02/03/2016 BBC Newsline

Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline: The fall out

from the colllapse of the Omagh bomb case.

The First Minister says there's questions to be answered.

A witness tells the Arlene Arkinson inquest that Robert Howard confessed

Health professionals and academics call for tackling to be banned

The evidence emerging is up to Louis horrifying. It is of very high rates

and risks of serious injury. with Fine Gael over forming

a Coalition Government in the Irish Well-known Radio Ulster contributor

Geordie Tuft dies in a house fire. Ulster Rugby performance, the coach

told us is exactly what he thinks. And no snow tonight,

but very windy in places with a risk Tomorrow is a day of two halves,

sunshine followed by rain. Hello and welcome to the programme

this Wednesday evening. The Director of Public Prosecutions

has agreed to meet the First Minister to discuss her

concerns at the collapse Seamus Daly had been charged

with the murders of the 29 people killed in the attack,

but the charges were dropped Arlene Foster today said she wants

to ask Barra McGrory why the case Here's our Home Affairs

Correspondent, Vincent Kearney. Seamus Daly was released yesterday

just hours after the case against him collapsed. His lawyers say the

case should never have made it to court. The First Minister takes a

different view. Arlene Foster was to visit a new ?105 million hospital

being built in the town, but events of the past overshadowed the

present. I'm very very conscious of the fact there are so many families

and the wider community that feel a great deal of hurt this morning.

While his lawyer said he should never have been charged, Arlene

Foster wants the Public prosecution service to explain why the charges

were dropped. We want to ask questions about why the DPP decided

not to proceed in the terms of this case and following that up with him.

We want to ask questions about the conduct of the case, how it was

taken forward and how they communicated with the families,

because I feel that the way they communicated with the families,

were treated was an acceptable. The Director of Public Prosecutions,

Barra McGrory, today con firmed and that he will meet Arlene Foster to

discuss concerns. In a statement to the BBC, he also said he has written

to the families of those killed to explain the reasoning behind the

decision to withdraw the charges. The public prosecution service said

it had no option but to drop the case after the key witness changed

his evidence. The prosecution close relied upon the witness to link

Seamus Daly with a mobile phone that used by members of the Real IRA who

planted the bomb. Seamus Daly has always strongly denied any

involvement. 14 years ago, the BBC's Panorama programme chides ask you

about allegations that he had used a phone belonging to the bombers which

showed he was involved. One thing I would like to explain Mr Daley is

why you came to be in possession of a mobile telephone? The key witness

in a prosecution case against Seamus Daly has said he called him from a

mobile phone linked to the bombers on the day of the attack. But last

week he said he may have been mistaken and that the call may have

taken place a week earlier. At that point, the prosecution case was

completely undermined. Seamus Daly met his solicitors in Belfast today

to discuss an appeal against a civil prosecution that found him liable

for the Omagh bombing. He declined the request for an interview about

the allegations against him. A witness at the inquest

into the death of the schoolgirl Arlene Arkinson has said she became

frightened of Robert Howard after he told her he had previously

murdered a six-year-old girl. Howard was the main suspect

in Arlene's disappearance. He was never convicted of murder,

although he was convicted of the attempted rape

of a girl the same age. Robert Howard was well known in the

area but he had a repeat a sham. Now, the mother of one of Arlene's

friends has explained what she thought of him. She told the court

she had met Robert Howard and did not like him. He told her he had

been imprisoned after the murder of a six-year-old girl. Whilst he had

many convicts was, he was never convicted for the crime. She

resolved she and her family should have nothing to do with him. She

told the court that Howard was an evil looking man with drink in him.

