:00:00. > :00:00.No more negotiations - taxi drivers go on strike
:00:00. > :00:13.after Minster says they'll have to put up with a new pay deal.
:00:14. > :00:19.We do not take this lightly, this is out of sheer anger and frustration
:00:20. > :00:23.that we are not being listened to. And when the door shuts in your
:00:24. > :00:24.face, you have not got much of a recourse.
:00:25. > :00:27.Good evening and welcome to the late news from BBC Channel Islands,
:00:28. > :00:40.Could plans for an international university boost Guernsey's economy?
:00:41. > :00:44.Rank taxi drivers in Jersey have gone on strike today over a pay deal
:00:45. > :00:48.which they say was forced onto them by the Infrastructure Minister.
:00:49. > :00:51.He says the changes are fair, but the head of the Taxi Drivers
:00:52. > :00:55.Association says if talks aren't reopened, they may escalate
:00:56. > :01:04.Getting people from A to B when the taxi ranks are empty.
:01:05. > :01:08.More buses, private cabs, and extra staff have been brought
:01:09. > :01:11.in while taxi drivers strike over a pay deal.
:01:12. > :01:16.Earlier this week, infrastructure dept announced private hire cabs
:01:17. > :01:19.and public rank taxis on the same tariff, to make it easier
:01:20. > :01:37.Fares are to go up by nearly 5% but extra fees chargeable
:01:38. > :01:43.by rank taxis are to be scrapped.
:01:44. > :01:44.Many drivers are unhappy at changes.
:01:45. > :01:46.The drivers' representative says the one-tier system
:01:47. > :01:48.won't work, and that - with the extras scrapped -
:01:49. > :01:51.He feels the Minister isn't listening.
:01:52. > :01:54.We feel the minister's policies are what he set out two years ago,
:01:55. > :01:58.The process he's gone through was just to keep us quiet.
:01:59. > :02:01.All along he fully intended to have it his way
:02:02. > :02:07.But the Minister says he's done what he can to negotiate.
:02:08. > :02:10.A few weeks ago they effectively did a u-turn on where we thought
:02:11. > :02:14.we were, at the end of the day I have to act in the public's best
:02:15. > :02:17.interest, so we couldn't delay bringing in the revised tariffs
:02:18. > :02:19.and reform that we wished to make to make the service
:02:20. > :02:25.Nevertheless, the upshot today is a shortage of taxis
:02:26. > :02:33.and passengers left waiting - with mixed feelings.
:02:34. > :02:40.If they are not getting what they want, go on strike. I do not think
:02:41. > :02:44.today is a good idea. They have got today is a good idea. They have got
:02:45. > :02:46.holiday-makers coming over. They need to do what they need to
:02:47. > :02:50.do, if they are unhappy show that. And they may soon be
:02:51. > :02:52.showing that more strongly. Drivers on strike today say
:02:53. > :02:55.we could see scenes like this again, protest grinding traffic to a halt,
:02:56. > :02:57.if the Minister doesn't Luxmy Gopal, Channel
:02:58. > :03:04.Islands News, Jersey. Emergency services were called
:03:05. > :03:06.to a fire today near 25 firefighters used foam jets
:03:07. > :03:11.to tackle the fire which caused the evacuation of the power station
:03:12. > :03:13.and bus depot. It started in an oil
:03:14. > :03:15.store at La Collette. One worker was taken
:03:16. > :03:26.to hospital with minor burns. You have to appreciate we are in the
:03:27. > :03:31.Deal area so that as an extra risk that we had to take into
:03:32. > :03:35.consideration. -- fuel. I hate and risk in this area. Luckily enough,
:03:36. > :03:41.if there was to be a fire in this area, it was to be in such a space
:03:42. > :03:42.that did not involve the petroleum distributors and it did not affect
:03:43. > :03:49.any of those. A police investigation's under way
:03:50. > :03:52.after a body was found in the sea off Guernsey and brought ashore
:03:53. > :03:54.by the lifeboat. It was spotted in the sea
:03:55. > :03:57.by a passing French yacht off the island's south western coastline
:03:58. > :03:59.at nine o'clock this morning. The Channel Islands Air Search
:04:00. > :04:02.aircraft located the body after searching an area around ten
