:00:00. > :00:12.Keep up-to-date online. That's all from the BBC News At
:00:13. > :00:18.This is BBC Newsline. Tonight's top stories. The Smithwick Report's
:00:19. > :00:22.finding of collusion in the murder of two senior RUC officers leads to
:00:23. > :00:34.an apology from the Republic's top policeman - and heated debate in the
:00:35. > :00:40.Dail. I cannot get out of my mind the image of one of those men,
:00:41. > :00:44.injured, out of his car, waving his white handkerchief and being shot in
:00:45. > :00:56.the head by an IRA activist. Eight arrests after police carry out drugs
:00:57. > :00:58.raids in Londonderry. Why are police investigating these invite -- but
:00:59. > :01:03.with these vices? Game of Thrones stars in the new tourism strategy
:01:04. > :01:06.for Northern Ireland. After two years at Ravenhill, Ulster's World
:01:07. > :01:10.Cup winner John Afoa is leaving. A wet and windy night ahead. The Met
:01:11. > :01:20.Office have issued a warning for strong winds for tomorrow morning.
:01:21. > :01:24.Join me later for all the details. The Garda commissioner says he is
:01:25. > :01:26.horrified that any member of the force would have colluded with the
:01:27. > :01:29.IRA. It follows yesterday's Smithwick Report, which found that
:01:30. > :01:32.there was collusion in the murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen
:01:33. > :01:35.and Superintendent Bob Buchanan. The two senior RUC officers were shot
:01:36. > :01:49.dead as they returned from Dundalk Garda station in 1989. Here's our
:01:50. > :01:55.Dublin correspondent Shane Harrison. 24 years on, the IRA murders of the
:01:56. > :02:04.two senior police officers continued to cast a long shadow. At 24 hours
:02:05. > :02:06.after Peter Smithwick found that on balance of probability and
:02:07. > :02:13.unidentified rogue Garda officer colluded with the killers, the Garda
:02:14. > :02:18.Commissioner gave his reaction. I accept, of course, the conclusions
:02:19. > :02:26.arrived at by the chairman of the tribunal. I want to apologise
:02:27. > :02:31.unreservedly for any failings on behalf of any member of the Gardai.
:02:32. > :02:35.unreservedly for any failings on I, like everybody else, and
:02:36. > :02:41.horrified at the thoughts of any member of my organisation betraying
:02:42. > :02:48.themselves, their organisation and the fundamental values of the
:02:49. > :02:51.Gardai. I know you say you accept the findings, but I did not hear you
:02:52. > :03:00.say that you believe them or agreed with them. It is very important that
:03:01. > :03:06.I would look carefully at the report that has taken almost eight years to
:03:07. > :03:11.complete and it is just within the 24-hour period that I have had my
:03:12. > :03:15.hands on the report. I will that it very closely with my officers on we
:03:16. > :03:20.will go through it line by line to see what lessons are required to be
:03:21. > :03:27.learned. Was yesterday a black day for the Gardai? Absolutely. I hope
:03:28. > :03:31.we will move forward and learn from the lessons of the past and we will
:03:32. > :03:38.move forward and we will be a better police force. The officers were
:03:39. > :03:43.frequent visitors to Dundalk Garda station and in a radio interview,
:03:44. > :03:48.the Sinn Fein leaders said they appear to have a laugh a fair
:03:49. > :03:51.attitude to the personal security. Our government minister described
:03:52. > :03:59.the comments is nauseating and in the Dail, Gerry Adams had to defend
:04:00. > :04:04.himself from attack. It is insulting to the families concerned, it should
:04:05. > :04:07.be withdrawn and I think it also, essentially almost claims by
:04:08. > :04:12.implication, the officers themselves. We should be very clear
:04:13. > :04:18.in this House, this was premeditated murder. I cannot get out of my mind
:04:19. > :04:22.of one of those men, injured, out of his car, waving his white
:04:23. > :04:28.handkerchief, and being shot in the head by an IRA activist. That is
:04:29. > :04:34.what we are dealing with. Today is not a day for self-justification by
:04:35. > :04:40.anybody, a political party, it is not a day for muddying the waters. I
:04:41. > :04:45.have already said clearly that these were brave officers doing their duty
