:00:00. > 3:59:59colder. It could be short lived. That is all from the BBC's News at
:00:00. > :00:26.six. The headlines on BBC Newsline. 150
:00:27. > :00:29.jobs are lost as Mivan goes out of business. The Sisters of Nazareth
:00:30. > :00:39.order is criticised for its slow response to the historical abuse
:00:40. > :00:42.enquiry. I am live at Newtownabbey Council where a band play about the
:00:43. > :00:45.Bible may get a reprieve. The controversy around e-cigarettes
:00:46. > :00:47.continues to grow with calls for them to be banned here to under 18s.
:00:48. > :00:52.Why there's a happy ending for these puppies who were found malnourished
:00:53. > :00:54.in squalid conditions. Cliftonville retain the League Cup and North
:00:55. > :00:58.Belfast bragging rights after a thriller against Crusaders. The last
:00:59. > :01:03.week of January continues the unsettled theme to the weather but
:01:04. > :01:10.it won't be raining all the time. I will be back with the details.
:01:11. > :01:16.The County Antrim construction firm, Mivan, is to close. Almost 150
:01:17. > :01:20.people are losing their jobs. That's on top of the 98 people who were
:01:21. > :01:25.made redundant two weeks ago when the firm was put in administration.
:01:26. > :01:30.Until today, it had been hoped that at least some part of the firm could
:01:31. > :01:41.be saved. Our economics and business editor John Campbell is in Antrim
:01:42. > :01:47.this evening. The end came quickly? Yes, there was hope right through to
:01:48. > :01:52.the weekend that one of a number of people entrusted in buying Mivan may
:01:53. > :01:56.do a deal but that could not be done.
:01:57. > :02:01.Mivan was a trailblazing company, from its factory in Antrim, its
:02:02. > :02:08.workers did work that was exported all over the world. The specialist
:02:09. > :02:12.joinery produced here was used in projects in EuroDisney and Saddam
:02:13. > :02:18.Hussein's palaces. Soon these workshops will fall silent for good.
:02:19. > :02:27.It was to projects in the mania that weakened the firm. -- in Rumania. A
:02:28. > :02:31.third of the workers lost their jobs a week ago and there was some hope
:02:32. > :02:39.that jobs could be saved and the business saved. Their work refitting
:02:40. > :02:42.cruise liners was thought to be particularly attractive to companies
:02:43. > :02:48.but today, hope was lost. The administrators said, we received a
:02:49. > :02:58.number of offers but unfortunately no purchaser was able to complete.
:02:59. > :03:03.This is the biggest local construction company to feel since
:03:04. > :03:06.the pattern group went into administration in 2012. It
:03:07. > :03:09.illustrates that although the economy is improving, some firms and
:03:10. > :03:17.construction continued to struggle with debts run up in the years of
:03:18. > :03:21.boom and bust. Mivan is a large employer in this area, they have
:03:22. > :03:27.been here for over 30 years. We have been gauging reaction. It is very
:03:28. > :03:34.sad to see it close. But it is up to the government to keep the business
:03:35. > :03:40.here. We are in the middle of a recession and any job losses have a
:03:41. > :03:45.detrimental effect on the local economy and there is a lot of people
:03:46. > :03:49.they are and families who will suffer as a result of this
:03:50. > :04:01.announcement. It is very sad for the town. Terrible. Employment is hard
:04:02. > :04:07.and local jobs are scarce. A depressing picture, any hope at all?
