Three straight head-to-head is. If

successful, she will go for gold at around 9:45pm. A very frustrating

day for Hannah Mills. But after eight places, things are looking

and our reporter is there for us. at Cardiff Bay yacht club

Not quite Copacabana beach, but it is lovely

Cardiff Bay barrage that way, Bristol Channel over there.

This is where Sailor Hannah Mills - who's from Dinas Powys -

Having won silver four years ago, she is aiming - with her

partner Saskia Clark - to become Olympic Champions.

The good news - they're leading the 4-70 class.

The finals are tomorrow, but they could clinch gold later

Venturing out where an Olympian once sailed. Thousands of miles from Rio,

they're hoping to emulate the biggest name in Welsh sailing. I

think she will do well. She has done well so far. I think she will win

gold. It can be scary at high speed with loads of wind. Sometimes a bit

of your boat goes in the air and you're told to hike out. That can be

scary. This week, people here are being given a chance to try sailing

for the first time. The Royal Yachting Association will be easier

talent spotting. The aim is to honour the next Olympian. But

attracting more to sailing may be a challenge. The sport is not the

easiest to follow. If you want to do athletics, you just need to run fast

in a line. But with this, every day in the water is different. Different

circumstances and conditions. There are more girl sailors than the boys

at the moment. It is a great sport for girls to get into. And a role

model like Hannah Mills helps? Definitely! Hannah Mills started out

on a family holiday aged seven. Before long, talent was clear.

British champion at just 13. Destined for greater things. There

was a silver medal at the London Olympics. At Rio yesterday, the race

was postponed due to wind. Weather conditions can be a challenge. The

wind and the tights challenges are big. You can have a tough day here.

From that respect, it is challenging. From a visual

perspective, it is stunning. You can see the mountains and Sugarloaf

Mountain. Back home, people are getting ready to witness a local

girl competing on a big stage. A lifetime achievement could be

realised. Called Olympic medal within reach.

So, three races today for Hannah Mills.

The next race starts in the next couple of minutes -

before the day's last race at 8pm this evening.

Coverage on the red button and online.

After that - switch over to BBC One Wales for the women's

Win that and Becky James will race for gold -

Don't move from the TV tonight - history could be made in Rio.

Welsh athletes could win a record 8th, possibly 9th medal.

The rest of today's news now - and North Wales Fire

and Rescue Services say the blaze in which an elderly couple died

this morning is thought to have been electrical.

Crews were called to the fire in Deganwy this morning.