:04:46. > :04:48.as they sought in the same way as the IRA volunteers would see
:04:49. > :04:56.themselves as doing their duty, as they sought. On a visit to Japan,
:04:57. > :04:58.the Taoiseach repeated his government's apology and offered to
:04:59. > :05:04.meet the families of the officers if it was deemed appropriate. The PSNI
:05:05. > :05:07.also say they are examining the contents of the Smithwick Report,
:05:08. > :05:10.which criticised how police on both sides of the border responded
:05:11. > :05:11.which criticised how police on both allegations of collusion in the
:05:12. > :05:14.murders of Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob
:05:15. > :05:16.Buchanan. Our Home Affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney's
:05:17. > :05:25.report begins with the Chief Constable at the time dismissing
:05:26. > :05:34.those allegations. The evidence which we have firmly confirms to us
:05:35. > :05:40.that there was no mole. I think it was too rushed, I understand perhaps
:05:41. > :05:45.that the corporation was key, but it should not have been key to the
:05:46. > :05:48.detriment of the murder of two police officers. Harry Breen and Bob
:05:49. > :05:52.Buchanan with the easiest of targets. They were both unarmed and
:05:53. > :05:56.in a car with no armour or bullet-proof glass and travelling
:05:57. > :05:59.back from a meeting in Dundalk Garda Station. On a quiet back road, they
:06:00. > :06:05.drove into an IRA trap. Less Station. On a quiet back road, they
:06:06. > :06:10.hours later, the RUC chief constable was asked about allegations of
:06:11. > :06:14.Gardai collusion. I have spoken twice today to the Garda
:06:15. > :06:19.Commissioner and we have been concerned at these statements as to
:06:20. > :06:23.the possibility of a mould. We have each, within our own area of command
:06:24. > :06:31.examined this and we can say that categorically, the evidence that we
:06:32. > :06:36.have firmly confirms to us that there was no leak. We would ask that
:06:37. > :06:40.this be discounted very firmly and very clearly. That morning, he had
:06:41. > :06:44.been told that before going to Dundalk, Harry Breen had expressed
:06:45. > :06:48.concerns about some police officers there. This man give that
:06:49. > :06:53.information to the Chief Constable. At the time, he was an RUC Sergeant,
:06:54. > :06:59.serving as staff officer to the Chief Superintendent. For him to
:07:00. > :07:09.come in, it was not me that he was dismissing, it was Harry Breen, and
:07:10. > :07:15.that annoyed me. The report says the Chief Constable acted for reasons of
:07:16. > :07:19.political expediency. Here he was, faced with the death of two of his
:07:20. > :07:23.officers, allegations that there had been treachery on the part of the
:07:24. > :07:28.Gardai and if he had gone along and confirmed that, that would have
:07:29. > :07:34.brought the corporation complete end. I know that he took a very
:07:35. > :07:39.pragmatic and political decision that he would not rob the noses of
:07:40. > :07:43.the Gardai in it in the hope that it would build up trust and they would
:07:44. > :07:49.get more effective cooperation. After the enquiry, doors -- Judge
:07:50. > :07:52.Peter Smithwick said there was a leak and collusion. He says the
:07:53. > :07:56.circumstances of the attack point towards a conclusion that
:07:57. > :08:00.information was leaked in order to trigger the commencement of the
:08:01. > :08:03.operation and there was likely that McGregor was likely the information
:08:04. > :08:08.came from the Garda Station. The officers may have been soft targets,
:08:09. > :08:12.but they were also obvious targets. A senior police commander in Armagh,
:08:13. > :08:19.Harry Breen had been pictured with weapons recovered from IRA men. The
:08:20. > :08:24.judge said this made killing him a priority for the IRA. There is no
:08:25. > :08:28.doubt they would have had to take time to prepare their ambush. The
:08:29. > :08:33.tribunal heard evidence that soldiers carrying out surveillance
:08:34. > :08:37.near the cross-border railway line had noticed suspicious activity.
:08:38. > :08:42.They pulled out at 11am that morning, just hours before the
:08:43. > :08:47.shooting. Something the judge described as noteworthy and tragic.
