:00:00. > :00:00.into Friday morning and enhance the risk of flooding. That is all from
:00:00. > :00:08.Welcome to Wales Today. Our top story.
:00:09. > :00:12.A coachload of fifty teenagers on a school trip crashes on the M4. 13
:00:13. > :00:24.are injured. The motorway was shut for much of the day. The injuries
:00:25. > :00:30.are typical trauma such as neck injuries and leg and arm fractures.
:00:31. > :00:31.Although 13 patients were taken to hospital, it could have been a lot
:00:32. > :00:35.worse. The crash caused hours of chaos for
:00:36. > :00:51.travellers with traffic backed up as far as the Severn Bridge.
:00:52. > :00:55.Our other headlines tonight. They're learning Spanish but
:00:56. > :00:59.elsewhere, we're bottom of the class when it comes to learning foreign
:01:00. > :01:00.languages. Now a cut in funding for the organisation which promotes
:01:01. > :01:04.them. When we're old or when we're ill.
:01:05. > :01:07.But proposals to shake up social services are criticised for lacking
:01:08. > :01:13.detail. Sam Warburton will captain Wales
:01:14. > :01:16.against Ireland in Dublin. By airmail. We're in the helicopter
:01:17. > :01:23.delivering supplies to rebuild Offa's Dyke.
:01:24. > :01:29.Good evening. In the past 90 minutes, the M4 has reopened having
:01:30. > :01:32.been closed for most of the day following a serious accident
:01:33. > :01:38.involving a coach carrying more than 50 foreign students. The bus driver
:01:39. > :01:42.and a passenger were airlifted to hospital and 11 others taken by
:01:43. > :01:45.ambulance. The crash happened between junctions 25a and 25
:01:46. > :01:51.eastbound on the M4, a notorious accident blackspot. Our reporter
:01:52. > :02:04.Nick Palit is there tonight. I know was on and things are back to
:02:05. > :02:10.normal now. Traffic flowing freely in both directions. It is one of the
:02:11. > :02:14.busiest spots on the motorway in Wales. It was a different picture
:02:15. > :02:22.this morning when a devastating crash broke this part of the road to
:02:23. > :02:28.a standstill. Mangled steel and glass. The front of the coach was
:02:29. > :02:47.gone. Following its in red with a lorry, a car and the reservation.
:02:48. > :02:53.The driver -- a driver was caught up in the immediate aftermath. I found
:02:54. > :02:59.the emergency services and they asked me to assess the situation.
:03:00. > :03:03.The best driver was hurt and he needed assistance. I tried to report
:03:04. > :03:09.back as much as I could so that they could get the right people to be
:03:10. > :03:16.seen as possible. The accident happened after 930 a.m.. There were
:03:17. > :03:21.57 passengers on board the coach. The driver has been airlifted to
:03:22. > :03:28.hospital in Swansea. 12 other people had received hospital treatment. Two
:03:29. > :03:32.adults were taken to the University Hospital in Cardiff with their
:03:33. > :03:36.injuries and not life threatening the top ten others were treated in
:03:37. > :03:51.Newport. Eight of them were students. They are foreign students.
:03:52. > :03:59.We are informing next of kin to make sure they are aware of the
:04:00. > :04:06.situation. Medical staff attended the injured on a nearby motorway
:04:07. > :04:09.bridge. They were speaking Spanish. They were lined up across the side
:04:10. > :04:16.and they were distraught and distressed. And lenses were treating
:04:17. > :04:24.people at the scene. They were walking wounded. The Newport Centre
:04:25. > :04:28.was set up as an emergency centre. The walking wounded were treated
:04:29. > :04:33.there. Others waited for news from their friends from hospital.
