:00:00. > :00:21.The headlines: Richard Haass is back in town promising intense
:00:22. > :00:26.negotiations over the next two weeks. I'm live with more details.
:00:27. > :00:31.An international team is to assess children's heart surgery on both
:00:32. > :00:40.sides of the border. The move is welcomed by families. Very
:00:41. > :00:43.vulnerable children are at the heart of both and I think you would have
:00:44. > :00:44.to have a heart of known not to be moved by this.
:00:45. > :00:47.The hi-tech bit of kit that should stop underage drinkers getting into
:00:48. > :00:50.nightclubs. Another illegal fuel laundering
:00:51. > :01:00.raid, but from now on those caught could find themselves in jail.
:01:01. > :01:04.Ulster's rugby players win again in Europe. One of the team joins me.
:01:05. > :01:07.And today we had temperatures normally seen in April, but how long
:01:08. > :01:14.will the mild weather last? I'll have the details shortly.
:01:15. > :01:18.The former US diplomat Richard Haass has said there is a sense of urgency
:01:19. > :01:25.in talks aimed at resolving disputes over flags, parades and the legacy
:01:26. > :01:28.of the Troubles. Mr Haass is back in town for what he's described as an
:01:29. > :01:33.intense two weeks of deliberations and negotiations. Our political
:01:34. > :01:45.editor is at the talks venue in east Belfast. What is in store over the
:01:46. > :01:51.next two weeks? This next fortnight is make or break time for these
:01:52. > :01:57.talks. Richard Haass and his team will be seeing the parties three
:01:58. > :02:02.times and they will be seared British and Irish ministers to gauge
:02:03. > :02:06.their response. One question which provoked controversy while he was in
:02:07. > :02:09.America was a question about whether there would be any advantage to
:02:10. > :02:15.designing a new Northern Ireland flag. Richard Haass explain to us
:02:16. > :02:19.that that did not come off the top of that head but reflected opinions
:02:20. > :02:24.he had been getting from some of the 600 written submissions he has
:02:25. > :02:30.received. A good number of them came forward with ideas about a new
:02:31. > :02:34.Northern Ireland flag and different people had different ideas about
:02:35. > :02:43.what role such a flight could play full .Mac, for some it was playing a
:02:44. > :02:47.larger role than others. It was clear to us that there was quite a
:02:48. > :02:55.lot of popular interest in this. We thought we should get the opinion of
:02:56. > :02:59.the leadership what they thought. Talking about how we deal with the
:03:00. > :03:04.legacy of the past. What do the parties have to say about that?
:03:05. > :03:09.Richard Haass himself said the various mechanisms and incentives
:03:10. > :03:14.for covering the the truth about the troubled past will be on the table.
:03:15. > :03:23.He would not give any more details. It seems a blanket amnesty is very
:03:24. > :03:28.unlikely given therefore are over -- over the Attorney General's ideas.
:03:29. > :03:35.He did not completely rule out immunity from prosecution is. I have
:03:36. > :03:38.gone on the record in the past to discuss issues around unity and how
:03:39. > :03:43.that has worked in previous phases and how it may be able to be used in
:03:44. > :03:47.future phases, but I think everything has still to be
:03:48. > :03:49.discussed. There was hope of agreement on the talks before
:03:50. > :03:56.Christmas, but how likely is that? Do you think he will have to publish
:03:57. > :04:00.his own proposals? Undoubtedly the preferred option would be having a
:04:01. > :04:05.document that old Stormont parties can sign up to, but we know that
:04:06. > :04:10.there are big differences in relation to flags and parades in the
:04:11. > :04:15.past. He is not completely ruling out the notion he might put his best
:04:16. > :04:21.guess at where the future should lie in some kind of document. If he does
:04:22. > :04:24.that the SDLP say that it is up to the British and Irish governments
:04:25. > :04:28.and as many of the parties as possible to backhand. We want to
:04:29. > :04:32.maximise agreement among the parties that in the absence of agreement
:04:33. > :04:36.that is big, bold and fearless we think that Richard Haass has to make
:04:37. > :04:38.his own recommendations and said to each of the parties and to the two
:04:39. > :04:45.governments, who is going to join him in that challenge and
:04:46. > :04:49.responsibility? How much detail we are going to get out of these
:04:50. > :04:54.negotiations remains unclear. At one point Richard Haass said that he
:04:55. > :04:58.would try to keep us as informed as possible but a moment later he said
:04:59. > :05:04.that at times he might also have to keep us in the dark.
