:00:00. > :00:00.let-up. Thank you. That is all from the BBC News at Six. Goodbye. Now
:00:00. > :00:27.Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline: A man is in court for a
:00:28. > :00:32.murder in Aghalee 15 years ago. The next big storm of winter is
:00:33. > :00:37.beginning to have it. Already we have had gusts of 50 mph on the
:00:38. > :00:40.North coast and they will only get stronger.
:00:41. > :00:49.Dead horses are found on a remote County Tyrone hillside.
:00:50. > :00:51.Will the hours at two of our A be cut further?
:00:52. > :00:58.Solution or stalemate? The latest from the Richard Haass talks.
:00:59. > :01:04.Also on the programme: # Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.
:01:05. > :01:07.We catch up with the young singers who have a starring role in the
:01:08. > :01:15.carol concert at St Anne's Cathedral.
:01:16. > :01:20.A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a Lurgan man 15
:01:21. > :01:24.years ago. 30-year-old Kevin Conway was taken from his home and his body
:01:25. > :01:33.was found hooded and bound in a field in nearby Aghalee.
:01:34. > :01:39.Bound and shot in the back of the head, Kevin Conway's body was found
:01:40. > :01:43.in a derelict building near Aghalee in 1998. Just why he was abducted
:01:44. > :01:48.and murdered has never been entirely clear but it has been the subject of
:01:49. > :01:53.much speculation. Whatever the motive, the IRA was widely blamed.
:01:54. > :01:59.Mr Marshall was arrested and questioned at the time but then
:02:00. > :02:04.released without charge. A review of the case by the serious crime branch
:02:05. > :02:09.has uncovered new forensic evidence including foil samples and fabric
:02:10. > :02:15.samples. As a result of this, Garry Marshall was rearrested on Monday
:02:16. > :02:23.morning at the hotel in Birmingham. His brother Sam was killed in Lurgan
:02:24. > :02:27.in 1992. It was an attack that left prominent republican Colin Duffy
:02:28. > :02:32.seriously injured. Today Brendan McKenna was among a large group of
:02:33. > :02:36.supporters in the public gallery. A solicitor for Gary Marshall said
:02:37. > :02:41.that his client and the entire family had moved on, leaving the
:02:42. > :02:45.Troubles behind them. They said it was significant that the police had
:02:46. > :02:51.not tried to connect their client with any dissident group. Should he
:02:52. > :02:54.be found guilty, it would fall under the remit of the Good Friday
:02:55. > :02:59.Agreement and the maximum sentence he could receive would be two years,
:03:00. > :03:01.which significantly reduces the risk of him absconding. Bail was granted
:03:02. > :03:09.and Gary Marshall will appear in court again next month.
:03:10. > :03:13.A 33-year-old man has been charged with the murders of a couple found
:03:14. > :03:18.in a flat in South East Belfast last Friday. The bodies of 42-year-old
:03:19. > :03:22.Finbar McGrillen and Caron Smyth, who was 40, were discovered at
:03:23. > :03:27.Ravenhill Court. The man will appear in court in Belfast in the morning.
:03:28. > :03:32.There are reports of flooding on a number of roads this evening and the
:03:33. > :03:36.weather is set to get worse. There are forecasts of 80 mph gusts and
:03:37. > :03:43.Northern Ireland Electricity is warning of the possibility of damage
:03:44. > :03:49.to its network. Let's go to the very windy North Coast.
