0:00:05 > 0:00:07Welcome to Wales Today, our headlines tonight -
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Christine and Roger Solik from the Cynon Valley were brutally
0:00:10 > 0:00:12murdered in South Africa.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Their family tell us of their devastation.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20And if Debra Pool re-marries she'll lose her police widow's pension.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22She tells us why she's campaigning for change.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38Good evening.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41The family of a couple found brutally murdered in South Africa
0:00:41 > 0:00:43say they're devastated.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45The bodies of Christine and Roger Solik, originally
0:00:45 > 0:00:48from the Cynon Valley, were found in a river around
0:00:48 > 0:00:5050 miles from where they lived.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Christine's mother, Sheila Savage, described them as wonderful parents
0:00:54 > 0:00:56whose children are now suffering.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00James Williams reports from Mountain Ash.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Inseparable and a relationship to aspire to.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09A tribute from four loving children to their parents,
0:01:09 > 0:01:14Christine and Roger Solik born and bred in the Mountain Ash
0:01:14 > 0:01:15area of the Cynon Valley.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18I have just spoken to Christine's brother and
0:01:18 > 0:01:21sister at their family home where they are consoling their mother,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24and they are devastated by the news and finding it difficult
0:01:24 > 0:01:28to comprehend it was only last month they saw Christine who had returned
0:01:28 > 0:01:31home to bury her father.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35A tight knit community mourns.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37People are very shocked by the news we have heard,
0:01:37 > 0:01:42the brutality and the senselessness of the killings and the thoughts
0:01:42 > 0:01:45of the community are with the family at this tragic time.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Married in the Valleys, it was however South Africa
0:01:48 > 0:01:52where they made their life, moving there in 1981.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Work, family and retirement would follow before
0:01:56 > 0:01:59enjoying their final days in the country's Kwazulu-Natal
0:01:59 > 0:02:05province in a town not far from the Drakensberg mountains.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Police suspect they were kidnapped from their home in the town
0:02:08 > 0:02:11of Nottingham Road last Friday.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16Christine's body was found later that day in a river, bound and
0:02:16 > 0:02:19murdered 50 miles from their home in a gated community.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Later, the couple's car was found abandoned in
0:02:22 > 0:02:23another area.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Roger, 66 years old and suffering from Parkinson's disease
0:02:26 > 0:02:30for the last 20 years, would not be found until Monday
0:02:30 > 0:02:35over a mile from where Christine's body was discovered.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37With around 51 murders a day in South Africa
0:02:37 > 0:02:40violence is not uncommon.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43But elements of this case seem unusual.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47There is a lot of shock and the police are taking it seriously
0:02:47 > 0:02:52because it isn't normal in these kind of cases that people would be
0:02:52 > 0:02:54taken away from their home, kidnapped, and then killed
0:02:54 > 0:02:57somewhere else.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00That is pretty unusual and so the police are
0:03:00 > 0:03:02focusing on trying to find out what the motive is here
0:03:02 > 0:03:05because it is not normal that happens.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09From a small town in South Africa to a small town
0:03:09 > 0:03:11in the South Wales Valleys.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15That shock at the murder of Christine and Roger Solik continues
0:03:15 > 0:03:18to reverberate.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22The BBC has been accused of insulting Wales
0:03:22 > 0:03:25after it announced a new television channel and funding for
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Scotland worth nearly ?40 million.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32It comes a day after it confirmed an ?8.5 million
0:03:32 > 0:03:33investment here.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Politicians from different parties are saying it's unfair.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39The BBC says the new money it's spending in Wales
0:03:39 > 0:03:42will be "transformational", and it's already way ahead
0:03:42 > 0:03:47of Scotland in making programmes for a UK-wide audience.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It is clear to me, whatever Scotland wants to do and how it wants
0:03:50 > 0:03:53to arrange its programming, that is fine for the BBC.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55But as one of the devolved nations, license payers
0:03:55 > 0:04:00in Wales should get the same deal as licence payers in Scotland.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02We are being short-changed.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05A man from Pontypridd been jailed for 28 days
0:04:05 > 0:04:09for filming and live streaming a court case on Facebook.
