22/08/2016 BBC Newsline

This is BBC Newsline and these are the headlines

He says he's shocked and horrified - the finance minister denies knowing

about secret contacts with a loyalist blogger ahead

In my position clear. I had nothing at all to do communications.

A senior sports official from Northern Ireland is caught up

Marie Stopes abortion clinic suspends some

more students head across the water as local places fill up.

A record breaking Olympics for Team GB -

but disappointment for our local athletes as we reflect on Rio.

And although the rains back late at night, the summer is not over just

yet. I'll have the forecast later The Finance Minister later Mairtin

O'Muilleoir has denied knowing about a secret channel

of communication between a witness at an Assembly committee

and the committee's chairman, Last week Mr McKay

resigned as an MLA and was suspended from Sinn Fein

after it was revealed that he had been in contact with the loyalist

blogger Jamie Bryson on Twitter ahead of his evidence to the finance

committee's NAMA inquiry. Mairtin O'Muilleoir was a member

of the committee at the time. Here's Our Political

Editor Mark Devenport last week, we had an apology and

resigning from this man after the revelation has advised Jim Bryson on

have presented evidence on the multi million pound deal of property. By

contrast, Mairtin O Muilleoir is going nowhere even though he was one

of three Sinn Fein supporters who sat before the blog was detailed.

There were said to be exchanges prior to the meeting. One of those

was from a Sinn Fein activist repairing to the south Belfast and a

as Caroline -- I was shocked side when all these revelations were made

public because that even when I have heard of them. No one at permission

to use my name or involved in any limitations in a way. No one told me

at the time all sins, or afterwards that they were doing so. I am making

my position clear. I had nothing at all to do with these medications.

However, the finance Minister's refusal to stand down has not gone

down well with Stallman's opposition. The Almighty was

mentioned in the e-mail chainsaw you does have a question to answer. I'm

not accusing him of any wrongdoing. Martin on the year and a strong

choice between restoring public confidence in institutions and

self-interest. The flustered because it and that was me, me, me. There's

no clear indication yet of a timeline for the standards

Commissioner's investigation into this matter what the NLA was that

meeting will be tomorrow morning. To discuss the ramifications of Danny

Mackay's resignation -- MLA. Irish consulate staff in Rio de

Janeiro are due to visit former Olympic Council of Ireland president

Pat Hickey in prison today. Mr Hickey was arrested as part

of an investigation into alleged illegal tickets sales

for the Olympic games in the city. It is understood staff have also

been assisting other Including the Chief Executive,

Stephen Martin from Bangor, have had their passports

seized in Brazil. Mr Martin is well known in sporting

circles here having won gold Crisis talks were held last night in

Dublin by members of the limit council in Ireland as the

controversy over alleged illegal selling of Olympic ticket continues.

Among those attending were the acting president Willie O'Brien who

had just returned from Rio. And executive member John Delaney. It

had been reported that police were seeking their passport in an

investigation into the alleged ticket sales. Meanwhile in Brazil,

Northern Ireland's Stephen Martin was among three officials from the

Council who had their passport, phones and laptops seized by the

police as their enquiry continues. Reports from Brazil's failure is

nothing to suggest impropriety on the part of any of these officials.

The meeting from Dublin finished in the early hours of this morning at

was agreed to appoint the subcommittee the deal with regard to

the controversy. There will be an independent review of ticket

arrangements in Rio. The firm will be selected this week and they will

begin immediately. The reckons will be published. The report will be

prepared and presented to the judge surrounding the handling of

ticketing at the real Olympics. The former president, who was arrested

in his hotel last week, and ticketing agency director Kevin

Allen are still in prison with investigation into the controversy.

-- Mallon. The governing body had this to say at the top Irish and

European Olympic official. With the situation Mr Hickey, we will have

his first hearing by a judge next Tuesday and that, of course,

according to the Brazilian will all -- law and laws of national justice

will mean a sentence will prevail. Other officials who had their

passports seized have agreed to present themselves for questioning

at a local police station in Rio tomorrow. Meanwhile, police have

taken possession of a quantity of unused tickets in the offices in

Brazil that the council said had been made available for the family

and friends of the athletes. Still to come on the programme, a

rising number of students going to university. While more than heading

across the water? -- why are more of them?

