02/01/2014 BBC Channel Islands News

Welcome to the first BBC Channel is all from BBC News

Welcome to the first BBC Channel Islands News of 2014.

Jersey Rugby Club appoint a new head coach in a bid to turn their

fortunes around. Delivering jobs and economics

growth. The Chief Minister outlined his plans for the year ahead and

tells us he has not ruled out standing for re`election. If I stand

again I am in no doubt that I would want to stand for Chief Minister. I

don't think it would write for me to just stand for public election and

not talk about which office I wanted to hold.

And the challenge facing thousands of islanders with disabilities in

Guernsey worried major reforms to equal rights won't become law. Good

evening and a happy New Year. First tonight.

Jersey Rugby Club has appointed a new head coach in a bid to turn

around its fortunes. After three promotions in as many years to get

into the Championship the club has recently suffered a run of

disappointing defeats. But now, a month after the former coach

resigned, South African Harvey Biljon from the Cornish Pirates has

been appointed to lead the team in 2014. Emma Chambers reports.

Celebrations after promotion to the second tier of English rugby in 2012

has been followed by defeat talks as the island struggles to stay in the

Championship, then suddenly the resignation of Jersey's head coach

Ben Harvey last month. I think it is the right time for the club, more

importantly than me. It allows the squad with a `` it allows the club

with a good squad and a good coach in charge to get the best out of the

squad and progress up the league. But a new year brings a new head

coach for Jersey Rugby Club. Going in 20 seconds! Former London Wasps

scrum`half Harvey Biljon comes from fellow championship club Cornish

Pirates where he's been the assistant coach for the last four

years. Right now I'd probably want to concentrate on the player

performances. I want us to stop looking behind us to see where

Ealing are and looking forward to see where we can target above us and

draw a line under what has gone on in the past and have a fresh start

from now until the end of the season.

It was a quick appointment for the island club, but they say it may

take some time before we see improvements. You can't expect

someone to turn up here, click their fingers and see what is wrong and

fix it. People fix it fixes and planning picks it `` fixes it. The

structure you put around that. As much as anything, the next month is

vital going forward with recruitment and everything.

With two play off finals and a British Irish cup under his belt

with the Pirates, Biljon's no stranger to championship battle The

championship, make no mistake, is a very, very tough league. On a

positive, I know the teams in the league, I know a lot of the players

in the league and hopefully we can use some of that knowledge to help

turn around some of the performances.

Jersey's next match is on Saturday before he starts his three year

contract with the club on Monday. And with half the rugby season still

to go the team will be hoping now to stay in the championship.

And there's reaction to Harvey Biljon appointment online on our

website. More news now from around the

islands: A man in his 20s, arrested after a fatal car crash in Jersey on

Monday night, has been released from custody while the police investigate

further. 22`year`old Vitor Dinarte Fernandes

was killed in the crash which happened on Victoria Avenue with the

junction at First Tower. A 47`year`old woman and an 18`year`old

man are both now out of hospital after being treated for their

injuries. Seven Guernsey deputies have

formally lodged a letter demanding the resignation of the island's

health minister. Deputy Mark Dorey told the States last month that the

budget for bowel cancer screening had been spent this year. But after

Health department staff examined the accounts more fully, it emerged the

service had underspent. It's been claimed lives could be endangered as

a result but Deputy Dorey has defended his actions.

Good to You're watching the BBC in the Channel Islands.

Have you with us to write. We have the weather with Holly coming up.

Later in Spotlight with Natalie and Simon, why midwives in the UK will

be on hand to help pregnant mums give up smoking. Stay with us for

that. Delivering jobs and economic growth,

those are the priorities for Jersey's Chief Minister in the year

ahead. Senator Ian Gorst also told the BBC he hasn't ruled out standing

for re`election as Chief Minister in the 2014 elections. His comments

came in a BBC interview with me and I began by asking him his personal

highlights of 2013. The fact that we have actually been able to start to

deliver on the programme opportunities `` priorities that the

States agreed in the strategic plan. It reflects the platform I

stood on when I got this job. The States have made a lot of important

decisions Rameau 's priorities and allocated money to delivering the

priorities so we have made really good progress on all of the things

that I think are very important to the future of Jersey. What are the

government have done better? What have you failed on this year? I do

not think we have failed on anything. There are always things we

could do better, we could improve our processes. We have started a

great work of reform and perhaps we could have done that quicker.

Looking ahead to the next 12 months, what are the challenges that you and

the States are facing in 2014? We said right at the start of this term

in government that actually getting people back into work, trying to

deliver economic growth and supporting the economy through

difficult times was our priority. That must remain our priority. There

is an election in 2014, will you stand for real election? I have been

asked that question. I still have nearly a year of delivering on

promises that the States agreed in the strategic plan. It is important

for ministers and government to focus on that and not start thinking

about the election to early because actually it is about delivery and

trying to make people's lives better into the future. What about

remaining as Chief Minister? If I stand again, I am in no doubt that I

would want to stand for Chief Minister. I do not think it would be

right for me to just stand for public election and not talk about

which office I wanted to hold. I have enjoyed the time that I have

given in this office but there is a lot more still to do and I would

like to be there, helping to serve and deliver on behalf of our

community. It's just over a month since

Guernsey moved a step closer to equal rights for disabled people.

