12/09/2016 BBC Wales Today

Welcome to Wales Today - our top stories...

The main rail link from Wales to England -

the Severn Tunnel closes for electrification -

thousands of commuters face an autumn of disruption.

but long-term economic gain, say ministers.

Some passengers avoid the long detour by flying on a new air

The charred remains of Didcot power station -

the explosion killed four men - the remarkable story of the engineer

from the Vale of Glamorgan who cheated death.

At first, I thought it was one of the scrap Lord Rees -- scrap lorries

getting loaded up with scrap metal, bedded got louder and the

Portakabins started shaking violently.

Amina Al-Jeffery from Swansea - locked up against her will

in Saudi Arabia ? tonight pleas for the Foreign Secretary Boris

Aled Sion Davies sets a new Paralympics record to win gold.

It's the main rail link between South Wales and England.

Tens of thousands of passengers use it every day

But for the next six weeks, it's closed.

Delays and diversions await, but it'll all be worth it,

The line is being electrified to make journey times

faster to London and Heathrow, in particular.

For some, the rerouting around Gloucester was too much,

so they took to the air. Jordan Davies has the story.

It's a different way to start the working day.

Commuters boarding the new 8am flight from Cardiff

Part of the new so-called rescue flight service being offered

being offered by FlyBe while the Severn Tunnel is closed.

Two hours to London is nothing.

We regularly pop up for lunch to see somebody.

3.5 hours is a seven-hour round journey and that's

So FlyBe's service is just manna from heaven.

The more than century-old link is being upgraded.

Engineers are installing the rest of this electrified rail that

will power faster trains planned for the route.

It's absolutely vital that Wales is properly connected,

both in terms of connectivity with part of the UK,

but also internallay and for that reason we have constantly called

on the UK Government to ensure that electrification through to Swansea,

the electrification of the valleys lines and the North Wales Main Line

It's absolutely essential that that work takes place.

Business leaders too think a new air service,

delivering you direct into London's financial heart

in less than an hour and a half, could be a long-term option.

I think what that shows you is the choice that's

And, as you mentioned, we've got technology,

but when you do need those meetings, to have that real choice,

to know that you are not tied to one timetable,

so whether it is the bus route, rail or flight, these

are all important options to give flexibility to business

The tunnel will be closed for six weeks until October at the 21st. If

you are travelling from South Wales to London, you go via Gloucester,

adding about 35 minutes to the journey. If you are travelling to

Bristol, you have to take the railway replacement bus, adding

around 45 minutes. Passengers have been urged to plan in advance. For

the next six weeks, we can put up with it. It could have been better

over the summer holiday, but there we go. It's got to be done at some

point. People will probably need to be more organised in the mornings,

which is probably harder. Other firms are also looking to capitalise

on the closure. National Express opted to erect this Bucking Bronco

to promote their Bristol and London services. Business leaders,

politicians and rail bosses are aware this closure will cause

disruption. Some see it as short-term pain for long-term gain.

Others believe it may be an opportunity in itself.

Our Business Correspondent Brian Meechan was on that

first flight from Cardiff to City Airport in London.

This six week closure of the Severn tunnel ? short-term pain

I think that is right. Ultimately the business community is very much

sold on the idea of electrification of the real lines will stop frankly

that can't happen without closing the Severn Tunnel in order to

upgrade the work there. They have said it is fine to go ahead with

that and they will suffer that short-term pain to get faster and

better rail services in future. Ultimately, FlyBe and Cardiff

airport have been quite smart in putting in place this alternative

service. Because it takes about one are ultimately to get to London City

Airport, about 15 minutes away from here in Canary Wharf. That is

important because people in Cardiff have been trying to attract

businesses and jobs from companies like these ones into nearly worth

and transport links is one of the big issues companies look at when

deciding we are to put officers. So there is a temporary error servers

from Cardiff to London, will it last longer than the six weeks? --

temporary air service. I think it will be over after the six weeks but

whether at the time is permanently, I put that to the Chief Executive of

FlyBe and he said, quite simply, use it or lose it. He is happy to have

it as a permanent solution if there is demand from the business

community and people of South Wales. And also what this could do for real

prices, because ultimately, it has something of a monopoly and this

could bring competition bringing down real way prices and a better

service on the trains. Thank you. -- bring down railway prices.

It's six months since an explosion at Didcot Power Station

killed four men, including Christopher Huxtable from Swansea.

As the last of the bodies was recovered over the weekend,

we've been speaking to one worker who was on the site that day.

John Cosgrove, from Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan,

was on a coffee break when the building he'd been

He's been speaking to his niece - our reporter, Jenny Rees -

about his narrow escape and the loss of his friends and colleagues.

