:00:15. > :00:23.Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline: Christmas is coming, but a
:00:24. > :00:27.deal's not in the bag. Richard Haass stays in town to continue his search
:00:28. > :00:31.for compromise on flags, parades and the past.
:00:32. > :00:35.The police begin an investigation into the alleged theft of half a
:00:36. > :00:38.million pounds from the Ulster Bank. A charge against DUP councillor Ruth
:00:39. > :00:48.Patterson over a comment she posted on the internet is withdrawn. To
:00:49. > :00:57.date is the beginning of the rest of my wife and I look forward to it. As
:00:58. > :01:01.the year ends, so do the celebrations and Londonderry, I will
:01:02. > :01:09.be reviewing the UK City of Culture year.
:01:10. > :01:12.The redevelopment of Windsor Park has moved a step closer as the
:01:13. > :01:14.government approves ?31 million worth of funding.
:01:15. > :01:18.Wet and windy tonight with 50 mph gusts around the coast. It's getting
:01:19. > :01:22.colder as we head toward Christmas. First tonight, as we go on air
:01:23. > :01:25.there's a security alert in Belfast city centre. Several streets have
:01:26. > :01:28.been closed to traffic. These are some mobile phone pictures we've
:01:29. > :01:31.just got in. The area between the Albert Clock and Castle Place is
:01:32. > :01:34.cordoned off and premises around there have been evacuated. Police
:01:35. > :01:37.are at the scene and say a suspicious object was discovered in
:01:38. > :01:46.a building at the junction of Bridge Street and High Street.
:01:47. > :01:49.First to the Haass talks, and the chairman Richard Haass says he will
:01:50. > :01:52.leave no stone unturned in an effort to reach an agreement between the
:01:53. > :01:55.five Executive political parties before Christmas. After a day of
:01:56. > :01:57.intensive discussions, Dr Haass confirmed that negotiations will
:01:58. > :02:01.continue over the weekend and into next week. He said real progress had
:02:02. > :02:04.been made on parades and the past, but admitted there could be
:02:05. > :02:17.disappointment over the flags issue. First our political reporter Stephen
:02:18. > :02:21.Walker looks at what happened today. Some halt today would herald a new
:02:22. > :02:26.dawn. As politicians gathered at a Belfast hotel, it became clear that
:02:27. > :02:31.agreement was once again proving elusive. Tonight the talks vice
:02:32. > :02:36.chair, Mike O'Sullivan, told journalists what would happen next.
:02:37. > :02:42.We have agreed to stay and push on until Christmas and we expect an
:02:43. > :02:46.intense period of meetings over the next 36 hours in a variety of
:02:47. > :02:49.formats. We expect on Sunday to produce a new draft and we hope that
:02:50. > :02:55.the draft will be close to the final draft. We will share this draft with
:02:56. > :03:01.the parties on Sunday afternoon and reconvene on Monday and our goal is
:03:02. > :03:05.to include this process and concluded on Monday.
:03:06. > :03:09.Earlier the difficulties of agreement were all too obvious.
:03:10. > :03:13.Realistically I do not see any agreement being reached today. There
:03:14. > :03:17.is considerable work required across all areas.
:03:18. > :03:26.Others suggested me was the time to the a deal on flags, parades and the
:03:27. > :03:30.past. Any deal that can be done by New Year and Christmas can be done
:03:31. > :03:33.right now. The issues are on the table and all of the people
:03:34. > :03:39.concerned are here. We must deliver now. The issue of clients is the
:03:40. > :03:43.most of it -- devices. The suggestion that Richard Haass has
:03:44. > :03:50.developed a solution to the flag problem has angered people.
:03:51. > :03:53.Particularly the Unionists. There is an opportunity to deal with the past
:03:54. > :03:56.and if we can get that over the line, that will give us the
:03:57. > :04:05.confidence to return to flight next year. Others insist agreement on all
:04:06. > :04:10.of these issues is still possible. We are glad that Meghan O'Sullivan
:04:11. > :04:20.and Richard Haass are in agreement with ourselves and we all want to
:04:21. > :04:24.get this deal done before Christmas. Whatever the processes and
:04:25. > :04:29.commentary that may be a mating from certain parts of this process, let
:04:30. > :04:39.these talks endure. We must apply our minds in these hours and days.
