:00:00. > :00:00.A reminder of the day's main story... The
:00:00. > :00:00.Welcome to Wales Today, our top stories tonight -
:00:07. > :00:08.Christine and Roger Solik from the Cynon Valley were brutally
:00:09. > :00:19.Their family tell us of their devastation.
:00:20. > :00:24.Described as wonderful parents to their four children, relatives are
:00:25. > :00:27.dealing with the shock of the news and I getting used -- ready to fly
:00:28. > :00:31.out to South Africa. Are BBC license fee payers in Wales
:00:32. > :00:33.being short-changed? BBC Scotland is today given more
:00:34. > :00:36.money and a brand new channel. If Debra Poole re-marries she'll
:00:37. > :00:39.lose her police widow's pension, she tells us why she's campaigning
:00:40. > :00:44.for the rules to be changed. I'm being made to choose
:00:45. > :00:48.between love and money. The Duchess of Cornwall is right
:00:49. > :00:56.on cue during a visit to And he's back in the starting line
:00:57. > :01:05.up, can George North repeat last season's performance
:01:06. > :01:24.against Scotland this Saturday? The family of a couple found
:01:25. > :01:28.brutally murdered in South Africa say they are "devastated"
:01:29. > :01:32.by the news of their deaths. The bodies of Christine
:01:33. > :01:34.and Roger Solik, originally from the Cynon Valley,
:01:35. > :01:37.were found in a river around James Williams has spent
:01:38. > :01:42.the day in Mountain Ash where some of their family members
:01:43. > :01:56.still live, he sent us this report. Inseparable and a relationship to
:01:57. > :02:01.aspire to. It is to be used from four loving children to their
:02:02. > :02:05.parents. Christine and Roger Solik. Born and bred in the mountain ash
:02:06. > :02:10.area of the Cynon Valley. I have spoken to Christine's brother and
:02:11. > :02:14.sister where they are consoling their mother and they are devastated
:02:15. > :02:19.by the news and finding it difficult to comprehend it was only last month
:02:20. > :02:26.they saw Christine who had returned home to bury her father. A tight
:02:27. > :02:30.knit community mourns. People are shocked by the news we have heard,
:02:31. > :02:35.the brutality and the senselessness of the killings and the thoughts the
:02:36. > :02:40.community out with the family. My office managers know the family and
:02:41. > :02:45.she's has spoken to them already and they said they are devastated which
:02:46. > :02:49.is understandable. Married in the Valleys, it was however South Africa
:02:50. > :02:55.where the need their life. Moving there in 1981. Work, family and
:02:56. > :03:00.retirements would follow before enjoying their final days in the can
:03:01. > :03:05.to's Kwazulu-Natal province. In a town not far from the mountains.
:03:06. > :03:11.Police suspect they were kidnapped from their home last Friday.
:03:12. > :03:16.Christine's body was found later that day in a river, bound and
:03:17. > :03:22.murdered 50 miles from their home in a gated community. Later, the couple
:03:23. > :03:28.'s car was found abandoned in another area. Roger, 66 and
:03:29. > :03:33.suffering from Parkinson's disease, would not be found until Monday.
:03:34. > :03:38.Over a mile from where Christine's body was discovered. With around 51
:03:39. > :03:41.murders a day in South Africa violence is not uncommon. But
:03:42. > :03:47.elements of this case seem unusual. There is a lot of shock and the
:03:48. > :03:51.police are taking it seriously because it isn't normal in these
:03:52. > :03:56.kind of cases the people would be taken away from their home,
:03:57. > :04:00.kidnapped, and then killed somewhere else. That is unusual and so the
:04:01. > :04:04.police are focusing on trying to find out what the motive is here
:04:05. > :04:08.because it is not normal that happens. There is an awful lot of
:04:09. > :04:12.detail in this case to come out that hopefully will make things a bit
:04:13. > :04:16.more clear because people are not only frightened but very baffled by
:04:17. > :04:21.how this has happened. From a small town in South Africa to a small town
:04:22. > :04:25.in the South Wales Valleys. That shock at the murder of Christine and
:04:26. > :04:25.Roger Solik continues to reverberate.
