:00:24. > :00:30.Good evening. The headlines on a BBC Newsline. Islamic militants
:00:30. > :00:35.have kidnapped a local man at a gas depot in Algeria. Farmers here fear
:00:35. > :00:39.a knock-on effect from horsemeat in burgers scandal.
:00:39. > :00:42.And animal charities Investigation Branch Northern island a corridor
:00:42. > :00:47.for cruelty in the legal horsemeat trade.
:00:47. > :00:53.As Martin McGuinness visits the Short Strand, we're from national
:00:53. > :00:59.grassroots about the ongoing processs. I think it is a piece
:00:59. > :01:03.thing. They don't want peace. Cliftonville's match winning goal
:01:03. > :01:08.was good, but will show you an even better one.
:01:08. > :01:16.And it's cold tonight, but turning wet and wintery for the end of the
:01:16. > :01:20.week. A man from Northern island is among
:01:20. > :01:24.several people who have been abducted by a suspected Islamist
:01:24. > :01:28.militants in North Africa. He was working as a gas facility in
:01:28. > :01:35.Algeria when it came under attack. Our reporter is working on the
:01:35. > :01:40.story. What do we know about the attack? It happened at around 5am
:01:40. > :01:45.at our times. The gas facility is close to the Libyan border, around
:01:45. > :01:50.700 miles south-east of the capital, Algiers. The plant is near the town
:01:51. > :01:57.up of In Amenas and is run by the Norwegian company and the state oil
:01:57. > :02:01.company of Nigeria -- of Algeria. Armed Islamic militants attempted
:02:01. > :02:07.to ambush a bus taking workers to the plant before moving on to the
:02:07. > :02:12.site. We know that they have taken a number of workers hostage.
:02:12. > :02:16.Algerian state media is saying that two people, one of whom is British,
:02:16. > :02:22.have been killed and several people have been injured. The exact number
:02:22. > :02:27.of hostages is unclear at this stage. But eight Look -- a group
:02:27. > :02:31.linked to Al-Qaeda in the region is claiming responsibility. Have you
:02:31. > :02:36.been able to find out anything more about this hostage from Northern
:02:36. > :02:41.island? Unfortunately, we don't know whether the man from Northern
:02:41. > :02:45.island was injured in the attack. We know he is 36, married, and
:02:45. > :02:50.travelling on an Irish passport. He is being held in the compound with
:02:50. > :02:56.the other hostages. The exact detail of the situation remains so
:02:56. > :03:01.unclear because of how remote the area is. Even BP are saying they
:03:01. > :03:04.are finding it very difficult to make contact with the site and it
:03:04. > :03:09.understands that the armed individuals are still controlling
:03:09. > :03:15.the plant. This afternoon, the Prime Minister got involved and
:03:15. > :03:21.chaired a Cobra meeting, describing the situation as sensitive and
:03:21. > :03:24.ongoing. In the meantime, Eamon Gilmore and the Republic's
:03:24. > :03:28.Department of Foreign Affairs called for the release of the man
:03:28. > :03:35.from Northern island. They say that they will be providing support to
:03:35. > :03:42.his family and using it or resources to obtain his release.