:04:40. > :04:44.Just yards from the talks venue, and another part of the hotel, a Spanish
:04:45. > :04:50.tenor was performing. His song appropriate, Messham, translates as
:04:51. > :04:56.no one shall sleep. As the end of year deadline approaches, there is
:04:57. > :05:00.still much work to do. Our political editor Mark Devenport
:05:01. > :05:03.is at the talks venue in East Belfast. So, Mark, take us through
:05:04. > :05:12.what happens now. Well, as the court share, Megan was
:05:13. > :05:17.Sullivan, was seeing, the is an attempt to use this weekend to
:05:18. > :05:20.rewrite the document. This will be the third draft of the document
:05:21. > :05:27.which will be presented to all parties on Sunday. There will be
:05:28. > :05:31.some communication by phone and e-mail and then they will call all
:05:32. > :05:35.parties around the table for a Vince Cable session on Monday at which
:05:36. > :05:39.they hope to achieve agreement. Whilst Ms O'Sullivan was setting at
:05:40. > :05:44.the timetable and Richard Haass said a deal was doable, it became evident
:05:45. > :05:47.at the news conference that the real stumbling block remains flags and
:05:48. > :05:50.this is what Richard Haass said when I asked them if they could move
:05:51. > :05:59.ahead in relation to the other areas such as the past and parades?
:06:00. > :06:04.Without going into the details, it is true and many of you already know
:06:05. > :06:10.what, there has been a greater degree of overlap and agreement on
:06:11. > :06:17.parades and the past than there has been on flags. A well-known American
:06:18. > :06:24.baseball player once said it is not over until it is over and saw we
:06:25. > :06:30.will see what we can agree. It is not over until it is over, but
:06:31. > :06:35.what is the deadline? Christmas Eve? Not necessarily. Although they want
:06:36. > :06:40.to bring this to a conclusion on Monday, Mike O'Sullivan, when
:06:41. > :06:45.challenged about other that was the end of it, she said they would make
:06:46. > :06:51.a judgement call on Monday. -- Megan O'Sullivan. Between Christmas and
:06:52. > :06:56.New Year they will continue to look at this so this could roll on. But
:06:57. > :07:03.you do get the sense that ideally they would like to close this
:07:04. > :07:05.process on Monday. And is Christmas the final
:07:06. > :07:10.deadline?million pounds missing from its vault. The police have now
:07:11. > :07:14.started an investigation. It was revealed at an employment tribunal
:07:15. > :07:17.that the money was being taken and for two years the bank did nothing
:07:18. > :07:21.to stop it. An employee who warned his bosses about what was going on
:07:22. > :07:24.was then victimised. We now understand the Finance Minister is
:07:25. > :07:26.said to be very concerned by the developments and is seeking further
:07:27. > :07:38.information. Our reporter, Nicola Weir, has more.
:07:39. > :07:40.It's the mystery of half ?1 million vanished from what should be the
:07:41. > :07:46.most secure place in a bank, its bolt, and it is a mystery that
:07:47. > :07:50.police are trying to get to the bottom. This afternoon, the PSNI
:07:51. > :07:54.said that being approached by the Ulster Bank and its parent company
:07:55. > :08:00.the Royal Bank of Scotland, it would look into criminal activity. During
:08:01. > :08:03.a employment tribunal, a whistle-blower warned bosses in 2009
:08:04. > :08:08.that money was being taken by another employee called Mr Key
:08:09. > :08:11.during the hearing to find his extravagant gambolling like stealth.