:04:34. > :04:42.Paramedics say it was lucky not many more were hurt. It could have been a
:04:43. > :04:50.lot worse. With lots of people on board, the seat belts save a lot of
:04:51. > :04:53.stress and injuries for people. The road was closed in both directions
:04:54. > :05:05.for a number of hours causing massive tailbacks. The delays have a
:05:06. > :05:12.serious economic impact. The ten minute journey from this man's
:05:13. > :05:17.Cardiff home to Newport took him three hours today. He could not open
:05:18. > :05:27.up Andy had to miss the lunchtime trade. That is always some kind of
:05:28. > :05:34.issue. The tailbacks caused, the inconvenience to other commuters, it
:05:35. > :05:38.is a nightmare. As the remains of the vehicles are removed from the
:05:39. > :05:39.carriageway, the painstaking police investigation into what caused the
:05:40. > :05:43.crash continues. Nick, as we heard in your report, it
:05:44. > :05:46.could have been far worse but the closure of the M4 has caused
:05:47. > :05:58.significant disruption to commuters and businesses. That is right.
:05:59. > :06:04.Accidents on this stretch of the motorway are commonplace. Delays
:06:05. > :06:06.caused serious economic impact. The Federation of small businesses
:06:07. > :06:12.released a statement saying problems caused by this crash underline the
:06:13. > :06:19.need for urgent improvements for the Job network around here. There are
:06:20. > :06:24.proposals for a relief road. The FSB says they need to find a solution
:06:25. > :06:28.quickly otherwise this will happen again and again.
:06:29. > :06:31.At the other end of the country, there were major delays on the A55
:06:32. > :06:34.near the Britannia Bridge on Anglesey after a lorry overturned.
:06:35. > :06:37.The incident happened before the morning rush hour and led to the
:06:38. > :06:41.closure of part of the westbound section of the road for several
:06:42. > :06:45.hours. A crane has now removed the lorry.
:06:46. > :06:48.An organisation which encourages children to learn foreign languages
:06:49. > :06:51.is having its funding slashed by two thirds. The Conservatives have
:06:52. > :06:55.attacked the Welsh Government's decision to cut the money it gives
:06:56. > :07:00.Silt Cymru, the National Centre for Languages. But Ministers say, in a
:07:01. > :07:10.time of austerity, they have to prioritise. Daniel Davies reports.
:07:11. > :07:15.This effectively makes electromagnets. It exports go to
:07:16. > :07:25.Denmark, Bulgaria, Germany and all other children.
:07:26. > :07:34.The trouble is, schools do not produce enough people with language
:07:35. > :07:37.skills. We have had problems recruiting people with the right
:07:38. > :07:40.language skills that we are looking for. We find it difficult to find
:07:41. > :07:46.someone who has come through the education system in the UK will have
:07:47. > :07:52.the right skills. We are an export -based company. It is important that
:07:53. > :07:59.people who work here have language skills. Companies like this say they
:08:00. > :08:05.are crying out for people with language skills. Getting the funding
:08:06. > :08:16.for a programme that is meant to turn that around is a big worry.
:08:17. > :08:19.This body is having its funding cut in the financial year that starts in
:08:20. > :08:27.April. It promotes foreign-language as in schools. They are is why that
:08:28. > :08:34.is so important. In 2005, more than 12,000 pupils did foreign-language
:08:35. > :08:43.GCSEs. By last year, it had felt by more than a third. A huge number of
:08:44. > :08:48.children are walking away from foreign languages. They are not
:08:49. > :08:51.studying these things because they find it boring, they are disengaged,
:08:52. > :08:57.they are not confident. They have not had the correct exposure. The
:08:58. > :09:01.Welsh Government says it has prioritised funding for literacy,
:09:02. > :09:06.numeracy and the least well-off pupils. It says it is looking at
:09:07. > :09:10.other ways to encourage pupils to take a foreign language. That
:09:11. > :09:15.satisfied the demand from businesses?
:09:16. > :09:22.Stinging criticism from Westminster of the Welsh Government's record on
:09:23. > :09:25.modern foreign languages tonight? This is about the Welsh
:09:26. > :09:37.baccalaureate and a proposal to take out the Welsh -- the language
:09:38. > :09:47.element. I have seen a letter which says these changes are a display, a
:09:48. > :09:52.retrograde step. She notes that participation is lower in Wales than
:09:53. > :10:01.in other parts of the UK. The letter is very critical of the Welsh
:10:02. > :10:07.Government. A number of staff on the body have handed in redundancy
:10:08. > :10:10.notices. A woman from Cardiff has been
:10:11. > :10:14.convicted of killing her husband in the Dominican Republic. Nicole
:10:15. > :10:17.Reyes, who is 37 and originally from the Rumney area, has been sentenced
:10:18. > :10:23.to 12 years in jail for manslaughter by a court in Santiago. The mother
:10:24. > :10:28.of two claimed she accidentally ran over her husband when he rode his
:10:29. > :10:33.motorbike next to the car. Her mother says they will appeal.
