BBC Local Live: Channel Islands

There's been no progress yet in attempts to remove a 20m (66ft) yacht submerged at the bottom of Jersey's St Aubin's Bay.

The six-berth vessel is worth £1.8m, the Jersey Evening Post reports.

It sank after hitting a buoy on Friday evening, with two men rescued by Jersey Fire and Rescue Service after they sent a mayday call out.

Ports of Jersey say the boat is completely submerged off Portelet at a depth of about 20m.

Tony RiveCopyright: Tony Rive

Ben ChappleCopyright: Ben Chapple

Organisers for the racing event SandAce have accused Guernsey's Committee for Economic Development of underestimating the contribution sports and arts make to the local economy.

Mike Clarke, Chairman of the SandAce Committee which has seen their racing event become an international hit, wrote to the States following the announcement of funding cuts for sports and arts events in 2018.

He said arts and sports did "a lot more for the island than people seem to think".

Adding, the events were "the things that put smiles on people's faces".

Ben ChappleCopyright: Ben Chapple

• Cuts in sport and arts funding 'a slap in the face'

A passing doctor helped deliver a baby in a car today in Jersey.

The boy was born this morning near the Steam Clock in St Helier.

Paramedics were also at the scene.

It was the mother's second child, and a hospital spokesperson says the mother and baby are doing well.

Misuse of big data could lead to the quiet return of a type of eugenics in the western world, the island’s top financial services regulator has warned.

Money seized by authorities from criminals linked to Jersey is in excess of the £59m allocated to a specialist fund over the past decade, the island's Attorney General says.

Figures obtained by the BBC show nearly £58.8m was confiscated from criminals between 2006-16 and allocated to the Criminal Offences Confiscation Fund.

Robert MacRae QC said: "Sometimes most or all of the assets seized need to be returned to their rightful owners.

“Although the sum confiscated and paid in to the COCF is £59m, Jersey has played a role in the repatriation of well over a billion euros in the last ten years, as was demonstrated in the Riva case earlier this year.”

More than €1.3bn (£1.14bn) held by Adriano Riva and associates made through fraudulent deals in Italy and held in Jersey and Swiss trust accounts was sent back to the country.

Guernsey's Committee for Education, Sport and Culture is urging a fellow committee to reverse its decision on removing sports and arts event funding next year.

It comes after a backlash from members of the island community against the decision by the Committee for Economic Development.

Education president Paul Le Pelley has urged the committee to reconsider its decision.

“Given the information that they now have explaining the potential consequences of their original decision, both from an economic development perspective and more broadly, I am sure that they will agree to reconsider their decision.

“We have also explained to them that we are shocked and disappointed that they took this action without any engagement or advance communication with anyone at the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, the Arts or Sports Commissions, or any of the groups within the community that have been affected," he said.

Apple's tax arrangements in Jersey – which were publicised by the Paradise Papers data leak – have been described as really shocking behaviour by a Conservative MP.

Jersey Met Department has issued a strong wind warning with force seven southwesterly winds forecast across the islands expected.

Jersey Post says keeping a closer eye on its workers' driving habits has reduced the number of accidents involving its vehicles.

The company has also updated a third of its fleet of delivery vans to electric power.

Jersey PostCopyright: Jersey Post

A spokesman said efforts to become "greener" have saved more than £20,000 in fuel and maintenance costs.

The costs involved in accidents have also been reduced, the spokesman added, by checking potential employee's driving records and fitting the company's vehicles with tracking devices to monitor them.

Jersey Post has been nominated for two prizes at this year's national GreenFleet Awards.

A message of congratulations has been sent by the Bailiwick to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh as they marked their 70th wedding anniversary yesterday.

Ports of JerseyCopyright: Ports of Jersey

A spokesman for Ports of Jersey has confirmed the buoy a 65ft (20m) yacht struck on Friday before sinking was lit at the time of impact, contrary to reports on social media.

Two men were taken off the £1.8m yacht - called P6T2 - by Jersey Fire and Rescue Service after they sent a mayday call out from St Aubin's bay.

The Ports of Jersey is now conferring with the boat's insurance company.

The yacht has completely submerged off Portelet at a depth of about 20m (66ft) after being towed to free up sea lanes for commercial traffic.

Ports of JerseyCopyright: Ports of Jersey

Horse owners who have sent their animals to a French retirement home are desperately trying to locate and bring them back to Guernsey.

Every restaurant, cafe or takeaway in Jersey must show their "Eat Safe" food hygiene rating or face a fine.

Previously it has been up to the company whether they want to show their rating.

The ratings are based on how well the company complies with the Jersey Food Safety Law and the Food Standards Agency code of practice.

From 1 December every company will need to show their rating, even if they were given zero stars.

The scheme is run by the Department of the Environment which hopes by making it compulsory it will allow people to make an informed choice before deciding where to eat.

• Compulsory food hygiene ratings could be introduced

Proposals to significantly increase the Millennium Town Park and build dozens of homes and a underground car park on the neighbouring gas works site have been formally lodged by the Council of Ministers.

Horse owners in Guernsey concerned about animals they sent to France for retirement are being asked to contact the Guernsey Border Agency.

The Economic Crime Division of the agency is currently gathering information ahead of liaising with its French counterpart.

A spokesman urged "anyone who has sent a horse or pony to France for retirement purposes, and who is concerned they may have been affected, to contact Iain Davidson, Economic Crime Investigator on 714081".

The leader of the Catholic Church in Jersey has refused to commit either way on the question of whether businesses should be allowed to refuse to serve same-sex couples.

The Evangelical Alliance recently wrote to the States asking that Christian organisations should be allowed to say no to gay couples wanting to use their services for their weddings, after the island's marriage laws are changed.

Monsignor Nicholas France said the centuries old traditions of the Catholic Church are at odds with modern changes, but it will try to listen and respect everyone's views.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Quote Message: It has to also be the other way around, people have to understand what we're teaching, what our values are and what the Bible has given us as the teachings of Jesus Christ. There will be clashes at times, but above all we need to try and work together." from Monsignor Nicholas France

It has to also be the other way around, people have to understand what we're teaching, what our values are and what the Bible has given us as the teachings of Jesus Christ. There will be clashes at times, but above all we need to try and work together."

Writers and artists, including former hostage Terry Waite CBE, have expressed dismay at cuts made by the Economic Development committee to the Arts Commission grant.

A fund set up in Jersey has more than £15m set aside to help counter crime in Jersey.

But more than a third of the Criminal Offences Confiscation Fund is ring-fenced and could be returned to other jurisdictions, information obtained by the BBC via Freedom of Information request has shown.

The fund's balance at the end of October was £15.2m, with £6.6m related to cases subject to potential asset sharing agreements with other jurisdictions.

Of the £8.2m available to the States of Jersey it is proposed £6.5m is used to fund building work at the island's prison, subject to political approval.

The Millennium Town Park in St Helier could be extended by up to 50% under plans from the Council of Ministers.

It will see the park extended to the Gas Works site, which used to be owned by Jersey Gas and had been earmarked for housing.

BBCCopyright: BBC

There will still be 110 new homes on the site, with up to 200 underground parking spaces, built and run by government owned Andium Homes as social housing.

The Constable of St Helier Simon Crowcroft said: "The current town park is well-used by the public and the proposed increase in open space would bring significant benefits to the local community."

The Council of Ministers says there will be an "extensive public consultation" and a traffic survey before any decisions are made and some of the parking spaces could be made available for shoppers or commuters.