:04:08. > :04:12.One thing I have picked up tonight is that those companies who were
:04:13. > :04:15.interested in buying a van are still interested. What is putting them all
:04:16. > :04:22.is the cost of taking on Mivan as a truly business. That would mean they
:04:23. > :04:24.were stuck with large costs such as staff and existing contracts but
:04:25. > :04:39.they are still interested in Mivan's assets. I am joined now by
:04:40. > :04:44.the area's MEP. -- MP. You hearing signs of optimism? It is devastating
:04:45. > :04:50.news and my heart goes out to those people who are left unemployed. They
:04:51. > :04:55.are feeling devastated by this and so am I as their elected
:04:56. > :05:01.representative. However, there is some news and that is first of all
:05:02. > :05:04.that there is a number of employers in the area who are interested in
:05:05. > :05:10.the employees because of their skills so that is helpful. Also, the
:05:11. > :05:14.potential buyers have not gone away and therefore they are still there
:05:15. > :05:20.but they did not want to take on the liabilities. I want the
:05:21. > :05:23.administrator and those potential buyers to really get into serious
:05:24. > :05:29.discussions because we want to get these people back into employment as
:05:30. > :05:31.quickly as possible. Some people who have contacted me says Stormont are
:05:32. > :05:37.not doing enough to help in situations like this, Stormont is to
:05:38. > :05:44.focused on flags and emblems. What would you say to other parties about
:05:45. > :05:51.this? As far as the jobs here are concerned, Stormont has been
:05:52. > :05:56.actively engaged. I have just been with the Minister Arlene Foster. We
:05:57. > :06:01.have discussed this and also we have discussed it with invest NI chiefs.
:06:02. > :06:06.We have got to get the potential buyers and the administrator
:06:07. > :06:11.together to really get this business back on the go again. We have a
:06:12. > :06:16.skilled workforce and we want to back them all the way. It is a grim
:06:17. > :06:20.night here in Antrim that there is perhaps a little bit of hope that
:06:21. > :06:23.something can be saved. Nuns who ran two children's homes in
:06:24. > :06:27.Londonderry have been criticised for the haphazard and piecemeal fashion
:06:28. > :06:34.in which they have given evidence to the inquiry into historical
:06:35. > :06:37.institutional abuse. Its inquiry is examining allegations of abuse at 13
:06:38. > :06:54.homes across Northern Ireland but today started looking specifically
:06:55. > :07:00.at two Sisters of Nazareth homes. This was one of the biggest care
:07:01. > :07:04.homes in Northern Ireland. The sisters of Nazareth ran the home
:07:05. > :07:08.until 1982 and today the enquiry was told 49 former residence have
:07:09. > :07:12.submitted statements saying they were sexually or physically abused.
:07:13. > :07:18.The enquiry was told ex-residents had made statements outlining
:07:19. > :07:22.extensive sexual abuse, carried out by peers, visiting priests and in
:07:23. > :07:26.one case, a nun. The sisters of Nazareth apologised to the enquiry
:07:27. > :07:31.last month and today Banbridge court was told that each nun who has had
:07:32. > :07:35.allegations made against them denies that appears. On top of the sexual
:07:36. > :07:40.abuse, serious physical abuse has also been alleged. Ex-president is
:07:41. > :07:44.say they were hit with straps and sticks, beaten for wetting the bed
:07:45. > :07:47.and made to stand in front of the other children with the wet bed
:07:48. > :07:52.sheet on their heads. There are also reports of being locked in
:07:53. > :07:55.cupboards, children need to go hungry and even need to eat their
:07:56. > :08:10.own vomit after being sick. The enquiry was told the nuns had
:08:11. > :08:14.overcome -- lost their temper. They made it difficult for the enquiry
:08:15. > :08:19.team to gather relevant documents. A first request for evidence was
:08:20. > :08:24.needed in November 2012. When none was forthcoming, the enquiry
:08:25. > :08:28.initiated legal proceedings. Despite countless meetings, much of the
:08:29. > :08:32.necessary information is still missing and two statements were
:08:33. > :08:35.delivered just last Friday. Official inspections are few and far between
:08:36. > :08:41.as the home was church and not state run but official who made a rare
:08:42. > :08:48.government inspection in 1953 said, I find these films utterly
:08:49. > :08:52.depressing. Tomorrow sees the first of the witnesses to give evidence to
:08:53. > :08:56.the enquiry in person. The justice minister has removed the
:08:57. > :08:58.rule that anyone applying for the Chief Constable's job must have
:08:59. > :09:03.served as an Assistant Chief Constable level for at least two
:09:04. > :09:08.years outside Northern Ireland. The change will widen the pool of
:09:09. > :09:11.potential internal applicants. Last week when Matt Baggott said he was
:09:12. > :09:19.retiring in September, only the Assistant Chief Constable George
:09:20. > :09:22.Hamilton was eligible to apply. A forensic medical officer has told
:09:23. > :09:27.an abuse trial she found no evidence of one of the alleged victims being
:09:28. > :09:30.raped 1,000 times. The claim was made by a woman last week whose
:09:31. > :09:34.father, uncle and family friend stand accused of sexually abusing
:09:35. > :09:43.her as a child as well as her brother.
