05/02/2014 BBC Newsline

Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline: A man's in court charged

with the murder of prison officer David Black.

Police raids target UVF crime in East Belfast.

The fraud trial of the former head of Anglo Irish Bank begins in

Dublin. The change of focus by Tesco that's

making life tough for other smaller stores. The first two weeks it was

like we were in intensive care. We hear from Mark Anscombe on life

at Ravenhill and why he's signed a new contract extension with Ulster

Rugby. And the weather is set to quieten

down over the next day or two - but trouble is brewing again for this

weekend. I'll be back with the latest.

A 33-year-old man's been in court in Craigavon charged with the murder of

the prison officer, David Black. Mr Black, who was a 52-year-old father

of two, was shot dead in 2012 as he drove to work at Maghaberry Prison.

Gordon Adair was in the court. Arriving at court this morning. A

short time later he was charged with the murder of prison officer David

Black. The accused was arrested on Monday. In the dock he nodded to

confirm his name and to confirm that he understood the charges. His

solicitor said the case against him was based on the purchase of three

items. He then outlined the explanations has client had given

for having the items. He asked the prosecution to review the charge of

murder. The detective said the case was still life and that could be

months before the file was with the CPS. As the accused walked away I

could of supporters shouted encouragement -- a crowd of

supporters shouted encouragement. The police say they're getting tough

on the UVF and other criminal gangs in East Belfast. Officers raided a

house in the area last night as an operation aimed at tackling

organised crime. Policing activity has been stepped up in recent months

- partly in response to criticism following the UVF shooting of a

young woman in the area last September. Our Home Affairs

Correspondent Vincent Kearney reports.

A police raid in east Belfast last night. The man the officers were

looking for was not there. This is part of a police operation that has

been running for four months. It is aimed at tackling drug dealing and

other criminal activity like members of the UVF and other groups. No

arrests were made and no illegal substances were found.

It was important that the police took the opportunity to show that

they were prepared to stand with our community against criminals. For too

often it was thought that the police were turning a blind eye. People in

the community have welcomed an increased visible police operation,

but it is clear that many people continue to live in fear as well. We

need serious police action that will lead to convictions to encourage

people in the community to come forward with information.

Police are also targeting those involved in extortion, lack male,

illegal taxi operations. -- blackmail.

In the past two years there have been 50 arrests and 40 people have

been charged or reported. The majority have links with the UVF.

Release sources say those being targeted at low level criminals.

They are heavily involved in a wide range of crimes, police say. The

police insist this is what they call coordinated attrition. The number of

convictions in the months ahead will be the test of its success.

A United Nations report criticising the Vatican's response to child

abuse allegations has singled out industrial schools and workhouses

run by Catholic religious orders in Ireland. The Committee on the Rights

of the Child said the Church had not yet taken measures to prevent a

repeat of cases such as the Magdalene Launderies scandal where,

it said, girls were arbitrarily placed in conditions of forced

labour. This is a major report but not a lot

of detail people would not be aware of. There is nothing that will

particularly surprised people. This is the Committee on the Rights

of the Child. They interviewed senior Vatican officials last month.

They say the Vatican has not acknowledged the true extent of the

crimes committed against children. They referred to the Magdalene

Laundries and industrial schools. They said the Church has to do more

to ensure that the mistakes of the past to not happen again. The

Vatican has said it will examine the findings.

It denied any idea of an official cover-up. It says it reiterates its

commitment to defending the rights of the child.

The Health Minister Edwin Poots has ordered a review of services at the

Royal Victoria Hospital. The review will be carried out by the

Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority. It follows a major

incident in the hospital's Accident and Emergency department last month.

An external expert team will take part in the review and there will be

inspections across the RVH site. News of the review emerged in the

form of a letter sent by Edwin Poots to the Assembly's Health Committee.

The former chairman and chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank has

gone on trial on fraud charges along with two former senior executives.

Sean Fitzpatrick is charged with providing unlawful financial

assistance to 16 people to buy shares in the former bank.

