Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for the Channel Islands

Cardiff City football are set to tell Fifa the deal to buy Emiliano Sala from Nantes for £15m was not legally binding.

BBC Weather

Tuesday night will remain dry with clear spells and banks of cloud from time to time. A few shallow mist patches could also form.

Minimum temperature: 4 to 7C (39 to 45F).

A good deal of fine and sunny weather will persist on Wednesday, with some patchy cloud perhaps developing in the afternoon. Light winds.

Maximum Temperature: 9 to 12C (48 to 54F).

Jersey:

Guernsey:

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

Jersey is looking 7,000 miles away to Nepal for farm workers, an island minister said under questioning.

Famous for its potato crop, Jersey farmers are struggling to find staff and blaming Brexit for making the island less attractive to European Union workers.

In November, immigration rules were relaxed to allow 130 non-EU migrants to work in the island on a seasonal basis, replicating a UK pilot scheme.

Ministers agreed the workers could come to the island for up to nine months at a time as part of a two-year work permit trial scheme.

Earlier, International Development Minister Carolyn Labey said she was working towards finding farm workers from the mountainous south Asian country.

"We have quite a comprehensive network of connections in Nepal, through the Ghurkas.

"We are able to assist agriculture - if they wish to be assisted in that way - we're only too happy to do so," she told the States Assembly.

Chris Quevatre
BBC News Online

Aurigny's management has been branded "irresponsible" by the president of Guernsey's economic committee.

The States-owned airline said it was disappointed and frustrated not to win a contract to operate Alderney's flights between Guernsey and Southampton.

However, it also emerged that the airline offered a reduced service to Alderney at a greater cost than it was currently operating at.

Deputy Charles Parkinson said Aurigny's bid was "not good enough" and the board of Aurigny needed to "consider carefully the behaviour of that company".

Aurigny said it was concerned at the level of confidential information which the Committee for Economic Development has disclosed, and that it would respond on the outcome of the bid soon.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's chief minister has said the Employment Board will honour the decision of the States Assembly if politicians vote to make more money available for public sector pay negotiations.

Previously, Senator John le Fondre had said the board would always be able to veto any decision made by the House because it had ultimate responsibility for pay awards.

It comes as teachers gathered in the Royal Square in a day-long strike.

In December, a similar motion was narrowly defeated when Senator Tracey Vallois - then the head of the States Employment Board - refused to vote.

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

The chairman of Conservatives Abroad in the Channel Islands has defended efforts to give former UK residents on the islands the right to vote in general elections indefinitely.

The UK Overseas Electors Bill will also see the current 15-year limit on donating to political parties from overseas scrapped, something one Labour MP said would "increase tax haven billionaires' influence", external on UK politics.

The bill was held up by MPs last week, but the government reiterated its support for it.

Alderney resident Robert McDowall said it was right in principle to extend the vote to islanders, regardless of how much they contributed in UK tax.

"It's a citizenship issue rather than a taxation issue," he said.

"Many other countries - the US, France, to name but two - their nationals, whether they live anywhere in the world, are entitled to vote in their elections."

Jersey Evening Post

There is a serious shortage of honorary police officers, external in several parishes as the volunteer forces battle to overcome "misconceptions" and "stigma" about the historic role.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Plans to use builders' waste to extend St Peter Port Harbour should be seen as a "wonderful opportunity", the president of the Guernsey Boatowners Association says.

Nick Guillmette has backed a move by a number of deputies, external to see Peter Port used as a site for dumping inert waste, rather than current Longue Hougue South location.

The reclamation plans, backed by seven deputies, will see a "phased development" of the harbour using the waste to create a jetty of 160m (525ft), which its signatories said could lead to the harbour site being rejigged.

"It's going to provide us with much protection for the harbour," Mr Guillmette said.

"At the moment we know, and there have been studies done, that the infrastructure in St Peter Port is wearing away."

Jersey Evening Post

A new one-day music festival has been announced for Jersey and indie rock band The Kooks have been named as the first act on the bill., external

BBC Radio Jersey

A striking Jersey teacher has apologised for disruption caused by industrial action on Tuesday, but said the States had forced them into it.

Most schools have closed as NASUWT members stay away from the classroom over their long-running pay dispute. They have turned down the latest government pay offer, describing it as insulting.

NASUWT's Marina Mauger said members were "really sorry" for any inconvenience or disruption caused.

Those striking are expected to rally in the Royal Square on Tuesday afternoon as politicians discuss whether money from the island's Consolidated Fund could be released to fund enhanced pay deals.

The States Employment Board had previously said it was disappointed at the strikes and that teachers could not expect to get more in pay rises than other public sector workers.

Guernsey Press

It would be "plain wrong" to promote the use of recreational drugs in Guernsey, said the vice-president of Home Affairs., external

BBC Radio Jersey

The owner of a small business in Gorey thinks there hasn't been enough communication from road planners about disruption in the area.

For the past few weeks, engineers have been resurfacing parts of Gorey's coast road in stages.

Zoe Felton owns a small shop called Eclat in Gorey Village.

She claims she's only made about "half as much money" compared to this time last year because people have been put off coming into the village.

She said businesses were told about the roadworks at the start, but had not been kept informed the whole time.

The work is expected to finish this week.

Live coverage of the States of Jersey meeting from BBC Radio Jersey.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Aurigny is at odds with Guernsey States after it emerged the airline offered a reduced service to Alderney at a greater cost than it was currently operating at.

The States-owned airline currently runs the routes at a loss, and was one of four bidders rejected to operate island routes in the future under guidelines set by Guernsey's Economic Development Committee.

The committee said it was surprised to find Aurigny offering a "much-reduced" schedule using two aircraft instead of four, reducing capacity on the island's Southampton route.

It also claimed Aurigny wanted a subsidy greater than the £3m annual losses caused by Alderney routes.

"Aurigny chose to make a very ill-judged statement in public, that they felt their bid had been unfairly rejected and they thought it was largely compliant. So, we felt the public had to know the facts," it said

The airline previously said it was disappointed and frustrated not to have been awarded the subsidy, and after the release of these details, added it was concerned by the level of confidential information disclosed by the committee.

Guernsey FC manager Tony Vance says keeping the club's Isthmian League status would be a great achievement.

BBC Radio Guernsey

The head of the Town Centre Partnership is calling for an area at the back of North Beach to be returned to public parking.

In 2012, almost 200 10-hour spaces were removed and then, in 2015, Guernsey Harbours was given permission to use the area for port operations.

Since then, planning permission lapsed but Guernsey Harbours has now reapplied.

Jack Honeybill, though, said he wanted it to return to parking.

BBC Radio Jersey

Teachers in Jersey are expected to strike again on Tuesday as a row over pay and conditions continues.

Most island schools will be closed as members of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) walk out of classrooms, but exams are still due to go ahead.

It follows a strike by members of a separate teaching union last week.

La Moye and St John's Primary School have said they will open as normal.

Teachers are expected to rally in the Royal Square on Tuesday afternoon.

Union members said they were unhappy with the latest 1.3% plus cost of living pay offer for 2019.

The States Employment Board said it was disappointed at the strikes and that teachers could not expect to get more in pay rises than other public sector workers.

BBC Weather

It will be a dry, fine and settled Tuesday with predominantly sunny skies.

Some cloud may develop and winds will be light and variable.

Highs of 11C (51F).

Jersey:

Guernsey:

Bringing you the news, sport, travel and weather for the Channel Islands on 25 March 2019