:03:42. > :03:46.But both London and Dublin have appealed to the man -- to the media
:03:46. > :03:53.not to release further details about the man. A dangerous part of
:03:53. > :03:59.the world, why? In the 1990s, Algeria had a very bloody Islamic
:03:59. > :04:03.insurgency. Some of those fighters have become Al-Qaeda's North
:04:03. > :04:08.African franchise. They have a track record of the kidnapping
:04:08. > :04:15.people in the area. They are considered to be the -- to be part
:04:15. > :04:22.of this kind of terrorist group's modus operandi. It is a revenue
:04:22. > :04:28.raiser for Al-Qaeda in the Margaret. They raised millions of dollars. --
:04:28. > :04:31.in the Maghreb. They use the money to buy weapons and ammunition to
:04:31. > :04:35.support their general goals of getting rid of Western influence in
:04:35. > :04:40.the area and overthrowing the Algerian government and Western
:04:40. > :04:45.friendly governments and imposing Sharia law. On top of that, it is
:04:45. > :04:49.an unstable region. France is involved in military action in
:04:49. > :04:56.neighbouring Mali. On the other side of art -- of Algeria, you have
:04:56. > :05:01.Libya which is also volatile and awash with weapons. So the
:05:01. > :05:06.situation in In Amenas is very fluid but the Algerian army is
:05:07. > :05:11.trying to release your pop -- the hostages. If I have any details, I
:05:11. > :05:16.will bring them to you. Several big supermarkets in
:05:16. > :05:19.Northern island have removed beef burger Rangers from their shelves
:05:19. > :05:26.as an investigation continues into how horsemeat got into the food
:05:26. > :05:32.chain. The meat has been chased -- has been traced to one supplier in
:05:32. > :05:35.the UK and two in the Republic. We are led to believe that there is no
:05:35. > :05:39.issue with processors this side of the border.
:05:39. > :05:45.This is one of two processing plants in the Republic at the
:05:45. > :05:49.centre of an -- of a widening Irish and UK investigation after some of
:05:49. > :05:55.the beef burger ranges supplied to supermarkets were found to contain
:05:55. > :06:01.horsemeat. Product ranges were removed from shelves. Experts can -
:06:01. > :06:06.- confirmed that there is no risk to public health. On all the public
:06:06. > :06:15.-- the information available, nobody is going to die or get ill.
:06:15. > :06:20.It is about us buying product that we think is something and it isn't.
:06:20. > :06:25.Of all the supermarkets, only Aldi do not have a presence in Northern
:06:25. > :06:34.island. When the authorities in the South examined the low-value Tesco
:06:34. > :06:39.Berger, they found the course content was 29%. -- Tesco Berger.
:06:39. > :06:43.The Food Standards Agency say they do not suspect a wider problem.
:06:43. > :06:46.Only in so far as the product has come on sale in Northern island,
:06:46. > :06:54.there is nothing that the industry could have done here that would
:06:54. > :06:58.have contributed to that. Some shoppers seemed alarm. It is pretty
:06:58. > :07:03.me off, definitely. You want to know what you're feeding your kids.
:07:03. > :07:09.That is desperate, it really is. We don't know what else could be in it
:07:09. > :07:13.that we don't know about. About 60% of local farming deals in beef. The
:07:13. > :07:18.industry said that this was an episode that the industry should
:07:18. > :07:23.learn from. We have concerns that this has got into the food chain.
:07:23. > :07:29.But at the same time, consumers will realise the importance of
:07:29. > :07:33.locally sourced and locally produced produce. Back in County
:07:33. > :07:41.Monaghan, there is a real fear that contracts could be cancelled and
:07:41. > :07:46.jobs lost. My dad works on the forklift as he is afraid. Will the
:07:46. > :07:54.big companies cancelled their orders? There are enough places
:07:54. > :07:59.closing already. Without so were Crest Foods being closed.
:07:59. > :08:09.without Silvercrest Foods. The company said it had never knowingly
:08:09. > :08:11.
:08:11. > :08:15.The food scare has raised wider questions about how horses are
:08:15. > :08:20.moved and slaughtered for meat. Tonight on BBC Newsline, we can
:08:20. > :08:24.reveal that the USPCA has been holding a long investigation into
:08:24. > :08:32.the trade and believes that Northern island has become a black
:08:32. > :08:36.market trade -- trading post. -- Northern Ireland. Our reporter has
:08:36. > :08:44.been following the USPCA investigation which has uncovered
:08:44. > :08:54.animal cruelty on a huge scale. These courses were found carouse in
:08:54. > :09:00.poor conditions. They were signed over to the US PCA's. -- the USPCA.