:08:48. > :08:51.The judge also referred to an increase in IRA radio transmissions
:08:52. > :08:57.in the area from around midday. He said the suggested to him and much
:08:58. > :08:59.more major IRA operation and this signals activity was in all
:09:00. > :09:04.likelihood, connected to the operation to ambush Chief
:09:05. > :09:08.Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan. Nearly
:09:09. > :09:13.25 years after the killings, the PSNI and Gardai say they are
:09:14. > :09:16.examining the contents of the report. A report that confirms
:09:17. > :09:23.allegations on that but the police on both side of the border dismissed
:09:24. > :09:29.all those years ago. Our political editor joins me now. Quite a
:09:30. > :09:35.reaction to Gerry Adams comments? Those comments in which Gerry Adams
:09:36. > :09:41.talked about the security of the officers have prompted major
:09:42. > :09:45.criticism. We heard from the Irish government bearer, the Irish just in
:09:46. > :10:01.-- but the Justice Minister call the comment nauseating. The Secretary of
:10:02. > :10:07.State call them offensive. Whilst Gerry Adams was trying to explain it
:10:08. > :10:11.from the perspective of the IRA, it was an ambush, he has brought this
:10:12. > :10:19.political firestorm down on his head. Where does this leave us in
:10:20. > :10:23.terms of dealing with the past? It has been said this was a dummy run
:10:24. > :10:28.for a truth commission, we had IRA members giving evidence to the tribe
:10:29. > :10:34.-- Michael to the tribunal. If this is a dummy run, it has not been
:10:35. > :10:38.particularly successful. Instead of bringing about reconciliation, we
:10:39. > :10:42.have a lot of recrimination. We have the best guess from a judge, that
:10:43. > :10:46.has brought some solace to the families, but because he has not
:10:47. > :10:55.uncovered direct evidence, politicians are arguing about
:10:56. > :11:00.exactly what happened. Plenty to come before seven. Politicians have
:11:01. > :11:05.been asked to come up with ideas for a new flight? What did the next
:11:06. > :11:16.generation think? -- flag. Eight people have been arrested in a
:11:17. > :11:19.police crackdown on illegal drugs in Londonderry. Dozens of officers
:11:20. > :11:22.carried out searches throughout the city yesterday. The police believe
:11:23. > :11:26.they uncovered a significant find of one drug which has been linked to a
:11:27. > :11:36.number of deaths. Here's our north west reporter, Keiron Tourish.
:11:37. > :11:50.Around 70 officers were involved after their briefing at the
:11:51. > :11:54.station. The searches took in homes in the Waterside and city side and
:11:55. > :11:59.the outskirts of the city. Overall, police say there were five seizures
:12:00. > :12:03.of herbal cannabis, one of cannabis resin and seven of suspected method
:12:04. > :12:07.Rome. At this house, the officer in charge believe they had uncovered a
:12:08. > :12:12.drug linked to several deaths in Northern Ireland. We suspect we have
:12:13. > :12:15.drug linked to several deaths in recovered a very dangerous drug.
:12:16. > :12:20.What is concerning here is that it is in a room that children have
:12:21. > :12:28.accessed too. We have a shame that vacuum sealed plastic bags that drug
:12:29. > :12:39.dealers often use. We have a set of scales. We have a filling agent, and
:12:40. > :12:48.it is true that lots of drugs that are sold by actually -- actually
:12:49. > :12:53.contain bulking agents. The PSNI say every available resource is being
:12:54. > :13:01.used in the fight against drugs. This is a springer spaniel and we
:13:02. > :13:05.use him to search for drugs. We use him to detect firearms and cash as
:13:06. > :13:12.well. In these operations they are invaluable. The police say these
:13:13. > :13:16.operations are vital in the crackdown on drugs and drug
:13:17. > :13:19.dealing. These searches have come as a result of information directly
:13:20. > :13:25.from the public. Police say it is vital that that continues. The talks
:13:26. > :13:28.chairman Richard Haass has asked the political parties for their views on
:13:29. > :13:32.a potential new flag for Northern Ireland. He requested a response, in
:13:33. > :13:35.writing, by this evening before his return to Belfast next week. But is
:13:36. > :13:45.another flag really needed? Mark Simpson reports. When it comes to
:13:46. > :13:50.flags, in many ways we are spoilt for choice. Choosing one which suits
:13:51. > :13:55.everyone, that is when the problems start. That is exactly what Richard
:13:56. > :14:02.has once the political parties to consider. You cannot just invent a
:14:03. > :14:07.flight, or can you? All countries have changed their flag at one
:14:08. > :14:13.point. They have all been invented at some point. During the peace
:14:14. > :14:22.process in South Africa, they came up with a new national flag.