:04:26. > :04:28.The Foreign Office has said tonight that they'll support the family
:04:29. > :04:41.Yes, they have. A spokeswoman at the heart of the Foreign Office has said
:04:42. > :04:46.they are working closely with the local police and are happy to assist
:04:47. > :04:50.the family. The local police have said they are working around the
:04:51. > :04:56.clock to try to catch the killers. I have been here all day and I've been
:04:57. > :04:59.talking to Christine's family. They are devastated. Earlier this evening
:05:00. > :05:05.had an opportunity to speak to her mother. She told me Christine and
:05:06. > :05:09.Roger had been wonderful parents to their four lovely children and I
:05:10. > :05:14.asked what was Christine like? She says she was chatty, just like her.
:05:15. > :05:19.Members of both families are going to leave the UK and fly to South
:05:20. > :05:24.Africa on Saturday ahead of Tuesday's funeral service in Cape
:05:25. > :05:28.Town. In South Africa they will meet Christine and Roger's children who
:05:29. > :05:30.released their statement saying please keep them in force and
:05:31. > :05:34.prayers. -- thoughts. The BBC has been accused
:05:35. > :05:36.of insulting Wales after it announced a new Television
:05:37. > :05:39.channel and funding for Scotland It comes a day AFTER it
:05:40. > :05:42.confirmed an ?8.5 million Our Arts and Media Correspondent,
:05:43. > :05:46.Huw Thomas, has been taking a look This is an argument
:05:47. > :05:51.about the BBC's priorities This morning, in Glasgow,
:05:52. > :05:56.the BBC revealed it's investing ?19 million of new money in Scotland
:05:57. > :06:00.recruiting 80 journalists, and launching a brand new channel
:06:01. > :06:05.with a nightly news programme featuring local and world news
:06:06. > :06:10.from a Scottish perspective. It'll also spend ?20 million
:06:11. > :06:13.to increase the number of programmes that are made in Scotland and shown
:06:14. > :06:17.across the UK. Now this has proved controversial
:06:18. > :06:21.today because it comes just a day after the announcement that
:06:22. > :06:24.an extra ?8.5 million would be coming to Wales,
:06:25. > :06:27.mainly for new dramas, Not all good news for those who'd
:06:28. > :06:32.been calling for an extra And politicians from different
:06:33. > :06:40.parties are saying it's unfair. It is clear to me, whatever Scotland
:06:41. > :06:43.wants to do and how it wants to arrange its programming,
:06:44. > :06:45.that is fine for the BBC. But as one of the devolved
:06:46. > :06:48.nations, license payers in Wales should get the same deal as
:06:49. > :06:52.licence payers in Scotland. The BBC denies that accusation,
:06:53. > :06:57.saying the new money it's spending in Wales will be
:06:58. > :07:00."transformational". It says spending on programmes made
:07:01. > :07:03.in Wales like Doctor Who and Casualty meant it was already way
:07:04. > :07:07.ahead of Scotland in making There's also the money the BBC
:07:08. > :07:12.spends on Welsh language output, including much
:07:13. > :07:15.of the budget for S4C. At the end of the day, this boils
:07:16. > :07:19.down to what the audience wants. Viewers in Scotland have different
:07:20. > :07:21.needs to those in Wales, and the different choices being made
:07:22. > :07:28.require different levels of funding. Bosses at Aberthaw power station
:07:29. > :07:33.in the Vale of Glamorgan say cleaner coal from overseas will be used
:07:34. > :07:38.in future to ensure emissions EU judges ruled the plant
:07:39. > :07:41.was pumping out illegal levels of air pollution,
:07:42. > :07:43.and had to change Our environment correspondent
:07:44. > :07:48.Steffan Messenger has had rare access to see what the future holds
:07:49. > :07:51.for one of Wales's This is the route we are
:07:52. > :07:57.putting new investment on. This huge site capable of powering
:07:58. > :08:04.three million UK homes is at a By 1967 this industrial wilderness
:08:05. > :08:11.will begin to look like this. At the time it was built,
:08:12. > :08:14.it was hailed as one of the most advanced power stations in the world
:08:15. > :08:17.designed to use Welsh coal which takes longer to
:08:18. > :08:22.burn than alternatives. But as well as carbon emissions that
:08:23. > :08:25.process produces toxic nitrogen oxide gases
:08:26. > :08:29.which can harm people's health. In September last year
