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A council leader who survived a narrow re-election has said he is motivated to "finish the job" he started on devolution.

Councillor Phil Jordan stays in charge of Isle of Wight Council following a tied vote on Wednesday.

Councillor Ed Blake, leader of the Conservative group of councillors, received the same amount of support but lost out on a casting vote.

East Cowes Councillor Karl Love was ousted as chair of the council after being replaced by Binstead and Fishbourne's councillor Ian Dore.

Mr Jordan, the head of County Hall's Alliance group, has been a keen supporter of devolution and local government reorganisation.

The changes will transfer powers and funding away from central government and allow decisions to be made locally.

Portsmouth and Southampton city councils, along with Hampshire County Council and the Isle of Wight, voted to accept the government's offer to create a combined mayoral authority earlier this year.

Mr Jordan said it was "vital" to maintain "consistency and continuity in our relationships and establish the best deal for our island in our negotiations with government".

He continued: "This is a pivotal moment for our Island, and we have less than a year to get the best outcomes, the best funding, the best transfer of powers and the key asks I have already made, such as oversight of the ferries and additional funding for the island in a fair funding settlement.

"It is not the moment for someone to be learning on the job or having doubts about the past two years of intense work.

"Our island comes first, before personal wishes or aspirations and I am confident, and best placed, that I can deliver the best outcome for the Isle of Wight."

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An air ambulance had to abandon its initial approach to a critically ill patient because a young child ran "straight towards" the helicopter.

Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance was flying to a patient on 30 March and had identified a suitable place to land in a park in Swindon.

However, chief pilot Matt Wilcock said he had to abort the landing when a child "came running in".

While it landed successfully on the second attempt, the team was further delayed getting to the patient due to a "wall" of young children trying to get to the helicopter.

'Oblivious'

Mr Wilcock said the children's parents seemed to be "oblivious to the risks associated" with interacting with the aircraft.

"We've got a tail rotor that's spinning around at nearly 5,000 times a minute, and it's right at the head height of a small child," he explained.

"Everyone was stood there dumbfounded that the helicopter was coming into this park and were just watching.

"The parents with the child just seemed to be stood there watching. I saw another bystander that came running out to try to intercept the child, but it didn't look like they were going to make it, so we had to overshoot."

He added that on the successful attempt at landing, the doctor had to quickly "run out" to stop a "wall" of children aged about five and six from running towards the helicopter, which still had its rotors turning.

He believes the incidents delayed the team by two or three minutes, and said that time could seriously impact the care of critically ill patients.

A road haulage company has been fined £90,000 after a metal heat exchanger fell from its lorry and killed a 70-year-old cyclist.

A heavy goods vehicle (HGV), operated by local Warwickshire firm JW Morley Transport Ltd, was driving down College Street in Nuneaton on 18 June 2021 carrying four heat exchangers weighing over 10,000kg.

The lorry went round a bend and the load shifted in the vehicle, causing one of the straps securing the load to snap.

This resulted in one of the heat exchangers falling from the lorry, killing Christopher Baker who was cycling alongside the vehicle.

'Grossly inadequate'

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that the heat exchangers were inadequately secured on the vehicle, which made the load prone to toppling, and the ratchet straps used to secure the load were in poor condition.

Nina Day, senior policy advisor in the Transport & Public Services Unit of HSE, said: "The lorry should not have entered the public road network. At the point it did there was an immediate and likely risk of harm to other road users, pedestrians and the driver himself.

"The fatal load shift was due to the grossly inadequate manner of loading and securing the load, and was both foreseeable and entirely preventable.

"If the heat exchangers had each been placed inside a metal or wooden transport frame and secured with a minimum of three webbing straps each, with friction matting between the transport frame and the load bed, the load would not have shifted under normal driving conditions."

The investigation also found that, although the driver was trained in driving Heavy Goods category C, he had not received training in load security, which would have equipped him with the means to devise a suitable securing scheme for an unusual and high-risk load, like the heat exchangers.

