0:00:15 > 0:00:15Good evening.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18The number of European students choosing to study at
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Welsh universities has hit an all-time high.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23More than 1,000 have been accepted on to courses here,
0:00:23 > 0:00:25that's up 11%.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities both received a record number
0:00:27 > 0:00:31of applications from EU students for this term.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34But Aberystwyth say the numbers are still fewer than predicted
0:00:34 > 0:00:36before the EU referendum.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39Caroline Evans reports.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42When more than 100 prospective students from the EU
0:00:42 > 0:00:45withdrew applications to study at Aberystwyth University
0:00:45 > 0:00:48earlier this summer,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50the acting Vice Chancellor was clear -
0:00:50 > 0:00:54he blamed it on the result of the EU referendum.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57But now, according to the latest figures from the universities'
0:00:57 > 0:01:01admissions service, here in Aberystwyth and in Cardiff,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03there has been a record number of applications from
0:01:03 > 0:01:07EU students for this term.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Many in the sector say it is too early yet to know the long term
0:01:11 > 0:01:13effects of Brexit, but some believe this increase
0:01:13 > 0:01:17in applications may be a short term gain.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21I'm sure that the universities have been marketing the fact that these
0:01:21 > 0:01:25students pay the same fees as those in Wales, about ?3500,
0:01:25 > 0:01:31compared to ?9,000 normally, and then of course, they may be
0:01:31 > 0:01:34coming in anticipation of Brexit, maybe they want to have a chance
0:01:34 > 0:01:37later on, if Britain leaves the European Union, to come
0:01:37 > 0:01:40in on such favourable terms.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44While Cardiff University says Brexit has led to "little impact" so far
0:01:44 > 0:01:47on its finances, reacting to this latest data,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Aberystwyth University says the numbers applying
0:01:50 > 0:01:55are still "measurably fewer" than predicted before the referendum.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57In a statement, they say:
0:02:09 > 0:02:13With students still able to apply until September 20th,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17the University of South Wales, Bangor and Glyndwr Universities
0:02:17 > 0:02:21all say they can't confirm how many EU students will be
0:02:21 > 0:02:23enrolled when term starts.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26But the Welsh Government has said the universities
0:02:26 > 0:02:30will continue to do their best to recruit overseas students.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Meanwhile, Education Secretary Kirsty Williams says it will take
0:02:34 > 0:02:37time for educational reforms here to reflect pupils' performance
0:02:37 > 0:02:40in the Pisa international tests.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43More than 70 countries are signed up to the tests that assess
0:02:43 > 0:02:46students' skills in maths, reading and science
0:02:46 > 0:02:47every three years.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Wales performed worse than the rest of the UK in 2012.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56The next set of results will be published in December.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Some visitors at Festival Number 6 in Portmeirion say they've been
0:02:58 > 0:03:01stranded for hours as they try to make their way home
0:03:01 > 0:03:03from the annual music event.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07The bad weather caused vehicles to get stuck in the car park,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09with allegations that some tractor drivers were charging hundreds
0:03:09 > 0:03:12of pounds to tow cars out.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Organisers said they had been made aware of this, and have since dealt
0:03:15 > 0:03:18with the situation - however, they are warning that
0:03:18 > 0:03:22conditions in one of the car parks are hazardous.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Football, and Wales captain Ashley Williams says he has
0:03:24 > 0:03:26no intention of retiring from international football,
0:03:26 > 0:03:31ahead of the start of their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33His England counterpart, Wayne Rooney, has said
0:03:33 > 0:03:36the tournament in Russia will be his last.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39But 32-year-old Williams said they're now focused on getting
0:03:39 > 0:03:42another taste of the elation they experienced in the summer.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47Wales take on Moldova tomorrow at the Cardiff City Stadium.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51We are at home, the top seed, it's something that is a bit of a new
0:03:51 > 0:03:54thing, really, where we are not the underdog so much,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57probably in a lot more of the games as well and will
0:03:57 > 0:03:59have to manage that and deal with it.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03Our game where we think we can just roll up and it's going to come
0:04:03 > 0:04:07our way, and it's going to be over after 60 minutes...
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Every result we get is massive for us.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Just as important as the last one.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Doesn't matter who we are playing against,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17it's all about picking up and accumulating enough points
0:04:17 > 0:04:19to get us where we need to be.
0:04:19 > 0:04:26This is a tough group for us.
0:04:26 > 0:04:26For
0:04:26 > 0:04:27For different
0:04:27 > 0:04:28For different reasons.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30The global chocolate crisis caused by a cocoa shortage
0:04:30 > 0:04:32could be solved, thanks to scientists in Wales.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Wild mango may be the solution,
0:04:34 > 0:04:35according to Bangor University researchers.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38They say mango butter can be used as an alternative to cocoa butter,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and it's lower in fat.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42A quick look at tomorrow's forecast,
0:04:42 > 0:04:43and it'll be rather cloudy,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46with light rain and drizzle during the day, along with fog
0:04:46 > 0:04:47over the coast and hills.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Warm and humid though, with some brighter spells later.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Top temperature, 22 Celsius.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54That's Wales Today.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Nicola Smith will be here with updates in Breakfast from 6.25,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00but from all of us on the weekend team, thanks for watching.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Goodnight.