:08:30. > :08:33.the European Court of Justice ruled that Aberthaw was pumping out double
:08:34. > :08:36.the legal amount. Several years ago this stockroom
:08:37. > :08:44.would probably have held With the introduction
:08:45. > :08:46.of new legislation we have to change our diet
:08:47. > :08:48.across from low volatile coal, the indigenous Welsh coals
:08:49. > :08:50.across to highly volatile coal which, unfortunately,
:08:51. > :08:52.is only available outside of the UK. The plant operator, RWE is investing
:08:53. > :08:55.?5 million in upgrading its boilers and conveyor belts
:08:56. > :08:59.to handle coal from places It is also cutting its
:09:00. > :09:03.operating hours focusing on supplying electricity only at times
:09:04. > :09:07.of peak demand, It means that from the end
:09:08. > :09:12.of the month the vast majority of deliveries from Welsh
:09:13. > :09:16.opencast mines will end. For the people who work this
:09:17. > :09:19.is a really poignant scene, the penultimate delivery of coal
:09:20. > :09:22.from Tower Colliery here to It is happening because the UK
:09:23. > :09:26.is shifting its energy mix away from burning fossil fuels like
:09:27. > :09:31.coal towards more low carbon energy generation, renewable
:09:32. > :09:34.energy and new nuclear power plants like the one
:09:35. > :09:36.that is planned on Anglesey. The Westminster government wants
:09:37. > :09:40.to see all coal fired power stations But that is still eight years away
:09:41. > :09:47.and in the meantime, Aberthaw's manager believes it has
:09:48. > :09:51.an important role to play. Although there has been
:09:52. > :09:53.periods this year when coal generation has fallen
:09:54. > :09:55.to zero in the summer, when the margins are tight the UK
:09:56. > :09:58.very much needs the capability That is where we see our future
:09:59. > :10:06.for the next few years. Not everyone agrees
:10:07. > :10:18.as this protest at It is going to close as a result of
:10:19. > :10:21.government policy and the fact it is very old. Isn't it time to start
:10:22. > :10:24.thinking beyond that rather than eking out a few little bits of extra
:10:25. > :10:26.profit from an ageing asset? For the 200 or so staff
:10:27. > :10:29.it is a challenging time. But Aberthaw's managment team say
:10:30. > :10:33.the changes being put in place will mean they can keep generating
:10:34. > :10:39.power here until at least 2021. A man from Pontypridd
:10:40. > :10:42.been jailed for 28 days for filming and livestreaming
:10:43. > :10:45.a court case on Facebook. 39-year-old David Davies,
:10:46. > :10:51.from Llantwit Fardre, broadcast the footage on Monday
:10:52. > :10:54.as a witness gave evidence He was arrested when he returned
:10:55. > :10:58.yesterday and sentenced Cameras are not allowed in courts
:10:59. > :11:04.in Wales and England. The number of cancer cases in Wales
:11:05. > :11:08.has risen by nearly ten percent There were just over
:11:09. > :11:13.19,000 diagnoses in 2015, Public Health Wales says the main
:11:14. > :11:21.reason for the increase The Charity Commission has
:11:22. > :11:27.launched an investigation Capricorn Animal Rescue
:11:28. > :11:33.near Mold looks after injured But welfare and financial concerns
:11:34. > :11:38.were highlighted by a BBC Wales The Charity Commission
:11:39. > :11:43.says it decided to act following complaints from the public
:11:44. > :11:48.and former volunteers. It is a relief really,
:11:49. > :11:51.I think that is the main feeling, relief that someone is being looked
:11:52. > :11:54.into and hopefully changes will It is quite concerning they have
:11:55. > :11:59.frozen their bank account knowing the animals
:12:00. > :12:01.are still in that rescue. But we know there is a lot of people
:12:02. > :12:04.there ready to come in We are just grateful somebody has
:12:05. > :12:12.paid attention and done something. The commissioner who advises Welsh
:12:13. > :12:15.ministers on sustainability says plans for a new M4 relief road
:12:16. > :12:17.should not go ahead. Sophie Howe, the Future
:12:18. > :12:20.Generations Commissioner, believes the plan is "ill
:12:21. > :12:23.conceived" and not the most The Welsh Government wants to build
:12:24. > :12:27.the new motorway south of Newport to ease congestion,
:12:28. > :12:32.at a cost of ?1.1 billion. A public inquiry on the project
:12:33. > :12:37.starts next week. There are calls tonight for police
