31/01/2014 BBC Newsline

so it's goodbye from me, and on BBC goodbye from me. And on BBC

Good evening and welcome to BBC Newsline.

The headlines... The First Minister condemns last night's balun

protesting East Belfast. Four police officers or injured.

Around 50 former my band start could be in line for new jobs as the

companies assets are sold to a new return.

26 vehicles are attacked with acid at a car dealership in County Down.

Is Primary seven pupils are weighed and regulated transfer test results

there is frustration for teachers of guidance from the Department of

Education. It is OK to say don't carry on with a state-sponsored

transfer tests the reality is that there are now too and that is not

satisfactory. The flying winning -- winger is back

in the Ireland squad. We will hear from Andrew Trimble.

Coming up in the forecast, there is the prospect of snow.

The First Minister Peter Robinson has condemned a violent protest in

east Belfast last night when four police officers were injured.

Trouble erupted outside the Skainos community centre where Patrick

Magee, a former IRA bomber, was speaking. Mark Simpson reports. It

was billed as a night of reconciliation. But it turned into a

confrontation. Loyalist protesters objected to the presence of this

man, former IRA bomber Patrick Magee. He was invited to in to speak

at this centre in Belfast. A crowd of 50 people gathered outside and

some of them wanted to get inside. One of those at the meeting was

Loyalist General Synod of the Church of England. On his way out he was

attacked. So who does he think organised the demonstration?

Probably the flag protesters and those on social media who contact

each other and decide to do what they want to do which I do not have

a problem with but they have to be respectful to everyone. One of those

involved was the Reverend Leslie Carol. As she any regrets? Certainly

we would not want to put the police in that position again. People were

injured. That was not our intention. There were all sorts of safety

issues we must take into consideration. That must be balanced

alongside the statement that we wanted to make which was the

statement that you can move freely around is winnable city which

belongs to all of us. What happens here last night is different to what

happened 14 months ago. Sinn Fein's Mike McGuinness arrived for the

official opening of this new complex. Here is what happened. It

was smiles all round and not a protester inside. What has changed?

The problem is that it is a fluid situation. We are now in a different

place. It is the effect of the flag protests, the continuing decline in

the relationship with the police and the notion of law and order. I think

it shows a lack of leadership. We have seen over recent times and

inability within the and loyalism for people to be accepting that this

is a place which is diverse. Four police officers were injured

during the disturbances and to vehicles were damaged. Police said

there were no arrests. There has been sporadic

stonethrowing at an interface in West Belfast. I no damage was caused

to homes in Kirk Street. A car was hit by a stone and an empty house

was smashed. Community workers claim nationalist youths are behind it.

Around 50 Mivan staff are likely to get new jobs with the sale of the

company's assets to the Newry-based MJM Group. Mivan effectively went

out of business at the start of this week with the loss of 250 jobs. But

MJM says it will now revive the Mivan brand and create new

employment. Our Economics and Business Editor John Campbell

reports. With Mivan in administration it looked like one of

the best-known names in local construction would be gone for

good. And with that, all the jobs. Now its new reads -based rival, the

MJM Group has snapped up the brand name and other assets including the

factory in Antrim. MGM will run Mivan is a stand-alone business. It

says it will initially need to take on around 50 people. Former staff at

my bank can expect to be at the front of the queue for those jobs.

This workshop is idle now but in the coming days and weeks recruitment

will begin, the machines will start again and business be trading. --

Mivan. This is MGM's existing factory in

Newry and the company has come a long way since it started its

operations from a shed. It specialises in fitting at Cruise

ships and super yachts. Turned over ?20 million a year and directly

employs around 150 people. I asked the owner how many jobs he hopes to

create. I was asked this question about ten years ago. I say if we get

to 30 or 40, and last year we picked our employment at 715 employees.

Those are direct employees, albeit some of them our temporary workers

on temporary contracts. I have the same hopes for this company. I do

believe in the next few years that we will bring this company back up

the numbers. The new owner is optimistic that the local MP was

also thinking of those who will not immediately get a new job. The news

coming from Mivan today is certainly something that would be encouraging.