The prosecution opened its case. It said that Patrick Whelan was

involved and Willie McAteer less so. There was the history of Anglo Irish

Bank around the time of 2008. There was a two billion Euro gamble that

went wrong. In 2008 the prosecution said that the bank illegally lent

625 million euros to 16 individuals. This was to stabilise

the bank. Lawyers for two of the accused said that there would be

some admissions during the trial. How long will the trial last?

It is expected to last at least three months. Each of the 16 charges

carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail. Sean Quinn senior may

be a early as tomorrow. A chain of clothing retailers has

closed with the loss of around 150 jobs. The Gino NV shops closed last

week when a liquidator was appointed to the partnership operating the

business. The chain has more than a dozen shops. Many of the jobs are

part-time. And when it comes to household groceries, there's a new

front-line in the battle for the pound in your pocket. The

supermarket chain Tesco is expanding its network of smaller shops here,

taking on the likes of Centra and Spar. It's a response to changing

consumer habits - but it means big challenges for local retailers. Our

Economics and Business Editor John Campbell reports.

What is it like when Tesco opens up next door? We have had a Tesco

approximately nine months ago. The first two weeks of that opening was

like we were in intensive care. This man runs a Centra shop. There are

hundreds of shopkeepers like Ken operating these kinds of convenience

stores. The big supermarkets have long provided some kind of

competition but now things are getting more intense. The way we

shop is changing. People are doing a shop online and topping up at a

convenience store. The big supermarket chains are responding.

They are opening more of these smaller convenience stores. That

process has only just begun in Northern Ireland. The bass majority

of shops are operated by local retailers under brands such as Spar

and Centra. former pup right next to an existing

convenience store. -- a former pup. Is there a match that existing shop

owners can do in response to a retail giant? It does it pressure on

those type of retailers. Some of the retailers have been here for a

general election -- have been here for generations.

Meanwhile this Centra has managed to claw back half the trade it lost

when Tesco opens. Some customers find the new arrival was not as

cheap as they had hoped. Other retailers expect a similar challenge

soon. In just a few moments on the

programme we'll be hearing about how High Street travel agents are

adapting to the digital world. One third of the local workforce

will enter retirement on a watered down pension, thanks to a vote taken

by a majority of our MLAs. Those impacted all work in the public

sector. But did Stormont really have any room for manoeuvre? Our business

correspondent Julian O'Neill is here.

Who is affected? This is bad news. We are talking about 250,000 public

sector employees. Teachers, health care workers, civil servants, many

of whom, their unions will contend, will be working later in life and

will be worse off. Staff will not be able to get their hands on their

pensions until they reach 65. Currently they can get access to

their pensions when they reach 60. The other major change is what they

will be entitled to. That will alter from a calculation based on final

salary, to a calculation based on average earnings over their entire

working lifetime. Unless amounts. But the status quo could have been

maintained, but that came at a cost? That is correct.

They have brought public sector employees into wine with changes

elsewhere in the UK. -- into line. 77 in favour in Stormont last

night. Few organisations are the trade unions saying match today.

There is a sense of inevitability about this. Around half those who

work in the private sector do not have any work pensions at all. The

unions would say that is not their fault.

Plenty still to come, including: The identical twins who got identical

marks in their transfer test. The rise of the internet has created

both winners and losers in business, as more and more of us spend money

on line, traditional firms have had to reassess their business models.

Last night we looked at how weekly newspapers were coping with the pace

of change, tonight, Helen has been examined how travel agents have had

to adapt to the challenge of the digital economy.

An ever changing landscape, the height street. At the peak there

were 200 travel age is sis in Northern Ireland. Now there are just

80 and it is not just here. The industry has taken a hit across the

word. When was the last time somebody went to a bank teller, or

used a travel agent instead of going on line? A lot of jobs that used to

be out there requiring people now have become automated. The industry

says the rise of technology happened as the economy nose die dived.

