Around 70 people joined the protest in Bangor
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Campaigners have been protesting against UK government’s plans to fund S4C from the BBC licence fee.
About 70 people joined a Welsh Language Society march around Bangor, Gwynedd, which ended at a BBC Wales’ office.
The protesters are calling for a halt to the plans, saying a new multi-media channel in Welsh is needed.
The BBC said discussions between Department for Culture Media and Sport, BBC and S4C were continuing and it has “no ambitions to take over S4C”.
Welsh Language Society chair Bethan Williams said: “By trying to continue with these cuts, the government and the BBC are ignoring the united voice of Wales for a full review of the channel instead.
“The future of the world’s only Welsh-language TV channel hangs by a thread, which is a direct threat to the language itself.
“As well as facing enormous cuts, S4C risks being gobbled up by the BBC.”
“The BBC has made clear repeatedly that it has no ambitions to take over S4C”
BBC statement
Ms Williams said “no-one knows what the BBC’s intentions are for S4C at the moment”, and clamed that “ongoing discussions are secretive and undemocratic”.
In a statement, the BBC said S4C’s funding was reduced as part of last October’s Comprehensive Spending Review and ministers considered a new partnership model with the BBC the best way of securing the long term future of the service.
“This proposition was put to the BBC in the context of discussions on a new licence fee settlement.
“The BBC has made clear repeatedly that it has no ambitions to take over S4C,” said the statement.
It added that the corporation is “committed to an editorially independent S4C” which attracts revenue from a range of sources, including the licence fee.
Last month, BBC director-general Mark Thompson met members of the Welsh Language Society, independent TV producers and First Minister Carwyn Jones.
In February, about 200 people joined a protest by the society outside BBC Wales’ Carmarthen studios.
S4C faces a 25% budget cut by 2015 under funding changes by Chancellor George Osborne.
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James Ibori (in white) is expected to appear at the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court
An influential Nigerian politician is expected to appear before a court in London charged with money laundering and fraud.
James Ibori, former governor of the oil-rich Delta state, was extradited from Dubai to face 25 charges.
He was arrested in Dubai last May and lost an appeal against his extradition. He denies the allegations.
Mr Ibori is a senior figure in Nigeria’s governing People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He is due to appear at the City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, Scotland Yard said.
Mr Ibori arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport on Friday, accompanied by officers from the Metropolitan Police’s extradition unit.
Mr Ibori played a key role in the 2007 presidential election victory of Umaru Yar’Adua, who died last year.
Under Nigeria’s federal system, state governors enjoy wide powers.
Those running oil-rich states have budgets larger than those of some African countries.
They enjoy immunity from prosecution while in power, but several have faced corruption charges since leaving office after the last election in 2007.
Nigerians are going to the polls on Saturday for presidential elections.
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The BBC’s Will Grant examines whether ex-military leader Muhammadu Buhari could prove a challenge to the current president and frontrunner, Goodluck Jonathan.
Polling stations have opened in Nigeria for Africa’s biggest presidential election, with incumbent Goodluck Jonathan seen as frontrunner.
His main challenge is expected to come from ex-military leader Muhammadu Buhari, who has strong support in the mainly Muslim north of the country.
Mr Jonathan is counting on opposition divisions to win outright, avoiding a run-off election.
Voters have begun registering, and voting will start at 1230 (1130 GMT).
Everyone intending to vote is required to register for accreditation before midday.
Mr Jonathan has staked his reputation on the conduct of the election, repeatedly promising it will be free and fair.
Africa’s largest oil producer has long been plagued by corruption and has a history of vote fraud and violence.
The head of the African Union’s observer mission, former Ghanaian President John Kufuor, said some shortcomings had been found with the election process but he was confident the electoral commission would resolve them.
Nigerians are pinning their hopes on this being their cleanest election in decades.
Mr Jonathan is the first head of state from the oil-producing Niger Delta region.
In addition to Mr Buhari, he is facing a challenge from former anti-corruption chief Nuhu Ribadu and Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau, though both are seen as rank outsiders.
While his People’s Democratic Party lost seats in a parliamentary election last week, Mr Jonathan has enjoyed a lead in opinion polls.
The two main opposition parties – fielding Mr Buhari and Mr Ribadu – had tried to agree a formal alliance for the presidential poll, but talks broke down.