:12:38. > :12:42.widows to be granted a pension for life even if they
:12:43. > :12:45.re-marry or live with a new partner. New legislation from the Home Office
:12:46. > :12:48.means only the spouses of officers Debra Poole moved from Cardiff
:12:49. > :12:58.to Ceredigion with her husband Russell when he retired
:12:59. > :13:00.from the police service. It was their dream to have a quieter
:13:01. > :13:03.life so bought this smallholding in Sarnau near Cardigan
:13:04. > :13:05.after he finished working. Russell had been a hard-working
:13:06. > :13:09.and decorated officer Debra was just 47 when he died
:13:10. > :13:15.from cancer nearly 15 years ago and was left to bring up
:13:16. > :13:17.three young children. She receives a widow's
:13:18. > :13:20.pension of around ?900 each month which is vital
:13:21. > :13:22.for her with her younger But if she remarried or lived
:13:23. > :13:27.with a new partner Debra would I will be made to choose
:13:28. > :13:33.between love and money. He quite often put his life
:13:34. > :13:39.on the line for the job, and I'm not saying he never thought
:13:40. > :13:42.anything about it, that was his job. But he also paid 11% of his pay
:13:43. > :13:47.every month for his pension Debra wants the regulations
:13:48. > :13:56.to change and on this More than a 115,000 people
:13:57. > :14:01.have signed a petition. They want the rules to be
:14:02. > :14:03.brought into line with Northern Ireland which grants all
:14:04. > :14:06.police widows a pension for life. The Home Office says new legislation
:14:07. > :14:10.brought in last year means the spouses or partners of officers
:14:11. > :14:14.who die on duty will retain their The system changed a little bit
:14:15. > :14:19.for England and Wales from the 1st of April 2015 but there is no
:14:20. > :14:23.retrospective change in it. There is a retrospective change
:14:24. > :14:27.in Northern Ireland where, if widows or widowers have remarried
:14:28. > :14:30.they have been able to get Clearly, people get into a situation
:14:31. > :14:36.where is it going to be a future happiness for them or is it
:14:37. > :14:39.going to be how much money they have That is an unfair decision
:14:40. > :14:43.for people to make. That is where Debra finds herself,
:14:44. > :14:46.unable to do what her husband wanted after his death and move
:14:47. > :14:50.on with her life. You're watching Wales
:14:51. > :14:52.Today from the BBC. He's the only change in the starting
:14:53. > :14:57.line up on Saturday, can George North repeat last year's
:14:58. > :15:03.success against Scotland? It was against the rules,
:15:04. > :15:08.why more Welsh will now be The Duchess of Cambridge has been
:15:09. > :15:19.in Torfaen visiting a project which helps young people in care
:15:20. > :15:22.with mental health problems. It's her first visit to Wales
:15:23. > :15:43.as the official patron Is not as you might expect on a
:15:44. > :15:47.royal visit. But this mental health project in Pontypool is aligned with
:15:48. > :15:53.a caused the Duchess of Cambridge has chosen to champion. Children's
:15:54. > :15:58.mental health. Foster carers and pen is told about the expert support
:15:59. > :16:00.they received from staff here. The charity Action for Children has been
:16:01. > :16:04.commissioned for the past 12 years to provide the service by Torfaen
:16:05. > :16:09.council and the local health board. Lots of our children from difficult
:16:10. > :16:15.his studies and backgrounds and for them to have the pitches come and
:16:16. > :16:18.celebrate with them the changes they have made to their lives is
:16:19. > :16:24.important. Craig was one of the first people to meet the Duchess of
:16:25. > :16:28.Cambridge today. He was taken into care. He told me he used to get
:16:29. > :16:33.angry at school and storm out of class. I was getting into trouble
:16:34. > :16:41.loads of times but now I am just settling down really well. I have
:16:42. > :16:47.been doing anger management. It means you don't go out of class? You
:16:48. > :16:51.do more work in school. What was of like meeting the Duchess of
:16:52. > :17:00.Cambridge? Really good but nervous. Nerve wracking. Is she any good that
:17:01. > :17:03.Paul? A bit. Not as good as you. Things have improved so much he is
:17:04. > :17:07.considering going back to his birth family, proof the life changing
:17:08. > :17:16.event of been taking into care doesn't have to affect life chances.