:08:12. > :08:19.This included trips to Las Vegas twice a year but his concerns were
:08:20. > :08:21.never looked into. Fast forward to 2011 and the whistle-blower went to
:08:22. > :08:27.his line managers repeating his concerns. This time they were acted
:08:28. > :08:30.upon and an investigation has revealed that ?500,000 was missing
:08:31. > :08:35.from a bank vault. Mr Key was accused of why has simply is of
:08:36. > :08:40.taking significant amounts of cash and paying them into his personal
:08:41. > :08:44.Ulster Bank account. Instead of thanking the whistle-blower, the
:08:45. > :08:52.bank suspended him along with Mr Key and to others. The tribunal reviewed
:08:53. > :08:56.that he had not done anything wrong but that he had been implicated in
:08:57. > :09:02.correctly. He was awarded ?250,000 in compensation. During the last 24
:09:03. > :09:07.hours, the BBC has repeatedly asked the Ulster Bank if the police were
:09:08. > :09:11.notified at the time about the missing money. It continues to say
:09:12. > :09:17.it does not comment on staff matters. This afternoon the PSNI
:09:18. > :09:20.confirmed it had been asked to investigate criminal activity but it
:09:21. > :09:30.is not clear when the bank ask them to do this.
:09:31. > :09:38.Still coming up, before seven o'clock. We are live at the final
:09:39. > :09:43.big event in the UK City of Culture here. -- year.
:09:44. > :09:46.A charge against a DUP councillor over a comment posted on the
:09:47. > :09:49.internet has been withdrawn. The former Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast,
:09:50. > :09:52.Ruth Patterson, was accused of making a statement on Facebook that
:09:53. > :09:59.was grossly offensive. Eunan McConville was at today's court
:10:00. > :10:06.hearing. Ruth Patterson was responding to
:10:07. > :10:10.reports made by another person over an imaginary attack at a republican
:10:11. > :10:14.parade in which several people including members of Sinn Fein were
:10:15. > :10:22.killed. She replied saying that this fictitious and at had taken place --
:10:23. > :10:27.had it taken place would have been a terrible thing. She was subsequently
:10:28. > :10:33.arrested and charged. Something her party heavily criticised. Ruth
:10:34. > :10:37.Patterson was very relaxed as she made her way into the public gallery
:10:38. > :10:40.for hockey is to be here. She sat amongst the UK colleagues and
:10:41. > :10:44.supporters and at one point handed out sweets to them. She took our
:10:45. > :10:48.place in the dock and a lawyer for the prosecution told her that the
:10:49. > :10:53.charges against her were to be withdrawn because she had been given
:10:54. > :11:01.an informal warning. That was met by cheers and clapping from her
:11:02. > :11:05.supporters. The warning given to Mrs Patterson
:11:06. > :11:13.will stay on her record for 12 months. Most of all, I thank my
:11:14. > :11:20.loyalist people who stood by me shoulder to shoulder. We are not
:11:21. > :11:27.going to be broken by this and 100% United and loyalty to our Queen and
:11:28. > :11:31.our country. In a statement the prosecution service said the public
:11:32. > :11:34.interest was better served by Mrs Patterson getting that informed
:11:35. > :11:39.warning. 15 dead horses have now been found
:11:40. > :11:42.near Clogher in County Tyrone. Earlier this week, a BBC Newsline
:11:43. > :11:45.reporter found the remains of at least five dead horses in a remote
:11:46. > :11:49.bog and stream on the Tyrone-Monaghan border. Since then,
:11:50. > :11:54.live horses have been seized by animal welfare officers from
:11:55. > :11:57.Dungannon and South Tyrone Council. It's not known how the animals died
:11:58. > :12:00.or how long the bodies have been there.
:12:01. > :12:03.Detectives investigating the attempted murder of police officers
:12:04. > :12:08.on the outskirts of West Belfast in May have arrested two men. Shots
:12:09. > :12:12.were fired as the officers - who were responding to bogus reports of
:12:13. > :12:18.a burglary - got out of their car in the Foxes Glen area of Twinbrook.
:12:19. > :12:22.The Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie is to retire next March.
