02/05/2016 BBC Newsline

The Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has apologised for using the N word

in a message on Twitter which referred to a movie

After an angry reaction on social media last night he deleted

the tweet, and later said he was comparing the plight

of the slaves to the treatment of Irish nationalists.

Here's our political correspondent, Enda McClafferty.

Calm down, Butch. No offence given. It was a film which stirred much

emotion about racism and slavery in America. Last night, Djano Unchained

stirred the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams to give a comment on

Twitter using the N word comparing the struggle of slaves in the US to

the plight of Irish nationalists here. It prompted a reaction online

and the quickly down. This morning, the Sinn Fein president held a news

conference to apologise for what he said was a I acknowledge that the N

word was inappropriate, I apologise for that. I stand over the context

and substance of the point that I was making which is the parallel

between the plight of people here in Ireland and the struggle of people

of African American extraction. Former republican prisoner Tim

Branigan said politicians need to be more careful about the language they

use. The word itself was racist but I wouldn't call Gerry Adams a

racist. You know, it was a one off remark that he got wrong, and it is

great to hear that he apologise this morning for it. So, not for the

first time Gerry Adams has been forced to issue a public apology

because of controversial remarks he made, and once again his political

opponents north and south have been quick to question his credibility.

Not so within Sinn Fein, where Gerry Adams is very much considered still

more of an asset than a liability. A 23-year-old man has appeared

in court charged with rape. It follows an attack on a woman

at Peatlands Park near Dungannon last Wednesday.

Sara Neill reports. James Wright, of Dairylea Road in

Dungannon was bought in and out of the Magistrates' Court under a

blanket. The defence described that I does as being of -- their client

as being of extremely low intellect. James Wright had cycled round the

victim who was walking her dog before raping her at three o'clock

in the afternoon. It is alleged he put his hand over her mouth before

the attack to stop screaming stop it was an ambush style attack. She

asked him for his name but he refused, saying I can't tell you

because you would tell someone who would get me into trouble. The court

heard Wright, whose known to social services, was assessed by a

psychiatrist who deemed unfit to be detained and later charged. A

bicycle and high visibility jacket and matching the description given

the victim were recovered from the accused's home, just a short

distance from peatlands Park. Detectives are still searching for a

bicycle helmet. District Judge Peter King refused bail because of what he

said were very serious allegations. Wright was remanded in custody until

later this month. Hundreds of people have attended

the funeral of a nun from Londonderry who was killed

in the Ecuador earthquake. Sister Clare Theresa Crockett died

when a school collapsed. Her funeral was held

at the Longtower church, where the parish priest

Father Eamon Graham described Sister Clare as a striking

example of Derry womanhood. Sisters from her order,

Home of the Mother, Wherever she went she was so jolly

and so cheerful, and everybody remembers her. Everybody, she'd been

in communities in America, Spain and Ecuador and whether she went we've

been receiving e-mails from all over the world, people that new sister

Claire, saying that she was so amazing.

Thousands of people took part in

the 35th Belfast City marathon today.

For some it was a race against the clock, for others

the main aim was to finish, and along the way a lot of money

62 Oompa Loompas and a Willy Wonka. All in fancy dress and all hoping to

complete a full marathon. Even if we have to carry each other over the

line, we'll get there. Are you going to finish? Yes! And so it began.

This is what it's all about, the finishing line here in south

Belfast. And first over the line this morning was the Kenyan Joel

Kipps sang in the third time that he is one the Belfast Marathon. There

are no local runners in the men's top three but one in the women's

race. Laura Gray, a 30 roles mum of four came second. I felt good, it

felt really good, I don't know why, but I did. I really enjoyed it.

Running for charity in the relay race was Louise James, who recently

lost five members of her family stop another charity running was Brendan

Rodgers, the former Liverpool manager. It's a wonderful feeling,

get great support, wherever I am in the world, people have always been

brilliant for me. As for Willy Wonka and the Oompa Loompas, yes, they did

it, the full marathon. Well done to them!

The weather latest now, with Angie Philips.

Hello, good evening was up a little bit fresher today but is lovely to

see some sunshine for the bank holiday. Bright weather forecasters

coming week. A few showers, a little bit of rain on Wednesday night, but

other than that some good dry spells. Some sunshine and some

temperatures creeping up a little bit as well. A fresh and do the day

this evening, a mixture of bright spells and showers running through

on the breeze, and some locally heavy, carrying on into the not

particularly across the north and west, but clear spells too. Some

rural areas dipped to two or three degrees higher with the bucket of

ground frost but most frost free. Tomorrow, a good day really,

sunshine, but with a few showers around through on the breeze blew

the best part of the day. It is the nature of sunshine and showers. The

bulk really central and northern areas, more frequent across these

parts. Blustery winds make it feel cool. Relatively few showers Tiswas

the south, 16 degrees in the south-east feeling very pleasant. A

little bit more pressure for the Northern Ireland, and come the

afternoon showers breeze away, a breezy afternoon, with how I is

around 12 or 13 degrees. On Wednesday, a bit of a change,

weather moving in the Atlantic to bring a brief change for high

pressure returns towards the end of the week. Cloudy and Wendy on

Wednesday with some rain moving in from the west moving in later on the

day. Fine conditions for Thursday and Friday.