:00:00. > 3:59:59question is, will more competition deliver better programmes? That's
:00:00. > :00:17.all from us. A Schools, courts,
:00:18. > :00:21.job centres and council services have all been disrupted today
:00:22. > :00:24.as public sector workers here joined Union leaders claim pay
:00:25. > :00:47.freezes leave low paid Standing side-by-side. They are
:00:48. > :00:51.expressed their anger over pay, pensions and working conditions. The
:00:52. > :00:58.unions say the average public sector employees has more than ?2200 worse
:00:59. > :01:03.off every year since the UK Government froze salaries in 2010
:01:04. > :01:08.and then introduced a 1% cap on pay rises a couple of years later.
:01:09. > :01:14.Around 300 people have gathered on Castle Square in Swansea and their
:01:15. > :01:20.message is clear. Enough is enough. People sometimes only appreciate
:01:21. > :01:28.public services when they are withdrawn. This is a last resort. We
:01:29. > :01:36.hope people will tolerate the fact that we are standing for federally
:01:37. > :01:43.funded public services. It is estimated 70,000 public sector
:01:44. > :01:47.workers were part of the walk-out today in Wales. Firefighters have
:01:48. > :01:53.also been striking over pensions and retirement age. We feel we have been
:01:54. > :01:59.forced into a corner by this Government. Firefighters working and
:02:00. > :02:07.to the age of 60 will put people at danger. We need the government to
:02:08. > :02:10.come back to the table to negotiate. The Welsh Local Government
:02:11. > :02:14.Association said a strike will not change anything and their employees
:02:15. > :02:23.are already being offered the best deal in a challenging economic
:02:24. > :02:27.climate. It is a strike against the public and a recovering economy and
:02:28. > :02:36.it is also an intimidation to a lot of people who would not have voted
:02:37. > :02:41.in favour of a strike. Away from the demonstrations, it has been a day of
:02:42. > :02:50.disruption for many. I half of Welsh schools were closed. It was a bit
:02:51. > :02:56.short notice. It is a lot of money because they do not have the
:02:57. > :03:03.baby-sitters. The teachers do a fantastic job and I do understand
:03:04. > :03:07.why they are doing this. There was a limited service at the National
:03:08. > :03:14.library and most of our museum sites were closed. People putting out the
:03:15. > :03:21.rubbish had to bring it back in in Neath. On the roads, there was
:03:22. > :03:25.congestion with Cardiff 's Bute closed and rush-hour traffic being
:03:26. > :03:29.brought to a standstill. Firefighters have now returned to
:03:30. > :03:35.work and other public sector workers will be on strike until midnight.
:03:36. > :03:37.A nine-year-old girl has been taken to hospital after she became stuck
:03:38. > :03:40.among sea defence boulders while playing hide and seek.
:03:41. > :03:42.The rescue at Aberaeron this afternoon involved coastguards,
:03:43. > :03:47.A lifeboat crewman had to submerge himself in the water to free
:03:48. > :03:53.She was taken to hospital as a precaution.
:03:54. > :03:55.Campaigners have lost their high court fight to stop
:03:56. > :03:57.services being lost from Withybush Hospital in Pembrokeshire
:03:58. > :04:02.A judge has dismissed their legal challenges against
:04:03. > :04:05.Hywel Dda health board saying he was wholly unconvinced that the
:04:06. > :04:14.Their protest and pleas couldn?t have been louder.
:04:15. > :04:18.But so far, they failed to hit their mark.
:04:19. > :04:21.Campaigners have been battling on two fronts:
:04:22. > :04:25.In Pembrokeshire, against plans to close the special care baby unit
:04:26. > :04:28.and the loss of consultancy led maternity care at Withybush.
:04:29. > :04:33.There are worries about the distances patients will
:04:34. > :04:37.have to travel on these rural roads when services move to Carmarthen.
:04:38. > :04:43.And in Llanelli, against plans to downgrade the A and E at Prince
:04:44. > :04:47.Philip into a GP and nurse-led unit. Today, a judge ruled both
:04:48. > :04:50.these decisions are lawful. We are a little bit despondent
:04:51. > :04:56.and upset at the moment with regards to the decision of the court.
:04:57. > :04:59.However, as a group, we must accept that it has gone
:05:00. > :05:05.through the legal process and we must move on from here.
:05:06. > :05:08.Mr Justice Hickinbottom said there was no doubting the sincerity
:05:09. > :05:14.of the claimants who deeply believe the changes should not be made.