She on that she did not like the look of him and did not want to be

in his company, he was very scary. She also said Arlene had told her

she needed money for an abortion and became hysterical when Robert

Howard's name was mentioned. Later, Arlene's eldest sister, Kathleen,

gave evidence. She had been protected after she was abused by

money 1993 comic he was jailed for that. Kathleen also had to deal with

local rumours about Arlene's boyfriend. Kathleen Arc in some wept

briefly time she had seen her 19 94. She had given her money for

chips as she has set off for a disco. I Irish ?1 coin which she put

in the pocket of her disco. I Irish ?1 coin which she put

never saw Arlene again. She also explained how she'd complain to the

police ombudsman in 2006 about the RUC and PSNI investigations saying

they had not given the case the seriousness and credence it

deserved. In 1996 following a tip-off, the police searched the

home, keeping her in the house for over two days and later even briefly

arresting her partner. There had been more why King of Toms, rumours

and now I accept it is incorrect. -- why King Toms. She said the rumours

that were she had killed our Arlene, the whole world was talking about

it. Completing her evidence, Kathleen Parkinson wept again as she

said she simply wanted a little sister to have a decent Christian

burial. Coming up on BBC Newsline:

Have our feathered friends made this I always walk over and back this

way, all the time. And on this part, you have to watch your step. There

are loads of them. Should tackling be

banned in school rugby? A group of 70 doctors,

academics and health And they've written to sports

ministers in London, Belfast and Dublin

calling for the ban. But the Irish rugby authorities

have rejected the idea, as BBC Newsline's Mark

Simpson reports. The only rugby David Ross can play

now is wheelchair rugby. He was severely injured playing for his

high school in the match three years ago. The title came beside me and

the two players involved landed on me. On the back of my head. It falls

to down into my chest and I heard the crack. I knew straightaway it

had happened and that is how it happened. To try and stop it

happening to other happened. To try and stop it

players, group of dogs and academics will attack linked to be banned in

all schools rugby. And the reason is because the evidence emerging is

absolutely horrifying. There are very high rates and risks of serious

injury. We want the Government to remove the contact element because

that is where most injuries occur. Letters calling for the tackling ban

have been sent to education Minister John O'Dowd, sports Minister and the

health Minister along with the Republic's health Minister. But the

all-star and Irish rugby authorities say there is no need for governments

to intervene. They say the game here is in safe hands. Trying to make

sure the safest procedures are put in place and the guys now to tackle

and deal with collisions. I think we are creating an environment that

people are pretty confident in and can understand how to be successful

when engaging in collisions. But what does David Ross thing? In spite

of what happened to him at school, you doesn't want to see tackling

band. I love rugby. I love my school team so much. I was going to school

to play rugby. That was kind of why I went. That's how involved I got.

That's how much I loved the game and I wouldn't change anything. Many

believe rugby just isn't rugby without tackling. But many also

access to their needs to be an ongoing debate about how to make the

game safe. -- said further. With two of the 158

seats still to be filled in the Republic's general

election, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny has indicated that he's willing

to meet his Fianna Fail counterpart, Micheal Martin to discuss

the formation of a Government. At the moment, Fine

Gael has 49 seats, Fianna Fail, 44, Others 34,

Sinn Fein, 23 and Labour six. We're joined now by our Dublin

correspondent Shane Shane, can you first bring us

to date on the counting Well, counting is continuing in

Westmeath. Two seats are at stake. Fine Gael certain to take one,

Labour may take the other and if it does, they reached number seven

which gives the party speaking rights. But no party is anywhere

near getting to 79-80, which he needs for a majority. The only

combination of that involves two parties that would get to that

figure is one that involves Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. People have

given their verdict. The numbers are now falling through make it

difficult to put forward a proposition for governments. But

that is what the people expect us to do now and of the leader of the

largest party and as the Taoiseach, it is my responsibility to see that

process is put in place and that includes talking to the Fianna Fail.

As you can see, and became a there is already talking about meeting up

to discuss the formation of a new Government, blindingly obvious to be

based on the figures would need to be. The first item on the agenda

will be the election of a speaker by secret ballot for the first time.

Then it will be up to the parties to try an elected Taoiseach. They won't

be able to do so and it is at that stage that intense negotiations and

contact between parties will start at them. What happens in the

meantime? Well, in the meantime, the Parliamentary party meetings will

continue on probably informal contact between the various parties.

