Chris Rayner
BBC Radio Jersey Political Reporter

Jersey Housing Minister Deputy Anne Pryke has said she is "stepping away" from politics and will not be standing for re-election in May.

Deputy Pryke was first elected as the Deputy of Trinity in December 2005 and has held a number of ministerial roles in the States since.

She has been the island's housing minister since 2014, but failed to persuade the States to regulate social housing - although, at the time, she said she might try again after the election.

Recently she became the temporary head of education after Minister Rod Bryans stepped aside while the Standards Commissioner investigates a complaint against him.

BBC Channel Islands News

Forty years ago, the Channel Islands were preparing as a large oil spill was heading towards the islands.

The Amoco Cadiz super tanker was wrecked off the coast of Brittany, France, after its steering gear failed and the weather pushed the vessel onto rocks.

Over two weeks, the cargo of 223,000 tonnes of oil leaked into the ocean making it - at the time - the largest oil spill in the world, and the spill responsible for the largest loss of marine life.

Attempts to control the spread of oil included the bombing of the wreck by French naval helicopters in an attempt to burn off what remained on the ship.

In the end, the islands escaped the worst. But about 350 dead and oiled birds washed up locally, with an estimated total of 300,000 sea birds in total killed or injured.

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Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

Lock Dave Mckern returns to the Jersey Reds side for Friday's trip to London Scottish a day after agreeing a new contract at St Peter.

The Australian replaces the injured James Voss and is the only change to the starting side after their win over table-toppers Bristol last time out.

Hooker Jared Saunders could play for the first time since December after coming onto the bench in place of Jack Macfarlane.

Image source, Sue Armes

"We've kept our feet firmly on the ground, we've trained really well this week, we've really pushed the players," head coach Harvey Biljon told BBC Radio Jersey.

"We want to continue to build on our performances. We know Scottish will be tough, don't look at the league table by any stretch, we know we've got a tough game on Friday night."

Jersey: Van Breda (co-capt); Pincus, Ma'afu, Best, Worrall; Cope, Hardy; Woolmore (co-capt), Selway, Armstrong, Sexton, Mckern, Bartle, Joyce, Argyle

Replacements: Saunders, Godfrey, Clarey, Kolo'ofa'i, Upfield, Dudley, Newey.

Rob England
BBC News Online

Jersey States has acknowledged there is "a lot more to do" moving government services online amid concerns from politicians.

Responding to concerns that the States' eGov initiative, external lacked "clarity", Assistant Chief Minister Scott Wickenden said "significant progress had been made".

The project - which aims to allow islanders to do more official tasks online, such as tax returns - has cost £9.7m so far, according to politicians.

Scrutinising the plans, politicians in the Public Accounts Committee said they were unsure where the project's "overall strategy" was going.

Deputy Wickenden said: "We have been focusing on building a safe, secure, and stable digital platform on which to build more online services and will now be picking up the pace of digitisation."

Image source, PA

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Rob England
BBC News Online

Smoke and fire damage was caused to a storage shed in St Peter Port, police say.

It happened some time in the late to early hours of Friday 2 March and Saturday 3 March at the vehicle repair centre on Fosse Andre.

Officers said the shed's door, lock and glass panes were damaged.

BBC Radio Guernsey

A protest is being held today, external over alleged "poverty wages" Condor Ferries pays its workers on services between the UK and the Channel Islands, a union says.

The RMT union said the company was profiting from the "exploitation of seafarers", and has called for a living wage to be introduced, as well as other demands.

It said that, according to a 2014 contract of employment, the company paid Ukrainian workers £2.46 per hour for a 12-hour working day on a three-month contract.

The union has also accused the company of employing "international crew" on "temporary contracts", which they say is designed to "avoid UK and Jersey employment law".

Last week a motion was tabled by UK MPs to note concerns over workers pay at the company, external.

The BBC has approached Condor Ferries for a response.

The protest is due to take place at Portsmouth Harbour.

Rob England
BBC News Online

Rita Ora will play on the main stage at Jersey's Weekender festival, organisers have announced.

Her song For You hit the top 10 singles chart in February this year.

The festival will be 1-2 September at the Royal Jersey Showground.

