:00:00. > :00:09.Our top stories: Students will celebrate.
:00:10. > :00:11.Cuts planned for higher education are reversed -
:00:12. > :00:13.a climb-down tonight from the Welsh Government.
:00:14. > :00:16.And the company behind Swansea's tidal lagoon warns the UK Government
:00:17. > :00:36.it must decide if it's going to back the project.
:00:37. > :00:40.A climb-down tonight less than three months before the Assembly election.
:00:41. > :00:42.Cuts planned for the higher education sector here have been
:00:43. > :00:47.reversed in the Welsh Government's budget.
:00:48. > :00:50.Extra funding has also been found for the rural councils hardest hit.
:00:51. > :00:53.The budget, worth around ?16 billion also includes a boost of close
:00:54. > :01:00.Here's our political editor Nick Servini.
:01:01. > :01:04.There has been a huge expansion in Welsh higher education in recent
:01:05. > :01:08.years but university leaders have said that continued success depends
:01:09. > :01:14.This time round, they said that wasn't forthcoming
:01:15. > :01:20.University leaders said part-time courses and research
:01:21. > :01:24.were in the firing line, with a potential cut of ?42 million
:01:25. > :01:27.from the coffers of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.
:01:28. > :01:29.That was around a third of their budget.
:01:30. > :01:33.The Welsh government said universities could afford it,
:01:34. > :01:37.pointing to reserves of ?1.3 billion...
:01:38. > :01:40.until this afternoon when the finance Minister reversed
:01:41. > :01:43.around three quarters of the cuts, by partly setting aside
:01:44. > :01:51.5 million of which will be used to support part-time provision.
:01:52. > :01:54.And 5 million also so that we can continue to build our capacity
:01:55. > :01:58.and excellence in Wales, including world-class scientific
:01:59. > :02:01.research, also a key priority for this Welsh government.
:02:02. > :02:04.The government said this was always a draft budget and so liable
:02:05. > :02:09.Nevertheless it is a climb-down from its original standpoint
:02:10. > :02:14.The Higher Education Funding Council said it was delighted
:02:15. > :02:18.the contribution to universities to the economy and society to Wales
:02:19. > :02:25.This is what supports our university research, it makes us attractive
:02:26. > :02:28.to inward investors, it is what enables companies to spin
:02:29. > :02:30.off from the best ideas in universities and it supports
:02:31. > :02:36.Councils across Wales are being affected by cuts.
:02:37. > :02:40.Protesters took to streets in Cardiff this weekend,
:02:41. > :02:43.objecting to reductions in arts budgets.
:02:44. > :02:46.But the worst affected councils in the latest settlement
:02:47. > :02:52.Today there was an agreement to give an extra ?2.5 million to Powys,
:02:53. > :02:58.Labour doesn't have a overall majority but this formed part
:02:59. > :03:00.of a deal struck with the Liberal Democrats,
:03:01. > :03:03.who claim to have won valuable concessions themselves.
:03:04. > :03:07.Despite the big rise in health spending, the Conservatives set
:03:08. > :03:13.These sums amounts to an admission of previous failures.
:03:14. > :03:17.Year-on-year, five years of previous failures of underfunding
:03:18. > :03:21.These sums will not make up for previous cuts.
:03:22. > :03:24.Quite simply, Minister, it is too little, too late.
:03:25. > :03:31.It goes to a final vote next month to be rubber-stamped.
:03:32. > :03:36.Questions were raised as far back as 2002 over whether a Welsh soldier
:03:37. > :03:40.did commit suicide at an Army base, an inquest has heard.
:03:41. > :03:43.18-year-old Private Cheryl James from Llangollen was found shot dead
:03:44. > :03:50.The Army apologised for leaving her and other trainee soldiers
:03:51. > :03:55.But friends and family told the coroner they refuse to believe
:03:56. > :04:02.The company behind the world's first tidal lagoon power station has
:04:03. > :04:07.warned the UK Government that it must decide if it is going to back
:04:08. > :04:10.the billion-pound project in the next few weeks or it'll risk
:04:11. > :04:14.Building work on the lagoon in Swansea has already been delayed
:04:15. > :04:17.by a year, after negotiations over how much public money it
:04:18. > :04:31.The endless ebb and flow that could be powering homes.
:04:32. > :04:33.Tapping into tidal power isn't new but what has been planned
:04:34. > :04:38.The building of an artificial lagoon with turbines in the sea wall
:04:39. > :04:42.would be the first of six around Britain.
:04:43. > :04:45.It is claimed that together they could generate 8%
:04:46. > :04:49.But after a year of government negotiations, the company says it
:04:50. > :05:01.The eyes of the world are now on Swansea Bay and we have a project
:05:02. > :05:03.that is ready to start, we have a turbine and generator
:05:04. > :05:05.industry that is primed to deliver the project,
:05:06. > :05:09.and to be in the water behind us in one year from now takes one
:05:10. > :05:12.Building a world first clearly doesn't come cheap.