:04:03. > :04:04.miles off the Hanois. Three men have been sentenced
:04:05. > :04:06.at Jersey's Royal Court after pleading guilty to a number
:04:07. > :04:08.of drugs offences 52-year-old Darryn Rae,
:04:09. > :04:12.who lives in the UK, 35-year-old Antonio Spinola
:04:13. > :04:15.from St Helier and 65-year-old Michael Palmer from St Saviour
:04:16. > :04:18.were jailed for between three The offences all happened while Rae
:04:19. > :04:26.and Spinola were under police Officers saw Rae depositing cash
:04:27. > :04:32.in two separate bank accounts Then when they searched Spinola's
:04:33. > :04:41.flat they found cannabis resin, ecstacy tablets and a suitcase
:04:42. > :04:43.with ?30,000 cash and During the search, a third man,
:04:44. > :04:46.Michael Palmer arrived Officers found cash
:04:47. > :04:50.in his car and more cash When questioned by police,
:04:51. > :04:57.Spinola denied supplying drugs but admitted to playing a role
:04:58. > :05:05.namely as banker. He said Rae had asked him to do
:05:06. > :05:08.a few bits and pieces and he told officers,
:05:09. > :05:11."I just turned a blind eye." Rae's defence advocate said he'd
:05:12. > :05:13.borrowed money to set up his own business and was pressed
:05:14. > :05:21.into the activity to repay the debt. When he was arrested,
:05:22. > :05:26.he claimed that at the time At sentencing today
:05:27. > :05:29.Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith said there wouldn't be drug traffickers
:05:30. > :05:31.without money launderers. Spinola, three years,
:05:32. > :05:34.nine months It's thought plans for
:05:35. > :05:38.an international university based in Guernsey could be developed
:05:39. > :05:43.within the next few years. The politician behind it,
:05:44. > :05:45.who's keen to distance his own plans from recent failed attempts to do
:05:46. > :05:47.something similar, says the States-controlled institution
:05:48. > :05:49.would attract students It wasn't that long ago
:05:50. > :05:56.that we all got excited about the prospect of a Channel
:05:57. > :06:00.Islands University - linked to the prestigious
:06:01. > :06:02.Russell Group which includes the likes of Oxford,
:06:03. > :06:06.Cambridge and Bristol. But four years on and there's
:06:07. > :06:09.still no sign of anything here - In fact, much like these buildings,
:06:10. > :06:19.that whole scheme has But a long-time supporter
:06:20. > :06:23.of the principle of an on-island university is looking for funding
:06:24. > :06:25.from Economic Development to test If that's all approved,
:06:26. > :06:29.we'll go ahead and complete the study
:06:30. > :06:30.that we're undertaking. Certainly we'll complete that this
:06:31. > :06:33.year and then we'll have a report to Policy and Resources who can then
:06:34. > :06:36.decide whether to take He says rather than
:06:37. > :06:43.the philanthropic, not-for-profit model previously discussed,
:06:44. > :06:46.this would instead be aimed at bringing in international
:06:47. > :06:49.students and providing a much needed Crucially though it's not
:06:50. > :06:55.aimed at islanders - something that's angered some local
:06:56. > :06:57.students who want more support It costs 15 grand
:06:58. > :07:03.because I'm classed as international to go to England and go to a drama
:07:04. > :07:06.school, whereas it would cost so much less if it was
:07:07. > :07:10.on the island, I could stay at home, The new university would sit
:07:11. > :07:15.alongside the College of FE, the GTA University Centre and other
:07:16. > :07:17.on-island training facilities but it's not a project
:07:18. > :07:20.the Education Committee's been involved in, which itself raises
:07:21. > :07:23.questions about how joined up the provision of education
:07:24. > :07:26.in Guernsey really is. But it could, if successful,
:07:27. > :07:29.at least have a role in serving the economy and enhancing
:07:30. > :07:36.the island's reputation overseas. Mark Inchley, BBC
:07:37. > :07:38.Channel Islands News. The States of Alderney have
:07:39. > :07:40.withdrawn the licence allowing Alderney Renewable Energy to develop