0:04:09 > 0:04:1339-year-old David Davies, from Llantwit Fardre
0:04:13 > 0:04:15broadcast the footage on Monday, as a witness gave evidence
0:04:15 > 0:04:17at Cardiff Crown Court.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20He was arrested when he returned yesterday and sentenced
0:04:20 > 0:04:23for contempt of court.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Cameras are not allowed in courts in Wales and England.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30The number of cancer cases in Wales has risen by nearly 10%
0:04:30 > 0:04:32over a ten year period.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36There were just over 19,000 diagnoses in 2015,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40compared to around 17,000 in 2006.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43Public Health Wales says the main reason for the increase
0:04:43 > 0:04:46is an ageing population.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49This is the baby boomers coming through.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52They are now in their 60s and more.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55And so we are seeing just a lot more cases in them because
0:04:55 > 0:04:57there is more of them.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59We also have a lot of people now living longer so
0:04:59 > 0:05:05in very old age we are seeing an increase in people and they are
0:05:05 > 0:05:09alive to get cancer because age is the main risk factor for cancer.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12There are calls tonight for police widows to be granted
0:05:12 > 0:05:14a pension for life even if they re-marry
0:05:14 > 0:05:16or live with a new partner.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19New legislation from the Home Office means only the spouses
0:05:19 > 0:05:23of officers who die on duty will retain their pensions.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Here's Matt Murray.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28Debra Poole moved from Cardiff to Ceredigion with her husband
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Russell when he retired from the police service.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33It was their dream to have a quieter life so bought this
0:05:33 > 0:05:37smallholding in Sarnau near Cardigan after he finished working.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Russell had been a hard-working and decorated officer
0:05:40 > 0:05:41for South Wales Police.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45Debra was just 47 when he died from cancer nearly 15 years ago
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and was left to bring up three young children.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51She receives a widow's pension of around ?900
0:05:51 > 0:05:54each month which is vital for her with her younger
0:05:54 > 0:05:55son in university.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59But if she remarried or lived with a new partner Debra would
0:05:59 > 0:06:01lose that money.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05I'm being made to choose between love and money.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07He loved his job.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10But he also paid 11% of his pay every month for his pension
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and for his family.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16So, I do feel that this is wrong.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Debra wants the regulations to change and on this
0:06:19 > 0:06:20she is not alone.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23More than a 115,000 people have signed a petition.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25They want the rules to be brought into line with
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Northern Ireland which grants all police widows a pension for life.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32The Home Office says new legislation brought in last year means
0:06:32 > 0:06:36the spouses or partners of officers who die on duty will retain their
0:06:36 > 0:06:39pensions even if they remarry.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42There is a retrospective change in Northern Ireland where, if widows
0:06:42 > 0:06:46or widowers have remarried they have been able to get
0:06:46 > 0:06:48their pension paid to them.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Clearly, people get into a situation where, is it going to be a
0:06:52 > 0:06:55future happiness for them or is it going to be how much money they have
0:06:55 > 0:06:56got in their pocket?
0:06:56 > 0:06:58That is an unfair decision for people to make.
0:06:58 > 0:07:05That is where Debra finds herself, unable to do what her husband wanted
0:07:05 > 0:07:07after his death and move on with her life.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Now, this next item contains flash photography.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13The Duchess of Cambridge has been in Torfaen
0:07:13 > 0:07:16visiting a project which helps young people in care with
0:07:16 > 0:07:17mental health problems.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20It's her first visit to Wales as the official patron
0:07:20 > 0:07:22of the charity Action for Children.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25Tributes have been paid to the leading automotive economist
0:07:25 > 0:07:29Professor Garel Rhys, who's died.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31He was chairman of the Welsh Automotive Forum,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34which he established in the late '90s.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38He died after a short illness a week before his 77th birthday.
0:07:40 > 0:07:41Rugby.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43George North will return to Wales' starting line-up
0:07:43 > 0:07:46for Saturday's Six Nations clash against Scotland at Murrayfield.
0:07:46 > 0:07:52He's recovered from a leg injury, that sidelined him for Wales' 21-16
0:07:52 > 0:07:54loss to England earlier this month and replaces Alex Cuthbert.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57It's the only change, with Wales boss Rob Howley
0:07:57 > 0:07:59retaining a back row of Sam Warburton, Justin Tipuric
0:07:59 > 0:08:01and Ross Moriarty.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Taulupe Faletau is on the bench again.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Let's get the weather forecast now, Sue Charles has the details.
0:08:09 > 0:08:10Good evening.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Very wet and windy weather overnight into tomorrow.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14The Met Office has issued warnings for
0:08:14 > 0:08:19Storm Doris, bringing heavy rain at times with gusts
0:08:19 > 0:08:25reaching 70 to 80 mph along the North Wales coast.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28This is the rapidly deepening area of low pressure, Storm Doris
0:08:28 > 0:08:31arriving overnight into tomorrow which has the potential to bring
0:08:31 > 0:08:33down trees and cause travel disruption.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38Overnight, turning increasingly windy with a band of rain spreading
0:08:38 > 0:08:40in from the north west in the early hours.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Winds reaching gale force along the coast.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46The rain is at its heaviest first thing tomorrow, easing through
0:08:46 > 0:08:50the morning but then the wind really picks up and across the UK the rain
0:08:50 > 0:08:54spreads eastwards, falling as snow where it is coldest for higher
0:08:54 > 0:08:57communities across Scotland and north east
0:08:57 > 0:08:58England.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01An Amber warning in force for that and for the strength of the wind
0:09:01 > 0:09:03across the northern half of the UK.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Gale force winds on high ground and along exposed coast as
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Storm Doris moves eastwards.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Across Wales, some brighter spells developing later, a few wintry
0:09:14 > 0:09:15showers.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19Most of Wales covered by a yellow warning for the strength of the wind
0:09:19 > 0:09:23but an amber warning issued across parts of north Wales, the
0:09:23 > 0:09:27white arrows at the average wind speeds but gusts of 70 to 80 mph
0:09:27 > 0:09:31possible along the north and west facing coasts.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Tomorrow night, the storm clears east with a few wintry
0:09:35 > 0:09:36showers turning colder.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40Winds slowly easing, drier and quieter.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Cold enough for a frost risk early Friday
0:09:42 > 0:09:46but generally fine, brighter and breezy but cloud thickening
0:09:46 > 0:09:50with rain starting to arrive from the north-west later.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52After some stormy tomorrow, dry and cold on
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Friday, milder with rain at times over the weekend.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01We're back in Breakfast with updates from 6.25am tomorrow morning.