:05:13. > :05:14.The cost of this lagoon has already doubled to ?1 billion.
:05:15. > :05:17.The company says it can't go ahead without a government subsidy,
:05:18. > :05:20.but that would be adding to the electricity bills of every
:05:21. > :05:30.The company was looking to sell its electricity for ?160
:05:31. > :05:36.per megawatt-hour, subsidised by the government for 35 years,
:05:37. > :05:39.but that was far higher than the ?92.50 agreed
:05:40. > :05:45.for the new nuclear reactor at Hinckley.
:05:46. > :05:48.So now the latest price for tidal could be down to ?96.50,
:05:49. > :05:50.but with a subsidy lasting for 90 years.
:05:51. > :06:00.It will prove probably to be potentially the most expensive form
:06:01. > :06:02.of producing electricity that the government could possibly
:06:03. > :06:04.support, and it should really leave it to the energy companies
:06:05. > :06:07.themselves to decide how they're going to meet the nation's
:06:08. > :06:10.Hanging over the decision is the desperate need
:06:11. > :06:16.Just across the water, the steelworks in Port Talbot is set
:06:17. > :06:19.At this factory, another 100 are under threat.
:06:20. > :06:22.Working on the tidal lagoon could spark some optimism.
:06:23. > :06:24.We see no other attractions coming forward that can employ
:06:25. > :06:26.the number of people, skilled people, that would be
:06:27. > :06:28.displaced from traditional industries into this new industry.
:06:29. > :06:38.The government says it is still considering if the lagoon
:06:39. > :06:43.is in the best interests of bill payers as it tries to decide if it
:06:44. > :06:48.A Welsh Labour MP has claimed the party leadership has already
:06:49. > :06:51.decided to oppose the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons
:06:52. > :06:58.Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon, who sits on the Commons Defence
:06:59. > :07:00.Select Committee, says the view is out of touch
:07:01. > :07:04.The Shadow Defence Secretary Emily Thornberry says the party needs
:07:05. > :07:12.Wales will decide whether outside-half Dan Biggar is fit
:07:13. > :07:15.enough to play against Scotland later this week.
:07:16. > :07:19.Biggar was forced off in the first half against Ireland on sunday.
:07:20. > :07:25.The Wales management says Biggar has made excellent progress
:07:26. > :07:27.with his recovery following the ankle injury.
:07:28. > :07:31.Wales will name their side later than expected on Thursday.
:07:32. > :07:33.Football, and Wrexham came from behind at Altrincham
:07:34. > :07:37.to claim their third successive National League draw.
:07:38. > :07:40.The 1-1 final score leaves Gary Mills' side 12th in the table,
:07:41. > :07:45.four points behind the play-off places.
:07:46. > :07:47.Snow on high ground for some of us tonight.
:07:48. > :08:05.A few centimetres of snow in places, more on the Brecon Beacons. More
:08:06. > :08:12.rain and showers tonight, a bit more snow on higher ground in the South.
:08:13. > :08:18.Later tonight, the strong and gusty wind will ease. Temperatures falling
:08:19. > :08:23.as low as 1-2. A chilly start tomorrow, but not bad weather wise.
:08:24. > :08:29.One or two showers but otherwise dry. Bright in places with some
:08:30. > :08:38.sunshine and the wind is easing. Watch out for icy patches in the
:08:39. > :08:43.North. Wintry showers in the North of Scotland, and some showers for
:08:44. > :08:46.Cornwall. Otherwise, dry weather, bright skies and sunshine.
:08:47. > :08:54.Temperatures around average for February. Close to home, a fairly
:08:55. > :09:00.decent afternoon in prospect. Maybe some showers in the north-east,
:09:01. > :09:04.Wrexham area. Otherwise dry and bright, some winter sunshine. The
:09:05. > :09:12.wind lighter than today. Temperatures around eight Celsius.
:09:13. > :09:17.Tomorrow night, most places dry with a widespread frost. Some showers to
:09:18. > :09:24.the south and West. A frosty start for some of us on Thursday. One or
:09:25. > :09:27.two fog patches possible. Some fine weather and sunshine with light
:09:28. > :09:31.winds but also a few showers here and there. On Friday, a little more
:09:32. > :09:38.tricky with this area of low pressure coming in from the Atlantic
:09:39. > :09:42.bringing the risk of some rain. How far north that gets is open to
:09:43. > :09:50.doubt. We could see snow on high ground. Staying cold over the
:09:51. > :09:51.weekend with the chance of snow on higher ground.
:09:52. > :09:54.We're back with the latest news and sport, traffic updates
:09:55. > :09:58.and weather in Breakfast from six tomorrow morning.
:09:59. > :10:00.From all of us on the programme, goodnight.