:14:23. > :14:29.Inventing new flags is very common. Can you imagine being a tourist in
:14:30. > :14:34.Belfast? It is not just politicians debating the issue, comedians have
:14:35. > :14:43.had a goal. Richard has has arrived and he wants to know what we could
:14:44. > :14:47.possibly do to help the situation. When it comes to flags, it seems
:14:48. > :14:51.that Richard has is trying to get the parties to focus on the future
:14:52. > :14:58.rather than the past will stop what do the next generation think about
:14:59. > :15:08.the issue? Do you think we need a new flag? We need a new attitude. It
:15:09. > :15:14.will not make a difference. I think they do need a new one. There are
:15:15. > :15:24.people who are purely represented, the people who do not care. What
:15:25. > :15:35.colour should it be? Purple. Royal Lou. That is a bad decision -- and
:15:36. > :15:41.blur. The politicians will decide. If they do decide to go for one,
:15:42. > :15:54.there are plenty of ideas on social networking sites. You can join the
:15:55. > :15:58.debate on our Facebook page. Still to come... We hear from the
:15:59. > :16:07.Coleraine woman who has skated her weight to the Winter Olympics. --
:16:08. > :16:11.skated her way. With energy bills continuing to soar, it's very
:16:12. > :16:14.tempting to grasp at anything which will make us a saving. But there's
:16:15. > :16:17.been a warning that thousands of us are being fooled into buying energy
:16:18. > :16:21.saving devices. They cost around ?100 or more and claim to make
:16:22. > :16:29.savings of up to 25%, but many simply don't work. Kevin Sharkey has
:16:30. > :16:33.been investigating. No chance of anything in these bags of evidence
:16:34. > :16:42.saving you electricity. Even before they were by police, these devices
:16:43. > :16:47.were unlikely to save much par or money. Not that an unsuspecting
:16:48. > :16:51.customer will know, the products are marketed through so-called cold
:16:52. > :16:57.calling over the phone. Investigators say the devices are
:16:58. > :17:01.imported from the Far East. Simply, they do not do what householders
:17:02. > :17:07.think they will do. This is an example of some of the devices. It
:17:08. > :17:12.is quite small. The promise is that they can help you to make a big
:17:13. > :17:17.savings. Investigations into these items have found that they make
:17:18. > :17:23.people make very few savings, in some cases, none at all. Trading
:17:24. > :17:27.Standards is aware of householders and businesses being approached by
:17:28. > :17:30.companies offering to sell electricity saving devices, often on
:17:31. > :17:37.a promise of very substantial savings, sometimes up to 25%. We
:17:38. > :17:43.believe that there may be many thousands of these devices across
:17:44. > :17:47.Northern Ireland currently. Investigators believe the recession
:17:48. > :17:50.of recent years and rising fuel costs have led to more and more
:17:51. > :17:54.householders looking at ways of saving money and when they are
:17:55. > :18:01.offered something they think will work, they buy it without checking
:18:02. > :18:05.how it works or even if it works. We believe that many of these devices
:18:06. > :18:10.will represent virtually no savings. In fact, there has been
:18:11. > :18:16.some independent tests done on some devices which have concluded that.