But remember, we are not there yet. There are still people who are

employed and will not be employed soon. I hope this company is able to

take as many people as possible and the rest of the employees are in to

implement as well. Over the past five years, many well-known

construction businesses have disappeared completely. The fact

that anything has been saved from this collapse will be seen as

positive. Almost 30 cars have in damaged by

vandals who targeted are buying a car dealership in a late-night

attack. Paint thinner or acid was poured over the vehicles causing

tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage. Savage reports. In the dead

of night, three hooded youths ran round cars, spring or pouring acid

or paint thinner over them. They randomly targeted cars in less than

one minute. In total, 28 vehicles will now have to be re-sprayed. The

paintwork has completely lifted off on some of the cars. Another as it

has faded on closer inspection. It was not until it started to get like

this morning that workers realised how many cars had been damaged. The

attack happened just after midnight and took the band is just 40 seconds

to cause more than ?50,000 worth of damage. The owner says he does not

know why he has been targeted. I have been on bankers selling cars

for the last 26 years and I never had any problems whatsoever. It says

it all. I do not know what is going on. Everybody is getting a tough at

the moment. I cannot sell any of these cars. The businesses on its

knees at this moment in time until we see of the insurance is going to

us. Police are appealing for anyone who may have noticed anything

suspicious in and around the car dealership to contact them.

The All Strategic Issue New has described sectarian threats made

against a north Belfast it as an attack on democracy. The General

Secretary of the union says a member of staff at the Boys Model School

was targeted in online abuse when it was discovered she was a Sinn Fein

councillor. The party has confirmed that it was made against one of

their councillors. The P7 pupils, about 7000 of them,

who sat unregulated transfer tests get their results tomorrow. At the

same time parents of P6 children are to be sent a new leaflet on the

transfer from primary to secondary education. In that leaflet parents

are advised to report any school that's preparing children for the

tests. Repeated attempts by successive Sinn Fein Education

Ministers to advise parents and schools not to use those tests but

they're still the main method for children to transfer to Grammar

schools. BBC Newsline's Tara Mills reports. When the then education

minister made the announcement that the 11 plus was going he said there

would not be chaos. Almost all who responded to the consultation

supported the abolition of the transfer tests. 12 years on and

backing has been filled by unregulated tests, tests that

primary school are not supposed to help children prepare for. What a

primary school supposed to do? No not those we spoke to was prepared

to admit they help the children prepare for the unregulated tests.

But a considerable number said they are under pressure from parents who

want their children to sit tests and 132 is to help them. But now there

is another development. The Department is supplying schools with

this leaflet to be sent to primary six parents. Section six talks about

coaching for the tests. It reminds parents that the tests are not

regulated and since the 11 plus was scrapped their is a new curriculum

in place. It even suggests parents take a stand. It says any parent

with a concern that the revised curriculum is not being delivered

properly should lodge a complaint with the principle in the first

instance. It adds, the Board of Governors fails to respond

appropriately the parents can make a formal complaint by contacting their

local education and library board. This primary principle says things

have become farcical. We need clear regulations which says what we can

and cannot do. That must be in Laurel, if you like. We do not have

that. We are left in a fluid situation. It is up to us to take a

chance on how we proceed. Some schools proceed with preparation and

some do not. But that is not good enough. It must be the same for

everyone and it is not. Parents we spoke to feel a current system is

loaded with pressure. I think by changing it they have made it more

complicated. It is more stressful for the children. It is too much

pressure on them. I see a lot of children and parents adding

themselves worked up about it. I see the children getting stressed.

In a recent report, the current system was blamed for putting your

children at a disadvantage and creating an unknown regulated

tutoring industry. A retired principal says the whole culture

around Post primary education has become negative. It is the all thing

you look at a grammar school, that is good, you look at the high

school, that is bad. Many high schools in Northern Ireland create a

quality education and children find the right place in society, whether

that is university or enable Cajun or a job. There appears to be no let

go world to make changes though it looks as though we may be talking

about unregulated tests in another 12 years.

Our Education Correspondent Maggie Taggart is here. The tests had been

going on for a long time. No one is happy with the system apart from

those who sell the tests. Parents cannot understand why their children

must do up to five tests if they want the choice of all the 60 odd

grammar schools in Northern Ireland. They would like to go back to the

old system which had only two tests which left those children eligible

to go anywhere they wanted. Schools are unhappy, they say it is a mess.

Negotiations which have happened in the past to try and agree on the

situation has come to nothing. Boy that thousands of children who do

the test how many will end up in grammar school? There is no fading

of enthusiasm for grammar schools and while the number of children

available in that age group is going down, the number going to grammar

schools is going up. 43.5% of children going to grammar schools if

you years ago. That is a rise of over 1%. Secondary schools are

unhappy that grammar schools are filling up to their full capacity

and lead them looking for students or they are not happy. The report

talked about coaching. We asked the Department of Education about the

curriculum complaints tribunal to find out how many people had

complained and they could not tell us.