But as Mike Wilkins reports, with the new year comes a new challenge

for the thousands of disabled islanders determined to see it

become law. Disability campaigners making a

noise. And their voices were heard by the deputies, as the States

unanimously approved a Disability and Inclusion Strategy. One person

who was watching the vote closely was Angela Gaskill. She has MS and

is now paralysed from the waist down. She was one of the first

wheelchair users to be allowed to sit in the States chamber. Oh, it

was an amazing feeling, to actually be there and hear the speeches. It

was so obviously for the strategy, it was amazing. This coming to

fruition has pleased so many people, you have no idea. Under the

strategy new anti`discrimination laws will be drafted, employment

opportunities will be examined, more information will be made available

for disabled islanders and the island will sign up to the UN

Convention for the rights for disabled people. As attention turns

to the New Year and resolution Anja what's the States to deliver on its

promise. Our only hope is that the pressure will be kept on for the

strategy to really get cracking and that it will not be pushed back onto

the back foot. We don't want them to say, oh yes, we have got to wait for

finances. Everybody knows we have to wait for finances but that should

not be the ultimate. So, for Angela and the thousands of other disabled

islanders, their New Year 's resolution is to keep the momentum

going to insure that disability strategy passes swiftly into law.

Let us get the forecast now. We have got severe conditions on the

way tomorrow and we are expecting gales or severe gales and heavy and

thundery showers. The strong winds combined with high tides are

bringing a risk of some flooding. This is the area of low pressure

responsible. This area of rain pushes through this evening and

behind it the isobars tighten and we see the wind really whipping up

Tomorrow the wind will really pushed through and deliver us heavy

showers. On Saturday we have a spell of heavy rain at first which clears

to scattered showers during the day. We see a spell of rain this evening

which clears two more in the way of isolated showers overnight which

could be heavy and perhaps bring hail and thunder. All the while the

wind is whipping up. It is that combined with the high tides that

brings a risk of flooding and we could see waves overtopping the sea

walls. There are heavy thundery showers which could bring hail at

times. All the time the strong wind is blowing. For our coastal waters

forecast... These times of high water are when

we are especially concerned about the risk of coastal flooding. There

are some very big waves for the surfers tomorrow and some very messy

conditions in store. The outlook tomorrow is heavy showers and strong

winds and a risk of coastal flooding. Come the weekend and

Saturday there will be heavy rain at the worst `` at first with scattered

showers. On Sunday it is extremely wet and windy. It is really not a

very pleasant picture at all. Have a good evening.

Thank you very much indeed. Finally conquer actually is to

Guernsey football club who beat Crawley down Gatwick 11`0 yesterday

in what they're calling their best victory yet. After racing to a `0

lead at half time, the teams' success continued into the second

half. Six of the goals were scored by Ross Allen, a new club record.

That is it for now. We will be back with the 10pm news.

with the latest for us. How is it looking?

As we saw, it looks severe for tomorrow. We are expecting severe

gales around the coast, combined with high tides to give us coastal

flooding and the dish and we have some heavy showers. This is the area

of low pressure we are watching developing in the Atlantic, ringing

us a spell of rain in the evening but as it clears tonight into

tomorrow we see isobars high and the winds ripped up, and that will send

some heavy showers tomorrow. On Saturday those winds ease down, we

will see further showers, and for tomorrow we have a Met Office yellow

warning in force for wind. We could see cuts as much as 60 or 70 mph

around the coast and well spread gales. We have those 13 severe flood

warnings in force, that flood line number there. So today it has been

the calm before the storm. We saw a few showers, now cloud is becoming

up and that will bring a spell of rain this evening. Not huge amounts

but falling unsaturated services, that rain is clearing to more of a

scattering of showers overnight, some quite organised in the early

hours, while these winds are whipping up. Lows tonight of six to

eight degrees. Tomorrow we have strong winds in place with a risk of

coastal flooding, especially around high tide. They are also whipping

through these heavy showers, bringing a risk of hail and plunder

with a few bright spells. Top temperatures tomorrow up to around

eight or nine degrees. For the Isles of Scilly, again some strong winds

here, gales expected, heavy showers through the day and that flooding

risk as well. These are times of high water. These are when we are

especially concerned about the risk of coastal flooding. And some very

big waves obviously out at sea tomorrow and some very messy

conditions. Our coastal waters forecast, the wind south`westerly

aid to storm force ten, decreasing to six or seven later, those squally

showers pushing through reducing visibility at times. The sea state

to date will be high or very high at times in the West. Tomorrow we have

those heavy showers and very strong winds developing, combining with

high tides and that is bringing a risk of coastal flooding. Thereafter

we head into Saturday and we will see a spell of heavy rain at first

but it should ease off through the morning, more of a scattering of

showers but those winds are looking letter for Saturday. That is the

good news but we look ahead to Sunday and we have another storm,

very wet and windy conditions expected, and we already have an

early Met Office yellow warning for rain in force, and it is then quite

unsettled as we head into the beginning of next week.

We will bring you the latest on this pretty awful combination of

different conditions across the BBC. Do take care. Good night.