He had also not been provided with a securing scheme by JW Morley Transport Ltd.

'Heartbroken and devastated'

Mr Baker's widow Rose made a victim personal statement to HSE.

She said "June 18th 2021 is a date that will forever live in our memories. That was the day we lost my Chris, my husband of over 54 years, my best friend and my soulmate.

"We did everything together both as a couple and as a family. We have always been a very close family, and it feels that the very heart of it has been ripped out.

"Chris and I had plans for our retirement after working so hard for so many years. Our children and grandchildren were our priority and now that precious time has been taken from them. No amount of words will ever express how we all feel.

"We are heartbroken, devastated and really don't think we will ever be the same again."

JW Morley Transport Ltd, whose business is based at Sole End Farm Industrial Estate on Astley Lane in Bedworth, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

They were fined £90,000 and ordered to pay £8,047.55 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

Weekly household food waste collections and changes to bins and recycling are being considered by Lancaster City Council.

All councils are being told to follow a government "simpler recycling" scheme which aims to create consistent waste collection and recycling arrangements to reduce the use of landfill tips and to recycle more materials like paper, tins, glass and plastics.

Also food waste can be used in some processes to generate heat energy or for fertilisers for farms and gardens.

The council's cabinet will meet to decide the best way for the collections to be introduced in the district, possibly switching from the current recycling boxes to new wheelie bins.

Larger bins would make it easier for households to store recyclables like glass, plastic, tins, cardboard and paper and reduce mess on the streets.

'Big changes'

If the proposals get the green light, recycling collections would move to every three weeks instead of every two, because there will be more space in each bin.

The same three-week cycle is also being proposed for non-recyclable waste, with the expectation that people throw away less once they start recycling food waste weekly.

Paul Hart, cabinet member for environmental services, said: "I know these are big changes, but other councils that have already made the switch are seeing less waste and more being recycled.

"That's what we're aiming for too."

The city council has received around £1.46m from the government to support food waste collections.

This will be used to buy new vehicles and food waste caddies for households, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

BBC Sounds

Mr Wang, who studied engineering in Delaware in the US, spent three years helping develop the air fryer model. It cost him $500,000 to set up his company and he said the tariffs came as a shock.

"It felt like my parents were getting a divorce. China and US are the most important economic and cultural powers in the world. Their sudden separation would lead to a world that we cannot imagine. Tariffs as high as 145% would mean we have to say goodbye to one another.

But he adds, "there's a saying in Chinese: good fortune comes out of bad".

Mr Wang believes his "good fortune" is that this trade war has accelerated his plan to diversify away from doing business with America.

This is one of the reasons why Beijing believes it has the upper hand in its negotiations with Washington. China has choices and officials have been actively encouraging the country's firms to do more business in places like Africa, South America and South East Asia.

Many other Chinese businesses have also told the BBC that they are looking to diversify away from the US to reduce their reliance on the market – suggesting in the long-term there could be more of a separation between the US and China, rather than a divorce.

Donald Trump has suggested that he may speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping by the end of this week. The world's two largest economies will now enter talks after agreeing to a ceasefire in their economic war for 90 days.

Beijing has framed this deal as a win – not just for China but for all countries facing US tariffs.

But it has come at a cost.

A short walk through Shunde district – known as the "capital of home appliances" – presents a sobering assessment of a struggling manufacturing sector.

Factory workers use the cooler evenings in Foshan to let off a little steam. They spill out into every corner of the local park.

During the day they pack, mould and assemble nearly everything that you would find in your kitchen – from gas stoves and washing machines to kettles and fridges.

At night, after leaving work, one group line dances in one corner of the small park, while a heated basketball match takes place in another part.

Posters lining the walls of the streets tout "stable work and easy" jobs involving packing and screwing products for 30 days in a home appliance factory for 16 yuan an hour, to assembling air conditioning units for 20 yuan an hour.