:05:05. > :05:07.An international team of medics has been called in by health ministers
:05:08. > :05:13.from both sides of the border to look at the current and future needs
:05:14. > :05:16.of children's heart surgery. The retirement of Belfast's lead surgeon
:05:17. > :05:20.this week leaves one paediatric surgeon at the Royal. Because of low
:05:21. > :05:22.numbers, the unit has been assessed as unsustainable. Today's
:05:23. > :05:34.announcement opens the possibility of it permanently sharing resources
:05:35. > :05:38.with Dublin. Every picture tells a story.
:05:39. > :05:42.Especially when it involves children, parents and the health
:05:43. > :05:46.minister. They have been waiting months for this news which means a
:05:47. > :05:51.reprieve for children's cardiac surgery in Belfast. If it had gone
:05:52. > :05:53.the other way, around 100 children each year would have had to travel
:05:54. > :06:02.to England for operations. It should be viewed positively and that the
:06:03. > :06:06.pressure has been relieved that the service has been retained in Belfast
:06:07. > :06:12.with a framework that can identify a sustainable solution. Belfast is
:06:13. > :06:15.absolutely in play. That framework will allow for an international team
:06:16. > :06:26.of experts to explore how Ireland can do deliver a dual service
:06:27. > :06:32.serving both children and adults. Led by this Boston expert, they are
:06:33. > :06:37.due to begin their review in January and completed by June next year.
:06:38. > :06:41.Throughout this process everything has been about removing children's
:06:42. > :06:44.heart surgery from Belfast. The continued commitment from Dublin
:06:45. > :06:48.shows that networks are feasible and it is due to the families
:06:49. > :06:53.campaigning and having their voices heard we are now taking positive
:06:54. > :06:57.steps forward. For the past 20 months it has been people power
:06:58. > :07:01.driving the process forward. Protests, marches, even public
:07:02. > :07:05.meetings where family spoke out and their voices were heard. Children
:07:06. > :07:12.are at the heart of it, very vulnerable children and I a heart of
:07:13. > :07:22.stone not to be moved by this. Last week, Judith Mickey told newsline
:07:23. > :07:27.she did not know where her daughter's operation would take
:07:28. > :07:32.place. The news is so welcome that we might have her surgery in Belfast
:07:33. > :07:38.or definitely Dublin. It is significant that both jurisdictions
:07:39. > :07:42.are supporting each other and that Dublin's surgeons will be helping
:07:43. > :07:45.their colleagues in Belfast. It is important to remember that although
:07:46. > :07:49.Belfast may be the smaller of the two units we have a reputation for
:07:50. > :07:53.delivering very high quality care across the board and we hope to
:07:54. > :07:57.build on that. Today's announcement does not mark the end of this worry.
:07:58. > :08:03.According to parents, what it does is create a brand-new chapter. The
:08:04. > :08:11.possibility of creating an all Ireland network cardiac service
:08:12. > :08:14.being thoroughly explored. We have them at airports, ID
:08:15. > :08:19.scanners. They are now being brought into nightclubs here. Not only are
:08:20. > :08:24.they being used to stop to underage drinkers getting in, it's also hoped
:08:25. > :08:30.it will reduce crime. This report contains flashing images.
