21/09/2016 BBC Newsline

Hello and welcome to BBC Newsline.

The Sinn Fein president, Gerry Adams, has denied sanctioning

the murder of MI5 agent Denis Donaldson.

The claims were made on last night's BBC Spotlight programme,

in which a man who said that he was a former IRA

and Sinn Fein member turned British agent said that Gerry Adams

would have given the final say on the killing.

The SDLP leader says it's now time for Mr Adams to retire.

Here's our political correspondent Gareth Gordon.

Denis Donaldson was shot dead at this Donegal cottage in 2006,

months after admitting he'd been working for British intelligence

within the IRA for over 20 years.

At the time, Denis Donaldson was a Sinn Fein administrator at Stormont.

In last night's BBC Spotlight, another informer -

who wished to remain anonymous - claims Gerry Adams

sanctioned his murder.

I know from my experience in the IRA that murders have to be

approved by the leadership.

They have to be given approval by the leadership of

the IRA and the military leadership of the IRA.

Who are you specifically referring to?

Gerry Adams, he gives the final say.

And today Mr Adams had his say on the allegation.

It is a lie and I totally categorically and

specifically deny it.

What will you be doing about it?

It is in the hands of my solicitor at this time but we have to look

at the agenda.

That the person who made this allegation, anonymous,

unnamed, self-professed agent of the British state.

That this is an attempt to rewrite history.

It's not the first time Gerry Adams has had to issue

denials about his past.

One of his opponents says he should now leave the political stage.

I think it is time now for politics to move on.

I think it's time for Sinn Fein to move on.

They are never going to be able to get away from all these

accusations until Gerry Adams retires and I think it is about time

after 33 years that he does that.

Others say a simple denial from the Gerry Adams is not enough.

He should take legal action against the BBC if he feels these

claims are incorrect.

If he does that then we would know that there is no foundation

to this accusation.

If he does not then it is clear he has got something to hide

so I would call on him and the ball is in his court for him to decide

whether or not he will hold the BBC to task on these claims.

The BBC said the Spotlight programme dealt with matters of great public

interest and it stood by its journalism.

The home of a man who was questioned last month on suspicion of dissident

republican activity has been attacked by a masked gang in Larne.

Another house in the town was also attacked.

Sara Girvin reports.

Armed with hatchets and stones, masked men attacked this family home

on Larne's Seahill Road at around 1:20am this morning.

The 27-year-old man who lives here was questioned by police

last month on suspicion of dissident republican activity.

He was later released without charge.

His heavily pregnant partner and two small children were also

in the property at the time, but were uninjured.

Their house has been targeted before, last Christmas,

but the family say while this morning's incident has

left them terrified, they won't be moving out.

In a separate incident, a house on Fleet Street in the town

was attacked around the same time.

The couple in their 20s who live here weren't injured,

but were left shaken.

Their children weren't at home at the time,

but they believe a brick that came through their young son's window

could have left him seriously injured, or worse.

The two householders, who didn't want to appear on camera,

were woken by banging and smashing in their home just

after 1am this morning.

The man then came downstairs where he was confronted at the back

door by two masked men carrying hatchets and trying to gain entry

to his house.

He now says his family are too frightened to stay here.

Both families told the BBC they believe the attacks

on their homes were sectarian and that they were targeted

because they're Catholic.

The PSNI say that is one line of enquiry.

They're also working to establish whether there is a link

between the two incidents and a car later found burned out in a field

at Walnut Avenue in the town.

Four men arrested in Lurgan and Coalisland are still being

questioned by police investigating dissident republican activity.

A number of searches were carried out in Lurgan this morning and some

homes in Woodville Avenue were evacuated.

Former First Minister Peter Robinson and the Deputy First Minister Martin

McGuinness are to be invited to appear before the Republic's

Public Accounts Committee.

It's in connection with a phone call in January 2014 over the sale

of the Northern Ireland property portfolio by

the National Asset Management Agency.

In a statement, Sinn Fein said the Deputy First Minister

would cooperate fully with all efforts to uncover

the truth around Nama's sale of its Northern Ireland property portfolio.

Almost 100 new jobs are to be created in Belfast

by a UK technology firm.

The jobs at Metaswitch will be a mixture of research

and technical support roles, with average salaries of ?27,500.

Our Economics and Business Editor John Campbell reports.

Metaswitch makes products for the world's big

telecom operators like BT.

It's got plans for growth and it's chosen Belfast

as its new centre of excellence.

These are jobs for software engineers, but the firm says it

will cast its net widely.

As far as graduate recruitment, we look across all disciplines,

not just computer scientists.

We do a terrific training scheme ourselves and we are being held

by the economy here to build a specific Metaswitch centre

of excellence training academy.

We are looking for people who love problem-solving and who have great

communication skills and we can train them how to be

great software engineers.

The company has moved quickly.

They've only been talking to Invest NI for about three months.

The project will be supported with government

grants of up to ?800,000.

This is more good news for Northern Ireland with 94

new jobs being created and I think it shows that Northern Ireland

remains a very good place for companies to invest.