The relatively successful conduct of the parliamentary election has increased confidence in the ability of the electoral commission, Inec, to ensure a fair presidential vote.
However, bomb blasts and other attacks have killed dozens in the run-up to the polls.
With 73 million registered voters, Nigeria has the biggest electorate on the continent.
“If Nigeria gets it right, it will impact positively on the rest of the continent and show the rest of the world that Africa is capable of managing its electoral processes,” said Mr Kufuor.
“If Nigeria gets it wrong, it will have a negative influence on the continent with dire consequences.”
Nigeria: A nation divided
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has won all elections since the end of military rule in 1999. It won two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states last time. But having a southerner – President Goodluck Jonathan – as its candidate in the presidential elections may lose it some votes in the north.
Nigeria’s 160 million people are divided between numerous ethno-linguistic groups and also along religious lines. Broadly, the Hausa-Fulani people based in the north are mostly Muslims. The Yorubas of the south-west are divided between Muslims and Christians, while the Igbos of the south-east and neghbouring groups are mostly Christian or animist. The Middle Belt is home to hundreds of groups with different beliefs, and around Jos there are frequent clashes between Hausa-speaking Muslims and Christian members of the Berom community.
Despite its vast resources, Nigeria ranks among the most unequal countries in the world, according to the UN. The poverty in the north is in stark contrast to the more developed southern states. While in the oil-rich south-east, the residents of Delta and Akwa Ibom complain that all the wealth they generate flows up the pipeline to Abuja and Lagos.
Southern residents tend to have better access to healthcare, as reflected by the greater uptake of vaccines for polio, tuberculosis, tetanus and diphtheria. Some northern groups have in the past boycotted immunisation programmes, saying they are a Western plot to make Muslim women infertile. This led to a recurrence of polio, but the vaccinations have now resumed.
Female literacy is seen as the key to raising living standards for the next generation. For example, a newborn child is far likelier to survive if its mother is well-educated. In Nigeria we see a stark contrast between the mainly Muslim north and the Christian and animist south. In some northern states less than 5% of women can read and write, whereas in some Igbo areas more than 90% are literate.
Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer and among the biggest in the world but most of its people subsist on less than $2 a day. The oil is produced in the south-east and some militant groups there want to keep a greater share of the wealth which comes from under their feet. Attacks by militants on oil installations led to a sharp fall in Nigeria’s output during the last decade. But in 2010, a government amnesty led thousands of fighters to lay down their weapons.
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Everton, Chelsea, West Ham and Aston Villa are among the teams involved in five Premier League matches alongside a bumper lower league programme and the Man City-Man Utd FA Cup semi-final.
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Some authorities say they have no option but to cut one of their biggest areas of spending
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The number of councils in England cutting back on free adult social care has increased by 13% this year, a survey has suggested.
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services study found just 26 out of 148 councils would fund people in “moderate” or “low” need, down from 41.
The moves follow a sharp reduction in central funding for local authorities.
However, the government said it had recently allocated an extra £2bn a year by 2014-15 for social care services.
The survey revealed that 19 local authorities had raised the eligibility bar for free adult social care.
Only 22 councils in England out of the 148 which responded will now fund those assessed as having moderate needs, down from 36 last year.
This category includes people who are so ill or disabled that they have trouble preparing a meal for themselves or taking a bath.
Six councils have now opted to limit help to people in “critical’ need, which includes those suffering from life threatening conditions.
Some authorities say the need to save money has left them with no option but to cut one of their biggest areas of spending.
Andrew Harrop, of the charity Age UK, said people could die as a result of the cuts and many more may land up in hospital unnecessarily.
The government has set up an independent commission on social care, which is due to report in July, and will put forward plans in a White Paper by the end of the year.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “Protecting and improving local social care services is vital, especially for the most vulnerable.
“The coalition government recently allocated extra money – meaning an additional £2bn a year by 2014-15 – to encourage more joined-up working, support the delivery of social care and protect the most vulnerable in society.
“This funding, together with an ambitious programme of efficiency, should enable local authorities to protect people’s access to services and deliver new approaches to improve their care.”
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The road accident happened in Portadown on Tuesday afternoon
A 90-year-old man has died following a road accident in Portadown, County Armagh.
He was hurt in a two vehicle crash on the Gilford Road on Tuesday.
His name has not been released at this stage.
Police have appealed to anyone who witnessed the crash which happened at 1500 BST to contact them.