:03:50. > :03:54.Yes, we are at Portrush, where already we have been battered by
:03:55. > :03:58.gusts of 50 mph. This evening, the winds will really picked up. Much of
:03:59. > :04:02.Northern Ireland is under a yellow warning, which means there could be
:04:03. > :04:06.some disruption because of the winds. Through tonight that will be
:04:07. > :04:11.upgraded to amber for the North Coast area, which means prepare for
:04:12. > :04:17.some disruption. There will be very strong winds, possibly up to 80 mph,
:04:18. > :04:20.which could cause some disruption. Elsewhere and in the Republic, the
:04:21. > :04:27.highest warning level has been issued for the North West, across
:04:28. > :04:32.Donegal, Galway and parts of Clare, where we are expecting some
:04:33. > :04:36.disruption. Already, strong winds have been battering parts of the
:04:37. > :04:40.Republic and we have reports that a woman has been killed because a tree
:04:41. > :04:46.has fallen on her car. Elsewhere, further South in County Cork, part
:04:47. > :04:52.of the roof of one of the train stations came down because of the
:04:53. > :04:55.winds, causing some damage to nearby vehicles and minor injuries. The
:04:56. > :04:58.winds will really picked up this evening and they could cause
:04:59. > :05:02.disruption. We will keep an eye on things and keep you updated through
:05:03. > :05:04.the course of the night. Jeff will be here later with a full weather
:05:05. > :05:11.forecast. Thank you very much.
:05:12. > :05:17.A man has been taken to hospital after becoming impaled on railings
:05:18. > :05:21.in South Belfast. It happened outside a pharmacy on Botanic Avenue
:05:22. > :05:25.at five o'clock. Fire and ambulance crews attended the scene. There are
:05:26. > :05:29.no details on how seriously the man was injured.
:05:30. > :05:33.Health trust officials have warned that they may have to cut opening
:05:34. > :05:41.hours at the Accident Emergency departments of Down Hospital and
:05:42. > :05:46.Lagan Valley. Staff shortages have been blamed and it could result in
:05:47. > :05:49.units closing at weekends. Two hospitals with the same dilemma. How
:05:50. > :05:54.to make sure that Accident Emergency units are properly
:05:55. > :05:58.staffed. So much so that the health trusts that run them say that
:05:59. > :06:02.opening hours may have to be cut. At Down Hospital, A is open from
:06:03. > :06:07.eight in the morning until ten at night and outside those hours,
:06:08. > :06:10.urgent care is provided by GPs but even that is unsustainable with a
:06:11. > :06:16.critical shortage of medical staff both here and at Lagan Valley.
:06:17. > :06:21.Southeastern Trust officials say covering the weekends is most
:06:22. > :06:26.difficult. They say the situation is critical and deteriorating but local
:06:27. > :06:31.politicians oppose services being reduced. Downpatrick is 25 miles
:06:32. > :06:34.away from Belfast and other major hospitals. For our ambulance
:06:35. > :06:39.service, the skilled paramedics at work tirelessly in our area, they
:06:40. > :06:43.will have to provide the service up to Belfast, taking them off the road
:06:44. > :06:48.for up to two hours every time they have to deliver patient. That means
:06:49. > :06:54.additional pressure on the ambulance provision within Down district,
:06:55. > :06:59.which could ultimately cost lives. Feelings were mixed. A lot of people
:07:00. > :07:04.use casualty, but unfortunately they use them when they should not. They
:07:05. > :07:13.should go to their GP. A disaster for those of us that live far away.
:07:14. > :07:18.Too far to go to Craigavon. There is the people side and the casting
:07:19. > :07:30.side. From a casting point of view, maybe it makes sense but it ignores
:07:31. > :07:33.the people. -- costing side. Negotiations are ongoing but the
:07:34. > :07:36.decision is expected by the end of the week.