Marie Stopes International says it is suspending abortion services

at its clinic in Belfast for under 18s and what it calls

Last Friday, restrictions were imposed on the organisation

in England after health care inspectors raised concerNs.

in England after health care inspectors raised concerns.

Our Health Correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly is with me.

Welcomer he said, services in England have suspended following a

report from the Care Quality Commission. Here in Belfast on edge

falls under a different regulator. We have the RQIA. The clinic has

voluntarily decided to stop some of the terminations in Belfast. It said

it will suspend abortion services at the clinic for two groups.

Vulnerable women and those under 18. They say they have made this action

because they want to work alongside the Care Quality Commission in

England to resolve the areas of concern around governance issues and

training of medical staff. They say the immediate concern is to redirect

those women who may, in Belfast, have made a booking made enquiries

that they want to try and help them find an alternative place at another

clinic in England. People might be surprised

that any abortion services are offered in NI -

what services are offered Natural life. As you know, Northern

Ireland operates under a very strict legal framework when it comes to

abortion. One that is different to what is up and running in England.

Terminations are only permissible in Northern Ireland under the law when

a woman's life is at risk or there is permanent or series risk to her

mental health. Here in Belfast, while we don't have surgical

terminations, we have what I call terminations by oral, medicine,

tablets, which are given up to women up to nine weeks pregnant and that

would trigger a Tamina nation. As of today, it will not be providing that

service oral medication to women under 18 or women who are seen to be

vulnerable -- termination. We understand that around 1000 women

every year from Northern Ireland travel to England to get the service

of a clinic or something similar. We can imagine that someone in this

week up and to be affected. Marie Stopes have set up a helpline and

they are encouraging women to help get help and they want to try and

redirect them. Thank you. An exchange on social media has

ended with the Chief Constable In what George Hamilton described

as a frank exchange of views, he suggested if police officers

didn't want to do what their job entailed, they should

"dry their eyes or move on". It started innocently enough with

the street from your channels and just before midnight on Saturday

about considering deleting as a career along with a 19th-century ad

for the service. He said working conditions have improved since then.

One user disagreed. He said that police were now expected to go

beyond their jobs and filling other roles. The Chief Constable said that

they... Then there was a reply. The Police Federation called frame to

apologise, which he did. Again, by social media. Saying that the 140

character limit of Twitter was not the

Saying that the 140 character limit of Twitter was not

I accept that my comments would not have conveyed the support that I

want to give. Alas, I am sorry. They say that George Hamilton was being

honest. The reality is, social services a last resort. This was a

complaint about having to do the work of paramedics and social

workers. Police have always had to do that. Mark Lindsay accepted the

apology, also by social media. A couple in their eighties have

escaped serious injury Fire crews were called

to the bungalow on Maghereagh Road at around ten

o'clock this morning. A man was treated at the scene

for smoke inhalation. Luckily, the two occupants of the

house were there when we got there. We mobilised three appliances to the

incident. They were faced with a developed fire in the dictionary of

the property and they verify that there was no one else property at

all. Very quickly, the fire was under control.

A-level results day was just four days ago, and it looks like more

young people from Northern Ireland than ever will be starting

But it's almost certain we'll be exporting more than ever

Our education correspondent Robbie Meredith is at Queen's

What do the stats show us? Applications to go to university

right across the University are handled by the University and

College admissions service or Ucas. They have shown a rise in statistics

of young people being accepted on to university courses. Last year, at

this stage, there were 12,420 local students to have gained a university

place. This year, that has risen to 13,270 already. That is a 7% rise in

a higher figure than any previous year. Remember, we are still a very

early stage of this process. There are still thousands of locals

students trying to get university places, maybe because they done

worse or better than expected. What are the reasons for the rise?

Welcomer despite all the worries and actuation fees, student debt,

graduate employment, more and more young people here now apply to go to

university. Ten years ago, there were just over 17,000 applications.