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Sebastian Vettel will hope for another dominant performance with final practice starting at 0400 BST and qualifying at 0700.
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One of Nigeria’s most influential and wealthy politicians, James Ibori, is due before a court in London charged with money laundering and fraud.
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The third man to be charged with attempting to murder a five-year-old girl and a man in a shooting at a south London shop will appear in court later.
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Thousands of people heading to London for one of the biggest weekends in the sporting calendar look set to be affected by the partial closure of the M1.
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Hundreds of people reposted Chambers’ original comments in protest at the conviction
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Comedian Stephen Fry has said he is “prepared to go to prison” over the “Twitter joke” trial.
Fry was appearing at a benefit gig for Paul Chambers who is appealing to the High Court against his conviction for sending a menacing communication.
He had tweeted: “Robin Hood Airport is closed. You’ve got a week… otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!”
Fry argued that Chambers’ tweet was an example of Britain’s tradition of self-deprecating humour and banter.
Chambers’ case has become a cause celebre on Twitter, with hundreds of people reposting his original comments in protest at the conviction.
“This [verdict] must not be allowed to stand in law,” Fry said, adding that he would continue to repeat Chambers’ message and face prison “if that’s what it takes”.
Among the other celebrities lending their support to the fundraising evening were Al Murray, Rufus Hound, Katy Brand and Father Ted writer Graham Linehan.
Linehan told the audience: “We’ve got this incredible tool and we should fight any attempt to take it out of our hands.”
The benefit gig, at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, aimed to raise funds for Chambers’ appeal.
The aim of the organisers is that he will not be forced to drop his case because of the possibility he would have to pay the prosecution’s legal costs were he to lose.
Few of the stars were prepared to assign wisdom to Chambers’ original tweet, however.
Sitting inconspicuously in the stalls, he was variously described as a knucklehead, a nerd and a “donut”.
Murray even branded the gig the “Save Paul Chambers from his own stupid destiny event”.
But everyone seemed united by a desire to protect freedom of speech or at least the ability to recognise the difference between jokes and menacing terrorist threats.
Chambers’ lawyer, David Allen Green, also addressed the audience, briefing them on the key details of his case.
Although he was careful not to criticise the courts, he said the decision to find his client guilty “does not make me proud to be an officer of the court”.
“We should be able to have banter,” he concluded. “We should be able to speak freely without the threat of legal coercion.”
Chambers, of Balby, Doncaster, sent the message to his 600 followers in the early hours of 6 January 2010 – he claimed it was in a moment of frustration after Robin Hood Airport in South Yorkshire was closed by snow.
He was found guilty in May 2010 and fined £385 and told to pay £600 costs.
His appeal is likely to go before the High Court later this year.
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The government wants to simplify the admissions system and is due to publish a draft paper
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Proposed changes to school admissions procedures could make the system less fair, education charities have said.
They agree change is needed but fear safeguards that ensure fairness, such as the powers of adjudicators and local scrutiny forums, will be eroded.
The Advisory Centre for Education said the changes could lead to a “watered down code”.
The government said the simplified code would be fair while making admissions easier for schools and parents.
At present, a detailed code prevents schools cherry-picking the brightest or wealthiest pupils.
About one in five children applying to state secondary schools in England do not get their first choice.
However, complex admission criteria can be used such as a child’s religion, how far they live from a school or if they have siblings already attending.
Ministers want to simplify what they describe as confusing procedures, and a draft paper is due to be published.
Schools adjudicators, who ensure admission policies are legal, have found schools breaking the code in around half the cases looked at, and can force schools to alter their admissions policies.
Charities fear that could change under the government’s plans.
Sam Murray, of the Advisory Centre for Education, said: “We are concerned that a simplified code could mean [a] watered down code and this could result in losing some of the recent changes that have made the system fairer and more transparent.
“In effect the simplified code could be at the expense of fairness.”
Curbing the adjudicators’ powers and reducing local scrutiny are among the changes expected, but some groups want the process simplified even further.
Professor Sheila Lawlor, of the Politeia think tank, said: “It’s a step in the right direction.
“I welcome driving the process down to school and parents – that is where it needs to be, but it needs to go further.
“We need to take local authorities out of the admission procedures so parents can apply directly to the school, so they make that decision in concert with the teachers of that school – that’s what matters.”
The government said its reforms would bring higher standards and better choice.