:09:44. > :09:50.The alleged victim told the court last week she was raped 1,000 times
:09:51. > :09:53.as a child. Today, and medical scientist who examined the alleged
:09:54. > :09:59.victim many years later was asked if there was anything to suggest 1,000
:10:00. > :10:04.rapes. The doctor said, no, there was not. She said, an injury would
:10:05. > :10:09.have had to be very serious to have lasted for ten years that she did
:10:10. > :10:12.say she found scorers and she added that other injuries could have
:10:13. > :10:16.healed over the years. Alleged victim 's mother told the hearing
:10:17. > :10:20.she contacted social services and her daughter confided in her that
:10:21. > :10:25.she had been touched sexually by her father. She said her son also told
:10:26. > :10:29.her his father had touched him. She said the fathers access to the
:10:30. > :10:34.children stopped at that stage. She was then asked about the state of
:10:35. > :10:39.their marriage the end. Were you always arguing, she was asked. Yes,
:10:40. > :10:50.she replied. Did you put him out of the house? Yes. The trial continues
:10:51. > :10:57.tomorrow. Still to come: He may not be the Six
:10:58. > :11:02.Million Dollar Man but his County Down man comes pretty close. We will
:11:03. > :11:05.meet up with him later. Councillors in Newtownabbey meet
:11:06. > :11:10.within the next hour to discuss a play by the Reduced Shakespeare
:11:11. > :11:14.Company. It was cancelled last week after some DUP members claimed it
:11:15. > :11:26.was mocking the Bible. Conor Macauley is in Newtownabbey for us.
:11:27. > :11:30.The play was cancelled last week following complaints and allegations
:11:31. > :11:36.that the content could be seen to be blasphemous. That led to an outcry
:11:37. > :11:39.and people said these councillors were censoring the arts. Tonight
:11:40. > :11:43.there is a full council meeting in which the matter will be discussed
:11:44. > :11:53.and there is a motion up for debate. One Councillor joins me now.
:11:54. > :11:58.What is this motion? Emotion is nothing to do with the actual play
:11:59. > :12:06.that we are discussing. The motion is about reaffirming the artistic
:12:07. > :12:07.and management of the theatre to be completely independent of
:12:08. > :12:13.councillors and political interference of any sort from
:12:14. > :12:17.anybody. We have a very, very successful theatre here. It played
:12:18. > :12:22.to packed houses all the time and it has international acts on it.
