05/05/2016 BBC Newsline

Elsewhere, it's time for the news where you are.

15 men are still being questioned by the police

following the funeral of dissident republican Michael Barr

They were arrested on suspicion of membership of

a dissident republican group, referred to as the New IRA.

Michael Barr was a member of the organisation.

Here's our North-West reporter, Keiron Tourish.

Around a dozen men in paramilitary style uniform led the cortege as it

slowly moved along Strabane. Relatives and friends of Michael

Barr help carry his Coffin. It's on the border with Donegal, and this

morning. The manned checkpoints. In the town itself, there was a

noticeable PSNI presents along the routes. Michael Trabant was shot

dead on the 25th of April. Two men described as skinny and wearing

masks fired a number of shots at around half past nine in the

evening. Michael Barr had been living in the area where he was shot

dead. He was known to the Garvey for his involvement with dissident

republicans and had appeared in the court in connection. Slavery

hundreds more -- several hundred more joined the cortege. Officers

maintained a discreet distance throughout the Coffin which had

earlier been tricked in a tricolour with a blackberry and gloves on top

was then taken in inside the chapel. Later PSNI operated a large

operation and arrested many people. The context behind that is that we

have had confirmation of the deceased being a member of the New

IRA and that the funeral would take place in a fashion in line with

that. What we saw this morning on the of an in the local area was what

appears to all intents and purposes a paramilitary style display.

Resulting from about the subscript policing operation we have arrested

15 men in connection with suspected terrorist related offences. There

have now been several occasions in which men and women dressed in

paramilitary style uniform operated on the streets. There was a large

turnout for the veteran republican Peggy O'Hara who died in July last

year. They marched along the streets of Derry before the funeral service

for. The PSNI released few details of the operation at the funeral of

Michael Barr this morning. It is understood the 15 men arrested have

now been taken to Osgood Street police station for questioning.

The widow of Michael McGibbon, who was murdered in north Belfast

last month, has appealed to his killers to explain

The father-of-four died after being shot in the legs

Dissident republicans were blamed for the murder.

BBC Newsline's Mark Simpson reports.

Joanne McGivern has been left to bring up her four children on her

own. It's a three week since her husband was killed, shot by a

paramilitary gang believed to be dissident republicans. The good not

explain why Angela and says he she has a right to know. I am just

saying I would like to have more answers. I don't know if they can

get answers to me, through the post or however else, but just the reason

why they have done this to a family, wider digits to Michael. Do you want

answers to your own peace of mind or to give them to the police? I've

priority now is to get answers for me and my family. I know someone was

ordered to shoot him, whatever, but I really don't believe that there is

any way of getting any one of them. She has heard one possible reason

why her husband was targeted. There was an argument between Michael and

I girl in his taxi. She didn't want to pay fair her affair, she had no

money to pay for her fur, and I reckon she is related to one of

these dissidents, that's what they call themselves, and she turned

round said overdue you know who I am? He said that he didn't care, so

they have perhaps decided to show him. I could be wrong. Joanne's

focus now is on her children. But family life is very difficult. The

children made a comment today, saying that McCain was drawing a

picture saying how she was going to kill her daddy's Keller. That hurts

me. But at the centre and this is reality. This is what my kids are

going through. That's the way she feels, side let her draw the picture

and explain to her look, love, we're better than these people, they are

bad boys. That's not the way to go about it. Joanne and her family will

steam be moving out of the area, it has too many painful memories for

her. The High Court has been told that

a man accused of raping a woman in a park near Dungannon last week,

tried to harm himself The details emerged during a bail

application by The victim was raped in this popular

walking and cycling error in peatlands Park in Dungannon last

week. She had been walking her dog and she was subjected to what police

described as an ambush of attack. The accused, James Wright from

Dairylea Road in Dungannon, appeared earlier this week in court

Dairylea Road in Dungannon, appeared with a sexual assault. Psychiatrists

said he was fit to be interviewed by police and child. He applied for

bail at the court in Belfast. The victim had resigned herself to the

sex assault amid fears that she would be killed. It emerged that the

men had attempted to harm himself in custody. The High Court was told

that the accused man had tried to strangle himself whilst in custody.