:08:31. > :08:33.It's late on Saturday night. Around 40 officers are being briefed on
:08:34. > :08:43.Belfast's hot-spots for drunk and disorderly, assaults, vandalism and
:08:44. > :08:48.any other criminal behaviour. It will be one of the biggest party
:08:49. > :08:57.nights before Christmas so think about former bold young women --
:08:58. > :09:00.vulnerable. If you see a problem, step in and deal with it. The
:09:01. > :09:04.problems are mainly around all the late night clubs in the city. In a
:09:05. > :09:07.bid to stop crimes happening out or inside their establishments, a new
:09:08. > :09:11.ID scanning system is now being used in some clubs. The ID is placed
:09:12. > :09:14.face-down. It is scanned and the person's photograph is taken. Their
:09:15. > :09:18.age is displayed on a screen beside their photograph, a copy of their ID
:09:19. > :09:23.is also taken and if they are over 18 they get a big green tick. The
:09:24. > :09:29.club then records all of the information. The idea for this
:09:30. > :09:36.scanning machine came from a club in Cardiff and now three clubs operate
:09:37. > :09:40.it here. The police tell me they have had other inquiries from other
:09:41. > :09:44.clubs both in Derry and Banbridge who want to try and install the
:09:45. > :09:49.system there too. We have seen a significant reduction in incidence
:09:50. > :09:53.and caught up with underage people using false identification because
:09:54. > :09:58.it flags up on our system and tells us that the person who is trying to
:09:59. > :10:03.get in, whether they have bought one off the internet, has a false
:10:04. > :10:08.document. We are unable to refuse entry on that raises. It can also
:10:09. > :10:12.take a person's fingerprint, which means they don't have to bring out
:10:13. > :10:15.their ID the next time. Plus, if a fight happens, or something is
:10:16. > :10:19.stolen, the police can request the club's data, copy of an ID or a
:10:20. > :10:23.photograph to catch the criminal. Clubs can also share details if
:10:24. > :10:26.someone is barred and why. It is a good idea because there are so many
:10:27. > :10:30.bags that go missing, there's some many phones that go missing and I
:10:31. > :10:34.have had friends who have had money that has gone missing out of a bag
:10:35. > :10:41.so it probably is a good idea. I think it is a good idea. It gives
:10:42. > :10:49.away the person so it is their fault if they do it. We head onto shaft
:10:50. > :10:55.blue Square which is head onto -- which is full of revellers. The
:10:56. > :11:00.police have a dedicated licensee police officer. The PSNI set is
:11:01. > :11:04.about improving people's safety. The responsibility of the nightclub does
:11:05. > :11:11.not end at its door, it is putting people onto the street. It is a
:11:12. > :11:13.really good example of one of the clubs who have taken that
:11:14. > :11:17.responsibility forward and they put their door staff out into the area
:11:18. > :11:25.where people are getting taxis and that is helping. It costs ?45 a week
:11:26. > :11:30.to rent one of these machines but the police there you cannot put a
:11:31. > :11:35.price on people's safety. Coming up: The green light's been
:11:36. > :11:53.given for a power station with a difference in the north west. Over
:11:54. > :11:57.the past 11 years and after more than 100 relations, no one has been
:11:58. > :12:03.sent to jail for fuel laundering. But the Justice Minister leaves that
:12:04. > :12:08.that will change with new legislation coming into force. Our
:12:09. > :12:12.district reporter was with David Ford this morning in South Armagh
:12:13. > :12:17.where he witnessed the continuing battle against the illicit fuel
:12:18. > :12:24.trade. No more fuel will be laundered in this tank. It is being
:12:25. > :12:28.made useless by being filled by expanding foam. This is the second
:12:29. > :12:34.phase of an operation against this plant in South Armagh. Revenue and
:12:35. > :12:39.Customs were first here in Tober. At that time they discovered that one
:12:40. > :12:45.of these tanks was being used to launder huge amounts of red diesel.
:12:46. > :12:51.It was then piped to a secret underground tank. The officials
:12:52. > :12:59.lifted up a manhole cover and found this fall strain. Tankers would fill
:13:00. > :13:04.up at this coupling. And the diesel would then be shipped out over
:13:05. > :13:08.northern Ireland. The plant was capable of something like 16
:13:09. > :13:18.millions -- 60 million litres of fuel Allen. -- per annum. That is a
:13:19. > :13:23.huge amount of money. It is industrial. And it is that
:13:24. > :13:29.industrial scale and the vast potential profits that seem to be
:13:30. > :13:34.rendering the current deterrence in effect. Something the justice
:13:35. > :13:38.minister wants to change with today's new legislation. We put
:13:39. > :13:45.through legislation recently to address the problem of people not
:13:46. > :13:49.going to jail. You do believe that sentencing has been on Julie
:13:50. > :13:54.lenient? It is not for me to judge that. It is for the judge in the
:13:55. > :13:59.individual case. But now the Court of Appeal will give a definitive
:14:00. > :14:04.ruling. I believe that is almost certain to learn -- to Leeds to
:14:05. > :14:08.custodial sentences. Tobacco fraud will also come within the scope of
:14:09. > :14:15.the new legislation which takes effect immediately.