:12:23. > :12:26.Clearly, some things people like and some things people don't like so
:12:27. > :12:29.what this motion is about is to reaffirm that it is only for the
:12:30. > :12:32.artistic board whom Ceredigion County Council devolve the powers
:12:33. > :12:38.and authority to do with matters relating to the theatre many years
:12:39. > :12:43.ago. It is only when we cross that wire last Monday night potentially
:12:44. > :12:47.to let members of that board think that council might intervene in some
:12:48. > :12:58.of the decision-making that the situation has arisen. There are 12
:12:59. > :13:03.DUP members, do you have the support to get the motion passed? This is
:13:04. > :13:08.not a party political motion, it is a motion to say to colleagues, and I
:13:09. > :13:13.am hoping for support across the chamber, this is a motion to
:13:14. > :13:19.reaffirm the operational independence. Can you imagine if
:13:20. > :13:24.every single thing that management want to put on, if it has to come
:13:25. > :13:30.through the council chamber? It has never happened in my years on the
:13:31. > :13:33.council. Clearly our job as councillors is to build wealth to
:13:34. > :13:39.create jobs and opportunities, to look after services. We don't have
:13:40. > :13:44.the skills or the expertise to manage a multi-million pound
:13:45. > :13:52.world-class artistic value. The council meeting starts at 7:30 and
:13:53. > :14:13.this item might be on the agenda as the last item. More on our latest
:14:14. > :14:19.news. For smokers trying as say it is encouraging youngsters to take
:14:20. > :14:26.they come in all shapes and sizes, from starter kits to this collector
:14:27. > :14:40.'s item. In every flavour under the sun. But the controversy around
:14:41. > :14:47.electronic we are not too sure about what the heating process does in
:14:48. > :14:53.terms of producing other chemicals. We do not sell them to anyone under
:14:54. > :14:57.18, we do not sell them to pregnant women or nonsmokers. It is for
:14:58. > :15:05.people trying to get away from tobacco. The UK trial watchdog is
:15:06. > :15:11.committed to regulating all electronic cigarettes by 2016. Now
:15:12. > :15:20.the government is planning to ban their seal to underage teens. It is
:15:21. > :15:23.said we too should follow suit. Tobacco is more addictive than
:15:24. > :15:31.heroin and we need to get that message across to young people. As
:15:32. > :15:40.the debate continues electronic cigarettes have helped this women
:15:41. > :15:44.kick her tobacco habit. I was on 100 every two days for 30 years and now
:15:45. > :15:51.I am down to one of these per month for the last year. It costs me ?12
:15:52. > :15:57.per month which is ideal for my situation. I have grandchildren and
:15:58. > :16:06.health-wise it has lifted me. As the law stands it is usual and legal to
:16:07. > :16:10.use electronic cigarettes in arms and restaurants because you cannot
:16:11. > :16:17.like them and they do not produce smoke, but they have been banned by
:16:18. > :16:22.some restaurants. Generally anybody who has banned them his confusion
:16:23. > :16:28.between normal cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. The
:16:29. > :16:33.Department of Health is keeping a close eye on developments. Coming
:16:34. > :16:41.up, we discovered what fans of the country star Garth routes are
:16:42. > :16:49.willing to endure for a ticket. Is this scarf and poncho all that you
:16:50. > :16:56.need to call for the next few days? I have a change of clothes in the
:16:57. > :17:04.car! Stephen Lodi has been called The Bionic Man and not for no good
:17:05. > :17:11.reason. His hand was blown off in a nightclub and he has now been fitted
:17:12. > :17:16.with the bionic hand free placement. Our reporter went to meet him at his
:17:17. > :17:21.home. For anyone unfortunate enough to have lost a limb over the years,
:17:22. > :17:26.some end up with a prosthetic hand or arm. That is the sort of thing on
:17:27. > :17:32.the market at the minute, this is the old version. This is the new
:17:33. > :17:36.cutting-edge version. It is the bionic hand, the first of its kind
:17:37. > :17:45.in Ireland, we understand. Sitting alongside me is the man whose hand
:17:46. > :17:50.it is. Thank you. Do you know how many different applications there
:17:51. > :17:56.are four it? There are dozens, there are so many things you can do. So
:17:57. > :18:02.many things I have done already. You can hold soldering irons. For years
:18:03. > :18:10.I had to get shoes with Velcro but being able to tie your shoes again
:18:11. > :18:16.is like being a child again. Is that the greatest kick? Now, the greatest
:18:17. > :18:22.kick from this was the fact I was able to hold a steak knife and cut
:18:23. > :18:33.my meat. It will not squash things. It will stop. It will not crush
:18:34. > :18:40.things. You cannot hurt me. No, I could argue with that one! I cannot
:18:41. > :18:49.do that. That is as tight as it will go. That is reassuring. It is. It is