:10:34. > :10:36.An investigation has found that a fire at Llandow industrial estate in
:10:37. > :10:39.the Vale of Glamorgan, where recycled material burnt for more
:10:40. > :10:43.than two weeks last November, was an accident. South Wales Fire and
:10:44. > :10:48.Rescue Service say no criminal charges have been brought and the
:10:49. > :10:52.investigation is now closed. A businessman from Cheshire who owns
:10:53. > :10:55.the title of Lord of the Manor of Treffos on Anglesey has said he's
:10:56. > :10:59.giving up his controversial attempt to register manorial rights on the
:11:00. > :11:04.island. Last night more than 800 people attended a public meeting to
:11:05. > :11:07.discuss his claim. Stephen Hayes says he was wrongly advised and has
:11:08. > :11:13.now discovered the rights to the land are worthless. He now hopes to
:11:14. > :11:16.sell his title. Vomiting and diarrhoea has closed
:11:17. > :11:21.three wards to visitors at hospitals in Bridgend and Swansea. Anyone with
:11:22. > :11:29.recent sickness and flu symptoms has been asked to stay away from the
:11:30. > :11:32.Princess of Wales and Morriston. Plans to overhaul social services
:11:33. > :11:36.and make access to care equal no matter where you live have been the
:11:37. > :11:40.subject of hours of debate at the National Assembly today. The Welsh
:11:41. > :11:43.Government says the Social Services Bill is the most significant reform
:11:44. > :11:49.in the last 60 years but it's been criticised by opposition parties for
:11:50. > :11:56.a lack of detail. Our political reporter James Williams is here.
:11:57. > :11:59.This is the biggest and most complex piece of legislation to be
:12:00. > :12:03.considered by the Assembly, but it also stresses that this proposed law
:12:04. > :12:11.is just one part of a much wider strategy to overhaul social
:12:12. > :12:15.services. 150,000 people receive care every year at a cost of around
:12:16. > :12:20.?1.4 billion, a cost which is likely to increase as more and more of us
:12:21. > :12:23.live to an old age. So, what's this Bill about? Well, it proposes the
:12:24. > :12:27.creation of a National Adoption Service. It will introduce
:12:28. > :12:30.Wales-wide rules on who should receive care and will also give
:12:31. > :12:36.carers the same rights as those they care for. The change that will
:12:37. > :12:38.benefit people like Marie James from Cross Hands near Llanelli, who
:12:39. > :12:47.provides round-the-clock care for her disabled son Trystan. The
:12:48. > :12:55.current climate does not bode well for carers and daily living is quite
:12:56. > :13:02.a struggle for many because of the cuts in care services and also the
:13:03. > :13:07.cuts in benefits. It has had quite an impact in the community. There's
:13:08. > :13:10.also a proposal on the table that could ban the smacking of children.
:13:11. > :13:13.However, since it is opposed by Government Ministers, it is unlikely
:13:14. > :13:17.to be passed. But there are hundreds of changes to the Bill. So many in
:13:18. > :13:20.fact that the debate is expected to continue next week. This is clear
:13:21. > :13:29.evidence of poor drafting say the opposition parties who also say the
:13:30. > :13:33.Bill lacks detail. Until we know who will be entitled to the service, it
:13:34. > :13:36.is practically nigh on impossible for the government to work out the
:13:37. > :13:43.financial applications of the bill. They claim the legislation is cost
:13:44. > :13:47.neutral. But is no way they can make that claim. That is no evidence to
:13:48. > :13:51.support it. So, as big and complex as this proposed new law is, there's
:13:52. > :13:55.still plenty of key details for the Welsh Government to work out.
:13:56. > :13:57.Much more to come before seven o'clock.