:12:23. > :12:28.She is the most senior woman officer and has spent the past 32 years in
:12:29. > :12:32.the PSNI and RUC. In 2011, she was eligible to retire under the Patten
:12:33. > :12:39.programme with a pay-out of half million pounds but declined.
:12:40. > :12:42.Organisers of the UK City of Culture year in Londonderry say that they
:12:43. > :12:46.believe more than a million people will have visited the city over the
:12:47. > :12:53.12 months. That's more than twice the usual figure. The last big event
:12:54. > :12:57.of the year, the Relief of Derry musical extravaganza, takes place at
:12:58. > :13:04.The Venue in Ebrington tonight. Our arts correspondent Maggie Taggart is
:13:05. > :13:14.there right now. Maggie. Yes, and The Venue is a big marquee
:13:15. > :13:17.but not strong of the winds. We understand a rip that occurred
:13:18. > :13:23.during this bad weather has now been repaired. At eight o'clock tonight
:13:24. > :13:27.2000 guests will be here to listen to the singers on the stage at the
:13:28. > :13:34.venue. They will be performing the life of daily signatory. It has been
:13:35. > :13:43.a great year of spectaculars but there have been some fans and
:13:44. > :13:52.sceptics. Our North West reporter Keiron Tourish takes a look back.
:13:53. > :13:59.The year began with a star-studded concert showcasing talent. For those
:14:00. > :14:05.that took part it was a memorable experience.
:14:06. > :14:11.2013 has been a United year for Derry. A lot of people have come
:14:12. > :14:16.together to all of these events. One of the most popular events of
:14:17. > :14:20.the summer was the one big weekend with 40,000 young people enjoying
:14:21. > :14:26.national and national stars forming at Irvington. The range of the
:14:27. > :14:35.cultural programme that impressed some sceptics with reservations.
:14:36. > :14:39.They brought lots of great things to Derry and it has been a terrific
:14:40. > :14:45.success. Anyone in Derry will look back on it with their own highlights
:14:46. > :14:50.but will agree that this was an extravaganza of cultural production
:14:51. > :15:03.and Derry. Not everything works, however.
:15:04. > :15:12.The largest event was the All-Ireland fleadh in August.
:15:13. > :15:18.Overall it is estimated 1 million people will have visited in 2013,
:15:19. > :15:23.double the usual number. On a normal year the city generates up
:15:24. > :15:28.approximately two -- 32 million from tourism, and we would think 50
:15:29. > :15:31.million and above in 2013, and additional spend at least 18 million
:15:32. > :15:38.into the local economy, which is fantastic.
:15:39. > :15:41.The prestige of hosting things like the Turner prize is set to change
:15:42. > :15:46.the impression of the city from the outside world. Hollywood's finest
:15:47. > :15:51.actors and directors sensed a new mood when they came here. The big
:15:52. > :15:54.question is, what will be the impact?
:15:55. > :15:58.Some people did not attend any events whatsoever, where many
:15:59. > :16:01.thousands of others were enriched by the cultural experience.
:16:02. > :16:08.The general senses was that the year was positive for the city, a city on
:16:09. > :16:13.which everyone can agree on one name - legendary. That was a very
:16:14. > :16:14.impressive list only to be added to tonight by the Relief of Derry
:16:15. > :16:19.symphony. There have been some -- sceptics
:16:20. > :16:23.wondering whether it was worthwhile. The reception of the news was very
:16:24. > :16:28.lukewarm in the beginning but even got very and using a stick. There
:16:29. > :16:30.have been spats through the year, and a stick. There have been spats
:16:31. > :16:33.through the year, an industrial tribunal is going on at the moment
:16:34. > :16:39.and there have been complaints about the cup with marketing -- marketing.
:16:40. > :16:44.Shawna McCarthy, you have been through the wars this year, I will
:16:45. > :16:48.it end? I am going to open this with joy in
:16:49. > :16:52.my heart. It has been challenging, I don't think any of us thought it
:16:53. > :16:57.would be easy, but it has been an incredible journey. What I year. You
:16:58. > :17:01.are getting another ?2 million to help sustain the legacy.
