0:00:05 > 0:00:07Welcome to Wales Today. Tonight's headlines:
0:00:07 > 0:00:10On the day it s confirmed a general election will be held,
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Labour's Ann Clwyd tells us why she voted against it.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15And a man tells an inquest how he tried to save his boyfriend
0:00:15 > 0:00:19from a flat fire, believed to have started in the tumble dryer.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Good evening.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40In just 50 days, Wales and the rest of the UK will go to the polls
0:00:40 > 0:00:41for the general election.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44The Prime Minister's decision was overwhelmingly backed by 522 MPs
0:00:44 > 0:00:46with just one of the 40 Welsh members, Labour's Ann
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Clwyd, voting against.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Eight of her colleagues abstained.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Campaigning's already underway to win our votes on June the 8th.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00Here's our Parliamentary Correspondent David Cornock.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Successful prime ministers get their own statues here.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05The more celebrated in Parliament Square.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Among them, David Lloyd George.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12In his day, ordinary MPs had little say over election timing.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15Now, that's all changed. Today, MPs over there in the House
0:01:15 > 0:01:18of Commons spent ninety minutes debating whether to allow
0:01:18 > 0:01:24Theresa May to call an early general election.
0:01:24 > 0:01:29The official campaign won't get started until next month.
0:01:29 > 0:01:34Unofficially, it's already begun.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36We welcome the opportunity for the people of Wales
0:01:36 > 0:01:39to change our course in the long-term, away from Labour's
0:01:39 > 0:01:42government in Cardiff, away from this centralised
0:01:42 > 0:01:46government in London, cutting our own path
0:01:46 > 0:01:48towards economic regeneration, prosperity, social justice
0:01:48 > 0:01:54and a confident place for Wales in the world.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Plaid Cymru's three MPs voted for an early poll.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00The result was never in doubt.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04The ayes to the right, 522.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09The nos to the left, 13.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Only one Welsh MP voted against.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16I see no reason to have one except the Prime Minister has
0:02:16 > 0:02:20decided to cut and run.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24It's to cover up her difficulties with the Brexit negotiations
0:02:24 > 0:02:29which day by day as they unfold it shows it's not going to be easy.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32So with fifty days to go, what happens next?
0:02:32 > 0:02:36This parliament will end 25 working days before the election,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40for official campaigning to start.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43The next day, elections will be held in all 22 councils in Wales
0:02:43 > 0:02:47as well as in England and Scotland.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50During the rest of May and the first week of June,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53campaigning will continue.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Before we elect a new UK government on the 8th of June.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I am delighted to be going to another general election.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I was slightly surprised.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Political parties are now working on their manifestos.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I will be on the doorstep saying what we have done in government,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10how we've helped pensioners and all aspects of society
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and building on a manifesto which will deliver for everyone
0:03:13 > 0:03:17in this country.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19The Liberal Democrats, after a few lean years,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21hope their fight back starts here.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24You've got one seat at the moment.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27What would be a good result?
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It is not much fun being the only Welsh Liberal Democrat
0:03:30 > 0:03:32in the House of Commons.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34I won't give you any predictions but you will see candidates
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and the manifesto but I want some company here.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40In changing her mind about an early election,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Theresa May has taken a political gamble.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47If she wins on June the 8th and can make a success of Brexit,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Conservative MPs may one day want to see a statue of their leader
0:03:50 > 0:03:55take its place in Parliament Square.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57David Cornock reporting.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59And as the campaign begins one of the heavyweight
0:03:59 > 0:04:02battles of the election here could be in Rhondda.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05It's a seat Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood won dramatically at last
0:04:05 > 0:04:08year's Assembly election.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10But tonight she told BBC Wales she still has not decided if she'll
0:04:10 > 0:04:13stand against Labour's Chris Bryant.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15The current MP didn't want to comment but confirmed on Twitter
0:04:15 > 0:04:19he will be standing again.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Ms Wood says she hasn't ruled anything out.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I think it's vital that Wales has the strongest team of Plaid Cymru
0:04:26 > 0:04:31MPs possible for this election so in order to have the strongest
0:04:31 > 0:04:36team of MPs we have to put forward our strongest candidates.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41I am confident we can win this seat whether I am the candidate or not.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Dyfed Powys Police has launched a murder investigation
0:04:44 > 0:04:46following the death of a 19-year-old woman nearly a week after
0:04:46 > 0:04:50an incident at her home in Llanelli.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Katrina Evemy died earlier this morning.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56A 21-year-old man was charged with attempted murder,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01but police are now treating her death as murder.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04A psychiatrist accused of 13 charges of sexual assault against five male
0:05:04 > 0:05:08patients has been found not guilty on two of the charges.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11A jury at Merthyr Crown Court found Dr Brian Harris not guilty
0:05:11 > 0:05:16of an indecent assault in 1991 and a rape in 2009.
