The 2017 county fixtures are announced, featuring a full round of day-night Championship matches for the first time.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Thanks for joining us... we've had (as I promised) a busy day:

• Northampton Borough Council rushed to approve a £10m loan to the Cobblers due to "political and management" pressure, a report found
• Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan has recorded a video message to Kettering confirming she will not be switching-on the town's Christmas lights
• Three Saints players have been named in England's side to face Argentina on Saturday at Twickenham

Any breaking news will appear here through the evening and overnight and we'll be back tomorrow from 08:00.

Have a good evening.

Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather

A cloudy evening, but staying dry across the BBC East region.

Clear spells will develop later. It'll feel chilly, with a touch of ground frost in sheltered spots as temperatures fall to a minimum 2C (35F).

Image source, BBC Weather

A fine day tomorrow with sunny spells, but it'll turn cloudy later with a maximum temperature of 10C (50F).

BBC Weather has more details for where you are.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Abu Dhabi

Lewis Hamilton says he will be "proud" of his performance in 2016 regardless of whether he wins the world title in Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Hamilton is 12 points behind Brackley-based Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, who will win the title if he finishes in the top three, even if the Briton wins the race.

Image source, EPA

"It has been a challenging season in terms of ups and downs," Stevenage's Hamilton said.

"But I've managed to strengthen in terms of turning the negatives into positives. I am really proud of what I've achieved."

BBC Sport

Former world champion Jenson Button says he will retire from Formula 1 after Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver was already not going to race in F1 in 2017, with the team holding an option on him for the 2018 campaign.

Image source, Getty Images

But speaking today, the 36-year-old said: "I go into this weekend thinking it's going to be my last race. I think that's the best way.

"At this moment in time, I don't want to be racing in F1 beyond this year."

Button won the 2009 World Championship with the Brackley-based Brawn team, the only year the team competed in F1, then becoming Mercedes F1.

Martin Heath
BBC Radio Northampton

Politicians in Daventry are likely to recommend tonight that the district takes part in next year's Women's Tour cycling event, external.

They'll be discussing a report that says 80,000 people attended this year's Northamptonshire stage back in June.

Image source, PA

Expert analysis found that the Women's Tour spectators made a net spend of £1.6m on things like accommodation, food and souvenirs in the county last year.

The district council's strategy group is likely to recommend Daventry takes up the offer of hosting the start of the 2017 Northamptonshire stage and allocates £50,000 towards the project.

Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan records a video apology confirming she will not be switching-on Kettering's Christmas lights.

Willy Gilder
BBC Radio Northampton

An invasive species of fresh-water shrimp has been found in Pitsford reservoir.

The so-called "killer shrimp" come originally from an area bordering the Black Sea, external and were first found in this country six years ago.

There are fears the shrimp can severely damage the local eco-system, but they pose no threat to drinking water.

Chris Gerrard from Anglian Water, who run Pitsford reservoir, said they will "never know" how it got there.

Paul Heatherington, from the organisation Bug Life, says the shrimp can "wipe out" dragonfly and mayfly in a local area.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

So it's official, Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan is not coming to Kettering to switch on the Christmas lights tonight.

She was invited to do so by the town's MP earlier this year, but she broke the official news of a no show with a video on Twitter...

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Today's PwC report into the £10m Northampton Borough Council loan to the Cobblers shows it was "very clear" that senior officers at the council "failed to put proper measures and procedures in place", David Mackintosh, the MP for Northampton South and leader of the council at the time, says.

In a statement he goes on to say that he is "pleased that the shortcomings have been identified so this type of situation cannot arise again".

The report from PricewaterhouseCooper found that the council rushed to approve a £10m loan the club due to "political and management" pressure, but Mr Mackintosh did not address that point in his statement.

The Conservative MP, elected in 2015, has turned down our request for an interview.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Today's report from PricewaterhouseCoopers has found the £10m borough council loan to Northampton Town Football Club went ahead without carrying out adequate checks.

Northampton opposition Labour councillor Clements Chunga says the report shows "mistakes were made".

In September Mr Chunga asked Mary Markham, the then leader of Northampton Borough Council, to apologise on behalf of the Conservative group for supporting the loan, most of which has not been paid back. Mrs Markham did not apologise then.

Today the authority has now apologised "for the past failings".

Political and management 'pressure' meant a £10m council development loan was awarded without adequate checks, a report finds.

Stuart Bailey
BBC News

A spokesman for Kettering Borough Council has told me they are yet to receive a definite answer either way from Lindsay Lohan's management about tonight's Christmas lights switch on, but admitted they were not optimistic.

He said: "They have not requested any detailed information about tonight's event so we have naturally come to the conclusion that she will not be coming.

"We wouldn't want people to come to the event especially to see Ms Lohan only to be left disappointed."

Image source, EPA

EastEnders actress Cheryl Fergison, who is appearing in pantomime in the town, is set to take centre stage alongside local children for the big switch on at 19:00.

BBC Weather

The day should stay dry and although rather cloudy at times, some bright or sunny intervals are likely with a high of 9C (48F).

There are more details on the BBC Weather website.

Martin Borley
BBC Radio Northampton

Rushden Lakes, a giant retail and leisure development, is expected to open three months later than planned, according to the annual report of the developer, external LXB.

The site was due to open in April next year, now it's likely to be in July.

Image source, LXB

LXB's chairman Phil Wrigley writes that the delay is due to "highways issues" beyond their control.

Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live

Elsewhere in Northamptonshire:

• The Northamptonshire Telegraph report, external that a meeting is being held tonight to discuss how people in Rushden can show their support for refugees
• A Northampton dad whose daughter died in a car accident near Northampton is backing calls for drivers who cause deaths to be charged with manslaughter says the Northampton Chronicle & Echo, external
• While the Northants Herald & Post report, external that award-winning comic book writer Alan Moore will be among the speakers at the University of Northampton this weekend to talk about Brexit

Graham McKechnie
BBC Radio Northampton sport

Tom Kessell has come in for the injured Less Dickson at scrum-half, with Nic Groom, who returned from his honeymoon this week, on the bench.

Ben Nutley comes in for the banned Calum Clark, while fly-half JJ Hanrahan is in the match day squad for the first time this season.

The Saint take on Newcastle tomorrow evening at Franklin's Gardens.

Sam Read
BBC Radio Northampton politics reporter

Northampton Borough Council leader Jonathan Nunn said that he is "shocked" by the PricewaterhouseCooper report into the Cobblers loan.

The report found that the £10m, most of which has not be repaid, was loaned without carrying out adequate checks.

The authority's internal auditors found a string of failings, external in the council's handling of the loan, which it said was approved without sight of a full business case.

Mr Nunn, who only took over last month, says the authority's chief executive David Kennedy "has his own judgement to make" over his own position, but said he was is up to the job.

Mr Nunn, was a borough councillor at the time of the loan, but was not in the cabinet.

BBC Sport

Northampton Saints captain Tom Wood (pictured) returns to the England side as open-side flanker, replacing his Saints team-mate Teimana Harrison.

Image source, Getty Images

Wood will be alongside his fellow Saints Courtney Lawes, in the second row, and England captain, hooker, Dylan Hartley.

Harrison will be on the bench for the game against Argentina on Saturday at Twickenham.

BBC Sport

Northampton Saints wing George North is back in the Wales side to face South Africa on Saturday.

Image source, Getty Images

North, 24, sat out last week's narrow win over Japan but featured in Wales' other two Autumn international against Argentina and Australia.