A man and a woman were brought out of the property on this private

road, but later died - another woman managed to get out

We mobilised appliances from Colwyn Bay. Once they arrived on the scene,

we went into the property when rediscovered two casualties. They

were removed from the premises. And fortunately we were not in a

position to help them. People with Multiple Sclerosis

in Wales have worse access to treatment than in any other part

of the UK - that's according A survey found that 49% of patients

with the disease here felt they couldn't access a modifying

therapy to help manage the incurable condition that affects

the nervous system. The Welsh Government says it accepts

improvements are needed. One person has been airlifted

to hospital after being pulled from the water

near Porthcawl this afternoon. Coastguards were called

to Rest Bay at half past three, and the person was airlifted

to Morriston Hospital in Swansea. It comes as a safety warning has

been issued after 13 children were reported missing on Welsh

beaches in the past 48 hours. All were found safe and well

but coastguards have increased their patrols in case

of further emergencies. In Rhyl in particular, we have

sandbanks wrapped round water and mud patches. Keep an eye on all your

family. You can take children to a beach hut where you can get a

wristband for emergency contact. If they get lost, we can contact adults

through that means. Over the last decade

the Welsh Blood Service has seen a 34% drop in the number

of people donating blood. But there are calls tonight

for changes to the criteria, which would allow more potential

donors to come forward. At the moment gay men

who are sexually active aren't allowed to give blood -

the equality charity, Stonewall Cymru, says that's

unfair and inconsistent. The Welsh Government says it's

following medical advice. To resupply Welsh hospitals

the blood service needs 450 people to come forward every day

and there's a shortage of donors. But safety guidelines prevent some

groups from giving blood. Men are currently excluded

from donating blood for 12 months Those guidelines were introduced

in 2011 but some campaigners say they're now out of date

and need rethinking, as they're simply unfair to gay

and bisexual men. These are people who want to give

blood and help save lives. So this is why this is a priority for us. It

is why we are calling on the Welsh Government to review this and

replace the system with something which is fear for everyone,

regardless of sexual orientation. Blood donation is a devolved mater

in Wales and the Welsh Government says its policy is to follow

the recommendations of SABTO - the UK's advisory committee

on the safety of blood, That committee of experts

is currently reviewing just who can As it stands, there are other

potential blood donors who face a similar 12 month ban -

for example sex workers, patients who have injected drugs

and people who have been sexually active in parts of the world

where HIV and AIDS are common. They're all deemed to be

high risk groups. And SABTO's recommendation for

a 12 month exclusion period is because some viruses don't

show up in the blood straight away. The so-called window period as the

period between someone becoming infected with the blood borne virus

and the infection appearing. That can take weeks or months. The aim of

that was that there are not missing din agents which are infected with

in that window period. But for the LGBT community,

it remains a highly emotive issue. We could end in Wales the ban on gay

men giving blood. Earlier this summer,

Plaid Cymru AM Adam Price addressed crowds who'd assembled at the Senedd

in the wake of the shootings Then, as now, he believes Wales

should lead the way and challenge the restrictions on sexually-active

gay men giving blood. That decision could be made now and

that would have an immediate effect on the amount of blood available for

the Welsh blood transfusion service at a time when they are seeing 41%

cut in the number of new donors. We could have new donors by getting rid

The Welsh Government says it's awaiting SABTO's review of blood

In the meantime, the Welsh blood service says it still desperately

needs new donors to come forward to give blood and change lives.

Still to come on the programme: More Welsh mothers like Soriah

are choosing to breastfeed, but bottle feeding is still more

And Cardiff was the warmest place in the UK yesterday.

The hottest day of the month so far for most of Wales.

But there is a big change on the way.

Senior figures in the tourism industry have said north Wales needs

to improve the basics it offers visitors if it wants them to return.

They claim dirty streets, poor amenities and a lack of public

But local councils say they're doing their best on limited budgets.

The medieval town of Conway. Thousands of visitors come here each

year to explore the historic castle and town centre. Odds are concerned

there may be a less pleasant side to people stay out. You look at the

state of the Ben and the flaps, it's not very hygienic. Businesses in the

town are worried that weans -- weeds, rubbish bins and bad toilets

will give visitors a bad experience. We want people to come to the town

and return to the town. If they have a good experience, they will talk

about it and they will come back to rejoin us. He is not the only one

concern. Hoteliers nearby in one double stay clean streets and better

public toilets are essential when tourism creates thousands of jobs.

We are constantly looking to prioritise areas where we can

improve. Experts talk about these issues as destination management.

Plenty here believe more needs to be done. Local councils set comes down

to one thing, money. In Gwyneth, the council is currently trying to cut

?4.4 million worth of services. It means public toilets and tourist

information services are under threat. A similar picture elsewhere

in Wales. There is a lot of pressure on public sector budgets in this

moment in time. And hotspot destinations need to make sure they

are not forgotten about. Gridded council says it will not forget how

important tourism is. It says they are looking at other ways to keep

tourist information centres and toilets open. The ECB will continue

to invest in this important industry.

Abergavenny Cattle market moved from its site in the town's

The Morrisons supermarket chain was due to pay

?15 million for the site - but missed the deadline

Monmouthshire Council has assured the county's taxpayers

that they won't lose out even though the supermarket is now

Thousands fought to keep scenes like this in Abergavenny. Bodley lost

that fight. The former livestock market has looked like this for more

than two years now. The replacement Mark is ten miles away. More trade

is done here than before, in a ?5 million custom-built welding.

Farming unions are happy, but others are not. Brand colours of Morrison's

supermarket can be seen at the old site. What isn't here yet is the ?15

million the company has contracted to pay for this land. Payment

deadline missed earlier this summer. This was an ideal opportunity for

the Council to say they wanted to rethink the position. A lot has

happened. There has been the financial crash and Brexit. It is

time to sit down and we think, what would be best for the Council and

Abergavenny. This man and others have campaigned against moving the

cattle mart. They have also said that a supermarket on the site would

ruin independent shops. The council says that if they allow a

supermarket to be built inside the town centre, there is less chance of

one being built outside the city centre. They say the army gay sheep

-- negotiating small changes to the plans for the site, but they still

expect to get ?15 million from Morrison's for the town centre and

schools. What we want to avoid at all costs was a supermarket being

established out of town, because then the town would most certainly

die in the future. And historic site, plans still on the drawing

board. Some months yet before it could start to blend in with its

surroundings again. There's been a rise in the number

of women breastfeeding in Wales over the last decade -

according to the latest figures. But the numbers remain consistently

low in some of Wales's poorest communities - where it's

white women in particular who are being targeted with support,

to encourage them to Harper is developing really well -

which mum Soraya puts down to the fact she was able

to breastfeed her for four months. It's something she's really proud

of, after having difficulties breastfeeding her older daughter

Ayver, who's now nearly seven. She lives in Caerau, in Cardiff -

where she says it just isn't I haven't seen anybody breast-feeds,

if I'm honest. I don't know anyone who has breast-fed. It is not normal

to see. It is just easier to get a bottle.

