27/08/2014 BBC Newsline

Jon Kay, BBC News, Bristol. That's all

Good evening and welcome to BBC Newsline.

The world's biggest law firm is to create over 250 jobs in Belfast.

Chicago-based Baker and McKenzie is setting up

a back office operation which will employ a mixture

The Enterprise Minister says it's a highly significant investment.

Our business and economics editor John Campbell has more.

Baker and McKenzie is involved in some of the world's biggest is the

Steelers. It is currently advising a consortium of banks which has

repossessed the famous gherkin building in the City of London. It

is a firm with a global reach. It is based in Chicago and has offices

everywhere from Miami to Manila. Which chairman is Brazilian but

today he was in Belfast explaining why the company is coming here. The

quality of the workforce, the quality of the lawyers, the quality

of these professionals makes us very interested in investing for the

of these professionals makes us very global big and McKenzie. -- Baker

and McKenzie. It is a European location, which is key. We have a

centre in Manila. With this second centre in Belfast we will be able to

cover the world 24 hours a day. The jobs will have an average salary

?31,000, well above the typical private sector wage. The investment

is worth about private sector wage. The investment

is giving a grant of more than a million. Baker and McKenzie is the

latest in a number of law firms to million. Baker and McKenzie is the

set up in Belfast. The law firms will look at what others are doing.

set up in Belfast. The law firms The first law firm caused a bit of a

stir when they came here. Other firms have looked as well. This is a

very significant firms have looked as well. This is a

because this is the largest law firm in the world deciding to come to

Northern Ireland and not in a small way, but to bring 256 new positions

to Belfast. It is great news. The firm will begin recruiting in days

and hopes to have the office operational early in the New Year.

This has been a busy summer for jobs announcements. Every job counts.

This investment is being seen as particularly significant because

attracting the particularly significant because

firm sent a powerful message. The Ulster Unionists

and SDLP are demanding politicians are called back early from

their holidays because of the threat The call comes as unions question

the millions of pounds being spent on hiring private companies to

provide help to the health service. Our Health Correspondent

Marie-Louise Connolly reports. Doctors in emergency departments,

surgeons in operating theatres, nurses in maternity wards, GPs

treating all manner of ailments. Basic activity routinely and

expertly carried out in the health service. The overall package does

not come cheap. Each day our health service costs around ?10 million to

run. For years, some of the money has been paid to private companies.

Of the last four years, the BBC can reveal that just over ?200 million

has been paid IR health service to the private health sector. The

unions believe that money would have been better invested in the health

service. The Royal College of Nursing is on record over a number

of years, probably going back as far as 2009, that they needed to be

robust workforce planning that would be fit for purpose in terms of

demand and the needs of the service. Unfortunately we are in a

position where so much money has been spent in the private sector. At

least one MLA wants the amount of money spent with private companies

to be scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee. The figures are

very clear and we have them here. The spending from private health

companies went up to 240 million to -- up to ?70 million. That is a lot

of money. We have extensive cuts to the block budget as a result of

welfare and the impact is being felt across government. I am saying we

are feeling the impact in health and that it will have a detrimental

consequence for the population of Northern Ireland. The Ulster

Unionists are calling for the Executive to meet. The SDLP want the

Assembly recall. Whatever happens politically the five local health

trusts appear to be at an advanced stage in their planning for how to

deal with possible cuts. They have submitted contingency plans to the

health board outlining potential action. This includes closing

wards, not using agency nurses and doctors, postponing operations

classed as non-urgent, and not filling medical and administration

posts. Last week Edwin Poots said that unless more money was allocated

to his health budget he would be forced to make some very difficult

and significant decisions. Some senior sources within the service

told me this could mean closing some smaller hospitals, including the

Downe Hospital, the Daisy Hill Hospital and the Causeway Hospital,

or at the very least there are emergency departments. A paper

outlining the difficulties is due to be presented to the Executive and

the health committee tomorrow morning.

A forensic examination of land has begun in county Meath for the

23-year-old Brendan Megraw from Twinbrook in west Belfast was

It's the fourth time that investigators

from the commission for the location of victims' remains have returned to

Forensic archaeologists using radar equipment are beginning

The survey is expected to last around a week.

We have used ground penetrating radar on a number of sites including

this one. The system we are using today is much faster at producing

the data. Because of that it is viable. It has not been viable prior

to that. It would have taken too long to be able to do it.

There's been a serious road crash this evening in Carrickfergus.

The accident involving two vehicles happened

close to Rodgers Quay just before 8 o'clock.

Police say the Belfast Road may be closed for some time and motorists

There are currently no other details.

The Cliftonville goalkeeper Conor Devlin has been convicted

of assaulting another Irish League footballer.

The 22-year-old assaulted Glentoran player Jim O'Hanlon

at a Belfast nightclub in January, knocking him unconscious.

The city's Magistrates Court heard Devlin punched the player

Devlin was fined ?400 and ordered to pay a further ?400 in compensation.

30,000 spectators are expected at the Northern Ireland (in tomorrow.

It will help showcase and coming Northern Ireland talent giving them

the chance to play alongside big names. Galgorm Castle provides the

backdrop for the four-day tournament.

Of tourism is a big thing in Econ and obviously, to have this in

between the Open being down south, it is great to have this event.

There are lots of people trying to be Rory McIlroy. This will help guys

have more chance to do that. This week on BBC Newsline,

we're looking at the anniversary of the IRA ceasefire 20 years ago

this week. Tomorrow in the second

of his reports, our home affairs editor Vincent

Kearney looks at how Unionists reacted to the IRA announcement

and the decision by loyalist paramilitary organisations to also

declare a ceasefire weeks later. We have a fair amount of rain to get

through this evening and overnight. Some will be heavy but it will

gradually clear from the West during the early hours of Thursday. A lot

of cloud tonight and it will be mild with temperatures of 12 or 13.

Tomorrow will be largely dry and bright. Good spells of sunshine

after we get rid of the show was first thing. Once they tear away it

will brighten up nicely and the sun will come out. Southerly winds

keeping the temperature up tomorrow so it will feel warm in the

sunshine. Tonight's rain moving across the Irish Sea and affecting

parts of Scotland. It will brighten up behind it. Decent spells of

sunshine stretching across Britain. We have a weather front coming in

across the Irish Sea, affecting the North of England, parts of Wales and

Cornwall. Across Northern Ireland, a fine picture. The next area of low

pressure moving in from the Atlantic. When the conditions

tomorrow evening and spells of rain. The rain will reach for a man at

about tea-time, gradually nudging its way eastwards as we go through

the evening. Tomorrow, temperatures of 18 or 19 degrees. Just above

average for the time of year. A wet evening to come tomorrow. On Friday

there will be further outbreaks of rain and scattered showers and a

windy day as well. Blustery if you catch the wet weather. Right and

when sunny weather in between with temperatures of 18 or 19 degrees. --

bright and sunny. We are back at 6:25am. Good night.