12 December: Chief minister quizzed over private flights

St Helier Deputy Mike Higgins plans to bring a "vote of no confidence" in the States of Jersey employment board.

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He says it is over the boards treatment and handling of Dr Amar Alwitry, whose job offer to work at Jersey General Hospital in 2012 was withdrawn.

Dr Alwitry was due to start at the hospital in December 2012 but was told a week before by the States Employment Board his contract had been terminated. He says he had been branded a "troublemaker" and that's why the offer was withdrawn.

The Channel Islands competition regulator is to take a more detailed look at the proposed merger of Costcutter Jersey and Sandpiper CI to make sure it woon't impact on consumers best interests.

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Michael Byrne from the Channel Islands Competition Regulatory Authorities said he was seeking to ensure the sale will not impact consumers through a reduction in competition.

Sandpiper CI have asked for permission to take over the Costcutter stores in Jersey and rebrand them using the company's own Iceland or Food Hall brands.

It is not yet possible to say how much borrowing £400m to fund a new hospital will cost the people of Jersey due to the volatility of the markets, according to Jersey's treasury minister.

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Senator Alan Maclean was asked what the total cost of the hospital would be after taking into account interest but said he would not be able to say until final negotiations over terms had taken place as the market was changing day to day.

He told the States: "In November we used £400m over 40-years which equates to an interest rate per year of £10m per year as an example to demonstrate the sort of deal we could see." 

At those rates all costs and interest payments will be met by 2057, he said.  

Guernsey's role in the Holocaust made the national headlines on Saturday when an article in The Times stated the island had "finally opened up about its Nazi past".

Jersey politicians will debate how they are elected and how many of them there should be in the States Assembly in January as part of reform proposals submitted by Deputy Andrew Lewis.

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He wants 44 politicians made up of 12 parish constables and 32 senators elected in six large districts. This is similar to the winning proposals in a referendum three years ago that politicians later rejected.

The States committee responsible for the make up of the assembly are also planning to bring its own reform proposals but no details are known at the moment.

Education committee member Marc Leadbeater has resigned.

The head of Jersey's animal shelter says traffickers are making more money trading dogs than drugs. 

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Major Steve Coleman from the JSPCA says the fine for trafficking puppies is so low compared to drugs fines that criminals can make thousands of pounds a week. 

He says research by the Dogs Trust in the UK has shown how big the problem is. He said: "The penalty for importation of illegal puppies is about a £100 fine."

The woman known as Guernsey's "ice maiden" Rin Cobb, is back from her latest two-week training session with an all-female army team, planning to trek to the South Pole. 

It's all part of their attempt - next October - to trek 1,700 miles across Antarctica in temperatures as low as -50C and with wind speeds of more than 60mph. 

In the next few months they'll be training in tough conditions - while eating 4,000 calories a day.

It will take a week or so to get an answer on the number of private flights booked by the States of Jersey since the Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, took office in 2011.

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Deputy Sam Mezec of Reform Jersey submitted the written question in the hope of finding out just how many flights had been paid for, after £4,000 was spent sending the Estonian Ambassador back to London by private jet earlier this year.

In a response, the Chief Minister said: "The information required to respond in full to this questions is being collated and quality assured and will be issued to the Assembly in the coming week."

A fragment of a republican flag taken home by one of the Jersey Pals who helped quash the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin is to take pride of place next to one of Ireland’s most important historical documents.  

A man charged with an attempted murder in St Helier in October will have his case heard at the Royal Court. 

Gerard Eamon Maguire, 49, of Aquila Road, St Helier is accused of attacking 63 year-old Shaun Patrick Howard in Journeaux Street. 

Mr Maguire appeared from custody at the magistrates court for a committal hearing this morning. He'll next appear at the Royal Court on a date which has yet to be decided.

Members of Guernsey's Education Sport and Culture will be meeting to discuss their political futures tomorrow morning, following the fallout of the States vote to stick with its previous decision to scrap selection at 11. 

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A motion of no confidence in the committee was placed last Friday evening by Deputy Emily Yerby.

One committee member, Deputy Marc Leadbeater, has already indicated he will resign, as he fundamentally disagrees with the pro-selection views of the education president. 

The President and Vice-President, Deputies Paul Le Pelley and Carl Meerveld, aren't making any public comment until Tuesday lunchtime.

A man has appeared in Jersey's Magistrates Court accused of importing heroin into the island. 

Jose Manuel Ferraz Figueira, 44, was arrested on Friday at the Elizabeth Terminal as he arrived from St Malo. 

He was remanded in custody and will appear again on 9 January.

The way people in Jersey vote for their politicians could be very different at the next election if a reform proposition is approved by the States of Jersey.

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Deputy Andrew Lewis wants to create a 44 member assembly made up of 12 constables and 32 senators elected from six large districts. 

Deputy Lewis, who returned to the States in 2014, said this was fulfilling a promise in his manifesto to "bring a proposition to the States" to reform the assembly. The plans will be debated on 31 January.

Father Christmas took over the head gardener’s office at the Victorian Walled Kitchen Garden for its Christmas Fayre.  

Politicians in Jersey are meeting a day earlier than usual so they can get straight into debating the 2017 budget on Tuesday. 

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From 14:30 today ministers will answer questions from other members including questions without notice for the education minister and chief minister. 

One includes a written question by Deputy Sam Mezec of Reform Jersey asking the chief minister to detail any private flights booked for politicians or political guests since 2011.

You can listen live on the BBC News website from 14:30 until the end of the sitting.

There are plans for 200 homes at Samares Nurseries in St Clement. 

The site was in a protected area but its status was changed by the States two years ago to allow building there. 

GR Langlois wants to build 91 three-bedroom homes, 89 two-bedroom houses and 20 one-bedroom homes.