:18:50. > :18:54.simple how it actually works. The sensor is bare, you can see them. It
:18:55. > :19:00.is amazing, it has totally changed everything. It is hard to describe
:19:01. > :19:03.just how much it changes things. You would really need to be in the
:19:04. > :19:08.position where you have lost a limb, I would not wish that on
:19:09. > :19:15.anybody but it is hard to describe how it changes absolutely
:19:16. > :19:23.everything. An amazing boost for Stephen, we wish them well with his
:19:24. > :19:28.amazing new hand. Now 30 dogs, most of them Springer Spaniel pups, his
:19:29. > :19:33.County Donegal owner initially voluntarily handed over 11 of them
:19:34. > :19:41.to animal welfare officers, more were taken into care in a follow-up
:19:42. > :19:44.inspection. The rewarming centre has been helping get some of these pups
:19:45. > :19:50.back to full health after they were found malnourished and in poor
:19:51. > :19:55.physical condition. Initially they were petrified of people and
:19:56. > :20:01.withdrawn. We were trying to bring them around because they had not
:20:02. > :20:03.been socialised and were quite shy. One in particular was quite
:20:04. > :20:12.withdrawn but we are doing our best and they are coming down -- coming
:20:13. > :20:19.around slowly but surely. Initially they were contacted by the elderly
:20:20. > :20:25.dog owner. You were 11 dogs in total, six of them were pups. They
:20:26. > :20:28.were in a poor state. Our first port of call was to get them to the
:20:29. > :20:35.groomers to get them cleaned up a bit. They had no socialisation
:20:36. > :20:45.whatsoever. The peas would run to the corners of the room and bury
:20:46. > :20:51.their heads in the corner. He contacted the arrest PCA who sent
:20:52. > :20:55.out their representatives. The 19 dogs in total are now being housed
:20:56. > :21:00.on both sides of the border. Those who run the shelter say some of the
:21:01. > :21:11.dogs are still stressed and need good homes and plenty of clear and
:21:12. > :21:15.attention. Buying tickets for concerts is easy with Internet sales
:21:16. > :21:23.but for some fans of Garth crooks, you have to go the extra while --
:21:24. > :21:28.extra mile. -- Garth Brooks. Tickets for Croke Park do not go on sale
:21:29. > :21:36.until Thursday but fans have already been camping out to get a ticket.
:21:37. > :21:44.They were standing up better to the wet weather than our camera. The
:21:45. > :21:55.words of the song say you will never hear me complain. The rate is! These
:21:56. > :22:00.than Dan and fans do not seem like they are complaining. You are
:22:01. > :22:06.wrapped up with the poncho and scarf, is that how you will cope for
:22:07. > :22:19.four days? I have a wardrobe in the car, a change of clothes in the car.
:22:20. > :22:26.It is for my boyfriend. He should be here instead of you surely? Here's
:22:27. > :22:36.making the money at work. To pay for the tickets? Absolutely. I have
:22:37. > :22:42.never seen a queue for tickets for Garth Brooks it is amazing. There
:22:43. > :22:46.are 16 new robes who were not born the last time he was in Ireland.
:22:47. > :22:51.This is an opportunity for them to go along with their parents who have
:22:52. > :22:57.been raving about him since the last time he was here. Here's an older
:22:58. > :23:03.man now, do you think he will still have it? I do not think he will let
:23:04. > :23:12.us down, you will put on a massive show. From Saturday night and Sunday
:23:13. > :23:25.morning if we do not get tickets, VIP passes for backstage! You could
:23:26. > :23:28.not refuse hard. -- refuse hard. Now sport, and the Irish League Cup
:23:29. > :23:31.final survived the atrocious weekend weather and ended up something of a
:23:32. > :23:34.thriller. Here's Stephen Watson. 90 minutes of normal time and then
:23:35. > :23:38.another hour of extra time couldn't separate the teams. It all came down
:23:39. > :23:41.to a dramatic penalty shoot out. And it was Cliftonville's players who
:23:42. > :23:44.were left celebrating. They retained the Wasp Solutions NI League Cup,
:23:45. > :23:47.defeating North Belfast rivals Crusaders for the second final in a
:23:48. > :23:53.row. Nikki Gregg's report contains flash photography. These are
:23:54. > :24:00.becoming familiar scenes. It was not a match for the purists but the
:24:01. > :24:05.final returned in terms of drama. This man took the spoils. Receivers
:24:06. > :24:12.took the chance is but could not find the finish. The Cliftonville
:24:13. > :24:20.strikeforce was also left frustrated by the keeper who was on form. The
:24:21. > :24:25.game went to a penalty shoot out. The captains missed the opening spot
:24:26. > :24:34.kicks. Devlin saved Jordan Owen's effort. And there's call got the
:24:35. > :24:43.advantage. In this mess gave the team the trophy. Ten penalties
:24:44. > :24:52.against Linfield to get here. Thankfully they were silly enough to
:24:53. > :24:54.go the same way. Solitude are set to welcome Linfield next weekend.