It was the demolition of a power station that brought

While working on Aberthaw, he met his future wife -

Today is their 19th wedding anniversary.

At 65, he's been working in demolition for 40 years,

and had been at Didcot for 15 months when the accident happened.

He was on a break, 30 metres away from the boilerhouse,

All of a sudden, I just heard a noise, like a rumbling noise.

At first, I thought it was like one of the scrap lorries

And then, it got louder, then the Portakabins

And it finished and then, I opened the door to the thing

and then I knew there was something serious had happened.

Because I couldn't see a thing in front of me.

I just stepped outside and I just saw one of the lads...

He was on the floor. I think he was crying.

Christopher Huxtable, from Swansea, was one

I met him at Swansea dry dock dismantling a battleship.

A lovely lad. Smashing lad.

All the lads' families, we used to see them every week

We were working, we were on the recovery then,

we were trying to recover the lads and, er, when the recovery had

to stop, cease work like, and we just moved back

into the canteen and they used to go up to the side and lay flowers.

And I've got to be honest with you, I...

You know, I knew what they were going through and I...

"Are you all right?" No!

But was that important to you to be involved?

Oh, yeah! Most definitely.

We wanted to get our pals out.

When they took us away, in May, and put another contractor there -

Brown and Mason - that's... We felt cheated then.

We felt cheated, because they were our pals under there.

The guard of honour for our pals, the last two weeks,

we wanted to be that guard of honour, but...

The last of the bodies was recovered on the weekend.

John is now awaiting news of four funerals,

which he dreads, but hopes they'll offer some closure.

The European arm of Tata steel - which includes Port Talbot -

made a ?90 million profit, according to its latest results.

But Tata reported a ?358 million global loss.

The Chief Executive of Tata Steel's European operations

says they're making progress, because of business improvement

initiatives, restructuring and a more favourable market.

Dyfed Powys Police has confirmed the body retrieved from the sea

north of Aberystwyth earlier this month is that of Luke Morton

The 23-year-old went missing after being swept off rocks at Mwnt

Coastguards said Mr Morton and another man were out walking

A pet food manufacturer is hoping to create up to 20 new jobs as it

expands its business to the former Hotpoint factory site

The Real Petfood Company based in Flint has bought a unit

on the land in Bodelwyddan, as part of a ?6 million expansion.

The Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, must intervene

to help bring home a woman from Swansea who claims to have been

That's the call from Amina al-Jeffery's MP, Geraint Davies,

after the deadline passed for her safe return to the UK.

Deprived of her liberty, Amina Al-Jeffery claims to have been

imprisoned without food or water at her father's home in Saudi Arabia,

something he denies. Last month a High Court judge gave until

yesterday for the woman to be brought back to the UK but she

hasn't returned. In Westminster today, Swansea West MP Geraint

Davies handed an open letter to the Foreign Secretary urging him to take

responsibility for her safe passage back to Britain. I will fight until

I secure Amina's liberty and are that Boris Johnson and others are

brought to the table and their responsibility is identified. They

should stand up for UK citizens being caged abroad. I want her to

come home. At the age of 16, she was taken out of school and travel to

Jeddah with her father we are she has been kept for four years. Her

father says he took Amina to Saudi Arabia to save her life because she

was not doing well at school and he did not want her drinking and taking

drugs. Many organisations have backed calls for the Foreign Office

to intervene in the use of Amina and one charity question is whether more

could have been done sooner. One of my concerns as this young girl,

Amina, was taken out of this country when she was a child so really we

have to step back further and consider what role education is

playing in raising awareness so they could have identified Amina,

something we need to reflect on. In a statement, the Foreign and

Commonwealth Office says... A private hearing will be held in

the family division of the Royal Courts of Justice tomorrow.

Let me take you to Rio now, where Aled Sion Davies has smashed

the Paralympic record in the F42 shot put to win gold.

Our correspondent Steffan Messenger is there.

Yes, it's been an absolutely exciting few hours here and Rio.

Aled Sion Davies not just on top form with the gold medal but also

our Paralympic record, after four years of hard work and determination

and as you would imagine he was absolutely delighted.

Back at the Paralympics, four years after he was catapulted

Then a discus gold and shot put bronze led to sponsorship deals

aplenty and the chance to carve out a career as a full-time athlete.

Aled Sion Davies, the Bear from Bridgend as he's known,

has since become world champion at shot put and world record-holder.

The goal in Rio was to clinch the Paralympic title too.

But from the off, Aled Davies delivered, breaking the Paralympic

record with his first throw then improving on it with his third.

When confirmation came, he was ecstatic.

