OTHER Welsh media, most notably the BBC, reported yesterday how councillors in Cardiff will this week be asked to allow the council to start negotiations with developers over plans for an international convention centre in the city.

The convention centre is seen by many as one of the final pieces of Cardiff's regeneration jigsaw.

The council is keen to test the market and one of the reasons given for the need to start such talks was that Bristol was already working on a rival development.

Unsurprisingly, given the Cardiff-centric nature of much of our national broadcaster's output, no mention was made of another player in the race to build a new international convention centre.

And that player is Newport.

The Celtic Manor Resort is keen to develop a convention centre, as we and other media (including the BBC) have reported in the past.

The Celtic Manor proposals has much to commend - not least that it is not in Cardiff.

A convention centre in Newport will be good for the city as a whole in terms of employment and profile.

Welsh Government support for a convention centre in the Principality is vital and ministers have yet to declare their hand.

The easy option - and it is taken all too often - would be for the Welsh Government to back Cardiff.

Let's hope that is not the option taken in this instance.