:07:37. > :07:43.Coming up: We hear from a father to be who is leaving behind a life of
:07:44. > :07:48.crime. A damning report has concluded that
:07:49. > :07:53.criminality is widespread in the waste industry here. The independent
:07:54. > :07:57.review was commissioned by the department of the environment after
:07:58. > :08:02.a huge illegal dump was found near Londonderry last year. The report
:08:03. > :08:16.says almost 35mm out in landfill tax was invaded at that dump alone. --
:08:17. > :08:23.35mm million pounds. This was illegal activity on a large and
:08:24. > :08:27.lucrative scale. Millions of tonnes of waste. That did not happen
:08:28. > :08:30.overnight. One of the disturbing things in the report says that a
:08:31. > :08:34.department of the Environment inspector was on the site in 2007
:08:35. > :08:38.and he was especially something illegal was happening. He went back
:08:39. > :08:43.in 2008, said his concerns up the line, and nothing much happened for
:08:44. > :08:49.four years. Is the slowness to act part of the problem? This report
:08:50. > :08:54.shows an industry where criminality is endemic and people regulating and
:08:55. > :08:58.enforcing it are constantly getting the runaround. They do not know the
:08:59. > :09:01.full extent of their powers, they are not sharing information, and
:09:02. > :09:07.there is a slowness to act in some cases. When we look at what is going
:09:08. > :09:12.on here, it is not just about the staff. There are clearly big
:09:13. > :09:16.systemic problems. The regulation seems to be broken. The law is not
:09:17. > :09:21.tough enough. The whole system seems to be full of holes and it makes it
:09:22. > :09:26.far too easy for the criminals. So what happens now? Environment
:09:27. > :09:31.minister has this report on his desk. He says it is highly sobering
:09:32. > :09:34.and is calling for a full review into how waste is managed in
:09:35. > :09:37.Northern Ireland. Thank you. The Prime Minister says
:09:38. > :09:43.everyone should look at the process being chaired by Richard Haass with
:09:44. > :09:46.some give and take to bring communities here together. The
:09:47. > :09:49.comments came as the former US diplomat spent the day drafting a
:09:50. > :09:56.new set of proposals aimed at finding a way forward on flags,
:09:57. > :10:01.parades and the past. Our political reporter is at Stormont. Bring us up
:10:02. > :10:04.to date. What has been happening today? Richard Haass and Meghan
:10:05. > :10:11.O'Sullivan have spent the best part of the day in a Belfast hotel
:10:12. > :10:14.rewriting their report on flags and parades. Their first report was so
:10:15. > :10:21.controversial that it was raised today on the floor of the House of
:10:22. > :10:37.Commons by the DP MP Gregory Campbell. -- DUP does he understand
:10:38. > :10:41.that agreement is desirable? If proposals are seen as die looting
:10:42. > :10:48.our very essence of Britishness, as Northern Ireland seeks to strengthen
:10:49. > :11:00.its position in the United Kingdom, not weakening it? -- seen as die
:11:01. > :11:03.diluting. I have met with Richard Haass and he is an incredibly
:11:04. > :11:07.impressive individual and we should let him do his work and we should
:11:08. > :11:11.judge the work on the results he produces. I hope everyone will try
:11:12. > :11:16.to look at this process with some give and take to bring communities
:11:17. > :11:21.together. Has there been any other reaction from political parties
:11:22. > :11:26.today? By and large, the political parties have kept a low profile.
:11:27. > :11:34.Sinn Fein and the DUP wanted to stay out of the media. The Alliance party
:11:35. > :11:40.and the SDLP gave their assessment of what they want to see in the next
:11:41. > :11:45.24 hours. It is up to Sinn Fein, the DUP and the Ulster Unionist Party.
:11:46. > :11:49.They one is in a position to check that responsibility and the public
:11:50. > :11:54.will judge as harshly if we do. I have always said it is the best
:11:55. > :11:57.opportunity for 15 years. Victims and survivors have been so strong
:11:58. > :12:01.and resilient in recent days and months in telling their story. If
:12:02. > :12:06.that is the first measure of peace talks, and if any party or
:12:07. > :12:09.Government feels in measuring up to what they seek, I think there will
:12:10. > :12:17.be a withering indictment of those who have failed and failed so
:12:18. > :12:21.graphically. A number of parties have met each other today in
:12:22. > :12:24.Stormont. Richard Haass remains on course to deliver his report either
:12:25. > :12:31.tonight or tomorrow morning. Thank you. A number of dead horses
:12:32. > :12:35.have been discovered on a remote hillside between County Tyrone and
:12:36. > :12:41.County Monaghan. Some of them are lying in a stream along the border.