:14:16. > :14:18.The police say the level of dissident republican threat remains
:14:19. > :14:22.severe and they want people to remain vigilant over Christmas.
:14:23. > :14:26.Police patrols are to be stepped up with officers more noticeable in
:14:27. > :14:29.Belfast and other areas. A senior officer says the move is aimed at
:14:30. > :14:35.stopping incidents like last week's gun attacks on police officers in
:14:36. > :14:41.north and west Belfast. People will see a heightened presence in the
:14:42. > :14:45.city centre. We are anxious to protect the commercial life of the
:14:46. > :14:49.city centre and other towns in the run-up to Christmas. We do not want
:14:50. > :14:55.people to have their Christmas ruined by terrorism or other serious
:14:56. > :15:00.criminality. So there will be a heightened police profile.
:15:01. > :15:03.Coming up in a moment on BBC Newsline, Tom Court gives his
:15:04. > :15:11.verdict on that big Heineken Cup win over Treviso.
:15:12. > :15:14.A survey of businesses has suggested the recovery of Northern Ireland's
:15:15. > :15:21.private sector gathered pace in November, hitting its fastest rate
:15:22. > :15:27.of growth since 2004. Our Business and Economics Editor John Campbell
:15:28. > :15:33.is here. What is this survey? It is called the Purchasing Managers'
:15:34. > :15:39.Index. It is produced each month by the Ulster Bank. It is how things
:15:40. > :15:43.are going in terms of exports, new orders and job creation. For the
:15:44. > :15:49.past five or six years the picture has been unremittingly bleak. But by
:15:50. > :15:56.some of this year things began to pick up and things have been
:15:57. > :16:00.improving. By November businesses say that was their best month in
:16:01. > :16:06.almost ten years. And what about staff, are they taking on more
:16:07. > :16:09.people? Well job creation has thus far been modest because businesses
:16:10. > :16:15.are still a bit cautious. They want to increase productivity, getting
:16:16. > :16:20.more work out of the people who already work for them. But there
:16:21. > :16:26.could be better news on job creation come the New Year. New orders are
:16:27. > :16:34.continuing to expand at a rapid rate. We are seeing backlogs of work
:16:35. > :16:39.which has not yet been started or completed is rising at a record
:16:40. > :16:45.level. That implies that firms will need to deal with these backlogs and
:16:46. > :16:50.are more likely to recruit in the New Year to deal with this. Over the
:16:51. > :16:55.past couple of months you have brought us news of the surveys
:16:56. > :17:00.indicating good growth. What does this say about long-term growth?
:17:01. > :17:06.Well there is no doubt that some kind of recovery is taking place.
:17:07. > :17:11.But we need to look at the context. Recovery is being driven by
:17:12. > :17:17.consumption. That means people going out and buying more things. Largely
:17:18. > :17:24.they do that through borrowing and they are saving less. So what we
:17:25. > :17:27.need to see over the next couple of years is business feeling confident
:17:28. > :17:33.enough to invest. Only then will the recovery be sustainable.
:17:34. > :17:36.Work has started on Northern Ireland's largest green energy power
:17:37. > :17:39.plant just outside Londonderry. 200 jobs will be created during the
:17:40. > :17:44.construction of the new power station which will be the first of
:17:45. > :17:50.its kind in all of Ireland. Here's our North-West reporter, Keiron
:17:51. > :17:55.Tourish. The environment Minister helped launch the ?81 million
:17:56. > :18:01.investment. He says it represents a major commitment to reducing carbon
:18:02. > :18:06.emissions. This will produce 15 megawatts of energy and help us
:18:07. > :18:10.achieve our target of renewable energy by 2020. These kind of power
:18:11. > :18:16.plants are becoming increasingly popular in the drive to become a
:18:17. > :18:28.winner. This new one will save over 2 million tonnes of wood from going
:18:29. > :18:33.to landfill. It will be the event of taking 77 thousand cars off the
:18:34. > :18:38.road. We will produce renewable electricity to the grid.