:09:00. > :09:03.It took the animals away and said it believed they were going to be
:09:04. > :09:09.transported to a meat processing plant either in the Republic or in
:09:09. > :09:15.England. In a County Antrim, more than 50 animals were also rescued.
:09:15. > :09:21.These discoveries increase the USPCA's suspicions and they began
:09:21. > :09:29.to suspect something sinister. Choral that huge numbers of horses.
:09:29. > :09:35.They were in appalling condition. We have supplied the images to the
:09:35. > :09:41.BBC. These animals were unfit for Transport. Many of them were
:09:41. > :09:47.starved. We were taken to mass graves in Northern island. Last
:09:47. > :09:54.year, BBC Newsline explicitly covered a court hearing in Scotland.
:09:54. > :09:59.To Northern island men were convicted of moving horses without
:09:59. > :10:03.valid passport. The USPCA works closely with a Scottish
:10:03. > :10:10.counterparts and sees this lorry which had a dozen horses on board.
:10:10. > :10:16.These are legitimate cause passport so. They should be held by every
:10:16. > :10:20.horse owner. They identify animals with microchips embedded in the
:10:20. > :10:25.horse's skin. They are subject to be checked every time a horse is
:10:25. > :10:29.transported. The horse passport scheme is meant to provide the same
:10:29. > :10:38.kind of traceability as farmers have when they transport and
:10:38. > :10:44.slaughter cattle. The findings in Scotland showed that a vet's
:10:44. > :10:49.signature had been forged. In some cases, the USPCA believed that
:10:49. > :10:52.microchips were implanted into horses on lorries. The horse
:10:52. > :10:57.passport system is in total disarray. We believe the
:10:58. > :11:02.authorities became aware of this north and south of the border, two
:11:02. > :11:08.years ago. They knew they could not allowed to use -- they could not
:11:08. > :11:14.continue to use the horse passport system, it needs to be abolished, a
:11:14. > :11:22.new system needs to be found. US PGA claims that courses selling
:11:22. > :11:27.for as little as �50 at auction are changing hands for -- because of
:11:27. > :11:33.the forged passports of making them sellable as Prime horsemeat. There
:11:33. > :11:38.are taken for processing outside Northern island. Some are destined
:11:38. > :11:48.for continental Europe, where people routinely eat horsemeat.
:11:48. > :11:49.
:11:49. > :11:57.Ulster and Scotland were used as cot -- as corridors of cruelty. The
:11:57. > :12:03.main criminal activity took place on the mainland. He. The USPCA
:12:03. > :12:07.believes action must be taken. In a statement this evening, the
:12:07. > :12:11.Department of Agriculture said that its officials routinely check
:12:11. > :12:15.courses leaving or entering Northern island. It said it was
:12:15. > :12:20.aware of the identification and welfare issues and it was assisting
:12:21. > :12:25.in both investigations in the Republic and in Britain.
:12:25. > :12:32.A man who had his conviction for the Murdoch of two soldiers at
:12:32. > :12:37.Massereene Barracks quashed, will face a retrial. He was told that
:12:37. > :12:43.the retrial was in the interest of justice, despite that -- despite
:12:43. > :12:50.defence claims that it could amount to an abuse of the legal system. He
:12:50. > :12:56.was retained in custody. His defence team it is supposed to make
:12:56. > :13:01.an application to the Court in London. This could delay the trial.
:13:01. > :13:07.Still to come, and exclusive love at a revolutionary way to screen
:13:07. > :13:10.for lung cancer. -- an exclusive look.