I remember coming off the podium at London and thinking I can never

lose, you instantly apply that pressure, some dark times and good

times, my family and girlfriend by me all the time, so happy I can come

here and deliver will stop -- deliver.

A golden moment that those in charge of Disability Sport in Wales hope

Not everybody's going to be a Paralympic champion,

not everybody's going to be a Paralympian, but what this does,

what Aled does, what the 26 athletes we have here in Wales do

So, if you want to take part in sport, whatever your ability,

regardless of your impairments, we've got great opportunities

in Wales and I think that's what role models like Aled do.

Aled Davies is the third athlete from Wales to contribute to

On Saturday, Mold's Sabrina Fortune won a brilliant, unexpected bronze

in the F20 shot put at her first Paralympics.

That was followed by gold for games veteran Rachel Morris in the rowing.

A golden 48 hours for Welsh athletes at the Paralympics,

with plenty still in prospect in the days to come.

And the next medal from an athlete from Wales will definitely come

tomorrow. Rob Davis is guaranteed at least silver in the men's table

tennis class, and also I gold medal in hope tomorrow, Hollie Arnold

currently world champion in the F46 javelin. Fingers crossed for more

success tomorrow. Thank you. You are watching Wales

Today. Swansea's Neil Taylor,

furious for being taken-off minutes but his manager denies

there's a problem. And a short spell of hot and humid

weather heading our way, but it won't be sunny at all times.

Full details in a few minutes. It could hand politicians

in Cardiff Bay new powers to set speed limits,

decide on energy projects and increase the number

of Assembly Members The Wales Bill got its final debate

in the House of Commons today and our Parliamentary Correspondent,

David Cornock, was watching. That debate got under way more than

an hour ago and is still going strong and will continue for some

time yet. The UK Government says not only is it giving Wales more powers

but also read writing the devolution settlement to make it clearer who

does what, where paralyse, Westminster or Cardiff Bay? -- where

the polar lights. And there have been challenges for the Welsh

Government to use its new powers to make a difference.

Summer is a long time in politics. The British people have spoken and

the answer is we are out. Long enough for a referendum vote to

leave the European Union, for a change of Prime Minister and a

Labour leadership challenge. Amid all that turmoil, you could be

forgiven for missing a new law that will change the way Wales is run.

From the speed limits on roads to the voting age in elections, and

what the Assembly calls itself, this new law also scrapped the need to

hold a referendum before Wales gets the power to vary income tax, is one

move ministers he says will make the Welsh Government more accountable.

For too long we've been debating the constitution, debating minutiae

about governance issues, this is now imploding the Welsh Government to

act on the things that matter to people in Wales, they will be truly

accountable and responsible and rightly get the credit when things

go right, but also help to account when things don't go the way in

which they deemed in their policies. Wales Bill as amended in committee

to be considered... This was possibly the last time the MPs will

debate the constitution for a while but opposition parties are not

happy. Labour say with the number of MPs to be cut, Wales needs more AMs

and Plaid Cymru says Wales will still not have the powers given to

Scotland and Northern Ireland. The MPs discussions are not over yet,

but there will still be discussions over financial details before tax

powers are fully transferred. Some tax powers have

already been handed And today, a bill was published

setting out how the Welsh Government will replace stamp duty with

a Land Transaction Tax from 2018. This is the first time in nearly 800

years that Wales will raise But here, you've got

sort of terraced... The Finance Secretary,

Mark Drakeford, checking out Barry was the location, location,

location for the Minister to publicise a bill that will lead

to Wales raising its own taxes. The tax we all recognise as stamp

duty will be one of the first And the Welsh Government will

establish a Land Transaction Tax. From April 2018, the Assembly

will have responsibility for The first time in over 800 years

that Wales will raise its own taxes. But we'll have to wait another year

until we find out what levels of tax we'll be paying

when we buy property. We want to make sure that,

from the point of view of people who are buying and selling houses,

or buying and selling land, that the change doesn't cause

confusion or difficulty. So designing the system in a way

that evolves from what we've got and, in the beginning,

has relatively few differences is important, while allowing greater

difference in the future. There were 55,000 land transactions

in Wales in the year 2014-15. And those transactions generated

?170 million in tax. The tax is expected to be worth

around ?250 million a year is introduced

in Wales in April 2018. These are the show homes, are they?