:12:42. > :12:45.Our district reporter has been to the senior Clogher and we should
:12:46. > :12:50.warn you that this report contains pictures of the dead horses which
:12:51. > :12:55.some viewers may find upsetting. A bleak, barren hillside. There have
:12:56. > :13:00.been concerns about the welfare of the horses that roamed this area and
:13:01. > :13:06.it seems a number of them have died. The location I was given for these
:13:07. > :13:09.carcasses is incredibly remote. It has taken almost half an hour of
:13:10. > :13:15.walking through bogs to get here from the nearest road. Near the body
:13:16. > :13:20.of the first horse lies the skeleton of at least one and possibly two
:13:21. > :13:25.more. In all, I found at least five dead horses. It is not known how
:13:26. > :13:31.they died or how long the bodies have lain here, or indeed who owns
:13:32. > :13:36.them. Last month, a number of horses in the Clogher area were seized by
:13:37. > :13:40.welfare officers working for the councils, following complaints made
:13:41. > :13:42.about their welfare. The council told us that an investigation was
:13:43. > :13:53.being carried out. There is plenty to confirm including young singers
:13:54. > :13:58.getting ready for the Carol concert at Saint Hans Cathedral.
:13:59. > :14:09.It sounds like the stuff of fantasy but the police and prolific
:14:10. > :14:14.criminals are working together in a scheme aimed at reducing crime. The
:14:15. > :14:18.PSNI and other criminal justice agencies say there's clear evidence
:14:19. > :14:26.that the approach has resulted in falling levels of like burglary. Our
:14:27. > :14:32.reporter has spoken to one former offender.
:14:33. > :14:44.Adrian and his partner are looking forward to the birth of their first
:14:45. > :14:49.child early next year. It is something he didn't think possible a
:14:50. > :14:55.short time ago. He embarked on a life of crime aged 13 and developed
:14:56. > :15:02.a drug programme -- problem and became addicted to heroin. It cost
:15:03. > :15:08.him ?25 a day, money he raised from stealing. Twice a day sometimes.
:15:09. > :15:29.What kind of things were you taking? Mobile phones, coats, cloaks, stuff
:15:30. > :15:37.like that. All sorts of things. I was put in prison. After being
:15:38. > :15:42.jailed, he agreed to join a programme that work with the police
:15:43. > :15:46.and prisons working to reduce the prospect of them reoffending. The
:15:47. > :15:50.police say around 80% of crimes like burglaries and thefts are committed
:15:51. > :15:54.by a small number of prolific offenders and that it makes sense to
:15:55. > :15:58.concentrate on changing their behaviour rather than repeatedly
:15:59. > :16:03.sending them to jail. If offenders take part in the programme, they
:16:04. > :16:06.receive help with education and trading -- training and tackling
:16:07. > :16:11.addictions like drugs and alcohol. If they don't, they face increased
:16:12. > :16:14.scrutiny from the police and going back to prison. Adrian has been
:16:15. > :16:20.removed from the programme because police say he is no longer involved
:16:21. > :16:26.in crime or drugs. I feel a lot better and have more confidence in
:16:27. > :16:35.myself. I am just a different person completely. Every time I see people,
:16:36. > :16:40.they are saying I am looking well. On heroin, I was looking bad all the
:16:41. > :16:49.time. You can change. It is up to yourself. It is up to yourself if
:16:50. > :16:55.you want to do it. Hit his partner says he has turned his life around.
:16:56. > :17:00.Since he has been on probation, I have realised he has come a long way
:17:01. > :17:07.and he will stay like that for the sake of me and our baby. There are
:17:08. > :17:10.370 offenders currently across Northern Ireland taking part in the
:17:11. > :17:14.scheme. The agencies involved say there's clear evidence that it works
:17:15. > :17:20.and that crime levels are falling a result.