:18:17. > :18:21.Furthermore, some of the devices have actually been shown to be
:18:22. > :18:24.dangerous. Given what investigators are finding, they believe that the
:18:25. > :18:31.best way for people to save money is by switching off the lights. Filmed
:18:32. > :18:35.mostly in Northern Ireland, the TV series Game of Thrones is to be used
:18:36. > :18:38.to help attract more tourists. Its worldwide popularity means it could
:18:39. > :18:41.be as strong a selling point as iconic attractions like the Giant's
:18:42. > :18:50.Causeway. Here's our business correspondent Julian O'Neill. Making
:18:51. > :18:54.Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland could pay dividends for local
:18:55. > :18:59.tourism. The series will have a starring role in future campaigns to
:19:00. > :19:03.boost visitor numbers and a new marketing strategy was outlined
:19:04. > :19:09.today with the industry out to capitalise on the region's
:19:10. > :19:10.appearance on screen. This is a major motivator. Game of Thrones is
:19:11. > :19:17.a great example. It is in its fourth major motivator. Game of Thrones is
:19:18. > :19:21.series. We had Dracula here as well. We have had Bollywood producers
:19:22. > :19:26.here. We could not afford to advertise on television, but if a
:19:27. > :19:32.film is shot here, it can impact on people 's choices. By 2016, Stormont
:19:33. > :19:36.wants to see 2 million people visiting Northern Ireland annually,
:19:37. > :19:44.an increase of about 16%, but to achieve it, the region may need to
:19:45. > :19:47.attract more direct flights. Negotiations are ongoing. Canada is
:19:48. > :19:52.my number one objective and I very much want to push that. I have put
:19:53. > :19:56.myself out there and I believe for us to increase the number of
:19:57. > :20:01.tourists, we need more direct accessed. Big hopes are pinned on
:20:02. > :20:05.the promotional possibilities of hosting a race next year. It will be
:20:06. > :20:09.screened to a global audience. hosting a race next year. It will be
:20:10. > :20:16.Developing tourism is a key part of the Northern Ireland Executive's
:20:17. > :20:19.plans for economic growth. There is optimism that this ?2 million target
:20:20. > :20:27.can be met. They say everyone has a cross to bear. But for the town of
:20:28. > :20:30.Downpatrick, it's a cross they want to preserve. This morning, the High
:20:31. > :20:34.Cross was dismantled and removed from the front of Down Cathedral in
:20:35. > :20:42.what's hoped to be the final chapter in a history spanning over one
:20:43. > :20:47.thousand years. Nicola Weir reports. In the bright sunshine of a cold
:20:48. > :20:52.December morning, a little piece of history is stirred from its slumber.
:20:53. > :20:57.This cross has stood here for over 100 years, having been moved twice
:20:58. > :21:03.and dismantled once during a history spanning a millennium. It is now
:21:04. > :21:08.being moved to the town museum. We have been worried about it being
:21:09. > :21:13.weathered and we are per packs as to what to do, so when the Heritage
:21:14. > :21:22.Association offered to take it into the museum, we were quite relieved.
:21:23. > :21:28.It is important to preserve it. I think it is going to be very
:21:29. > :21:32.important to remind people that think Patrick is buried here. It is
:21:33. > :21:42.such an important early Christian site. A safe pair of hands was
:21:43. > :21:46.required for this nervous worker. We have got softening on our straps and
:21:47. > :21:51.we will try not to lose any of the detail. This historic
:21:52. > :21:55.we will try not to lose any of the what is hoped to be its final
:21:56. > :21:59.journey. It will be placed in the museum in the town and a new replica
:22:00. > :22:07.will be placed here in time for St Patrick's Day next year. Time for
:22:08. > :22:11.sport. Ulster Rugby prepare for a big week with news of a big loss.