:13:58. > :14:01.Buckled and bent, the railway line to nowhere. The Cambrian coast route
:14:02. > :14:06.won't be back in operation until May.
:14:07. > :14:09.We are somewhere beneath all of this. A warning of more coastal
:14:10. > :14:15.flooding and falling trees coming our way.
:14:16. > :14:20.A ban on selling electronic cigarettes to children and young
:14:21. > :14:23.people under 18 will be extended to Wales after Assembly Members
:14:24. > :14:28.approved the proposal. E-cigarettes are promoted by many as a tool for
:14:29. > :14:32.helping smokers to quit. But others argue they're making smoking normal
:14:33. > :14:42.and glamorous again. Cemlyn Davies reports from Swansea. Just like
:14:43. > :14:50.traditional cigarettes, the electronic alternative divides
:14:51. > :14:58.opinion. These cigarettes allow smokers to inhale nicotine.
:14:59. > :15:10.Supporters say they are just as effective as nicotine patches. I was
:15:11. > :15:15.a heavy smoker. I kept getting a bad chest and we went onto these
:15:16. > :15:21.electronic cigarettes and I have been much better. I have been
:15:22. > :15:27.smoking for a long time and effort to give some. This is helping a lot.
:15:28. > :15:35.But there are concerns about the way the impact these cigarettes may all
:15:36. > :15:42.dreaded be having. I am worried that the movement is glamorising smoking.
:15:43. > :15:50.It contains nicotine and it is addictive. Today, the assembly
:15:51. > :15:55.approved a motion to piggy bank legislation going through an
:15:56. > :16:02.England. The band will extend to Wales as well. They are toxic and we
:16:03. > :16:08.do not know the effect on human beings. It seems sensible to me that
:16:09. > :16:12.if adults wish to poison themselves, that is fit because they know the
:16:13. > :16:20.risks. But children should be protected. In this converted barn,
:16:21. > :16:23.they make the liquid that goes into these cigarettes. The company
:16:24. > :16:28.already has a policy of not selling to children. But that is a concern
:16:29. > :16:32.here about the impact further regulations could have the business
:16:33. > :16:39.and the 55 people it employs across Wales. We provide a lot of good jobs
:16:40. > :16:42.in Wales and in some of the restrictions the Welsh Government
:16:43. > :16:45.and the European Union are talking about go ahead, it could wipe out
:16:46. > :16:49.the industry. The only people who will benefit at the Tobacco, the
:16:50. > :16:58.large pharmaceutical companies who are producing nicotine sensation
:16:59. > :17:04.aids. The focus may now switch to calls for a ban on electronic
:17:05. > :17:07.cigarettes in public places. They have minister has said that the
:17:08. > :17:10.proposals would published in the next few weeks.
:17:11. > :17:13.Part of the Cambrian Coast railway line, closed after being damaged by
:17:14. > :17:17.storms a month ago, has been hit again by last week's strong winds
:17:18. > :17:20.and high tides. Repairs are underway but Network Rail says it'll be May
:17:21. > :17:23.before the line is re-opened. Matthew Richards reports.
:17:24. > :17:29.Twisted track and gaping holes in the ballast. These scars left over
:17:30. > :17:33.from the storms of the past few weeks will take many months to fix.
:17:34. > :17:42.Every further storm puts more pressure on Network Rail to meet
:17:43. > :17:51.their May deadline. All along this line, platform after platform stand
:17:52. > :17:55.empty. By that work will enable services to start again in the
:17:56. > :18:00.short, some asking whether it will be worth it in the long run. When
:18:01. > :18:04.the stranded carriages had to be carried out of Barmouth on the backs
:18:05. > :18:07.of lorries, one man thought it signalled the death knell for the
:18:08. > :18:10.whole service. Bill Pritchard from Barmouth uses the Cambrian Coast
:18:11. > :18:13.line regularly. But he says the cost of fixing the many problems isn't
:18:14. > :18:20.justified by the small number of passengers who use it outside of the
:18:21. > :18:27.tourist season. What is the point? They will keep preparing the line.