:24:55. > :24:57.Ulster's Heineken Cup quarterfinal against Saracens at Ravenhill will
:24:58. > :25:01.be played on Saturday fifth April with a 6:30 kick-off. Munster face
:25:02. > :25:05.Toulouse on the same day at 1:30, while Toulon-Leinster is 5:30 on
:25:06. > :25:08.Sunday sixth. Meanwhile, Ulster's Craig Gilroy and Munster's Simon
:25:09. > :25:12.Zebo have failed to make the Ireland squad for the opening Six Nations
:25:13. > :25:15.games against Scotland and Wales. But Iain Henderson and Dan Tuohy are
:25:16. > :25:17.retained after impressive performances for the Irish
:25:18. > :25:22.Wolfhounds against the English Saxons on Saturday. While Rory Best,
:25:23. > :25:25.Chris Henry, Darren Cave, Paddy Jackson. Luke Marshall, and Andrew
:25:26. > :25:31.Trimble are also in the squad. Aimee Fuller, the snowboarder from Bangor,
:25:32. > :25:35.was in action on the slopes at the weekend in her last competition
:25:36. > :25:38.Ahead of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She was competing in the
:25:39. > :25:41.Women's Slopestyle Snowboard final at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado
:25:42. > :25:48.and finished in seventh place overall. Meanwhile the Belfast
:25:49. > :25:52.Giants won 2-1 in overtime away to the Braehead Clan on Saturday to
:25:53. > :26:07.remain 17 points clear at the top of the Elite League. Snow and ice to
:26:08. > :26:11.finish, pretty suitable as it was freezing today. The weather forecast
:26:12. > :26:16.is next with Cecilia Daly. Not much of the white stuff, we have been
:26:17. > :26:23.lucky so far this winter, a lot of rain but no really cold weather just
:26:24. > :26:28.yet. It is not surprising that many of our fields, parks and roads are
:26:29. > :26:32.looking like this, waterlogged. Even though it was raining a lot of the
:26:33. > :26:37.time over the weekend, yesterday some people were able to get a few
:26:38. > :26:44.hours dry weather at the country park. This weather has been with us
:26:45. > :26:52.over the weekend. There is the big band of heavy rain across mid-Ulster
:26:53. > :26:57.and the West. That will cross over the East in the next few hours so
:26:58. > :27:05.they will be lots of showers which might of towards morning. The good
:27:06. > :27:12.news about these big areas of low pressure is big areas of Swale and
:27:13. > :27:18.so big surf. The showers will continue in the East tomorrow but it
:27:19. > :27:23.will improve in the West. It might start cloudy and damp tomorrow but
:27:24. > :27:29.should not be too cold. There will be some showers through the course
:27:30. > :27:34.of the day, especially in the east, but not so intense as today. It will
:27:35. > :27:41.be drier and brighter in the West. Tomorrow night will be cold with
:27:42. > :27:46.some frost and ice around. It will get cold this week but also sunnier
:27:47. > :28:02.for Thursday. That is all from us for
:28:03. > :28:05.This is where modern Belfast was born.