:17:17. > :17:21.They were a fair few questions from these 80 roles. A quick hug and then
:17:22. > :17:25.onto next engagement. The Queen Mother charity's Payton and her last
:17:26. > :17:27.year, the Duchess of Cambridge picking up today where she left off.
:17:28. > :17:30.Some MPs have tried it but it's been against the rules until now.
:17:31. > :17:38.Last year the government said the translation
:17:39. > :17:41.costs would be too high, but now the rules are changing
:17:42. > :17:43.to allow Welsh to be spoken in some debates.
:17:44. > :17:46.It's a campaign that's gone on for years,
:17:47. > :17:49.as our parliamentary correspondent, David Cornock reports.
:17:50. > :17:54.Can I tell the member of the House, there are standards of dress
:17:55. > :18:14.Ond mae'r heniaith yn y tir ac alawon hen yn fyw.
:18:15. > :18:21.The honourable gentleman will do the Hansard writers the great
:18:22. > :18:25.courtesy of providing them with the text of which
:18:26. > :18:29.he has just eloquently read to the House.
:18:30. > :18:32.Nearly every rule that Parliament has is broken in some way
:18:33. > :18:37.Theoretically, the rule is the language of Parliament is
:18:38. > :18:40.English but, of course, when Her Majesty signs off bills
:18:41. > :18:47.Last year, the government said allowing MPs to speak Welsh
:18:48. > :18:49.at Westminster would be too expensive so why
:18:50. > :18:55.Every single penny of the additional cost incurred will be
:18:56. > :18:56.within the current budget of the House.
:18:57. > :18:59.The fact that we have been sensible about our approach, we have
:19:00. > :19:02.looked at what this actually means from a fiscal point of view, means
:19:03. > :19:05.we can reflect the legal status of the Welsh language
:19:06. > :19:09.without bearing any further cost to the taxpayer.
:19:10. > :19:12.The change will apply only to the Welsh grand committee,
:19:13. > :19:16.a forum for the 40 Welsh MPs that has few powers and rarely meets.
:19:17. > :19:19.In fact, the Welsh grand hasn't met for a year
:19:20. > :19:23.but the next time its members gather here at Westminster their
:19:24. > :19:26.debates will, for the first time, be bilingual.
:19:27. > :19:29.The change of heart has been widely welcomed.
:19:30. > :19:31.Often, I have been in Welsh grand debates where
:19:32. > :19:35.the majority of people attending the debate would be Welsh speakers.
:19:36. > :19:38.Late on a Thursday afternoon in Westminster Hall, the majority of
:19:39. > :19:42.people you'd speak Welsh to if conversing in private.
:19:43. > :19:46.It will be natural for most of us to have a chance to debate in Wales
:19:47. > :19:48.and I think it is a welcome step forward.
:19:49. > :19:52.But don't expect to hear Welsh used much of the chamber of
:19:53. > :19:54.either the Commons or the House of Lords.
:19:55. > :20:00.There, Norman French remains the language of choice for special
:20:01. > :20:07.Rugby and George North will return to Wales' starting line-up
:20:08. > :20:10.for Saturday's Six Nations clash against Scotland at Murrayfield.
:20:11. > :20:14.He's recovered from a leg injury, that sidelined him for Wales' 21-16
:20:15. > :20:18.loss to England earlier this month and replaces Alex Cuthbert.
:20:19. > :20:21.It's the only change, with Wales boss Rob Howley retaining
:20:22. > :20:26.a back row of Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric and Ross Moriarty.
:20:27. > :20:28.Taulupe Faletau is on the bench again.
:20:29. > :20:39.Ross, how much of an impact could George North have on the weekend?