:13:10. > :13:16.The Deputy First Minister has challenged Unionist ministers to do
:13:16. > :13:20.more to end violence on our streets. Martin McGuinness was on a visit to
:13:20. > :13:25.the nationalist Short Strand interface area, scene of some of
:13:25. > :13:31.the worst violence in the -- recent flag protests. What to local people
:13:31. > :13:36.make of what has been happening? Martin McGuinness described Short
:13:36. > :13:41.Strand as a small up, isolated community which bore the brunt of
:13:41. > :13:47.sectarianism. He said he had come to speak to a very proud people,
:13:47. > :13:52.but where was Peter Robinson? want to make it absolutely clear
:13:52. > :13:57.that as I stood front and centre against the activities of violent
:13:57. > :14:04.republicans, we also need to be standing together against those
:14:04. > :14:09.anti-democratic violent so-called loyalists who are try to confound
:14:09. > :14:13.our institution and damage the political process. Away from the
:14:13. > :14:22.interfaces, the people of nationalist west Belfast have been
:14:22. > :14:27.watching from a relatively safe distance. We began by asking people
:14:27. > :14:36.up in this church in the Falls Road. I'm not frightened. But my
:14:36. > :14:42.relations live on the Short Strand and they are terrified. My honest
:14:42. > :14:49.opinion is that it has been there and it should stay there. I don't
:14:49. > :14:57.understand why they have to have protests about it. I don't know,
:14:57. > :15:07.they are silly people. They were offered full flight, and it should
:15:07. > :15:08.
:15:08. > :15:14.have worked. Opinion seemed divided. He is only a flag, what say flag?
:15:14. > :15:19.It's more than a flag. It's a piece thing, and they don't want peace.
:15:19. > :15:23.Would you prefer to have a flag on City Hall? Not personally. Do you
:15:23. > :15:28.think the decision to have written designated days is right? I think
:15:28. > :15:32.on balance, it is what is the policy in the rest of the UK.
:15:32. > :15:38.think it's right. There should be in the flats. There should be any
:15:38. > :15:43.discrimination. At this Irish language Culture Centre, two
:15:43. > :15:47.figures criticised the protests and Unionist politicians. I figure
:15:47. > :15:54.should stop. Political Unionism should get its act gather and show
:15:54. > :15:57.leadership on the ground. It is a shared city. We are in a very
:15:57. > :16:02.different space and people need to start exploring the reality of that
:16:02. > :16:12.rather than hankering to the old days. That has gone for ever. But
:16:12. > :16:19.
:16:19. > :16:29.for now, we can only watch and hope Micheal Martin was writing in a
:16:29. > :16:29.
:16:29. > :16:35.newspaper this morning and joins us now. It is symptomatic of a wider
:16:35. > :16:39.problem with the politics of Northern Ireland. The Good Friday
:16:39. > :16:49.agreement was more than just about the absence of violence. The full
:16:49. > :16:52.
:16:52. > :16:59.realisation of the agreement's potential has not happened. It cuts
:16:59. > :17:03.both ways. We have to work on a cross-community basis. What has
:17:03. > :17:08.happened is an acceptable and disgraceful that needs to stop and
:17:08. > :17:13.I would condemn the violence at and the violent street protests.
:17:13. > :17:18.Equally, I would say that the situation is not about victory of
:17:18. > :17:24.one side over the other ball the assertion of one position over the
:17:24. > :17:28.other. There is a genuine need for politicians to show people that on
:17:28. > :17:33.bread-and-butter issues politics works. There has been a
:17:33. > :17:43.preoccupation for far too long with flags and emblems and parades as an
:17:43. > :17:45.
:17:45. > :17:50.alternative to real politics. Child poverty levels are too high. If it
:17:50. > :17:55.-- is this a broad attack on storeman's agenda and therefore a
:17:55. > :18:02.veiled attack on Sinn Fein and your opponents in the Republic? No, I
:18:02. > :18:07.have been a lifelong Republican and committed between -- committed to
:18:07. > :18:11.unity on this island. I was involved in talks in relation to
:18:11. > :18:21.aspects of the peace process and I am anxious to see it work. I have
:18:21. > :18:26.been frustrated over time as a role in the demolition of justice and I
:18:26. > :18:29.saw hope the executives and politics was not realising the
:18:29. > :18:38.opportunity there to change the situation for many people and that
:18:38. > :18:43.is fundamental to... And an underlying issue. Mr Martin, thank
:18:43. > :18:47.you for joining us. People with suspected lung disease,
:18:47. > :18:53.including cancer, often have to undergo surgery to have their
:18:53. > :18:57.condition diagnosed. A new technique means doctors can look
:18:57. > :19:02.inside the Lions and detect humour which does not involve a stay in
:19:02. > :19:06.hospital. It has been offered to patients at the south-west acute
:19:06. > :19:12.hospital in Enniskillen. We went to find out what difference it is
:19:12. > :19:16.making. A first for Northern Ireland.
