Wales News

Tonight: A dry start to the night with prolonged periods of clear sky. Some scattered showers are set to develop during the early hours, mainly across northern parts. Minimum Temperature 4 °C.

Thursday: Scattered showers will become more widespread through the day, perhaps turning heavy at times. There should be some sunny spells, however it is going to feel cooler than of late. Maximum Temperature 12 °C.

Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Rather cold, wet and windy with outbreaks of rain on Friday. Feeling warmer on Saturday and Sunday, and most places will stay dry with some sunny spells and lighter winds.

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• Weather

The First Minister has told ITV News that there will be an emergency budget next month to make spending cuts. Carwyn Jones said they are needed because of so called "in year" cuts in the money the Welsh Government gets from Westminster.

We are not going to just cut across the board ... we are going through our budget with a fine-tooth comb

Mr Jones said the demands of the health service, which consumes 45% of the Welsh budget, and Labour manifesto commitments to schools will add to the cuts needed in other areas.

The emergency budget, known as a supplementary budget, will have to be agreed by AMs. The government will have to secure the support of one of the opposition parties, as it does not have a majority of its own in the Senedd.

• Politics
• David Jones

The First Minister has warned the Wales TUC that what called the pain of public spending cuts is far from over. Carwyn Jones said that when the Chancellor delivers his spending review next month, there will be "more of the same" at best and "even more severe cuts" at worst.

Our budget is already £80 million lower in 2014 –15 than was in our indicative plans… and the Chancellor has given a very clear message that he intends to cut a further £1.5 billion from public sector budgets across the UK. We estimate that this could mean a further £55 million in spending cuts for Wales. We will need to prioritise funding to pay for those public services which we all rely on – health, education and job creation. All other areas of spending - and I mean all other areas - will need to looked at very carefully indeed.

Later, the Local Government Minister told AMs that councils would have to take action very soon to cope with further spending cuts. Lesley Griffiths said they could no longer be spared.

The next UK spending review will further reduce the Welsh Government budget. We will not be able to protect local authority budgets as in recent years. So the financial reductions experienced by local government in England signal the future reality for Wales. Authorities need immediate and radical short-term financial and service planning so as to align public services with the lower level of resources which wil be available in the future.

The Welsh Secretary was also in the Senedd to defend the measures set out in the Queen's Speech. David Jones said cutting public spending was both necessary and justified.

The legislative programme continues to deliver on our commitment to reduce the deficit left to us by the last Labour government and to rejuvenate the economy through sustainable private sector growth.

• Politics
• Carwyn Jones
• Lesley Griffiths

Responding to the news that Labour politicians including one Welsh Government minister have set up a campaign to protect accident and emergency services at Royal Glamorgan hospital in Llantrisant, Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said:

The campaign to ensure safe NHS services as close to people’s homes as possible should be broad-based. A proper community campaign which can unite all of us who have concerns about the loss of services from the Royal Glamorgan Hospital and further centralisation would be the best way ahead.

A Labour minister, with a direct voice in the government that is making these changes is in a good position to halt these proposals now. If the plans are not halted, then I would imagine that big questions as to whether this is political posturing are bound to be asked. Plaid Cymru will work with anyone who is interested in fighting to save local services at hospitals like the Royal Glamorgan. We very much hope that the fight will be a successful one – failure is not an option when lives could be put at risk

• Health
• Labour
• Plaid Cymru

Prosecutor Elwen Evans QC has begun her cross-examination of Mark Bridger at Mold Crown Court.

She started by asking Mr Bridger: "What did you do with April's body?"

"I don't know," Mr Bridger replied.

"You have absolutely no idea?" Miss Evans asked.

Mr Bridger replied: "No."

Miss Evans then outlined the scale and scope of the police search for the five-year-old.

Mark Bridger said he is 'not proud' that he can't remember what happened.

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Nearing the end of questioning from his defence barrister, Mark Bridger said: "I obviously was involved. I don't ever deny being involved with April's death.

"I didn't run. I didn't hide, I didn't go anywhere. I didn't know what to do.

"Initially I really thought I would have been charged with either death by reckless driving or death by drink-driving.

"I did not expect to be on a murder charge."

As questioning concluded, Mr Bridger denied abducting April Jones, saying he had 'no intention' of doing so.

He also denied having any form of sexual contact with her that night, or deliberately killing her.

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When asked if he recalled cleaning his house of evidence, Mr Bridger replied: "I don't remember any clean-up. But I would like to say... if that night there was blood dripped on the bath where I washed my jumper... if I had seen it, I would have automatically wiped it.

"But it was not to try and hide anything. It would have been an automatic thing to do."

He also denied cleaning up the interior of his car.

When asked if he knew anything about 'skeleton' fragments allegedly found in his wood-burner, Mr Bridger said: "No. I don't believe I could have done that."

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Mark Bridger has told the courtroom he still does not recall April Jones being in his car on the evening she disappeared.

When asked by his defence barrister if he could explain how April's blood was found on the floor in his lounge, he replied "no", adding that he could only remember 'certain things' about that night.

He said: "I don't remember picking her up or taking her into my house at all. There are certain things that are coming back to me."

He said he remembered taking off a beige fleece and perhaps putting it in the washing machine.

He then told the jury that he had started remembering putting April on the floor in his living room.

He said: "It's something that's come to me over the last number of months. I don't know whether it was what happened that night or if it's something that has come into my mind.

"I have no recollection of getting to the house. I have a recollection of this beige jumper. The only other recollection I have is having April and laying her down on the carpet."

Mr Bridger said when he woke up the following morning, he "really thought it was a nightmare".

• UK