:18:28. > :18:32.The tide is now at its highest ever. It is global warming. We have to
:18:33. > :18:35.face this reality. But there are others who depend on the line during
:18:36. > :18:41.the summer months to bring in visitors. For them, the quicker the
:18:42. > :18:46.job can be done, the better. Guests use the line a lot when they go off
:18:47. > :18:56.for the day. The schoolchildren use the line to get to school. It will
:18:57. > :18:58.affect them as well. Buses are currently helping people get around
:18:59. > :19:01.from the stations between Barmouth and Pwllheli. Network Rail has
:19:02. > :19:04.apologised for the inconvenience and acknowledges the social and economic
:19:05. > :19:07.importance of the line in connecting villages, towns and schools. Further
:19:08. > :19:11.north at Penrhyndeudraeth a major investment in a road bridge next to
:19:12. > :19:20.the track is being seen as a sign that the line's future is secure. It
:19:21. > :19:25.is very inconvenient to people to have to go around. We tried to avoid
:19:26. > :19:30.that as much as possible. I think the investment will make it much
:19:31. > :19:33.better in future for everybody. The line should be re-opened in time for
:19:34. > :19:37.the peak tourist season, whatever it's long term future, there will be
:19:38. > :19:39.many travellers keen to get back on board.
:19:40. > :19:42.Rugby and Sam Warburton will lead Wales out as they take on Ireland in
:19:43. > :19:46.Dublin on Saturday. Warren Gatland has only made three changes to the
:19:47. > :19:49.team that beat Italy and, despite joining up with the squad, there's
:19:50. > :19:58.no place for Jonathan Davies after two months out. Kate Morgan reports.
:19:59. > :20:03.With Wales emerging relatively unscathed after Italy, Warren
:20:04. > :20:08.Gatland side to face Ireland is not packed with surprises. But with the
:20:09. > :20:09.return of Sam Warburton, he is adding physicality which could be
:20:10. > :20:33.the difference in Dublin. Both sides have made no secret that
:20:34. > :20:37.this is going to be a tough game. Perhaps their toughest. It is no
:20:38. > :20:42.wonder that Warren Gatland has made changes to the pack as he expects a
:20:43. > :20:47.physical encounter. They also expect improvements at the breakdown where
:20:48. > :20:55.Sam Warburton happens to be at his best. One of his attributes is
:20:56. > :20:59.effective turnovers and penalties. He is as good as anyone in the world
:21:00. > :21:04.at doing that. We expect him to get on the ball on Saturday and
:21:05. > :21:24.hopefully he can create a few turnovers for us.
:21:25. > :21:30.That is plenty of experience on the bench as well.
:21:31. > :21:37.Ireland are an all too familiar foe especially after Warren Gatland
:21:38. > :21:48.dropped Brian O'Driscoll for the final British and Irish and test. --
:21:49. > :21:57.British and Irish Lions test. I do not have any ill will towards Warren
:21:58. > :22:04.Gatland. Emotions are running high at the table top time heals. I do
:22:05. > :22:14.not have any animosity towards him. Whales are confident they can
:22:15. > :22:19.continue their impressive away from the sub -- form.
:22:20. > :22:22.Football and changes are expected to be made to Swansea City's backroom
:22:23. > :22:26.staff. They include a move for former captain Garry Monk who is
:22:27. > :22:28.believed to be taking up a coaching role. The changes are likely to
:22:29. > :22:31.increase speculation about the position of manager Michael Laudrup
:22:32. > :22:35.and his current coaches. The Swans have just one win in ten Premier
:22:36. > :22:38.League matches and are just two points above the relegation zone.