:19:16. > :19:20.Diagnosing lung disease often involves surgery and a stay in
:19:20. > :19:29.hospital, but this piece of equipment can look inside the lungs
:19:29. > :19:36.and allow the patient home the same day. You can see that there is a
:19:37. > :19:42.device. Also, through a channel, we can pass a needle - a fine and
:19:42. > :19:46.hollow needle - to take biopsies. The bronchial endoscope allows
:19:46. > :19:51.consultants to make a faster diagnosis which mean streak and can
:19:51. > :19:56.also begin sooner. The majority of patients we see for this procedure
:19:56. > :20:01.have suspected lung cancer. It is a priority that they are investigated
:20:01. > :20:07.quickly so the treatment can commend as quickly as possible.
:20:07. > :20:14.Stephen Hogan said having the procedure was simple. The biggest
:20:14. > :20:19.difference for me was knowing where I am that with the diagnosis. Also,
:20:19. > :20:25.for the doctor as well, and the referral to the Oncologist and then
:20:25. > :20:31.I know what my treatment options are. So, it actually gives you a
:20:31. > :20:35.sense of relief and saves a lot of time. 900 people in Northern
:20:35. > :20:41.Ireland are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. 90% of them are
:20:41. > :20:47.smokers. Unfortunately, we see younger patients presenting with
:20:47. > :20:53.lung cancer. It can affect any age and that emphasises the importance
:20:53. > :21:00.of stopping smoking. Although this new service may speed up the
:21:00. > :21:04.diagnosis the message to smokers is that it is never too late to quit.
:21:04. > :21:08.Paul McGinley has told BBC Newsline that he hopes to bring a little bit
:21:08. > :21:13.of Gaelic games into the Ryder Cup dressing room next year. Tell us
:21:13. > :21:22.more. He is the son of a former Donegal
:21:22. > :21:27.Gaelic footballer and he broke his kneecaps which prompted him to take
:21:27. > :21:32.up golf. He is now captain of the European Ryder Cup side. The
:21:32. > :21:36.appointment may not win him an All- Ireland medal, but it has already
:21:36. > :21:46.won him lots of plaudits. It was one of the proudest days of
:21:46. > :21:47.