A spokesman said: “We want to improve discipline, give greater freedom to heads, attract the best graduates to teaching, expand academies, set up new schools and we will not hesitate to step in to turn around weak schools.
“Only when every school is considered a good school will we start to remove the anxiety parents suffer when choosing a school for their child.”
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The speech was long awaited
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Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in power for 12 years, has promised to amend the constitution to “strengthen democracy”.
Delivering a long-awaited speech on state TV, he said a constitutional commission would be created to draw up the necessary amendments.
It was his first address to the nation in three months.
Unrest broke out in January with strikes, marches and rioting echoing protests elsewhere in the Arab world.
Under pressure to amend the constitution and limit presidential terms, the 74-year-old leader lifted the country’s state of emergency in February, after 19 years.
However, the trigger for the unrest appears to be mainly economic, especially sharp increases in the price of food.
“To crown the institutional edifice with the aim of strengthening democracy, it is important to introduce the necessary amendments to the constitution,” Mr Bouteflika said in his speech.
“Active political currents” would join constitutional law experts in drawing up the amendments, he said.
In addition, electoral law would be “revised in depth”, with the participation of “the political parties, whether present [in parliament] or not”.
The current constitution, adopted in 1996, was introduced to strengthen presidential law and ban religion-based parties following Algeria’s murderous war between the military and Islamist militants, in which some 150,000 people were killed.
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Mr Clegg will say that Lib Dem councils are putting taxpayers’ interests first
Lib Dem councils in England are doing a better job of protecting services than Labour and Conservative ones, Nick Clegg will argue as he rallies party candidates ahead of local elections.
The deputy prime minister will say no Lib Dem-controlled council is closing a children’s centre or a library.
He will accuse Labour town halls of “slash and burn” tactics and Tory councils of “mistakes” locally.
Labour accuse the Lib Dems and their Tory allies of penalising poorer areas.
The Conservative-Lib Dem coalition is reducing central funding to councils, as part of its package of spending cuts aimed at tackling the UK’s budget deficit.
Lib Dem councillors have expressed anger that the budget squeeze has made them vulnerable in local elections on 5 May – with more than 90 criticising the scale and speed of cuts expected of local authorities in a letter to the Times in February.
The number of Lib Dems putting themselves up for election is also down on 2007, according to figures released this month.
But addressing candidates in Sheffield – a Lib Dem-controlled council and the area Mr Clegg represents in Parliament – the Lib Dem leader will say his party’s councillors are taking a more responsible approach to savings than their Labour and Conservative counterparts.
“When the Conservatives have local priorities that are not our priorities, we should say so”
Nick Clegg Lib Dem leaderIn depth: Vote 2011
Mr Clegg said councils such as Sheffield, Portsmouth and Bristol had minimised redundancies and protected libraries and children’s centres but accused various Labour controlled councils of “slash and burn”, closing libraries and facilities.
“Our councillors up and down the country are proving that, even in tough times, we can do great things,” Mr Clegg will say. “We are making difficult decisions with compassion and intelligence, keeping pain to a minimum and protecting the people who need the most help.”
While reserving his sharpest attacks for Labour – accusing them of “putting politics before honesty” over their strategy towards reducing the UK’s deficit – Mr Clegg will also urge his activists to “take the fight” to the Conservatives.
He will accuse two Conservative-controlled councils of rejecting Lib Dem proposals to help protect libraries and subsidised bus services.
“Working together in the national interest does not mean we agree on everything. And it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be taking the fight to the Tories in the local elections,” Mr Clegg will say.
“When the Conservatives have local priorities that are not our priorities, we should say so.
“When the Conservatives are making mistakes locally, we should say so.”
He is not expected to refer to Thursday’s immigration row between his Lib Dem colleague Vince Cable and Prime Minister David Cameron.
Mr Clegg will say the Lib Dems “earned their stripes” in local government and, despite having to make tough and controversial decisions nationally, ministers are driven by the “same values” as their local colleagues and remain focused on helping those most in need.
Labour have said poorer areas will be disproportionately affected by the budget squeeze and their councils will be “the first line of defence” against cuts.
While conceding councils are facing “incredibly tough” choices, Mr Cameron has said Conservative town halls have proved they provide value for money and get things done on housing, enterprise, recycling and children’s facilities.
More than 9,500 council seats are being contested in next month’s poll – the largest test of public opinion since last year’s general election.
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