:18:39. > :18:46.Approximately 15.8 megawatts. Enough for around 20,000 households over
:18:47. > :18:52.the next 20 years. It is hoped that it will act as a catalyst for more
:18:53. > :18:55.investment. Our economy in the north-west is going from strength to
:18:56. > :18:59.strength. There will be around 200 jobs during the construction of this
:19:00. > :19:09.plant over the next eight ten months. When fully operational there
:19:10. > :19:12.will be employment for 38 people. It's been an impressive weekend for
:19:13. > :19:16.Irish Rugby in the European Cup - with wins for all four provinces.
:19:17. > :19:24.Stephen Watson is here. Full marks all round! Absolutely. Four wins for
:19:25. > :19:26.the four provinces - including an impressive victory for Ulster. The
:19:27. > :19:29.48-nil win over Treviso means they're still unbeaten in the
:19:30. > :19:33.competition. One of the winning Ulstermen, Tom Court, joins me live
:19:34. > :19:36.in the studio. We'll hear from him in a moment. But first Gavin Andrews
:19:37. > :19:42.looks back on a try fest at Ravenhill. Ulster took control
:19:43. > :19:48.making it three wins from three. Paddy Jackson got them going inside
:19:49. > :19:57.five minutes on the way to a first bonus point in the competition this
:19:58. > :20:02.year. Luke Marshall shored -- scored and took them to a half-time lead.
:20:03. > :20:08.Then there was a first for number seven, Sean Doyle. Ulster were
:20:09. > :20:17.flying and Andrew Trimble ran in with the sixth. Before Luke Marshall
:20:18. > :20:22.put the finishing touches to a move that went the length of the pitch,
:20:23. > :20:31.his second and the seventh try for Ulster completed a dominant evening
:20:32. > :20:36.at Ravenhill. Tom, were you surprised just how comfortable that
:20:37. > :20:46.win was for Ulster? I was a bit. The boys expected it to be very
:20:47. > :20:54.physical. We were ready for a big physical encounter. There was no
:20:55. > :20:58.time really to reflect. You played them in the return fixture this
:20:59. > :21:03.weekend. I confident of doing it again? The boys are preparing well.
:21:04. > :21:08.Last week was a great win but we need to put it behind us and start
:21:09. > :21:15.again. After the back to back fixtures last year we slipped up.
:21:16. > :21:19.And that put us in a precarious position. Ulster are flying high in
:21:20. > :21:25.the competition at the moment. There has been news that you may be
:21:26. > :21:30.leaving at the end of the season. That will leave a big hole for
:21:31. > :21:35.Ulster to fill. It was tough to make that decision and it took a long
:21:36. > :21:45.time. For me it is just trying to make the most of the games that I
:21:46. > :21:50.have got left with Ulster. Disappointed to have to move on?