It is often said the legislature is very weak and, Labour dominated by

the executive and the Government. But that is about a change in the

32nd Dial. -- Dail. And in the talks about the new Government it is quite

clear that the future of Irish Water and water charges which are proved

some popular half brought some new people onto the streets, well, they

will be in the mix. Geordie Tuft, who was a regular

contributor to the Gerry Anderson The blaze destroyed his farm cottage

near Loughbrickland in County Down. The cause is still

under investigation. Geordie Tuft was a regular

contributor to the Gerry Anderson show radio Ulster for years. His

homespun wisdom and hails from the farmyard entertained thousands who

tuned into hearing. Among them, his advice to one caller who was chicken

kept falling over with his legs in the air. I would say he is egg

bound. Her egg -based twisted? Yes. He died in a fire at his home just

outside Loughbrickland. Fire crews were called to the burning cottage

yesterday afternoon, and when they got it, the building was well alight

and damage was extensive. Geordie Tuft's body was found inside the

premises later. I said I have this guy on for weeks, I do not make of

it. I don't know if it is the real thing or what. Is that what you

think I said there is a big part of me sink is genuine. Putting on! We

will soon found out, he says. I asked him if he would do a piece for

Geri on the radio and asked him if he would do a piece for

would. The rest was history. His death also sad and those who knew

him in the Loughbrickland area. This morning I spoke to his

him in the Loughbrickland area. This recounted fond memories of his

kindness and generosity, his rural wit and wisdom. An investigation is

now under way to establish what caused the fire, but at this stage

it is being treated as a tragic accident. Such a character!

A look at some of the day's other news now and a 39-year-old man's

been remanded in custody charged in connection with the murder

Stephen Carson was shot at his house off the Ormeau Road last Thursday.

Francis Gerard Smith from Springfield Road in Belfast

is accused of having a gun and ammunition

Yesterday, two men appeared in court charged with Mr Carson's murder.

Two adults and six children have escaped serious injury in a house

fire in West Belfast early this morning.

A girl was taken to hospital where she is being treated for burns

It's believed the fire in the Falls Road home started

after a plug overheated next to the bed where she slept.

The family were woken by their dog barking.

Two men have been charged with attacking a Bangor community

There was huge public support for Aaron McMahon after he was

attacked in front of his family in November last year.

Keith Barnhurst from Ballyferris Walk and Christopher

McKinstry from Churchill Park are charged with aggravated burglary

and intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.

It's one of our most iconic bridges, but part of it has had to be closed

for a time while engineers tried to work out how to deal

Some feathered friends have been making life miserable for people

using the footpath on Craigavon Bridge in Londonderry.

There've been reports of various trips and slips

Here's our North-West reporter Keiron Tourish.