:22:12. > :22:15.Gavin's here. Yes - Treviso come to Ravenhill on Saturday for the first
:22:16. > :22:19.of back to back Heineken Cup games with Mark Anscombe's side. And this
:22:20. > :22:22.evening came the news that one of Ulster's key internationals will be
:22:23. > :22:26.leaving at the end of the season. World Cup winner John Afoa has
:22:27. > :22:29.signed a long term deal with a team in the English Premiership, after
:22:30. > :22:32.two years here. The news comes as no surprise - speaking to BBC Newsline
:22:33. > :22:41.recently, he suggested that his future was uncertain. Last year I
:22:42. > :22:42.was looking to go home, but I stayed on. I am at the end
:22:43. > :22:49.was looking to go home, but I stayed we will look at everything. I am
:22:50. > :22:58.getting on now and there will not be too many contracts over the next few
:22:59. > :23:03.years. Mark Allen is through to the quarterfinals of the UK Snooker
:23:04. > :23:09.Championship. He beat Judd Trump earlier. He was not at his best but
:23:10. > :23:13.came through and will now face Ricky Walden in the last eight tomorrow
:23:14. > :23:16.night. Coleraine is well known for producing Olympians - usually in
:23:17. > :23:19.rowing and usually in the Summer. But next year, figure skater Jenna
:23:20. > :23:22.McCorkell from the town, will compete at the Winter Olympics in
:23:23. > :23:25.Russia fresh from winning yet another British title. The games are
:23:26. > :23:34.a fitting finale to an illustrious career as Nikki Gregg reports. She
:23:35. > :23:41.set the standard in British figure skating for over a decade. Jenna
:23:42. > :23:46.McCorkell collected and 11 UK title last weekend, but her era of
:23:47. > :23:57.dominance is coming to an end. I am going after this season. People ask
:23:58. > :24:02.me how I feel, I feel old. I miss one year due to injury, now I am
:24:03. > :24:08.27, you never say never, but I do not want to think too much about it.
:24:09. > :24:12.Those competitions will include the European and world championships and
:24:13. > :24:17.in February, the Winter Olympics. Four years ago she competed in
:24:18. > :24:23.Vancouver, finishing in 20 Ninth Place. The experience was daunting.
:24:24. > :24:29.Mentally, coping with the Place. The experience was daunting.
:24:30. > :24:34.thing, I was taken aback by everything. I have learned a lot
:24:35. > :24:39.over the last four years. She is clear about what she wants to
:24:40. > :24:45.achieve. I do not want to put too much pressure on myself. I would
:24:46. > :24:53.like to have a couple of great escapes. I would like to show before
:24:54. > :24:56.I finish, exactly what I can do. In a sport where artistic impression
:24:57. > :25:02.counts, Jenna is determined to leave a lasting one. Finally, the Belfast
:25:03. > :25:05.Giants lost 8-3 last night away to the Nottingham Panthers. They return
:25:06. > :25:13.to the Odyssey on Saturday and face Edinburgh.
:25:14. > :25:20.Some unpredictable weather is coming. Good evening. After
:25:21. > :25:25.Some unpredictable weather is beautiful day, try and bright and
:25:26. > :25:29.sunny, it is all change overnight. As we go through this evening, it
:25:30. > :25:38.becomes increasingly cloudy, showery and windy. Temperatures tonight will
:25:39. > :25:43.dip down to three or four degrees before the rain arrives. It is the
:25:44. > :25:49.wind which is the story of the night. That is why the Met Office
:25:50. > :25:55.have issued a wind warning. That is in force across Northern Ireland
:25:56. > :26:02.from 2am, we could see gusts of up to 70 mph. It could make it quite a
:26:03. > :26:10.lively drive to work tomorrow. We have this system coming across. As
:26:11. > :26:17.you head to work, do take extra care, leave a bit of extra time and
:26:18. > :26:22.stay tuned to BBC Radio Ulster for the latest traffic and travel
:26:23. > :26:27.information. It is not a pretty picture. Lots of rain, lots of
:26:28. > :26:32.strong winds and even after that rain works its way through, it will
:26:33. > :26:36.stay windy through the day. The best of the temperatures are nine
:26:37. > :26:42.degrees, early in the day, because the clear skies mean the heat will
:26:43. > :26:48.fade away later. It will be a raw and cold day. Showers on the north
:26:49. > :26:53.coast. Some of them will be wintry. Into the evening, those temperatures
:26:54. > :27:11.will plummet down to freezing. A properly cold and wintry night on
:27:12. > :27:12.Thursday going into Friday. That means that Friday starts cool.
:27:13. > :27:16.Another front coming through, it will be wet as well. Not a very nice
:27:17. > :27:19.day, at the one bit of good news is the wind speeds. They will be a lot
:27:20. > :27:25.lower. A bit more good news, just a little bit. As we head towards the
:27:26. > :27:28.weekend, it will get drier, cloudier and a little bit warmer. Our late
:27:29. > :27:31.summary is at 10.25pm. You can also keep in contact with us via Facebook
:27:32. > :27:33.and Twitter. From BBC Newsline, goodnight.