:22:39. > :22:41.Hundreds of tonnes of crushed stone is being whisked through the sky
:22:42. > :22:45.over the Brecon Beacons National Park over the next few days. It's
:22:46. > :22:48.part of work being undertaken by the Authority to restore an eroded
:22:49. > :22:51.footpath on Offa's Dyke near Hay Bluff. Charlotte Dubenskij has been
:22:52. > :23:02.watching as the first flights got underway. It is one of the most
:23:03. > :23:05.public trails in the world. Offa's Dyke has stood between Wales and
:23:06. > :23:10.England for centuries. It is now showing its age. A delicate
:23:11. > :23:19.operation is underway to restore the eroded path. The section can only be
:23:20. > :23:23.reached by helicopter. They demote trail is more than 2000 feet above
:23:24. > :23:32.sea level and two miles from the nearest road. We are taking 400
:23:33. > :23:43.tonnes of stone on to the wall. To take it by tractor or another
:23:44. > :23:48.vehicle would damage the area. It is a site of special scientific
:23:49. > :23:57.interest. Workers and volunteers will battle freezing conditions and
:23:58. > :24:01.changeable weather. The work is undertaken in a challenging
:24:02. > :24:09.environment. Without the volunteers, we would not get through the volume
:24:10. > :24:15.of work. Improvements will be made to more than 3000 metres of the
:24:16. > :24:18.track. Each bag weighs a tonne and over the next few days, this
:24:19. > :24:27.helicopter will make more than 400 journeys to drop the load. The
:24:28. > :24:31.aggregate has been specially selected for its durability. The
:24:32. > :24:37.park authority says will click this is important so people can continue
:24:38. > :24:41.to enjoy walking along the path and taking the spectacular views without
:24:42. > :24:45.damaging the surrounding areas. We're going to have to build more
:24:46. > :24:46.Offa's Dykes if this weather gets any worse. I'm afraid Behnaz doesn't
:24:47. > :24:59.have any good news. This day started off perfectly with
:25:00. > :25:03.some sunshine. That is a yellow warning for the wind tonight. That
:25:04. > :25:11.is tension for further disruption. We have guests of up to sentiments
:25:12. > :25:15.and I were -- 70 mph. We could see some trees falling tonight and into
:25:16. > :25:20.tomorrow morning. If that was not enough, we also have the rain band
:25:21. > :25:29.making its way in from the south-west. Also, coastal flooding
:25:30. > :25:36.as well. That rain band will clear through and then behind it is a case
:25:37. > :25:41.of showers. It is all the associated with this deep area of low pressure.
:25:42. > :25:44.We will have another similar area coming in for the end of the week.
:25:45. > :25:49.We are not done with the weather just yet. This is the picture
:25:50. > :25:56.tomorrow morning. Strong winds continuing along coastal areas.
:25:57. > :25:59.Anywhere south of Aberystwyth. The temperatures are on the mild side
:26:00. > :26:03.for this time of year. It will remain lustily as we go into
:26:04. > :26:07.tomorrow night. Those showers will continue. The impact of the bad
:26:08. > :26:11.weather, large waves and fallen trees and further risk of flooding.
:26:12. > :26:17.You need to be careful. Tomorrow night, the showers will continue,
:26:18. > :26:21.heavy at times. Overnight, we will start to see a brief break.
:26:22. > :26:31.Hopefully, the showers will become fewer and further dream. -- between.
:26:32. > :26:37.It pleased break to come on Thursday morning. Some bright this. They were
:26:38. > :26:42.showers and lighter winds. Before you know it, the next rain band will
:26:43. > :26:51.come in from the south as we go into Thursday night. That sets the scene
:26:52. > :27:00.for Friday which is wet and windy. That is further warnings for better
:27:01. > :27:03.weather on Saturday as well. -- for wetter weather on Saturday as well.
:27:04. > :27:07.It's coming up to seven o'clock. The main news again from the BBC. Prince
:27:08. > :27:10.Charles has been to flood-hit areas of Somerset and told residents it
:27:11. > :27:14.was a "tragedy" nothing had been done for so long. Some villages have
:27:15. > :27:17.now been cut off for more than a month. One of the Prince's charities
:27:18. > :27:21.is donating ?50,000 to help victims. The M4 has fully reopened this
:27:22. > :27:24.evening after a crash between a lorry, car and coach. The coach
:27:25. > :27:27.driver and a passenger were airlifted to hospital and eleven
:27:28. > :27:34.others taken by ambulance. There have been long tailbacks and delays
:27:35. > :27:37.for much of the day. I'll have an update for you here at
:27:38. > :27:43.eight o'clock and again after the BBC News at ten. That's Wales Today.
:27:44. > :27:44.Thank you for watching. From all of us on the programme, good evening.