Recession had a lot to do with it. At that time when the new technology

has changed. Companies had to decide whether they going to invest in

businesses which meant putting more money in, some were not able to

accept the new technologies. This family run travel agency has

embraced the changes but the premise of the business hasn't changed We

keep abreast of everything. We are travelling ourself, so therefore we

are keeping in touch of every on a first time basis as opposed to

reading it off a sheet or reading it off the internet. The internet has

provided rail real choice for the travel consumer. Some prefer to do

it for themselves. It was about ?700 cheaper and that was all inclusive.

I am be myself so it didn't cost that much. Others are a bit more

reticent I am one of the elder statesmen whose enough few's

daughter will say to her mummy, uncle David can't work the mouse.

Then there is the naysayer: I am not into computers. I would get somebody

else to do it. Here is a woman who does exactly that. She is a travel

councillor who works from home. People are working a lot longer

hour, they are sort of wanting to see more for their money, being a

homeworker I can offer that a bit more because I can be there as a

time that suits then. While technology has driven the changes it

took a natural disaster to bring the customers back.

I find we are probably tend to be getting more popular due the fact

there as been a lot of problems regarding travel, with some

companies going into liquidation, volcanic ash, strike, different

things like this happening, so people that want the security

actually of having someone face to face they can speak to and rely on

and come back to. Natural disasters not withstanding, it appears travel

agencies and the internet can co-exist.

Now to a remarkable story. Identicals twins in east Belfast

scored identical marks in the transfer test. Abbey and Aimee

Connor were among the highest marks in Northern Ireland.

We went to meet them. # Never had to have a chaperone, no

sir # I'm there to keep my eye on her. #

How did you feel getting the same mark, exactly the same mark as your

sister? Freaked out. Comely freaked out. It was nerve wracking and

scary, he opened hers first and said 120. I said that is goings to be

hard to beat but I got the same so it is all right. What do you think?

We are always saying the same thing at the exact same time and we always

like think the exact same thing. It is clear you are happy about what

happened. What about your mum and dad? Were they relieved? . Our dad

was nervous, thinking would we get the same. We would have to have a

point of a difference, because I take it to heart. So is it nice you

got if same marks? Yes, I was really happy. What do you think? The same.

# Sisters, sisters # There were never such devoted

sisters. # They do most things together. They

didn't have identical scores and work throughout, so it is nice on

the day, when it has been the important mark, that it was the

same. Right, it is time to see whether

Abbey and Aimee are identical in every way. I want you both to write

down a number between one and ten. Show me your answer. Nine. Oh, that

is freaky. That really is freaky. We didn't

rehearse this. No. No matter what they do, it seems

they get the same score. And two nice identical smiles as

well. Now it was one of the musical

highlights of the UK City of Culture year, and this year, The Voice Voyce

returns to Londonderry as part of Music City 2014. Up to 1,000

performer will be in shrubs schools and cafes as it becomes a music

city. Finishing touches were put in place for the return of the Other

Voices Festival. Paul Flowers like last year, it will run over four

nights in the former church, and will showcase a diverse range of

talent. There was a significant investment made, in this Capital of

Culture operation. You know, it would be a shame, a pity, and a

terrible thing, if the shutter had come Cowen.

-- come down. # He walks away, the sun goes down,

he takes the day. # Other Voices started in Dingle more

than ten years ago. In the intermat setting of a

200-year-old church just 80 people gathered to hear merging talent. Amy

Winehouse performed there. The music won't be confined to this old

church. The music trail is being extended this year, so expect to see

and hear about 1,000 musicians playing in pub, clubs and

restaurant, local school, and community centres. .