:17:21. > :17:25.Boys from three North Belfast primary schools have been trading --
:17:26. > :17:30.training for the last 12 weeks to be part of a choir at Saint Anne's
:17:31. > :17:34.Cathedral in Belfast. 1000 people are expected to attend the Carol
:17:35. > :17:44.service this Sunday. We have been along to the final rehearsal. You
:17:45. > :17:49.all look great. It night -- it might not be the X factor but this
:17:50. > :17:54.performance is bringing the same nerves, fun and excitement. Getting
:17:55. > :18:04.picked for the choir was an achievement in itself. We had to
:18:05. > :18:13.have a sing off. We had to sing and the teachers had to judge. Was it
:18:14. > :18:23.like X factor? Yes, but bigger. We had done the auditions and I got
:18:24. > :18:31.through. They have changed for the last 12 months in their own schools.
:18:32. > :18:38.All under the guidance of the music department here and all for this
:18:39. > :18:43.Sunday's Carol service. My nerves are wrecked. Why are you nervous?
:18:44. > :18:50.Because there is going to be a whole lot of people around. My money will
:18:51. > :18:54.be very proud of me because she always his missing. The three
:18:55. > :18:57.schools are closed to the Cathedral and it is about bringing different
:18:58. > :19:05.religions together but also opening the doors to St Andrews. It can be
:19:06. > :19:09.seen as a place where you only come into it and it can be seen as
:19:10. > :19:18.elitist. We certainly don't want that to be the case. None of the
:19:19. > :19:21.three schools has a formal choir but it is hoped the boys will take their
:19:22. > :19:29.new-found talent back to the classrooms.
:19:30. > :19:36.My nerves are wrecked for them! Island's cricketers are celebrating
:19:37. > :19:40.a unique trouble and two of the successful team join me tonight with
:19:41. > :19:48.Thomas Niblock restarting the sport with some big big news.
:19:49. > :19:53.First, one of our most successful road races has decided to come out
:19:54. > :19:56.of retirement. Ryan Farquhar had decided to quit the sport after the
:19:57. > :20:01.death of his uncle who was competing at the Manx Grand Prix. But now he
:20:02. > :20:05.has had a change of mind and will contest the most dangerous sporting
:20:06. > :20:11.race in the sport with a surprise new team-mate. Ryan Farquhar retired
:20:12. > :20:16.from racing in 2012 with this ceremonial ride following his uncle
:20:17. > :20:21.Trevor's death days earlier. The lure of road racing has proved too
:20:22. > :20:26.strong. There is no doubt there will be people out there who will slag me
:20:27. > :20:33.off and say I am doing the wrong thing or whatever. At the end of the
:20:34. > :20:39.day, it is what I want to do. My wife is 100% behind me. Motorbike
:20:40. > :20:50.racing is all I know there has -- it has been more than good to me. Also
:20:51. > :21:00.returning is team-mate instead of rival, Keith Amor. I was in shock.
:21:01. > :21:07.It wasn't something I saw coming. He is one of my old adversarial is. Why
:21:08. > :21:18.not? For now, it is just the TT next summer but Ryan Farquhar isn't
:21:19. > :21:23.ruling out the 200. When he hears I am making a return, we will see how
:21:24. > :21:32.it goes. For the moment, it is just the TT. I will do the race on a bike
:21:33. > :21:39.which is what I have always enjoyed most. 2013 has been a year to
:21:40. > :21:44.remember for Ireland. The World Cricket League Championship, the
:21:45. > :21:48.world Twenty20 qualify champion and the Intercontinental cup. Andrew
:21:49. > :21:53.White and Gary Wilson are with us. Congratulations. You are holding
:21:54. > :22:02.those trophies like three babies. Andrew, what a gear. It has to be.
:22:03. > :22:08.-- Andrew, what a year. In terms of trophies and success leading to the
:22:09. > :22:16.world cups, it has been incredible. Gary, those scenes winning the
:22:17. > :22:24.Intercontinental special. It was a trophy that was close to the heart.
:22:25. > :22:29.To beat Afghanistan, very pleasing. You have been with each other for
:22:30. > :22:33.such a long time. We have been together for seven years and that is
:22:34. > :22:46.going to be even more special. Andrew, we have to cut to the chase.