This year, 20 1000. That is a record high of university applications. The

main reason that there will be more people going to university this year

because is happening in England. University there are no longer have

limits on the amount of undergraduates they can take. There

are red numbers of places available across the water. They are doing

also do things to attract students. I have seen offers of free travel,

free iPad and free Premier League matches to go to university. By

contrast, there is not a rise in the number of students going to local

universities. That is right. Because, while English universities

are taking more undergraduates and making them pay higher tuition fees,

both Ulster University and Greens have two limit the number of

undergraduates they can take. -- Queen. Queens Askew take less than

they normally can. It is a similar reduction at Ulster University. Both

universities blame those cups cups uncut on funding in university. We

are hoping that they will be sending more people to university this year.

More across the water. Around one third of 18-year-olds leave Northern

Ireland to study and that proportion seems certain to rise. Thank you

very much. Coming up. The park runners taking up a petition on

eviction from a National Trust estate.

A man has been caught on CCTV smashing a defibrillator

which was installed outside a shop in Londonderry.

The video shows the man taking it from its container and throwing

the life-saving equipment to the ground outside

the premises on Rossdowney Road early yesterday morning.

The local community bought it through fundraising.

Every single penny of it was donated and raised by people in your local

area here. Customers batting by and all that. Every penny went into the

markets we have in the store. That is absolutely disgusting. That the

general field from the atmosphere slogan driven past few days. They

are extremely angry that the effort they put in have been taken away in

a moment of madness. -- from the customers we have spoken to.

Runners in County Fermanagh who participate in the Park Run

event have begun a petition after the National Trust told them

they could no longer use the Castle Coole Estate.

The free weekly 5k run has taken place there for the last two years -

but the National Trust says it is having an impact

Here's our south west reporter Julian Fowler.

On your marks, get set, go. Since the part one was first held here two

years ago, it has grown in popularity. Around 120 people now

take part every week. Now, the National Trust has asked the runners

to leave. We are devastated. We are very sorry to be reading this. All

of the visitors who come here are very sorry and all the Park runners

are the same. It is a great showcase and we think that there is a better

they lost there. We would not think it is a good idea. We think there

are a lot of positives for the National Trust having ourselves.

Park runs are held a 29 different properties and it is the only one in

Northern Ireland. Because the event is always free, it waived the cost

for runners. It said the impact on the ground, car park and staffing is

too great. You'll like every event has the potential to impact on the

site and a Park run is a weekly thing. That has a lot of impact over

the period of time. As they say, our first priority is to look after the

resources here because they are very limited and the property ransacked a

significant deficit. Runners are unhappy at the decision. I think it

is disgraceful. The National Trust are taking out what is essentially a

charitable organisation trying to encourage people to get healthy and

get fit. As well as being a park run, I am of the National Trust. I

feel very let down by the National Trust that they have taken this

decision. A lot of people come here who would not normally come. It's

sad because it is a fabulous and energy. One double ten from

Ballyclare today part. We have completed all the ones in Ireland.

This is our last one and we would have done it in a couple of weeks

but because it is finishing here, we had to catch it before it finishes.

What did you think of it? It was lovely. Possibly the nicest one I

done so far. They say the decision was mutually agreed with the

organisers. After next week, it will relocate. Negotiations have taken

place nationally between Park run UK and the National Trust headquarters.

The decision stands to Andy Ryan at this castle. -- to end the run.

Lifeboat crews battled waves of up to five metres in a rescue off

the County Down coast at the weekend.

call from a yacht with an engine fire off Burr Point on Saturday.

Donaghadee lifeboat went to the assistance

They had to fight through the large waves while towing

It was the third call out in 24 hours for the station.

Now sport, and some reflections on the Rio Olympic Games.

The closing ceremony was held in Rio last night.

Team GB finished second in the final medal table - their best performance

But sadly no-one from Northern Ireland will be

Nigel Ringland looks back at the last two weeks of action

Pre-games, there was the fear of crime, traffic chaos, Zika and that

the first Olympics in South America would not work. It works perfect and

the sport was outstanding. There were no Northern Irish medallists to

cheer. For Alan Campbell, there was a record for the Olympic appearance

for the Rover and no Northern Irish athlete had achieved before. --

rower. It is really tough but I have to say that I have been so, lucky I

put it all out there and did what I had to do and I am very proud. Team

Ireland finished with just two medals. Gary and Paul O'Donovan, the

brothers from Ireland finishing with a silver. It's a pity we are missing

the celebration in Ireland when we are over here. Yes, hopefully get a

national holiday or something. There was also a silver medal but for the

Irish boxing team, it was a game is to forget. Welterweight Mike

O'Reilly felt a drug test and Michael Conlon was my dreams were

shattered by controversial judging. And they have robbed me of my Alan

big dream. I wanted to be in Olympic champion and that was robbed of me.