:07:41. > :07:43.tidal power in its waters. The agreement's been terminated over
:07:44. > :07:46.claims the company has failed As well as developing tidal power,
:07:47. > :07:55.ARE is instrumental in multi-million pound plans
:07:56. > :07:57.for a controversial new electricity link connecting the island
:07:58. > :08:13.to France and Britain. the state of Alderney pot control
:08:14. > :08:18.and we look forward to being able to relay that sea bed to the economic
:08:19. > :08:24.advantage of Albany. -- Alderney. ARE said it was disappointed
:08:25. > :08:26.with the termination of its agreement, saying claims made
:08:27. > :08:28.in the States are inaccurate. It adds it wants to progress
:08:29. > :08:31.with its plans for tidal development The Channel Islands
:08:32. > :08:35.are in 27th position on the fifth day of competition
:08:36. > :08:37.at the World Surfing Competing as the Channel Islands
:08:38. > :08:41.for the first time, the team are ahead of the likes of Ireland,
:08:42. > :08:44.Fiji and Russia. While Josh Evans made history
:08:45. > :08:46.by booking a place in the third Your weather forecast
:08:47. > :09:04.now with David Braine. Thank you. Hello, good evening, more
:09:05. > :09:10.sunshine to enjoy for tomorrow. Strong sunshine at that. Fine and
:09:11. > :09:13.dry, with plenty of sunshine and feeling very warm. If anything,
:09:14. > :09:19.feeling hot tomorrow, particularly for the two larger islands.
:09:20. > :09:24.Unusually, some very strong sunshine, some high UV, I'm usually
:09:25. > :09:28.so, seven or eight the UV level for tomorrow, enjoy, the sun is
:09:29. > :09:32.critically strong, be careful. A big area of high bemoaning keeping a
:09:33. > :09:36.settled that there is a layer of cloud, that is a weather front that
:09:37. > :09:39.will creep close over the next 24 hours. By the time we get to the
:09:40. > :09:44.middle of the day tomorrow, it is across the western side of Ireland
:09:45. > :09:47.and then crossing us overnight and into Saturday. It will have some
:09:48. > :09:56.showers on it, bumping into that very warm air, there is a good
:09:57. > :09:58.chance those showers could turn to be thundery in the early hours of
:09:59. > :10:01.Saturday morning. High pressure starts to come back as we head into
:10:02. > :10:03.the body of the weekend. A very warm night, a keen easterly wind that
:10:04. > :10:09.will gradually drop in temperatures no lower than 16 Celsius. Tomorrow,
:10:10. > :10:14.expect to have a very warm, is not hot feeling day, one wind from the
:10:15. > :10:19.east and almost unbroken sunshine from dawn to dusk, the sunshine a
:10:20. > :10:25.bit hazy late in the day. 21 or 22 on the coast. The two larger
:10:26. > :10:28.islands, 25, possibly 26 Celsius. He done the risk of thunder across
:10:29. > :10:32.northern parts of Spain and Portugal. Hot weather for the middle
:10:33. > :10:35.of France and that warm weather has travelled over a good part of
:10:36. > :10:39.northern Europe as well. Most of us things pretty good temperatures over
:10:40. > :10:42.the next few days. The showers, they happen overnight into Saturday and a
:10:43. > :10:44.bit fresher as we head into the weekend. That is all from me. Have a
:10:45. > :10:46.good night. That's your news this Thursday
:10:47. > :10:48.evening, BBC Radio Guernsey and Jersey will be first
:10:49. > :10:50.with your local news, weather and travel from
:10:51. > :10:52.six tomorrow morning. Alison's back at 6.30
:10:53. > :11:15.tomorrow evening. You would expect strong sunshine at
:11:16. > :11:19.this time of year, but it has been stronger than you would normally
:11:20. > :11:27.expect, and that continues tomorrow. It has been the hottest day of the
:11:28. > :11:32.year so far. I suspect we might beat those temperatures tomorrow. We have
:11:33. > :11:37.had made 20s for many, barely a cloud in the sky. This is how it
:11:38. > :11:43.looked in Cornwall this afternoon, and a beautiful sunset as well. We
:11:44. > :11:48.have clear skies overnight, but it will not be cold. We could be
:11:49. > :11:50.looking at a near record-breaking night