A court has ruled that a husband and wife accused in connection with a

sexual slavery case can be identified. 57-year-old Keith Baker

and Caroline Bernadette Baker who is 51 are from Drumellen Mews in

Craigavon. The husband faces 15 charges against two women, one of

whom suffers from a severe learning disability. His wife is charged with

falsely imprisoning the same vulnerable woman between 2004 and

2012. The foreign nationals continuing to

be targeted in hate crimes and more refugees seeking asylum there has

been a call for racial equality strategy to be drawn up I the

Executive. Already this year there have been around 12 attacks on homes

and property of migrant workers. The main charity dealing with honourable

people says politicians need to start focusing on the needs of those

seeking refuge here. -- disadvantaged people. The number of

refugee families like this one seeking asylum in the UK is

increasing. This is placing an added burden on charities trying to help

disadvantaged people across Northern Ireland. This charity in Belfast

describes itself as the first point of contact in many instances for

people who arrive here after fleeing conflict in their own countries.

People from Sudan, Somalia, from Iraq and Afghanistan, from Syria,

usually war-torn countries. We see people who have come here, who have

left homes, their families, their culture and everything they know,

because their lives the life of their children is under threat.

Issues around refugees and migrant workers continue to make headlines.

Just this week a number of cars belonging to foreign nationals were

attacked and damaged in north Belfast. The Lord Mayor leaders

spoke to all of the victims to reassure them that not everyone was

against them. They are frightened. She understood that I rang her and

she has been contacted by other public representatives, that the

good people of Belfast by the Basque majority of people and they will

make sure that these attacks do not go unpunished and we will stand them

out. As a society and as a government, as an Executive, we need

to have a very clear racial equality strategy. We must determine what it

is we would expect refugees and asylum seekers to find in Northern

Ireland when they come here. That should be resourced.

With the UK government agreeing to take on hundreds of the most needy

refugees from the Syrian conflict issues around asylum seekers look

set to multiply in the years ahead. It is the start of the rugby six

Nations championship this weekend. Ireland kick off their campaign

against Scotland. Stephen Watson can tell us more.

There are four Ulster players in the team with two more on the bench.

Andrew Trimble, Rory Best, Chris Henry and Luke Marshall or in the

starting line-up. For Andrew Trimble it is a return from the

international wilderness. He was so sure he was not going to be on the

side he had agreed to commentate on the game for BBC Radio Ulster. As

you would imagine, he is thrilled to be back. Gavin Andrews tells us.

Even in the tough times, Andrew Trimble has kept smiling. The Ulster

winger has had his ups and downs on the way to 50 caps. The 51st has

been harder on. You think when you miss out one or two selections and

it goes on at seems to snowball a little bit. You go out of form and

then you have to try and get that consistency back, keep working on

your basics and try and hang in there. It is up to me to take my

opportunity. Every six Nations brings a clean slate for the players

and the season for a coach still finding his speed at international

level. We have had three matches. You get three preseason games before

you start a competition and that does not start well you can pick it

up. You must start well. Personally I feel a little bit of a weight of

expectation and excitement around about what people believe the team

is capable of. I am desperately keen that the team meet those

expectations. They have the same expectations from themselves. There

is a buzz in the Irish camp under Joe Schmidt. History suggests

Scotland will struggle this weekend. They have only beaten is Ireland in

the last three games. You think that would bother their coach. But think

again. I use statistics like a drunk uses a lamp post . For

illumination. From our perspective, it is important that we go out there

and put in a great performance. It would be a vibrant game. I think the

longer we are in this match, the pressure favours us and we will

ensure that we did that. They did 12 months ago at Murrayfield on a

dismal day for Ireland. But you get the feeling that these players have

learned their lesson. Ireland's women kick up the six

Nations against Scotland in less than one hour.

Rory McIlroy is the halfway leader at the Dubai Desert Classic. He

could not quite find a scintillating form of yesterday but still recorded

a two under par round for a 1-stroke advantage. He is looking from a

stomach bug. He was a little wayward at times today but he still showed

plenty of signs that he is back to his best with some excellent

recovery shots. Rory McIlroy who was supported by his Beyonce won the

stern and back in 2009. It was his first victory as a professional and

he is keen to repeat the success. Even though he was a little downbeat

after his round. It was not quite as good as yesterday. I hope bad as my

background out of the way and I can shoot some better ones over the

weekend. I wanted to birdie the last one but I saw that my drive was not

flying well enough to go to the green. It was nice to be able to do

that and I am looking forward to coming back out tomorrow. --

supported by his Beyonce. -- is an unsafe.