It's a popular place for joggers, walkers and cyclists, the key along

the river. But in recent weeks, the exercise route has been curtailed by

dozens of pigeons. They were perched on the Ironworks and are quite

literally be making a mess along the footpath on Craigavon Bridge. The

pigeon droppings are terrible. I always walk back this way, every

day, and this party you have to watch your step, there are so many

of them. It is sleepy, very slippy. Especially when wet. It wasn't too

pretty. It was a very slippy when you walked over there. It didn't

matter where you went, there was no way you could walk. Transport NICs

mesh and spikes are being installed to help deter pigeon roosting. I'm

aware of the issues around pigeon droppings and we're working closely

with the council in order to come up a solution in order to alleviate the

problem. The effectiveness of a new measures will be monitored, though

the department admits it is not realistic to make it pigeon proof,

with so many ledgers. So it will take some time to see whether or not

these new measures actually work. In the meantime, the best advice to

avoid the pigeons seems to be to keep on the move. Don't be caught

standing still. Good advice. Still to come on BBC Newsline before

7pm: I'm here at St George's Market with hundreds of teenagers hoping

to beceom the entreprenerus In just a few weeks,

a number of large-scale events will take place to mark

the centenary of the But how is the history

of the Rising being taught Our Education Correspondent Robbie

Meredith has been to one school which has put the Rising

at the centre of its curriculum. He is playing a man killed taking

part in the Easter Rising. I play a soldier who is fighting on Wall

Street for freedom against the British Army. But for ten-year-old

Pearce and his classmates at this school in north Belfast, history is

very much alive. I approached the body which still appeared to be

alive. They were about to lift it up when a young English officer stepped

out of the doorway and refused to let us touching. The drama is just

one of the ways boys at the School finding out about the Rising. They

are learning through geography and updating a very famous documents. --

document. We have been writing the proclamation for a new generation,

like, we are making our own and it is that everyone should have their

rights and everyone should a free education. There is obvious and easy

as among the boys here for learning about the Easter Rising and however

relates to them, but it's a very controversial and contested event in

Irish history. Are they being taught more than one of you? Within that

this school, we have taken to the war museum as part of the study of

World War II. The principal has taken boys to meet Queen Elizabeth

when she came here, so it is not the sense that this isn't about any type

of indoctrination, it is about education. So for the boys at this

school, learning about the Rising is really going back to the future.

St George's Market is usually packed with shoppers,

but tonight it's full of teenagers hoping to earn a fortune.

The Night of Ambition is being run by the Science Park to encourage

those young people already showing an entrepreneurial spark.

Colletta Smith is there for us tonight.

This is where the entrepreneurs of today are going to be meeting those

of the future. More than 70 companies are here showing what it

is they make and how they became a business in the first place and they

are here to meet more than 200 teenagers. What is happening now is

the design workshop is busy over there and this really is the cream

of the crop. Every post primary School has been allowed to nominate

just two people to send you are showing an ability in maths or

science or entrepreneurship and I have got two of those young people

here with me now. Sean and Megan. Sean, tell me a bit about what you

have experienced tonight and over the last year? Just networking are

the main experience here and the reason most people here tonight. It

is important to network, because the more you do, the more contacts you

have an all success and opportunities you have. It gets to a

point where you're just sitting in your room and you think I could be

doing a lot more official things with my time, so I think that's

worse why most people here tonight and not doing schoolwork. Megan

Camille plans for the future. What you hoping to do? I would love to do

a start-up something around Internet crews and it is inspirational to be

here tonight is the other companies who have done that mean successful

with it. Thank you very much for joining me. And in a few minutes,

there will be a talk from Mark who runs a company that is based silicon

valley. He is here to give his wisdom. What you give? I will remind

the young people here that they are lucky to be smart. But also that

resilience is important. There's a school of hard knocks us well and I

want to remind them it is important to keep getting up and going back

for more. Their fortune could be born here in Northern Ireland,

because we are tenacious and take that fight and bring it into the

world and their vision. And as much as tonight is about inspiring young

people, it's also about educating teachers and careers staff that

their futures may be outside of university and those traditional

careers? Yes, very much so. Start-ups need innovation to

transform sectors in society, there is energy, transportation or even

insurance or the financial sector, they need young innovators to bring

new life to breathe into them. Thank you. Tonight is called Night of

Ambition and it seems that this is a room absolutely packed with it.

ON a day when there's been movement on the Ulster rugby front,

Les Kiss has been critical of his players.

Stephen is here with this evening's sport.

We learned today that Luke Marshall has signed a new two-year contract

extension to keep him at the Kingspan unitil 2018

but Rory Scholes is to join Edinburgh on a two-year deal.

Earlier today, I asked Les Kiss for his response to Ulster fans

who say that recent performances are simply not good enough.

We are really disappointed. We have talked about it for the last 3-4

weeks, we are not in the best formal place at the moment. That happens

during the year at some stage, but we haven't been able to work out of

it in a productive way. We need to get it right this week. I am the

person who asked to make sure it does happen. The players need to be

productive and they know they can make a difference as well. We are in

this together. If we can get on top of those individual areas of the

game and be a bit better than that and nail those opportunities and

moments to put pressure on or to be more clinical and more accurate, I

think we can turn this around. Ulster's next game is live this week

on BBC Two. Like Les Kiss, Glentoran manager

Alan Kernaghan is wondering what's Last night they lost two-nil

at home to Cliftonville. A disappointing second half

performance prompting the former Republic of Ireland international

to say he "couldn't fathom" It doesn't make for pretty viewing

if you are Glentoran fun. Cliftonville made it look easy at

times the Oval. This was his 15th goal of the season. Just shy of the

hour mark, Glentoran's defence was found wanting to gain. Daniel Hughes

swivelled and slipped it perfectly past and made for goal number two.