Time now for sport, Thomas is here, the Ulster rugby coach is here to

stay for a while long. It is looking that way. Mark Anscombe signed a new

one year contract extension, which will keep him as coach until summer

of 2015, at least. And the popular Kiwi hasn't ruled out the

possibility of staying on longer. A home quarter-final in the hundred

and in the top four of the Pro12 Ulster rugby are flying high, so

perhaps no surprise coach Mark Anscombe will extend his stay into a

third season. I don't normally look as it, that is the care, being age

to fulfil that, and you know, it is a time that will allows you to sort

of, implant your style and way, and mean, and programmes into an

organisation and also, you know, from a personal point of view it

gives us a time to assess from a family point of view, it if it is

the right place to be. We come from the other side of the world. It is a

big move. With family you have got a daughter over here, but two of the

others are back home, so it would be a good time to be assessing it and

saying what is the next move? It maybe to stay. He insisting staying

beyond town 15 will only happen if it is right for him and Ulster

rugby. However was the new deal dependent on achieving a home

quarter-final in the European Cup? Not at all. We had been talking well

before then, I think sometimes it is the easy way of looking at it, to

say you have to get the quarter-final at home to get, that

is not the case at all, we had been talking well before then. A new

stadium, a new contract, attention now turns towards delivering success

on the pitch. There was disappointing for two

Belfast teams in the Sigerson Cup. Queens are out of the inter-Varsity

competition after a shock four point defeat by Galway-Mayo IT. St Mary's

lost by a single point to Dublin IT. Cliftonville are back on top of the

Danske Bank Premiership thanks to an aware win at Ballymena United.

Coleraine and Ballinamallard drew on a night when referees were

criticised. Having lost the play other of the year in the match

Cliftonville went one down. It didn't take long for Fortunes to

change. The visitors were awarded a penalty, when Taylor was adjudged to

have fouled Joe Gormley. The defender was given a straight red

card, the Ballymena United manager felt the referee got it wrong Are

they beyond criticism? In my opinion they don't stand up to be counted. I

am infuriated with it, we were really in the game, had hold on our

own, playing well. The official stood ofs his decision post match.

Joe Gormley made no mistake from the resulting penty before Martin

Donnelly added a third to make shoe of the points. There was more drovb

si at the Coll lain Showground. The visitors were reduced to ten men

when cig Hail was given his second yellow card for an alleged

deliberate handball. -- Craig Haul. Coleraine equalised

when this shot was deflected in. There were no more goals but one

additional sending off. The football season has come alive.

It has. Now, it was wild and windy again today, and there were some

high tides. Look at these pictures taken. As you can see the conditions

were copy but thankfully not as dramatic as we have seen elsewhere,

or even in recent day, but, the coastline was taking a battering

over the last week or so. Is there any sign to this bad

weather disappearing for a while? It seems to be set on a course of one

last night tinge depression after another. In fact behind you you will

see the area of low pressure that brought last night's heavy rain and

strong winds. It is more or less sitting on Northern Ireland at the

moment, so winds are light, just now, it will pull away from us and

move into the North Sea in the next 12 hours or so, so a bit of breeze

picking up tonight, but things are looking quieter, the next area of

heavy rain moving into the south, but it should miss the Republic of

Ireland, so some respite in the next 24 hourses or so, this is how the

radar look, so if you are out and about there will be showeringst

round but few and far between until midnight. Then they will rush in

from the west as the breeze starts to pick up. So overall tomorrow is a

better day, certainly a brighter day, but not completely rain free.

There will be some showers round. Some could be sharp through the rush

hour, some heavy ones perhaps over parts of Londonderry, but you will

notice from the temperatures the at 8.00, that there will be no frost of

ice round or fog round as well. And the best weather will be over parts

of County Down and into parts of Antrim too. So some sunshine coming

through, light winds and temperatures respectable at seven or

eight degree, it shouldn't feel too bad at all. Tomorrow night, there

will be a few showers but it will turn colder, with frost and ice

forming, so on Friday morning, there could be frost round, some ice, but

not a bad day again, a bit chilly but sunshine, so tomorrow and

Friday, looking fairly quiet, the weather pauses if the like but only

until it gets more energy and the next area of low pressure moves in

for this coming weekend. We have no warnings out at the moment but of

course BBC Newsline will keep you up-to-date because more wet and

windy weather is expected. You said sunshine twice, that is good. The

late summary is at 10.25. See you then. Good night.