:21:47. > :21:51.his life. Thank you. And the backing of the world's best golfer
:21:51. > :21:55.certainly helped. Rory McIlroy and a host of Europe's finest indicated
:21:55. > :22:00.that McGinlay was their top choice for camped in and out choice was
:22:00. > :22:05.simple. I played with him in the Seve Trophy and it was my first
:22:05. > :22:09.ever experience in a team atmosphere as a professional. He
:22:09. > :22:14.was a great captain, probably the best captain I have ever played
:22:14. > :22:21.with. I enjoyed playing under him the most. He makes you feel so good
:22:21. > :22:25.about yourself. He said, I want you to lead out the team. He makes you
:22:25. > :22:32.feel confident and he is very good at that. Last night, in front of
:22:32. > :22:41.the world's media, Paul -- Paul McGinley spare go back -- about
:22:41. > :22:47.Gaelic games. His father played for Donegal but he did reveal Gaelic
:22:47. > :22:54.football will form a small part of the Ryder Cup in 2014. Everybody
:22:54. > :22:59.who knows Gaelic games... It is very parochial and, for me, it is
:22:59. > :23:04.the best game in the world. I think it is fantastic, what it stands for
:23:04. > :23:12.and what it gives to communities across Ireland. There is no doubt
:23:12. > :23:17.about it, it is part of my DNA and I would like to think I can get it
:23:18. > :23:23.into the team room in Gleneagles. It remains to be seen whether
:23:23. > :23:30.Darren Clarke will form part of the set-up. But they are hoping for
:23:30. > :23:39.back-to-back Irish captain's. think it would be right for him to
:23:39. > :23:46.play. He's a big name. I hope 2018 is too early for me. I hope I will
:23:46. > :23:52.play. It will not be how I see it, but hopefully one day I will be
:23:52. > :23:56.Ryder Cup captain. A bat on a, until next October, rests on the
:23:56. > :24:04.Paul -- shoulders of Paul McGinley, the Ryder Cup's first ever Irish
:24:04. > :24:08.captain. Ballinamallard win has been
:24:08. > :24:13.tempered by the news that one of its best players is in talks with
:24:13. > :24:18.Linfield about a possible transfer. After moving nine points clear at
:24:18. > :24:23.the top of the table, Cliftonville are keen to hold on to their inform
:24:23. > :24:30.striker. Among the highlights at last
:24:30. > :24:40.night's encounter was this smart save it. The game's stand-out
:24:40. > :24:45.
:24:45. > :24:54.moment came from this subtlety and club stealing boys away for
:24:54. > :25:03.Solitude. I love playing football. I play it every day. I just have to
:25:03. > :25:08.focus on my matches. I would love to see him playing. I would love
:25:08. > :25:13.him to stay until at least the summer and village best campaign of.
:25:13. > :25:23.He will go with our blessing if it works out for him. He is a
:25:23. > :25:32.
:25:32. > :25:40.Barcelona. It ensured Ballymena We understand a Kilcoo supporter
:25:40. > :25:44.has received a life ban from the GAA for racial abuse. It is also
:25:44. > :25:54.emerging that a second fan is being investigated following those
:25:54. > :25:58.
:25:58. > :26:03.allegations. It was a miserable day out there
:26:03. > :26:09.today and took a chilly one also. The question on everyone's lips is
:26:09. > :26:13.when will we see snow? There is still a degree of uncertainty.
:26:13. > :26:19.Suffice to say we will see wet and wintry weather heading our way
:26:19. > :26:23.towards the end of the week, but the wintry conditions may well be
:26:23. > :26:30.confined to higher ground. Keep tuned to the forecast. We will
:26:30. > :26:38.bring all the latest as we get it. No it snow on the horizon tonight.
:26:38. > :26:44.It is a largely cloudy picture with rain lingering around. Temperatures
:26:44. > :26:49.will hover around three or four degrees Celsius. The cloud will
:26:49. > :26:54.kick the temperatures up. Tomorrow, the odd pocket of frost where there
:26:54. > :27:01.are breaks in the cloud but it is a largely frost-free picture. A
:27:01. > :27:07.cloudy and damned one though. In the West, some brightness early on.
:27:07. > :27:14.Feeling noticeably breezy. The rain lingers in the East. Temperatures
:27:14. > :27:18.are average for this time of year, but we could see pretty severe
:27:18. > :27:22.gusts on the east coast. The clouds thickening in the evening. The
:27:22. > :27:28.front moving in from the West is what we are focusing on as it could
:27:28. > :27:33.bring wintry conditions. It will bring pretty heavy rain. The rain
:27:33. > :27:40.has prompted the Met Office to issue an early warning for rain at
:27:40. > :27:46.which could lead to localised flooding. Up to 40 mm of rain could
:27:46. > :27:50.fall which would cause disruption on the roads. The rain will
:27:50. > :28:00.continue to track northwards on Friday. Staying wintry and cold for
:28:00. > :28:03.