:22:47. > :23:01.Is test playing achievable? As players, we want to set our heights
:23:02. > :23:07.high. I know you are good friends. It is a great honour to play for 14
:23:08. > :23:14.years. I will go for another year and reassess at the end of 2014.
:23:15. > :23:19.Every game is a special time in the green shirts. You are going to enjoy
:23:20. > :23:25.Christmas but what does the future hold? We go to the Caribbean in
:23:26. > :23:33.January. It is tough. Demi after Bangladesh which is slightly more
:23:34. > :23:38.tough. -- then we are off to Bangladesh. The PS I have received a
:23:39. > :23:42.report that a window of a bus was damaged following last night's Irish
:23:43. > :23:45.League Cup semifinal between Ards and Cliftonville. They are aware of
:23:46. > :23:51.a number of allegations of sectarian chanting children the game and
:23:52. > :24:02.enquiries are continuing. -- during the game. Clifton one 2-0. Crusaders
:24:03. > :24:08.were -- for back to edge out Ballymena United after extra time in
:24:09. > :24:09.a thrilling league cup semifinal. This first time hat-trick set the
:24:10. > :24:26.visitors on their way to the final. This second goal of the night made
:24:27. > :24:32.it 3-2. A penalty ensured the game would enter extra time. Comeback
:24:33. > :24:41.victory was complete when this header came in.
:24:42. > :24:50.Finally with a warning of flash photography, Bethany Firth will
:24:51. > :24:52.compete in future for Team GB. Her application was formally approved by
:24:53. > :24:59.the International Paralympic Committee today. She won gold in the
:25:00. > :25:06.100 metres backstroke in London last year competing for Team Ireland.
:25:07. > :25:10.That is the sport. We heard earlier in the programme
:25:11. > :25:14.about flooding on our roads. The stormy weather has certainly already
:25:15. > :25:23.arrived. It is set to get even worse. Here we have the forecast.
:25:24. > :25:29.It is a wet and wintry night through this evening and that is why the Met
:25:30. > :25:36.Office has issued an amber warning for strong winds. There is a general
:25:37. > :25:39.warning wherever you are in Northern Ireland because it is going to be a
:25:40. > :25:44.windy night tonight. We will have some showers and they would be quite
:25:45. > :25:49.wintry as we go through this evening and tonight. Expect some sleet and
:25:50. > :25:55.snow as the temperatures dip away close to freezing tonight. It is the
:25:56. > :26:00.wind that is the real issue. What is driving that is this low weather
:26:01. > :26:03.system. There is a squeeze on those isobars driving those strong winds.
:26:04. > :26:10.After midnight tonight and into the rush hour, it could be a blustery
:26:11. > :26:19.start to the day. It is driving in these wintry showers. Do take some
:26:20. > :26:23.extra care on your way. The temperatures don't really get going
:26:24. > :26:31.at all. Top temperatures, three Celsius. We have a wintry day ahead
:26:32. > :26:37.of us on Thursday and there is no letup in it. I don't want to sounds
:26:38. > :26:40.like your mother but if you are driving to work, take some extra
:26:41. > :26:44.care because it could be challenging on the roads. Stay tuned for the
:26:45. > :26:50.latest traffic and travel information. Do take some extra care
:26:51. > :26:53.because those wintry showers continue right the way through the
:26:54. > :26:58.day and into the evening on Thursday and into Friday night -- Friday
:26:59. > :27:03.morning. Temperatures down to freezing so a chilly start Friday.
:27:04. > :27:08.We get a little bit of respite and Friday when the next low-pressure
:27:09. > :27:13.system comes in. That brings a warm air mass of the temperatures are up
:27:14. > :27:18.a bit. It will still be windy and wet again on Friday. I can't pretend
:27:19. > :27:22.it is an exciting picture. We have some very unsettled conditions
:27:23. > :27:23.heading our way and if you are driving to work tomorrow, do take
:27:24. > :27:33.some extra care. We would have the latest on any
:27:34. > :27:40.weather-related problems tonight at 10:25pm. You can keep on -- in
:27:41. > :27:43.contact on Facebook and Twitter. From everybody here, good night.