Ahead of the National Football League which begins tomorrow, the

GAA has announced a new set of gambling guidelines aimed at both

club and county players. The initiative, launched in Croke Park

earlier this week, also tackles the potential for match fixing. Mark

Sidebottom reports. The time Titian to gamble is omnipresent. -- the

temptation to gamble. But now there is an attempt to tackle it head on

by two high-profile players who have spoken of their own addictions.

There is far more exposure to it now. It is much more accessible. As

the result of that there are more problem gamblers. One statistic is

gives us a startling advice. In the most recent survey of over 2000

player survey, 7% thought was a problem within their own squad. 20

3% thought it was a problem amongst players in general and amongst

2012, gambling addiction accounted for one third of all cases dealt

with by the GPA free counselling service. The biggest problem for me

was admitting the problem. I would have hidden my gambling for a long

time. I was a heavy gambler. But I did not come out and spoke about it.

How bad did it get? Did you get depressed? Yes, definitely. The key

thing is that gambling is an emotional problem. The new

guidelines address the potential for match spot fixing and although the

GAA emphasises it has no evidence of any such activity. It cautions that

improper gambling conduct deemed to have discredited the association

would be punishable by expulsion. The 2013 Ulster hurling final

between down and Antrim Road be played this weekend. Celtic Park is

the game -- venue on Sunday but before that it hosts the Saturday

evening Allianz NFL opener between Derry and Tyrone.

Football fans will be keeping a close eye on the weather. They

should not be a problem of solitude with the all-weather surface.

Cliftonville will host Linfield in a match that could make or break their

season. Cliftonville are becoming used to the taste of success. But

they are not content with retaining just one of the two trophies they

lifted last season. Effectively are season comes down to 12 league

matches. We have a trophy under our belt but we are not happy. Next up

is Linfield. It comes into the must win category. We must try and

prevent them from winning. We must put pressure on them. We must pick

up as many points as we can. Gormley is in the middle. Joe Gormley. The

last time we were there we did not do ourselves justice. At that stage

people were saying Cliftonville must win. There was a lot of the rising.

The bottom line is you need to want to win every game. We are going

there wanting to win. If they win tomorrow Linfield will

extend their lead at the top eight points and league title number 52

will one step closer. In ice hockey, the Belfast Giants

goal into the weekend with a 15 point lead in the elite league. They

face the Sheffield Steelers at the Odyssey Arena.

It has been a wet day for many people with heavy rain making it an

awful day to be outside. Parts of County Down were badly affected with

roads closed for a time in several areas. In Newcastle, sandbags were

distributed to those most at risk of flooding as the water rose

dangerously high. These houses were not flooded this time but with a

tidal surge due tomorrow, residents will be watching the forecast

anxiously. Cecilia Daley is with us. There is more heavy rain on the way.

There is snow on the horizon. We start with a snowy morning to night.

That will move on from the west later on this evening. The disparity

quiet at the moment. Some scattered rain showers around. But later on,

rain and snow will moving across most places. Most of the snow will

be on the high ground but some snow may fall at lower levels and as it

clears behind, with subzero temperatures, it will turn very icy

and there will be further wintry showers tomorrow morning. If you are

out and about either tonight or early tomorrow, you can expect

around five centimetres of snow on the hills. In Belfast, there could

be a dusting of snow and we are looking at gale force winds

developing later on. It is because of this low pressure of which will

bring in a lot of showers across the country. Once again, there could be

tidal surges and waves. That could add to flooding. Let's look at the

detail. Out and about, that could be a mixture of heavy rain and snow. It

will be cold and icy but strong winds. Most of the snow will be over

the hills but there will be bits and pieces of snow getting down to lower

levels. As the morning progresses, most of that snow will rise into the

highest hills. It is mostly just rain showers by the afternoon. Some

of them will be heavy and it will feel cold in the strong winds. There

will be a risk of flooding. It is not a complete wash-out. Sunday

looks as if it will be a better day. There will be sunshine. But it will

be breezy. We get some reasonable weather. Snow and ice are the

hazards to night, gale winds -- go force winds developing to night and

as we head back to work next week, the rain comes back.

A video that has been done in other cities including Belfast which goes

with the RL Williams hit happy.