But agents told us that several factories had stopped hiring, especially those linked to the US – some had even shut down parts of their production line.

The BBC was told that several of these workers will sleep in the park to save money. Many of them travel to Foshan from their home towns, which can be hundreds of kilometres away.

Several nearby hostels offer rooms for 20 yuan a night, which can be at least an hour's pay. Many will want to pocket whatever they earn to send it back to their families.

This is the picture of China that President Trump's team have tried to present – one of sluggish growth, rising unemployment and a chronic housing crisis.

"We're not looking to hurt China," Mr Trump said after the trade agreement was announced, while adding that China was "being hurt very badly".

"They were closing up factories. They were having a lot of unrest, and they were very happy to be able to do something with us."

This may be overstating Beijing's economic woes. This country is still leading the world when it comes to the production of electric vehicles and solar panels, and it is making significant headway in artificial intelligence technology.

Officials in China have also continued to stress this country can take the pain of an economic war. But it is being keenly felt by some on the frontline and that may be part of why Beijing has started talking to the US.

This latest "ceasefire" has prompted a rush of orders between the two countries as businesses wonder if it can last.

He Ke, or HK to his American clients, has called his workers back from their home towns to restart his sofa business, Gongyuan Furniture.

It ground to a halt even before Mr Trump's tariffs hit 145%.

"We had a day off straightaway," said Mr He. "Once the tariffs hit 50%, we had already come to a standstill. When they hit 145%, we certainly could not do business. It was just not possible."

His production line with around 200 workers once took up all four floors of the building.

Since the Covid pandemic, he has only needed one floor and around 40 staff. But he still has the odd high-profile client – he claims Elon Musk sits on one of his sofas.

Some workers have already returned and are lifting a soft chair onto a compressor machine to get it ready to box and ship.

Sewing machines hum in the background as workers stitch fabric into the right shape to cover memory foam cushions.

Mr He says he has seen many changes in Foshan since he started making sofas in 2013.

"We feel that the global economy is not good. The domestic economy has also been hit and this affects the life of people here. In the past, when we went out to spend money, we spent a lot of money. We did not think about whether the price was high or cheap. We will buy it as long as we like it. Now, when we want to buy a relatively expensive things, we have to think twice, because the money is not easy to earn."

Like Mr Wang and his air fryers, Mr He also says he is looking at diversifying his sales away from the US, but he has hope that the world's two biggest economies can come to an agreement in the next 90 days.

"I am just a small businessman. But I do understand that the game between these two countries is temporary. I think if they want to survive with each other for a long time, they will definitely sit down and talk things over."

A man attempting to rob a jewellery shop armed with an axe has been arrested at gunpoint.

The raid on Oswestry Goldsmiths on Church Street, Oswestry, happened just after 14:00 BST, West Mercia Police said.

Nobody was hurt but some money was stolen, the force said.

The suspect was arrested at gunpoint and an axe was recovered.

Armed officers were in the area within two minutes and the suspect was arrested within six, police added.

An investigation is under way and there are no further suspects.

Welsh students studying elsewhere in the UK could lose a £1,000 grant if Plaid Cymru runs the next Welsh government, the party has confirmed.

Under the current student loans system, all Welsh students receive at least a £1k living costs grant, and potentially more depending on their household income, wherever they choose to study in the UK.

They can then choose whether to take out a means-tested living costs loan to top it up to a set limit, based on whether they study in or outside of London or live at home.

The Welsh Conservatives said the plan reflected "extremely divisive nationalist ideology" and removed "freedom of choice".

Plaid has been calling for a review of higher education funding after Cardiff, Bangor and University of South Wales were among Welsh institutions announcing job cuts.

Party activists in Northumberland have been stepping up their campaigning in preparation for an all-out election on 1 May.

The county council, England's second largest local authority by area, has been led by the Conservatives since 2017.