:20:40. > :20:45.Pretty big. He was a world-class player and Wales looked like a
:20:46. > :20:51.different team with him in their starting line-up. The way he took
:20:52. > :20:56.that try against Italy. He had that leg injury and it didn't stop him
:20:57. > :20:59.running from 70 yards. A good record against Scotland. He scored a try
:21:00. > :21:05.against them last year. He has scored a try in his last 56 Nations
:21:06. > :21:10.game. It is a record. If he's goes this weekend come he will be the
:21:11. > :21:19.only player out to score six consecutive tries. He is worth a try
:21:20. > :21:23.and stop he will have to be on his defensive mettle is because
:21:24. > :21:31.Scotland's back three are potent. You got Tommy Seymour,. Wales have
:21:32. > :21:36.had a long winding streets against Scotland, do you think you can make
:21:37. > :21:40.-- they can make it ten in a row? The bookies have them as favourites.
:21:41. > :21:44.People thought they were the dark horses after they win against
:21:45. > :21:48.Ireland. But they have been brought back down to earth with that defeat
:21:49. > :21:52.against France in Paris. Wales have bullied them over the years, they
:21:53. > :21:56.have not lost the Scotland since Warren Gatland took over in 2008.
:21:57. > :22:00.They have bullied them up front which is what France did last week.
:22:01. > :22:05.Those victories, there have been nine in a row, an average 15 points.
:22:06. > :22:09.They normally win quite healthily against Scotland. They have got the
:22:10. > :22:14.psychological edge. Scotland suffering with some key injuries.
:22:15. > :22:21.Greig Laidlaw is out. He is their goalkicker. Strauss, their biggest
:22:22. > :22:24.ball-carriers missing. The bookies have a marginal favourites but both
:22:25. > :22:28.teams of the best bits of victories because having lost one each come if
:22:29. > :22:32.they lose another, they are out of contention for the Six Nations. It
:22:33. > :22:33.is win or bust for both Wales and Scotland.
:22:34. > :22:35.There are weather warnings in place ahead of that game on saturday.
:22:36. > :22:49.Wet and windy overnight into tomorrow. The Met office has issued
:22:50. > :22:55.the warning is for Doris. A warning that ghosts could reach 70 to 80 mph
:22:56. > :23:04.along the North Wales coast. This is the rapidly deepening area of low
:23:05. > :23:10.pressure will stop Storm bodies -- storm Doris arriving overnight. Rain
:23:11. > :23:14.heavy at times. Overnight turning windy with another band of rain
:23:15. > :23:20.spreading in from the north-west in the early hours. Strengthening
:23:21. > :23:23.of 4-9 C. The brain is at its of 4-9 C. The brain is at its
:23:24. > :23:30.heaviest first thing tomorrow. Easing through the morning don't
:23:31. > :23:34.wind picks up. Deals as well. Reuters buzz developing later.
:23:35. > :23:42.Remaining very windy. Most of Wales covered by well a yellow warning.
:23:43. > :23:51.The white arrows are the average wind speeds. It will feel colder.
:23:52. > :23:56.Tomorrow night, the storm clears eastwards and a chance of a few
:23:57. > :24:00.wintry showers. Turning cold overnight with winds slowly easing,
:24:01. > :24:07.drier and quietly but called with a frost risk early Friday. Generally
:24:08. > :24:10.fine, bright and breezy on Friday. Cloud thickening and rain starting
:24:11. > :24:16.to arrive from the north-west later in the day. After a wet and very
:24:17. > :24:21.windy Thursday with storm Doris, fine for a time on Friday and then
:24:22. > :24:24.drain and strengthening winds spread eastwards overnight Friday into
:24:25. > :24:29.Saturday. Some dry spells is fully time on Saturday before another
:24:30. > :24:35.friend arise from the west bringing rain later Saturday and Sunday could
:24:36. > :24:42.be fine at first with rain later. There is a smartphone app where you
:24:43. > :24:43.can have an explain the forecast online.
:24:44. > :24:47.The family of a couple found brutally murdered in South Africa
:24:48. > :24:50.say they are "devastated" by the news of their deaths.
:24:51. > :24:52.The bodies of Christine and Roger Solik, originally
:24:53. > :24:54.from the Cynon Valley, were found in a river around
:24:55. > :25:07.That is Wales today. I would have a quick update at eight o'clock. They
:25:08. > :25:08.will be a full round-up after BBC News at ten.