This investment was one that is highly competitive

and could have gone anywhere in Northern Ireland and Metaswitch

have beaten the competitors because of the low costs and labour

and property but we also have a talented workforce

and Metaswitch are able to avail of this.

Metaswitch said the EU referendum has had no impact

on their investment plans.

They're in a fast-moving sector and can't wait

for the Brexit dust to settle.

And indeed the Office for National Statistics said today

that so far the Brexit vote has had little impact on the UK economy.

More specialist services are to be established for people

suffering from fibromyalgia following a campaign

by the Patient and Client Council.

Those suffering from it say they're relieved it's finally

being recognised as a long-term health condition.

Our Health Correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly reports.

For Martina Marks, it's all about managing her pain.

A combination of tablets, exercise and a change

of lifestyle means that living with fibromyalgia

is a little easier.

I have lived with the pain for so long now.

I don't really know what it is like to be without pain.

You always have pain of some description.

Sometimes pain is not your main symptom.

Sometimes fatigue can be very overbearing.

Fibromyalgia is one of those conditions that's baffled health

experts for decades.

While the symptoms such as chronic pain, fatigue

and memory loss can be severe, as nothing is revealed in a scan,

it can be difficult to diagnose.

But there's a real appetite now to address that.

At this conference in Belfast, health professionals called

for greater awareness and understanding of the condition.

The difficulty with fibromyalgia is there is no specific blood test

or abnormality or a scan that enables health care professionals

to make the diagnosis.

That has traditionally been the problem.

It doesn't mean there isn't a real problem for that individual but it

means to the doctor or health care professional can not

make a diagnosis that which they feel is secure.

As there can be some scepticism about the condition,

three years ago the group that represents patients

decided to investigate.

One in five people in Northern Ireland live with chronic

pain on a daily basis.

Within that group of patients, we find that a significant number

of people were suffering from fibromyalgia and they were telling

us they were finding it very difficult to have their voice heard

and for the condition to be believed.

Now acknowledged as a long-term condition, plans are underway

to have dedicated services across the Health Trusts.

But according to those who've been campaigning,

the biggest breakthrough is finally having their

concerns taken seriously.

Crowds have turned out at Dublin Airport to welcome home

the Irish Paralympic team, which won 11 medals in Rio.

It includes runners Jason Smyth from Eglinton and Michael McKillop

from Glengormley, who both won gold.

Thomas Niblock reports.

The colour and the crowds arrived at Dublin this afternoon

to welcome home heroes.

Paralympic gold medals for both Jason Smyth and Michael McKillop

as he led team Ireland home.

Jason's wife and baby daughter were there to say hello to Daddy,

all adding to an incredible Paralympic experience.

I suppose it is like a fairytale.

It keeps happening but you wonder when it will end.

It would be incredible to go to a fourth consecutive

Paralympic Games.

And winning gold.

To be honest, I want to keep my unbeaten record going.

So, Jason Smyth is aiming for Tokyo but he is not the only one.

I hope and pray that I will be in Tokyo because that's

where I want to go and retire.

It is also a place that my fiance will get to go and watch me compete

in the Paralympic Games and she will probably

be my wife by then.

That would be nice.

Four Paralympic golds for McKillop, he has achieved it all,

but sometimes the small things mean the most.

A young girl and mum travel from Ballycastle

specifically to see me.

They get up at 6am just to see me and that is emotional because it

shows that people see me as their inspiration.

She broke into tears.

It is just incredible.

Beijing, London and Rio done, Evie probably won't remember today

but the good news is she will be old enough to watch Daddy in Tokyo.

Time now for the weather, here's Geoff Maskell.

Good evening.

There is a definite hint of autumn in our weather this evening,

with temperatures really dropping away tonight.

Our weather through the day has been dominated by this band of rain.

Tonight it clears out of the way to the east.

Behind it we are left with some clearing skies.

That means that temperatures will really drop away down

to two or three Celsius in some rural spots.

The chance of a little bit of mist and fog by dawn tomorrow morning.

Thursday we will actually get off to rather a nice start.

Dry and bright certainly through the first half of the day,

if a bit chilly to begin with.

Eventually the temperatures will climb up to the mid-teens,

15 or 16 Celsius the high.

Staying mostly dry across the eastern half of Northern

Ireland.

Later in the day in the West, we start to see the showers

working their way in.

You can really see how we are on the leading edge

of the next band of weather coming in, because in front of it

across parts of Great Britain, still that warm and foggy air.

21 Celsius across the south-east.

Clearer skies and cooler temperatures.

Those showers continue and another reasonably chilly night.

Again some clear spells as we head into Friday.

Friday is a rather interesting day.

We've got the threat of rain sitting out in the Atlantic with this

area of low pressure and the associated front,

but at the moment it looks as if it is going to stick

to the north and west of us through the day, so for most

parts of Northern Ireland for most of the day,

we should be staying dry, if a bit breezy as that southerly

breeze really picks up.

Again the temperatures in the mid-teens, but

feeling much fresher.

That rain moves in properly on Saturday.

That's it for now.

Our next BBC Newsline is at 6:25am in the morning during Breakfast

here on BBC One.

You can also keep updated with News Online.

Good night.