They offered on the table, Glentoran's manager was left

scratching his head. In a second half, we were just spectators. We

were taught a real lesson. I can't fathom the real differences in

performance that we have, we have no consistency at all. We play well for

two games, then we pour over two games. And the difference between

levels of performance are massive. And it's usually frustrating. --

hugely. It was Cliftonville's first big winner since 2011. Keep your eye

on the number nine in yellow. Both he and the hoarding work fine. --

were fine. The Belfast Giants Championship

charge continues to gain momentum. Last night, the Giants beat

Fife Flyers 4-1 for their sixth The result moves them

to within three points of joint leaders Cardiff and Sheffield,

with six games remaining. Next up for the Giants,

it's Braehead Clan at Two local athletes with their sights

set on making the Olympics have Runner Ciara Mageean picked up gold

at the Irish Indoor Championships after being out for almost two years

with an achilles injury, while Ben Reynolds was also

on the winner's podium. Then Reynolds produced a cleaner run

to win the 60 metre hurdles title. The North Down athlete setting a new

personal best. But agonisingly, it was just 100th of a second outside

the standard but was nonetheless pleased with his performance. I was

kind of switching on, it was the first race. I have not got the pace

of training yet. So I was hurdling fast. Feeling fresh and the rhythm

of was not really switching on. The good anyway. Every time Ciara

Mageean stepped on the track recently, she has been setting

records and did so again, dominating the final of the 800 metres,

knocking a second offer personal best. I felt strong. It is always

difficult to judge. I'm not renowned to be the best place in the world,

so I sometimes worry I will beat myself by going too fast at the

start, but, I think I held on strong myself by going too fast at the

happy. Bill-macro already have the Olympic qualifying time and has

placed for the real games in the summer must be considered a

possibility. -- Ciara Mageean. Carl Frampton will have

to relinquish one of the world boxing titles he won at the weekend

if he doesn't defend it before The WBA have demanded

he must fight former World Superbantamweight Champion

Guillermo Rigondeaux. And Barry McGuigan has consistently

ruled out of the Cuban as a possible opponent for his manful stop

Frampton has said he would like to move up a wake to find another world

champion. We will wait and see. Spring is a funny month. People

don't realise you can get frostbitten and sunburned on the

same day. Lots of snowy scenes to start today. We expect a lot of snow

on the hills, the Antrim Glenn is he getting a bit of snow and also part

of Londonderry and down into county to Rome. Some of the heavier showers

brought snow right down to the beach is temporarily in County Down. We

don't have to worry about snow this coming night, that feature is moving

away, it is the last of storm Jake. But there is more cloud sit in the

Atlantic in tomorrow's weather which will come in in the latter part of

the day. But we have strong winds at the moment, gusts of over 50 mph

around the coastline and it will gradually ease off as the night goes

on. By the end of the night it will be dry and clear. A bit of ice could

be around tomorrow morning, particularly over the hills where

there is still snow. But otherwise, it should feel and more springlike

tomorrow, some lovely sunshine, make the most of it, because it will not

be quite so nice by the end of the day. So tomorrow morning, it should

be fairly straightforward. There could be a bit of frost on some car

windscreens, the temperatures generally a few degrees above

freezing and some lovely sunrises and blue sky and sunshine and light

wind. Try everywhere, but it will not stay

dry throughout the day, so take an umbrella, because from lunchtime

onwards, cloud thickens from the West and the next area of rain

pushes in. By the end of the day, it is cold, wet and there is some

whites enough, a bit of sleet and snow over the high ground but not as

bad as it was. It continues through the night, eventually clearing away,

leaving low temperatures and icy conditions to start with on Friday.

Frost and ice will continue to be a feature of the weather through

Friday the weekend and it will stay cold with wintry showers on Friday

and nasty wind coming in from the north-east. There will be some

sunshine on Friday however and we will gradually lose those wintry

showers, particularly through Saturday. By the time we get to

Sunday, it is cold, the Windass have eased off, the sun is out so it will

feel much, much brighter. -- winds. You can also keep in contact with us

via Facebook and Twitter.