A defence barrister said the 23-year-old had an IQ of 44, and as

a lawyer he had never come across any criminal trial involving someone

of an IQ of less than 50. Opposing bail, prosecution said the threat

had taken place in the middle a day in an open and public area

frequented by cyclists, children and dog walkers. The judge said that

while the obligation of the court to protect the victim and the public,

there's also an obligation, given his limitations and IQ, to protect

the accused. This bail application was adjourned pending further

applicants to the judge. The head of a teaching union has

come under fire after she described some pre-school staff

as "well meaning amateurs". The comments were made

following the publication of a report which stated every

nursery should have a qualified early years teacher to help toddlers

develop speech and language skills. I see a spider, is there one on

my... All very happy and according to save the children, they should

be. Why? Because the grown-up is a fully qualified teacher. For one

teachers union anything less is no good enough. Hundreds of early years

teachers have been labelled as well-meaning amateurs. Things like

speech and language, teachers are trained to pick up on those things,

and this is why they should be allowed to go in and do these jobs.

Whatever you are standing by your comments that the teachers in

private nurseries are well-meaning amateurs? Not all of them, but

obviously if you don't have the qualifications that are necessary to

be in those positions. qualifications that are necessary to

it run by amateurs? Let's see. qualifications that are necessary to

Getting to grips with the basics of every parent wants their child to

get their best start in life. The Ulster teachers union says however

get their best start in life. The that children's like these say they

have been in the hands of teachers lacking skills and knowledge. How

many teachers out there which know that a two-year-old had delayed

development, or a one-year-old. Not many teachers would be qualified in

the early years to spot signs of autism or speech and language

problems. Our staff are very highly qualified and skilled in those areas

with the to those comments? I think that she needs to go out into the

settings and CB valuable and amazing work that is being done with

children out there and she needs to work that is being done with

attack her statement. They say your schooldays are the best days of your

life and suddenly the children here seem to be more than content.

Polling has closed in the Assembly election.

Counting begins tomorrow and will last two days.

Our political correspondent Stephen Walker reports on

Polling stations opened at 7am this morning and voting will end at ten

o'clock tonight. The parties hope the good weather will enhance

turnout. Early reports from a number of polling station said voting for

study and election officials expected turnout to pick up in the

final hours. Party leaders and senior politicians voted early in

the day. UUP leader Arlene Foster voted close to her home in Fermanagh

will stop Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness went to his local polling

station in Londonderry as did the SDLP Colum Eastwood. The UUP Mike

Nesbitt voted in Belfast and the Alliance party leader David Ford

cast his vote at a polling station in Ballyclare. 276 candidates are

competing for 108 seats across 18 constituencies. And 2200 counting

staff have been recruited. This is one of eight counting centres in

operation and tomorrow this will be a hive of activity. Two days have

been set aside to get the results and they should come through the

tomorrow afternoon. It will be Saturday before a full picture

emerges of the new assembly looks like.

And for a full breakdown of the results as they happen tomorrow,

including the Northern Ireland-wide picture,

and a stage-by-stage outlook in your own constituency, go online to:

And on The View tonight Mark Carruthers will be asking

what it's like to run an election campaign and how does this one

That's the View, straight after this bulletin here on BBC One.

Now finally onto the weather forecast, and here's Angie Phillips.

Hello, good evening. After that fine day we have a dry nights coming up.

Variable cloud Antaeus bells. Some high cloud around particularly

towards the east. Inland and towards the west, is where we were likely to

get the clearer skies and temperature dropping close to

freezing. That will likely lead to rule grass frost, may be patchy mist

and fog as well. That will go very quickly tomorrow morning, fine day

coming up, dry weather, a fair amount of sunshine albeit rather

hazy. Particularly in eastern areas in the morning. This much of Britain

and Ireland it is much the same story. This much fine weather,

although cloudy across parts of Scotland with a fuse showers, and

later some of pockets of mist and sea fog with the north east coast of

Scotland and England. Other than that it is a fine day, more cloud

around compared to today. Sunshine hazy, continues to warm in the

south, temperatures of 22 or 23 degrees. For Northern Ireland there

is more northerly drift to the wind, along the northern coast which is

not as high as today. 11, 12 degrees. Inland particularly towards

the south, temperatures of rise in the sunshine to 14 or 15 degrees.

Into Saturday we see a change, the weather front moves in from the

south, isobars packing tightly together so gusty wind and eventual

showery rain from the south. This is the risk of some thunder mixed in.

The answer that it's drier and warmer.

Our next BBC Newsline is at 6.25 in the morning during Breakfast

You can also keep updated with News Online.

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