31/12/2013 BBC Newsline

with the News at Ten. Now it's time for the

Good evening. Richard Haass wants the First and Deputy First Ministers

to publish the seventh and final draft of his proposals following the

failure of months of talks about flags, parades and the past. The

former US diplomat was invited here by Peter Robinson and Martin

McGuinness in the hope that he could break help the parties come to an

agreement on how to deal with the three contentious issues. This

afternoon, using social media, Mr McGuinness said doctor Haass should

publish the proposals himself. Our political correspondent Gareth

Gordon reports. They have gone across the Atlantic and

round-the-clock, but at 5am they conceded there was no deal, at least

not yet. I do not think it will end here. Richard Haass said it rested

with the politicians who came to listen to him. If you're asking me

to be have in place a foundation, and a serious possibility for

meaningful political progress, the answer is yes. Is there a guarantee,

no. No deal, but no recriminations, even though some parties are more

ready to brace the proposals than others. Our team is recommending to

Sinn Fein that we believe there is a basis for a deal. They are not

perfect, we have had to stretch ourselves to embrace them. I believe

that the broad architecture across all three areas that we have been

dealing with represents progress and contains much merit, however, as

with any negotiated document, some of the language and eat eel is not

what we would have chosen. On parades, they do not agree that

orders should have to sign up for a code of conduct. Neither side like

the language used to describe the past. Mike Nesbitt could not

understand opposition to the word terrorist. On flights, there was no

agreement, only an -- commission -- flights. There was little surprise

on the streets. Typical. The deadline was not met, but there will

be a next time. Not really surprised, how could you get them to

agree? The two main parties, they cannot sell it to their own people.

Richard Haass once the parties to form working groups which might see

some of the proposals on parades and the past become law and as

government support comes, they will publish the plan. Even if there had

been an agreement, the leaders would have to consult with their

membership and colleagues. Having that document in the public domain

could be a way to help that process. This afternoon on Twitter, Martin

McGuiness said it could not be done at the moment. Richard Haass and

Meghan O'Sullivan had left, but the issues they came to try and resolve

are going nowhere and it is up to the parties to try and make

progress, but confidence in their ability to do so will be limited,

especially with elections looming in May. Businessmen, charity workers,

broadcasters and police officers are among eighty people in Northern

Ireland to have been recognised for their work in the Queen's New Year's

Honours list. All of the names are on the News Online website. In the

past year, hardly a week has gone by without some issue about the health

service hitting the headlines, from residential care homes to children's

heart services. Our health correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly

looks back over 2013. This year, more so than others, the actions of

ordinary people have helped shape the health service. People power

came to the fore as he took to the streets of the potential closure of

residential care homes, those voices helped bring about a temporary

retrieve and the minister did a U-turn, but ultimately the plan to

close remains the same. Does he care? Does he really care? He talks

about care in community, it is not happening. It is about money. It was

the public who helped change minds over the retention, albeit

temporary, over children's cardiac surgery here. There was the

intention of creating an all Ireland service, the jury is still out, but

campaigners are hopeful. Throughout this process, the -- it has been

about removing hard surgery from Belfast. The commitment from Dublin

shows that networks are feasible and it is due to the parents complaining

and having their voices heard that we are now taking more positive

steps forward. There were also powerful stories highlighting the

world of whistle-blowing and the care of the sick and vulnerable in

hospitals and care homes. It concerned me that food was left in

front of patience and not enough staff to assist the patients with

their food. They were not encouraged to eat. In the food charts, it said

they did it. On top of all that, the word gay found itself in many

headlines. Edwin Poots was not usually far behind. In the end, gay

couples can adopt, while Edwin Poots has battered the decision over blood

donations to the UK Health Secretary. One personal story could

trigger a change in government policy. Sarah Ewart called for a

change on the abortion law to include foetal abnormality as

grounds for termination. She had to travel to England for an abortion

after doctors said her baby would not survive outside the womb. Such

was the outcry after her interview, that the Justice Minister announced

a consultation on how the law on abortion might be changed. The baby

has no life. There is no brain, no skull, as the hospital says, what

makes you an individual is not there. This story had a happy

ending, horrifically injured in a house fire in 1981, thanks to the

donations of a benefactor, he is undergoing surgery. Let down by the

health trust, the BBC will be tracking his progress next year. The

cogs in the health we'll move slowly in Northern Ireland and last year's

review I looked forward to an enquiry ending. Also the abortion

guidelines and hard services being sort wontons parole. I questioned it

Edwin Poots would remain in post, perhaps 2014 may bring developments

in all of those areas. The weather forecast is next with Angie.

Good evening. I am afraid we have somewhat and windy weather on the

way for New Year's Day, but at least for the New Year's Eve revellers, it

is not such bad news, because the showers we had today start to ease

back towards the west, so we will end up with more dry and wet

weather. Wrap up warmly if you are heading out, because it will feel

chilly in the breeze and overnight, we could see temperatures dipping

down to two degrees and that is low enough for frost. Into New Year's

Day, it looks like another wet and windy spell is on the way and we

have yet another rain warning in place from the Met Office. That is

because the ground is saturated and it may not take much more rain to

cause flooding problems. After a dry start, the wind picks up, the rain

starts to move them, particularly in the south and south-east and it it

is a pretty wet start for the Republic of Ireland. That wet and

windy weather extends across the Irish Sea, moving across England and

Wales and the South of Scotland. Turning wintry over the hills. It

stays dry for the North of Scotland and eventually across the Republic

of Ireland, we will see something drier and it is turning either as

well. For Northern Ireland, not a great afternoon, we will see that

rain hanging on for much of the day, particularly across parts of the

north and east before the rain starts to ease. Slightly better on

Thursday. It is quite stormy on Friday. Our next news summary is

tomorrow afternoon at 1pm here on BBC One. Until then you can keep up

to date with Radio Ulster