:17:02. > :17:05.Will that be enough? Personally, I don't think so. It has
:17:06. > :17:08.been made very clear by the Department it is only just the
:17:09. > :17:13.start. The initial money invested it only until the end of March, so I
:17:14. > :17:16.think there will be further announcements, a department or unit
:17:17. > :17:22.here in the city and a new company set up. It all remains to be seen
:17:23. > :17:28.but it would swell. It may dwindle, that is your
:17:29. > :17:31.worried? I am concerned about that, but I
:17:32. > :17:36.think we have done something absolutely ambitious and the
:17:37. > :17:39.citizens you have experienced an ambitious, exceptional, incredible
:17:40. > :17:45.year. There is no turning back on that. There is some turning back on
:17:46. > :17:49.this venue, it will be dismantled in the next few days because no one has
:17:50. > :17:54.been found to run it. Then the bat on will be handed on to
:17:55. > :17:59.the city of Hull who are City of Culture next year.
:18:00. > :18:04.Back to the security alert in the first city centre. What can you tell
:18:05. > :18:08.us, Christian mackerel this city centre is extremely busy with
:18:09. > :18:12.shoppers. Officers have now moved in.
:18:13. > :18:16.The high street has been closed and part of Bridge Street, as well. In
:18:17. > :18:19.the last few minutes technical officers have sent a robot into the
:18:20. > :18:23.post office will bring on high street to examine what we believe
:18:24. > :18:27.are reports of suspicious package. At this stage we do not know what
:18:28. > :18:35.that is and the police are taking all precautions they can. Of course,
:18:36. > :18:37.there was a bomb attack last week in the Cathedral Quarter and beyond
:18:38. > :18:45.that, as well, the police had warned in the lead up to Christmas they
:18:46. > :18:46.were involved -- concerned about attacks involving dissident
:18:47. > :18:50.republicans. It is clear this evening they are taking this alert
:18:51. > :18:56.seriously. It is better to be safe than sorry.
:18:57. > :19:00.In sport, earlier this week planning permission was given for a new
:19:01. > :19:04.38,000 seater Casement Park Stadium. This evening a plan to revamp
:19:05. > :19:11.Windsor Park has moved a step closer.
:19:12. > :19:14.Yes, previous issues between the IFA and Department for culture arts and
:19:15. > :19:17.leisure seem to have been resolved. That is because the sports minister
:19:18. > :19:22.this evening has approved the funding agreement with the Irish
:19:23. > :19:26.football Association for ?31 million required for the redevelopment of
:19:27. > :19:29.Windsor Park. This will allow the IFA to appoint a main contractor for
:19:30. > :19:33.the overhaul of the venue, which will raise the capacity to 18,000
:19:34. > :19:43.spectators. What is set to start in the New Year. -- worked is set to
:19:44. > :19:48.start. Rugby, and Ulster will play Zebre in
:19:49. > :19:51.the Pro12 tonight at Ravenhill and they have a man who has played more
:19:52. > :19:55.times for Ulster than any other. Paddy Wallace will make his appeal
:19:56. > :20:00.-- first appearance for nine months after an injury. Tonight it is 189th
:20:01. > :20:08.cap for the province in a much changed starting line-up. There is a
:20:09. > :20:11.bit of nervousness, still, whether I can still hold up to professional
:20:12. > :20:16.rugby. At the moment I am not looking too
:20:17. > :20:21.far beyond this weekend. I am just trying to, you know, do myself
:20:22. > :20:34.justice, do the medical team justice, they have done so much work
:20:35. > :20:38.to get me back. Northern Ireland has a new
:20:39. > :20:44.professional boxer. Conrad Cummings from Coalisland today signed with
:20:45. > :20:48.Barry McGuigan's Cyclone Promotions. He has won an impressive 14 Ulster
:20:49. > :20:54.and Irish championships. He will live and train with Belfast
:20:55. > :21:00.Boxster Carl Frampton in London. My aim was always to be a world
:21:01. > :21:06.champion professional. I will take it one white at a time. There will
:21:07. > :21:12.be no messing around. Hopefully I will be world champion. He is a
:21:13. > :21:18.world-class amateur. I think you can quickly turn into a
:21:19. > :21:21.world-class professional. He is dedicated, he trains hard comedy is
:21:22. > :21:26.always in good shape, he never really leaves the gym. That is
:21:27. > :21:29.important. It will be good for me, he will be training alongside me
:21:30. > :21:35.giving me company, and that will bring the best out of both of us.