Alexandra Spiceley
BBC Radio Jersey, Reporter

"Clarity" is needed as Jersey's States continues to work to make more government services available online, a politician has said.

Constable Chris Taylor has been leading the review into the eGov programme, external, which would allow islanders to do everyday tasks - such as tax returns or applying for benefits - online.

The constable said £9.7m had been spent on the project so far, but politicians had yet to see how it was going to come together.

He said: "We have been sent vast amounts of diagrams and spreadsheets, but we are yet to see anything that convinces us the individual projects, or indeed the overall strategy, are working to specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely objectives."

Constable Taylor said this had made it difficult to measure the project's progress, or know if anything has "gone wrong".

The States of Jersey has been approached for comment.

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BBC Weather

Today there will be spells of sunshine, but also some showers.

The showers could be heavy with the risk of thunder.

Maximum Temperature: 7 to 10C (45 to 50F)

Jersey:

Guernsey:

BBC Radio Guernsey

People have been warned by police to watch out for a scam involving a fake landlord in Guernsey posting rental offers on social media.

Image source, Getty Images

The fake posts are designed to steal deposits from customers on properties which are not owned by the bogus landlord.

The chairman of Guernsey's Landlord Association, Jeff Guilbert, said people needed to be "vigilant" and anyone looking to rent properties advertised online should insist on being shown around before parting with any money.

Mr Guilbert said the first thing most legitimate landlords or agencies would do to prospective tenants was meet them on site.

"If they're telling you to just look through the window, and they're not in sight, then there's something not quite kosher", he said.

Rob England
BBC News Online

A 16-year-old boy was arrested last night following a break-in at a shop in St Helier, police say.

It happened at De Gruchy's department store in St Helier at about 19:30.

Officer said a male wearing dark-coloured trousers, dark trainers and a black hooded jacket smashed the front glass door and stole property from inside before running towards Charring Cross.

Police said a 16-year-old male was arrested a short time later and stolen property recovered.

Hayley Westcott
BBC News Online

There is currently a yellow weather warning for wind in place across the islands, Jersey Met has said.

Winds of force seven are expected later.

Image source, Jersey Met

Johnny O'Shea
BBC News Online

Forty years ago today, an oil tanker ran aground off Brittany, spilling millions of barrels that threatened the coastlines of the Channel Islands.

The Amoco Cadiz was the biggest oil spill in history at the time. But, fortunately, the impact on the islands was far less than expected.

It was a different story in France, however, with miles of beaches damaged, and hundreds of thousands of sea birds killed or injured.

BBC Weather

The showery rain will ease this evening to leave it mainly dry tonight with clear periods, but there is the risk of the odd shower later in the night.

Minimum Temperature: 5-9C (41-48F).

It looks set to be mainly dry through the day on Friday with spells of sunshine, but there is the increasing risk of some showers developing later in the day.

Maximum Temperature: 7-10C (45-50F).

Ben Chapple
BBC News Online

Guernsey's new education committee "unequivocally supports the current States-funded pre-school education scheme".

Deputy Matt Fallaize was elected President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture last month after the previous committee stood down.

He said: "For those parents who wish to take advantage of it, pre-school education provides an invaluable experience for children and helps prepare them for the step up to primary school.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank providers for all their hard work making that experience as successful as possible."

Mr Fallaize said: "Talk of a trial period by the previous committee was inaccurate and has unnecessarily confused some parents."

Ben Chapple
BBC News Online

The Guernsey States provision of up to 15 hours a week of pre-school access is a "permanent scheme", the education committee says as it tells islanders it is committed to the scheme.

Since January 2017, three and four year olds have been entitled to pre-school provision for up to 15 hours per week - for 38 weeks a year in school term time only - in the year before they start school.

Initially the move was supported by the States through a cut in the Family Allowance benefit and is delivered through private providers.

The only restriction is those households with a joint income of more than £150,000, which do not qualify for the scheme.

The Education, Sport and Culture Committee has met with pre-schools recently and agreed an increase in the hourly rate by RPIX to £6.07 an hour.

The committee has no plans to ask the States to allow pre-schools to require parents to pay top-up fees for the hours paid for by the States.

The National Trust says coastal areas are 'blighted' by memorial benches.