What made the difference was being part of a Cardiff University

project, which paired her up with a peer supporter -

She explained about the underwear and blankets. I didn't know this

stuff existed. I bought a bra that clipped off. I bought one of those.

These figures from the Welsh Government suggest that

over the last ten years, there's certainly been an increase

in the number of women opting to breast feed.

But they're more a snapshot of what mums opt to do

in the first few days after their babies are born -

they don't tell us how long they continue to breastfeed

for example, or go into the reasons why - for many - it

But it is the more socially deprived areas like Blaenau Gwent,

Merthyr, and Wrexham, where the numbers of women not

breastfeeding, are higher than the numbers who are.

Janine Wyn Davies has worked in midwifery for over 20 years -

and says the reasons are complex - the mum's education plays into it,

positive examples in the community and even a perception that formula

The length of stay in a hospital where women have their babies is

getting shorter and shorter. In fairness to hospitals and maternity

units, they are mostly signed up to our baby friendly status, which

means absolute focus on encouraging women to breast-feed. The figures

are going up across all social backgrounds. But once they get home,

without that support, then the problems occur.

Soraya can't speak highly enough about the support she had -

and says she'll be encouraging her friends to give breastfeeding a try.

In the meantime, researchers at Cardiff University will now

assess whether the peer-support scheme has any impact on the rates

With interest rates at a record low, a growing number of Welsh savers

are putting their money in investments like wine or shares

in renewable energy companies, rather than leaving it

At the moment, there are five community energy

shares in their companies for rates of interest up to 6.5%

Here's our economics correspondent, Sarah Dickins.

They are admiring their investments. Not as attractive as fine art or

vintage cars, but more ordinary savers are turning to projects like

this to make their cash grow. The building wind wind turbines to

generate income for shareholders. How much money have you put into

this project? ?2500. Why? I think the planned investment would have a

better return on it than what would've been offered by the banks.

This is a far cry from putting 200 pounds into Premium Bonds. Investors

say they are looking at new ways of growing their money. Up to ?85,000

is protected in a savings account. That is not the case year. We have a

guaranteed feeding price for the next 20 years. The income is secure.

We have a track record in developing the sort of projects. At the

project, there are three wind projects across Wales offering

shares at up to 6.5% a year for 20 years. And two hydro projects. They

hope to raise ?3.5 million. This woman says alternative investments

shouldn't be people only source of saving. The work for people who

already have cash in the building society. Equity -based investments.

Investing in wind seems to be growing as well. One of the biggest

wine auctions outside London is in Abergavenny, where 900 lots will go

under the hammer this weekend. I think this is a better investment

than taking out an ice because they can go up and down in value.

There is more fine weather to come tomorrow. But it won't stay dry all

week. By the end of the week, it might feel more like autumn. Today

was lovely. Many seaside resorts have been popular today, including

Colwyn Bay. Lots of sunshine. For much of Wales, today has been the

hottest of the month so far. 26 degrees in Cardiff today. A fine

warm evening ahead. Dry overnight. A few cirrus clouds and Moonlight

skies. 13-15d for the course. By ATM, another beautiful start to the

day. Finance dry with lots of summer sunshine. Breezy on the south coast.

More fine, warm weather and sunshine to come tomorrow, but high clouds in

the West will spread further north-east in the afternoon. Many

places dry, but not ruling out a few showers in the far south-west by

evening. Warm or very warm again. Temperatures in the low mid 20s. The

wins will be light. Cloudier than today for the County show in

Haverfordwest. Tomorrow evening, we might see some rain spread its way

northwards and some of that could be heavy with rumbles of thunder.

Wrexham and Rhyl may just about stay dry. Into Thursday, spots of rain

will die away. The afternoon will be dry. Some sunshine and feeling on

the WAN side with light winds. Beyond that, I mentioned a big

change on the way. Look at this big low over the Atlantic, quite deep

for August, moving across our land on Saturday. On Friday, we will see

a spell of rain, followed by brighter weather and showers. The

wind is picking up. Saturday, windy with heavy showers. Strong winds in

the south and west. You have been warned!

Do join us again after the 10pm news when we'll have all the latest