:21:36. > :21:40.Best of luck to him. Now for the weather. Good evening.
:21:41. > :21:44.It is a wet and windy night tonight, we could see costs in excess of 50
:21:45. > :21:50.mph as we go through this evening. -- we could see costs. Plenty of
:21:51. > :21:56.rain around in the early part of the night, and showers continue
:21:57. > :22:01.overnight. No risk of frost tonight, temperatures overnight
:22:02. > :22:04.around five or six Celsius. Into Saturday, blustery conditions
:22:05. > :22:09.continue and we will have a constant threat of showers throughout the
:22:10. > :22:12.day. This is the picture for Saturday, not wall-to-wall rain, we
:22:13. > :22:17.will certainly see some breaks in that later on, maybe even some
:22:18. > :22:24.brighter spells through Saturday afternoon. For temperatures, we will
:22:25. > :22:27.see highs of around seven sales is. With the south-west of breeze it
:22:28. > :22:31.will not feel terribly pleasant for the last shopping day before
:22:32. > :22:35.Christmas. Obviously a very important few days with lots of
:22:36. > :22:40.people travelling across the water, and as we head into the Christmas
:22:41. > :22:44.period we will see more in the way of rain and wind in the forecast.
:22:45. > :22:48.That could cause a little travel disruption as we get nearer to
:22:49. > :22:52.Christmas Day itself. It is certainly getting colder, as well.
:22:53. > :22:56.Certainly we could see a little in the way of wintry showers on Sunday
:22:57. > :23:00.and the Met Office has already issued an early warning for strong
:23:01. > :23:04.wind is on Monday. As we headed towards Christmas is at -- it is an
:23:05. > :23:10.increasingly blustery picture with some wintry showers in the mix.
:23:11. > :23:15.We leave you with another in our series of Christmas carols.
:23:16. > :23:20.It is O Holy Night, and we went to Castle ward to missing to the
:23:21. > :23:21.children from Saint Josephs primary School in Strangford.
:23:22. > :23:38.Have a good weekend. # O Holy Night! The stars are
:23:39. > :23:41.brightly shining. # It is the night of the dear
:23:42. > :23:49.Saviour's birth. # Long lay the world in sin and
:23:50. > :24:01.error pining. # Till He appeared and the Spirit
:24:02. > :24:22.felt its worth. # A thrill of hope the weary world
:24:23. > :24:34.rejoices. # For yonder breaks a new and
:24:35. > :25:01.glorious morn. # Fall on your knees!
:25:02. > :25:23.# Oh, hear the angel voices! # O night divine, the night when
:25:24. > :25:31.Christ was born. # O night. # Divine. O Holy Night, O
:25:32. > :25:47.night divine! # Truly He taught us to love one
:25:48. > :25:52.another. # His law is love and His gospel is
:25:53. > :26:01.peace. # Chains he shall break, for the
:26:02. > :26:13.slave is our brother. # And in his name all oppression
:26:14. > :26:34.shall cease. # Sweet hymns of joy in grateful
:26:35. > :26:49.chorus raise we. # With all our hearts we praise His
:26:50. > :27:22.holy name. # Christ is the Lord!
:27:23. > :27:40.# Praise his name forever. # Noel. Noel.
:27:41. > :27:47.# O night, O night divine! # Noel, Noel.
:27:48. > :28:03.# O night, O night divine! Patrick Kielty
:28:04. > :28:03.is back on home turf... When people ask you where you're
:28:04. > :28:05.from, you can sound like James Bond.