:05:15. > :05:17.But he said the courts were only concerned with the lawfulness
:05:18. > :05:24.of the decisions and he was wholly unconvinced that any aspect of the
:05:25. > :05:26.procedure was unfair or unlawful. Campaigners say they may have lost
:05:27. > :05:30.the legal argument, but they will fight on.
:05:31. > :05:35.In my opinion, it is totally dangerous and I do believe that
:05:36. > :05:40.people will die on the road between Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen.
:05:41. > :05:45.These artist impressions show how the new maternity unit in Carmarthen
:05:46. > :05:49.will look when it opens in August. Today the health board said they
:05:50. > :05:53.hoped this judgement provided staff, patients and members of the public
:05:54. > :05:56.with the assurance they needed. The Welsh Government have welcomed
:05:57. > :05:59.this ruling, saying that health services here need to evolve
:06:00. > :06:03.and modernise to meet the changing needs of the population and to take
:06:04. > :06:07.full advantage of new benefits of technology and the advancement
:06:08. > :06:10.in clinical skills. A spokesperson called today?s judgement
:06:11. > :06:16.an important one for the future of services here in Wales.
:06:17. > :06:20.Vulnerable children and young people in the care system across Wales are
:06:21. > :06:23.still being denied the right to an independent, professional voice,
:06:24. > :06:28.That's according to the Children's Commissioner for Wales who says that
:06:29. > :06:31.while there has been progress, it's been too patchy and slow.
:06:32. > :06:34.The Welsh Government disagrees, and says it's committed to empowering
:06:35. > :06:44.Tasha Wood has been in the care system for nine years.
:06:45. > :06:53.When I was younger, perhaps I could have done with an advocate to get a
:06:54. > :06:58.deeper understanding of what was going on. I was informed and
:06:59. > :07:02.everything but an advocate could have explained it to me so that I
:07:03. > :07:06.had a deeper understanding because I was only a child. If I had something
:07:07. > :07:10.to say, they could have put it across for me.
:07:11. > :07:12.Three Welsh Premier sides have all crashed out of the Europa League.
:07:13. > :07:15.After drawing the first leg 1-1 at home, Airbus UK lost 2-1 in Norway.
:07:16. > :07:17.It was a heavy defeat for Aberystwyth Town.
:07:18. > :07:22.They lost 5-0 against Derry City, after already facing a 4-0 deficit.
:07:23. > :07:24.It was also bad news for Bangor City.
:07:25. > :07:33.Poet Owen Sheers has won Wales Book of the Year at a ceremony
:07:34. > :07:38.The writer also won the Roland Mathias Poetry Award for Pink Mist.
:07:39. > :07:41.In Welsh, Ioan Kidd won the book prize and People's Choice
:07:42. > :07:51.It means a huge amount. Any book you embark on, you really
:07:52. > :07:53.go into the dark and never really know where it?s
:07:54. > :07:55.going to end. To have it recognised in this way,
:07:56. > :08:03.and among such a strong shortlist. Weather time now and another warm
:08:04. > :08:24.day, but will it last? Sue's here. Cardiff was the hot spot. Cooler in
:08:25. > :08:28.the West. Clear spells and some cloud around. Maybe a few spots of
:08:29. > :08:33.rain further west. Not amounting to much. Some coastal mist and
:08:34. > :08:40.remaining dry. Tomorrow, we are sandwiched between a couple of
:08:41. > :08:47.whether France. A warm front will bring rain, it will weaken. Tomorrow
:08:48. > :08:53.is largely dried with bright and sunny spells. Across the UK, a
:08:54. > :08:57.greater zone in the middle. Cloudy with some rain further east and
:08:58. > :09:08.across Northern Ireland as both weather systems edge closer.
:09:09. > :09:14.Remaining humid. McGee for border counties tomorrow. 23 Celsius in
:09:15. > :09:18.Monmouthshire. 18 Celsius all Saturday, fine at first. Cloud and
:09:19. > :09:26.showery rain will push on from the west later. Remaining humid. As
:09:27. > :09:31.these friends push in late on Saturday and into Sunday, there will
:09:32. > :09:35.be a more unsettled Atlantic influence to our weather. Those
:09:36. > :09:39.showers will clear early on Sunday and turn into a bright and breezy
:09:40. > :09:46.day. More in the way of sunshine by the afternoon. The weekend starts
:09:47. > :09:50.humid with sunshine and showers. Slightly fresher and changeable on
:09:51. > :09:56.Sunday and into the start of next week. More humid again from mid
:09:57. > :09:57.onwards. That is Wales Today. We will have updates in the morning
:09:58. > :09:58.onwards. That is Wales Today. We will have updates in the from six
:09:59. > :10:01.o'clock.