:21:51. > :21:56.Yes, very disappointed. I have been here for eight years and it has been
:21:57. > :22:02.my home, I got married and had my kids here. It is going to be a
:22:03. > :22:08.change. We will just try to make the most of it and enjoy our time here
:22:09. > :22:13.with our friends for the next six months. With all the Irish provinces
:22:14. > :22:16.winning at the weekend it was a fantastic couple of days for
:22:17. > :22:25.European rugby all round. Leinster were impressive. I guess the biggest
:22:26. > :22:31.performance was, not. Do you think you will help of just two some
:22:32. > :22:50.silverware? I will do everything I can! Thank you for coming in. The
:22:51. > :22:54.cross border Setanta Cup competition wlil go ahead after the news today
:22:55. > :23:00.that Cliftonville and Linfield have withdrawn from this year's
:23:01. > :23:05.tournament. David Jeffrey's Linfield werepushed all the way by Coleraine
:23:06. > :23:08.though, as Thomas Kane reports. They may have lost five consecutive
:23:09. > :23:12.League games. But it looked like Coleraine were on course to grab a
:23:13. > :23:15.point, thanks to two Eoin Bradley volleys. Their big problem, though,
:23:16. > :23:18.has been conceeding goals. Oran Kearney's side haven't kept a clean
:23:19. > :23:20.sheet all season. And their defensive frailties were exposed
:23:21. > :23:24.when Philip Lowry scored the winner for Linfield late on. Crusaders are
:23:25. > :23:28.still the team to catch. Paul Heatley scored the only goal of the
:23:29. > :23:31.game against Dungannon Swifts. Cliftonville's deadly double act of
:23:32. > :23:36.Liam Boyce and Joe Gormley were amongst the goals again. Each
:23:37. > :23:43.grabbed one each in the victory over Glenavon. Jordan Stewart is getting
:23:44. > :23:48.a reputation for scoring special goals, this was another one to add
:23:49. > :23:55.to the growing collection. David Scullion grabbed two of his own
:23:56. > :24:00.against Warrenpoint. Darren Murray's penalty was the difference between
:24:01. > :24:11.Portadown and Ballymena. While David Kee followed up his missed spot kick
:24:12. > :24:18.as Ballinamallard climb to eighth. In ice hockey, after eight
:24:19. > :24:21.straightaway games, a month on the road, the Belfast Giants returned to
:24:22. > :24:25.the Odyssey at the weekend. And in front of a bumper crowd of 5,000,
:24:26. > :24:28.they had an emphatic 6-3 win over the Edinburgh Capitals. A victory
:24:29. > :24:32.that means they now lead the Elite League table by four points. And
:24:33. > :24:40.with five more games at the Odyssey this month, they are looking to make
:24:41. > :24:47.the home advantage count. 5000 is a great crowd. All the games that we
:24:48. > :24:52.have at home in December, I'm sure that we have great support. It
:24:53. > :24:59.really helps the team. It is really nice to be back at the Odyssey. It
:25:00. > :25:07.was a great team effort to come here and win. Ireland's cricketers are
:25:08. > :25:10.going for an unprecedented trouble of trophies in the morning when they
:25:11. > :25:14.face Afghanistan in the Intercontinental cup. They are
:25:15. > :25:22.looking to add to their world Cricket league Championship and 2020
:25:23. > :25:37.titles. Well I am a bit confused about the weather today! Nature is
:25:38. > :25:42.keeping us a lot warmer than usual! It has been milder than it should be
:25:43. > :25:47.for the time of year. Temperatures up to 12 degrees today. And right
:25:48. > :25:52.through the week we hold onto that mild weather by day and by night. It
:25:53. > :25:58.will turn breezy at times and there will be some rain later in the week.
:25:59. > :26:02.Tonight it stays largely dry. Temperatures no lower than eight or
:26:03. > :26:10.nine degrees. Not bad for the time of year. Some rain will come and go
:26:11. > :26:15.and continue as we go through the day tomorrow. There will be a fair
:26:16. > :26:22.amount of dry weather to expect as well. To begin with a fair amount of
:26:23. > :26:31.cloud around. And the wind will bring in a few spots of light rain
:26:32. > :26:38.and drizzle. But it is still mild, 12 or maybe even 13 degrees. Not bad
:26:39. > :26:45.at all. A few spots of light rain continued tomorrow in the afternoon.
:26:46. > :26:51.As we go through the evening and overnight into Wednesday, it is
:26:52. > :27:00.another mild night again. Nine or 10 degrees. Wednesday is much like
:27:01. > :27:08.today, good and bright as well. And we hold on to the southerly wind
:27:09. > :27:14.coming in from the equator. There is a bit of a change towards the end of
:27:15. > :27:19.the week. It will stay mild for the time of year but also turning a
:27:20. > :27:24.little more unsettled with a weather front coming in from the west. We
:27:25. > :27:31.will keep you up-to-date if there are any changes.
:27:32. > :27:43.Some travel news and there has been a landslide on part of the Coast
:27:44. > :27:44.Road between Glenarm and can't lock. -- Carnlough.