However, over the past few decades it has changed hands a number of times so is set to be closely contested.

So what are the main parties pledging to do to get the votes?

Glen Sanderson, the Conservative leader of the council, highlighted the return of rail passenger services to the south-east of the county as a "great success", with "something like 250,000 journeys taken since the end of December".

He added: "I'm very proud of the fact that just a few miles away is the site of the new data centre campus which will… bring thousands of jobs and £150m.

"Even in some of the remote areas we have got money coming in. Northumberland really is flying."

Scott Dickinson, Labour group leader, said: "People are really disgruntled about the way their communities are, how things aren't being looked after.

"And I think people in Northumberland pay a lot of council tax and they deserve to have services they can be proud of.

"The staff at County Hall and the workforce out in the communities want to do a fantastic job but they need to be given the tools to do that."

Liberal Democrat candidate Nick Cott said: "Voters are thoroughly fed up, actually with the Conservative-run council, which isn't demonstrating value for money on key services.

"It's a choice between the old parties Labour and the Conservatives that have let people down, both at county and national level, and the Liberal Democrats, who want to make a positive change for our communities."

Reform UK candidate Katherine Hales said: "People are feeling that politics both nationally and locally hasn't addressed their concerns or their interests in the last few years.

"They are aware of the pressures on their finances.

"And I feel in some ways that they are turning to Reform as a last hope that they can change things politically."

Green Party candidate Antonia Azocar-Nevin said: "The Greens are trying to get a better bus service. We want everything to be more accessible for people.

"It would be great to get some more community projects where people of all ages can get involved.

"My passion would be to get more things for young people, they tend to get bored and that's not good for anyone."

Derek Kennedy, an independent candidate, said: "We are not party-driven, we are actually driven by what the people want.

"We bring something new that nobody else can bring.

"The independents make up around 15% of Northumberland County Council so we are quite a strong voice and we do strongly represent our communities – we want things to happen."

Businesses across East Yorkshire are providing safe spaces for victims of domestic abuse.

The initiative, supported by East Riding of Yorkshire Council, provides people with a private area in stores to call support services or loved ones.

As well as physical locations, organisations can also offer online safe spaces.

The websites will be accessible by a discreet button and will ensure that no trace of the victim using the service is left behind, the council said.

This project is running alongside the existing Ask for Angela initiative, which enables individuals who feel unsafe, threatened, or vulnerable to discreetly seek assistance by asking bar or venue staff for "Angela."

Trained personnel can then intervene by helping the individual leave discreetly, calling a taxi, or alerting authorities if necessary.

Councillor Lyn Healing, cabinet member for communities and public protection, said that everybody had "a role to play in supporting victims of domestic abuse and preventing violence against women and girls.

"It's fantastic to see local businesses participate in this vital initiative," she said.

"We encourage more organisations to sign up to create their own safe spaces."

As list of the safe spaces across the county can be found on the UK Says No More website.

Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Soundslatest episode of Look North here.

Very few people know what it was like to live and work in a lighthouse, stationed in the outermost reaches of the country, tasked with keeping a lifesaving navigational aid alight.

However, the hardy ones who do will have some unique working memories.

It was growing up surrounded by such experiences that inspired photographer Conor Gault to begin a mammoth project to meet and photograph all the living former Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) keepers.

Such people are now hard to come by, after the completion of an automation programme in 1998.

Instead of a team of lighthouse keepers keeping the lights on in remote coastal locations, the automation meant the beams were instead controlled from a nerve centre in Edinburgh.

Technicians go out to maintain and check them throughout the year and fix any faults.

Conor's grandfather Bill Gault, who is now 83, worked with the NLB as a keeper for more than 30 years.

He was stationed at many remote points of Scotland, including Muckle Flugga in Shetland, Skerryvore in Tiree, and Fair Isle South.

His many duties included maintaining the lights and the lighthouse exterior.