These are the show homes, yes. The Welsh Government says

that the tax will have little impact on those involved in the buying

and selling of houses. That is welcome news

to this house-builder. Stability, provided we can maintain

that, no radical changes, and hopefully we can work

with the Welsh Government and contribute to the economy

as we have done in the past. A bill which will set up

a Welsh Landfill Tax will be published by the end

of the year and some income

tax powers will follow. You wait 800 years for a Welsh tax

and three come along at once. Plaid Cymru has launched what it

calls its Programme for Opposition, which sets out the party's demands

for the next Assembly term. The party's leader says Plaid has

agreed several policies in principle with Labour,

including free childcare But Leanne Wood insists she'll hold

the Welsh Labour Government to account to deliver the best deal

for Wales after the Brexit vote. There are great challenges facing us

as a result of that vote, but we have little faith

in the government to be able to deliver what Wales needs

in the situation alone, and that's why our Programme

of Opposition will guide our priorities in the term ahead in

this minority government situation. The Swansea manager,

Francesco Guidolin, says he has no issues with Wales international,

Neil Taylor, after substituting the defender in the first half

of their draw with Chelsea. The left-back looked furious

as he left the pitch, but Guidolin His Premier League comeback

lasted just 14 minutes. With the Swans behind,

Neil Taylor was sacrificed. He tells his manager,

"Why do it now? "Why not wait till half-time?

It's been in front of everyone." I spoke with them in the dressing

room now and no problem, Guidolin felt compelled

to apologise. With his side behind to this goal,

and Chelsea in total control, he changed tactics in an attempt

to salvage the game. In an entertaining,

sometimes bizarre, encounter, After being brought down,

Gylfi Sigurosson was successful His 26th goal for Swansea

in the Premier League, Nothing was going to get

in the way of Leroy Fer. He hacked at Chelsea's Gary Cahill

not once, but twice. But it wasn't seen by the officials,

so the goal was allowed. Chelsea's Diego Costa scored

an acrobatic late equaliser. Swansea were more than a little

fortunate to emerge with a point. And it's not going

to get any easier. A trip to Southampton,

followed by home matches against Manchester City

and Liverpool, Rugby - the Wales number eight,

Taulupe Faletau, could miss He's expected to be out

for up to eight weeks because of an injury

to his left knee. His club Bath says Faletau,

who suffered medial ligament damage, Wales play Australia

on November the 5th before games against Argentina,

Japan and South Africa. Ice hockey - and the Cardiff Devils

started their league campaign with a convincing home win

over Braehead Clan. Before any goal was scored,

the 3,000 fans at Ice Arena Wales Devils Player-Coach

Andrew Lord getting stuck in. New captain, Jake Morrissette,

got two of them. Tomorrow, more medals

expected at the Paralympics. First, an appeal tonight

for boat owners not to harass Twice last week, The Sea Trust

filmed vessels chasing dolphins They say it's natural

to want to see dolphins close up, but people shouldn't get any closer

than 50 metres, particularly A short spell of hot and humid

weather heading our way. That is correct, it is looking hot

and humid, temperatures got up to 23 in Wrexham and by Wednesday we are

looking at 28 Celsius. Make the most of it as the weather turns pressure

by Friday. Tomorrow more sunshine compared with today and will feel

very warm as we go through the gate. We sought more cloud today, limited

brightness, the best across parts of the north east and north coast. We

will continue to see the sky clearing tonight, but holding onto

the cloud west from the picture -- from Pembrokeshire to Anglesey.

Temperatures ranging from about 13-17. Gusty on the hills, the wind

easing through the night. Tomorrow, I weather front across Ireland not

making much movement but enough to bring cloud to western counties.

First thing tomorrow that I start then rain coming into the west. --

first thing tomorrow, it will be a dry start, but most enjoying drier

and brighter weather by the afternoon. Temperatures responding

to the sunshine, 18 Celsius underneath the cloud, 25-26 where we

have the sunshine. Through tomorrow night, fairly quiet, starry skies

into early hours of Wednesday, another muggy night, could be

uncomfortable for sleeping with temperatures ranging between 13 and

18 Celsius. Average daytime temperature is 18 Celsius, so it

will be uncomfortable. The front moving away to bring a decent day on

Thursday, another sunny day, and looking much drier, probably the

best of the week. A little rain across Wednesday morning, cleaning

through and most of us can look forward to it another sunny day,

temperatures up to 28 Celsius and most in the 20s as well, light wind,

and it could feel hot and stuffy at times. Towards the end of the week,

by Friday, looking much fresher with the risk of rain. Thursday, the risk

of the few showers but still humid and sunshine to enjoy, keep the

sunscreen to hand it is looking lovely.

Sounds terrific. Thank you. And the headlines, the

Severn Tunnel has closed for six weeks with us and just facing delays

to journeys. The government says the work to electrify the rail line will

be worth it, making journey times to London faster.

I'll have an update for you here at 8 o'clock

That's Wales Today, thank you for watching.

From all of us on the programme, good evening.

A mother of two beaten to death outside her home.

You understand how hated you really are in England?