The final hurdle... I have always said I was going to be Olympic

champion today and I feel it has been robbed of me. There was one

Irish winner in the ring. For more performance director Billy Walsh. He

was in the corner for his new team-mates in team USA. The story of

the real games for Ireland will not finish when the team returned home.

Northern Ireland's World Cup prospects have received a boost

after defender Gareth McAuley decided to extend his

player will be available for Michael O'Neill's squad

for the opening Group C qualifying match away to the Czech Republic

The full squad for the match in Prague will be announced

Irish Premiership new boys Ards are two points clear at the top

of the table after beating Ballymena United 4-3 on a high

Ards have been the surprise package at the start of this season. They

took an early lead at Ballymena thanks to Stuart McMullen. United

hits back with goals from Alan Jenkins and catalyst real. Then we

had a generous deflection. Before keirin locker in the level for

Ballymena. There was a late winner for the county downside to take the

top of the table. Linfield remain unbeaten and hit Glenavon for four.

Aaron Burns and John Ward were among the scorers. The point will then

wrapped up for the blues. Coleraine drew. David Gold all the's free kick

making 1-1 to earn a point. Cliftonville were stunned to- one.

Both goals coming from Andy Mitchell as they moved to fifth in the table.

Jim Nelson's strike earned Glentoran a 1-0 wind.

Then we had an outstanding comeback late on. 3-3 in injury time and then

a sending off. The goal-scorer went into goal and save a spot kick right

at the final whistle. As dramatic a draw as you will see all season.

Eugene Laverty continued his fine MotoGP campaign by finishing sixth

in a rain-hit Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno on Sunday.

The Toomebridge rider now lies 11th in the overall standings and has

scored points in ten of the 11 rounds this season.

Graeme McDowell finished tied for fifth place

at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina, boosting his

Fedex cup standing by six places and doing his Ryder Cup prospects no

And at UFC 202 in Las Vegas, Irishman Conor McGregor beat

Nate Diaz of the US by a majority decision to avenge his previous

defeat to the same fighter - as well as set up the prospect

And few would bet against McGregor winning part three.

I wouldn't take him on anyway. Thank you. Here is the weather. Cecilia.

The best weather has been across County Durham today. And especially

at the beach. This is how it looks at Belfast. Some cloud buttons on

sunshine as well. It is pretty nice in most places this evening by the

rain is back later denied and, for some, tomorrow will be a fairly wet

day. But it is just one day and the rest of the league does not look too

bad at all. It'll be quite at times when the sun comes out, temperatures

will be up to 26 Celsius. It was stay dry or at least until midnight

tonight and then we are looking for more clarity, from the south-west,

which will bring some rain during the early hours. That'll bring rain

into the early morning -- early morning. Damage was staying in the

genes. Tomorrow morning, if you're on the road early, expect what in

someplace is. Regularly over parts of Andrew and County Down. The

Belfast area as well. -- Antrim. Not a cold start to day tomorrow but

what of low cloud and mist the clouds. The rain will not be quite

affecting US. It will gradually ease as the morning goes on. The heaviest

rain moving Elaine, built by Gavin drizzly until lunchtime when it will

start to dry up and brighten up in the west. Across parts of Antrim,

Belfast and County Down, still quite dapper times. Especially intriguing.

Tension is not advisable today. 22 Celsius today, 17-18 tomorrow.

Temperatures could dip into single figures at the cloud breaks as well.

A nice day on Wednesday. Some very light winds, light showers and most

places will be dry with temperatures up to around 19-20dC. We have a

little ridge of high pressure on Wednesday. AccuWeather Brian France

pressure as an Wednesday. Some showers on Thursday night and

Friday. So, the schools go back next week

and that is when we get our summer. I have no doubt about that. Thank

you. We will have update at HDMI 9pm with a late at 10:30pm goodbye.