0:05:16 > 0:05:22Jurors are still deliberating the remaining charges.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24A man has described trying in vain to save his boyfriend
0:05:24 > 0:05:27from a fire at his home, thought to have started
0:05:27 > 0:05:30in a tumble dryer.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Garry Lloyd Jones from Llanrwst was giving evidence at the inquest
0:05:33 > 0:05:36into the deaths of 19-year-old Bernard Hender and his
0:05:36 > 0:05:39business partner Douglas McTavish in October 2014.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Matthew Richards reports.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Receiving support from the friends and relatives of those who died,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48Gary Lloyd Jones was the first witness to give evidence
0:05:48 > 0:05:52at the inquest which is scheduled to last for three days in Abergele.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55He showed BBC Wales the devastation the blaze caused just a week
0:05:55 > 0:05:58after his boyfriend and business partner were killed in the fire
0:05:58 > 0:06:01in the flat they shared in the centre of Llanrwst.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03It's thought the fire was started by a tumble dryer
0:06:03 > 0:06:06in the utility room.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Gary Lloyd Jones told the inquest that the night before the fire
0:06:09 > 0:06:11he noticed the tumble dryer was switched off, the door
0:06:11 > 0:06:13open and towels inside.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16He woke up early the next morning with the flat full of smoke
0:06:16 > 0:06:20and upon investigating he saw flames coming from the drum of the dryer.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22He went back to the bedroom and grabbed Bernard Hender's arm,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25telling him to get out.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27The teenager broke away from him in shock saying he couldn't
0:06:27 > 0:06:30find the doorway due to the thick black smoke.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Gary Lloyd Jones said he then heard the teenager scream
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and that was the last time he heard him.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38He crawled out of the flat and dialled 999 from a public payphone.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Bernard hender was described as having a zest for life.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Mr Lloyd Jones' business partner, 39-year-old Douglas McTavish,
0:06:43 > 0:06:47managed the bistro where Mr Hender worked as a chef.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The inquest also heard from firefighters who were called
0:06:49 > 0:06:52to the scene as well as a fire investigator who said officers
0:06:52 > 0:06:55concluded the origin of the blaze was in or around the two tumble
0:06:55 > 0:06:58dryers in the laundry room.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01The inquest is expected to hear expert testimony on behalf
0:07:01 > 0:07:06of the manufacturer, whirlpool, tomorrow.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Rugby and Wales' Sam Warburton will captain the Lions tour
0:07:09 > 0:07:12to New Zealand this summer.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15He's one of 12 Welsh players picked, six forwards and six backs,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17by coach Warren Gatland.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20He's also gone with 16 England players, 11 from Ireland,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24and two from Scotland.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27I was in a supermarket car park.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30My wife was buying some bread and milk.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32I didn't want to go in because the cashier loves rugby
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and I didn't want to be asked any questions about the Lions.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I think I hung up on Gats the first time because I thought
0:07:38 > 0:07:41it was one of the boys at the Blues messing around.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43I've had it every day for the last three weeks,
0:07:43 > 0:07:44boys constantly asking me.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46But I genuinely didn't know.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48One of the things I admire about Sam, not just
0:07:48 > 0:07:51as a player but as a person, I think his greatest quality is it's
0:07:51 > 0:07:58not about Sam Warburton it's about the team.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Wales' only representative is out of the World Snooker Championship.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04Ryan Day was beaten this evening by China's Xiao Guodong
0:08:04 > 0:08:08by 10 frames to four.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Time for a look at what the weather has in store.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Here's Sue Charles.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Good evening.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16After a largely bright day it will be cloudier
0:08:16 > 0:08:18tomorrow but mostly dry.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20High pressure kept things settled today but this weak cold front
0:08:20 > 0:08:23is moving southwards across the UK overnight into tomorrow
0:08:23 > 0:08:25so overnight cloud increasing.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27It could be thick enough for the odd spot of drizzle
0:08:27 > 0:08:30but mainly on high ground.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Not as cold as the past few nights.
0:08:32 > 0:08:347C to 9C.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Tomorrow, some early drizzle but most places will stay dry
0:08:37 > 0:08:39but generally a cloudy day.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Across the UK the south-east holding onto some brightness but that front
0:08:41 > 0:08:44will bring thicker cloud and some patchy drizzle, especially
0:08:44 > 0:08:48across Scotland and Northern Ireland although it will dry up here later.
0:08:48 > 0:08:55Highs of 12C for the Western Isles, 15C in East Anglia.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58And later for Wales, often cloudy and drizzly on high
0:08:58 > 0:09:02ground but where we get the breaks it will feel pleasant
0:09:02 > 0:09:05in the sunshine.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Light westerly winds and highs of 11C in Conwy,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and 14C in Monmouthshire.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13High pressure for the south of the UK early on Friday but this
0:09:13 > 0:09:15cold front will start to move southwards later in the day
0:09:15 > 0:09:18so Friday is largely fine and dry with sunny spells.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22The odd isolated shower.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24But turning cloudy from the North later.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Light winds.
0:09:26 > 0:09:2812C to 15C.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31That cold front does eventually move southwards Friday night
0:09:31 > 0:09:33into Saturday bringing mainly light rain.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36It hangs around on Saturday but it's a weakening feature.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41So just bringing thicker cloud, some patchy drizzle and behind it
0:09:41 > 0:09:45the winds turn northerly so introducing cold air.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48So largely dry and settled over the next few days.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Patchy rain at times and colder into next weekend.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55We'll be back in Breakfast with updates from around 6.25am.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58From all of us on the programme, good night.