:00:00. > :00:21.This is BBC Newsline. The headlines this Thursday evening: The First
:00:22. > :00:25.Minister suggests Stormont's powers over Social Security could be given
:00:26. > :00:29.back to Westminster if there's no political agreement over welfare
:00:30. > :00:31.reform. I am telling you, there are certain
:00:32. > :00:35.decisions that have to be taken. Other people are failing in their
:00:36. > :00:39.leadership, not me. Other people are failing in their
:00:40. > :00:42.As golf's Irish Open returns here twice in the next three years -
:00:43. > :00:48.negotiations are under way to stage the biggest tournament of all, The
:00:49. > :00:52.Open. The road out of recession - has the
:00:53. > :00:56.economic recovery turned up in your town?
:00:57. > :00:57.There is potential for some heavy rain tonight, but mainly for the
:00:58. > :01:07.eastern counties. The First Minister has suggested
:01:08. > :01:11.Stormont's powers over social security could be given back to
:01:12. > :01:15.Westminster if there is no political agreement over welfare reform.
:01:16. > :01:18.Legislation to change benefits has been brought in for England,
:01:19. > :01:25.Scotland and Wales, but Sinn Fein are currently refusing to back a
:01:26. > :01:28.similar bill here. Peter Robinson has said there are potential nuclear
:01:29. > :01:30.options if the deadlock continues. Chris Page reports.
:01:31. > :01:35.options if the deadlock continues. over welfare reform, Peter Robinson
:01:36. > :01:41.has talked about the possibility of new dealer options. At the moment he
:01:42. > :01:44.says that means he would not put Stormont in a bunker. The First
:01:45. > :01:49.Minister has said it is possible that the ball powers on welfare
:01:50. > :01:52.could be given back to Westminster. It can be a simple is sent to the
:01:53. > :01:56.government, this government is not competent to take difficult
:01:57. > :02:01.decisions cost two of the parties in the coalition are not prepared to
:02:02. > :02:05.take difficult decisions. Therefore, you have to take this off us. We
:02:06. > :02:14.don't want to have these issues the ball to us. That is one option. The
:02:15. > :02:18.DUP have given cataclysmic warnings about the consequences of financial
:02:19. > :02:19.penalties that Westminster has imposed because welfare legislation
:02:20. > :02:24.has not been passed. The DUP said imposed because welfare legislation
:02:25. > :02:28.that ?1 billion could be lost from the Budget over the next five years.
:02:29. > :02:32.They claimed that if the welfare changes don't go through, ?68
:02:33. > :02:37.million will have to be culled from the health Budget. According to Mr
:02:38. > :02:41.Robinson, if the welfare system becomes separate from the rest of
:02:42. > :02:47.the UK, the new computer network will cost ?1.5 billion. This Sinn
:02:48. > :02:53.Fein minister has criticised his comments. Threats, plucking figures
:02:54. > :03:00.out of the area, while not resolve this issue. The executive has an
:03:01. > :03:05.ability to stand united. When the executives stand united we see
:03:06. > :03:09.changes being delivered, different is being made. Our call to him is to
:03:10. > :03:13.stand united with the executive and the people, the most honourable
:03:14. > :03:18.people in the society, and stand up to the British government. The First
:03:19. > :03:22.Minister is talking about nuclear options, but the button has not been
:03:23. > :03:28.pressed. Politicians tend to retreat to their bunkers at election times,
:03:29. > :03:33.with elections in each of the next three years, reaching agreements on
:03:34. > :03:37.contentious issues could prove difficult.
:03:38. > :03:40.You can see more of that interview on The View this evening. That's
:03:41. > :03:42.here on BBC One straight after our late news.
:03:43. > :03:46.The former Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde says that if Downing Street had
:03:47. > :03:49.asked him to release a prisoner in police custody he would have
:03:50. > :03:53.remembered it until his dying day. Sir Hugh was responding to a claim
:03:54. > :03:56.made by a senior retired police officer to a Westminster committee
:03:57. > :03:58.that Number Ten sought the release of a republican arrested for
:03:59. > :04:01.questioning about attempting to murder a part time soldier in 1981.
:04:02. > :04:10.Here's our Political Editor, Mark Devenport.
:04:11. > :04:15.Westminster committees had their moments of drama, but it is where
:04:16. > :04:19.for a piece of evidence to prove quite as explosive as this claim
:04:20. > :04:26.from retired the tech chief superintendent Norman Baxter. Gerry
:04:27. > :04:30.Adams telephoned Downing Street demanding their release. Downing
:04:31. > :04:33.Street rang the chief constable'soffice looking for their
:04:34. > :04:40.release. I got up and call suggesting I should release them.
:04:41. > :04:43.That, of course, in my mind is an attempt to provide the course of
:04:44. > :04:50.justice. The alleged interference didn't stop this Republican being
:04:51. > :04:55.conveyed that for the attempted murder of an Ulster defence Regiment
:04:56. > :04:59.soldier. At soldier is now a DUP councillor. He was shocked by the
:05:00. > :05:05.revelations but suspects there is more to come. The government has
:05:06. > :05:09.behaved very badly towards the victims of terrorism in this
:05:10. > :05:15.country. The deck is seen to be expendable, but the terrorists have
:05:16. > :05:21.to be preserved and let free possible. It is potentially illegal
:05:22. > :05:25.to try to interfere with the police investigation. It is an attempt to
:05:26. > :05:32.prevent the course of justice. It is a very serious allegation. The
:05:33. > :05:36.former Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Orde, says that Downing Street had
:05:37. > :05:39.asked him to release prisoners he would have remembered it to his
:05:40. > :05:45.dying day. Sir Hugh Orde believes that no such phone call was majoring
:05:46. > :05:50.to seven years he led the police. He is not giving evidence until next
:05:51. > :05:54.week, but his successor, Matt Baggott, faced the policing board
:05:55. > :05:57.today. The Chief Constable said the police once Norman Baxter to clarify
:05:58. > :06:04.his claim that Downing Street had tried to interfere in this case. I
:06:05. > :06:10.have asked the deputy responsible for issues of misconduct to write to
:06:11. > :06:15.Mr Baxter asking him to give us an account of what happens, by who,
:06:16. > :06:22.when, and to give us some detail behind his statement so we can make
:06:23. > :06:26.an objective assessment. Also in the hot seat today was the Stormont
:06:27. > :06:36.Justice Minister, David Ford. He insisted he will never endorse any
:06:37. > :06:39.on the run scheme on his watch. A 23-year-old woman has died
:06:40. > :06:41.following a two-vehicle collision in County Londonderry.
:06:42. > :06:44.She was Leanne Dripps, from the Upperlands area of Maghera. It
:06:45. > :06:48.happened on the Agivey Road in Kilrea shortly after 8.00am this
:06:49. > :06:51.morning. A second person has been taken to hospital with injuries that
:06:52. > :06:55.are not life-threatening. The police have appealed to anyone who was
:06:56. > :06:59.travelling on the Agivey Road around the time of the accident to contact
:07:00. > :07:03.them. On the day that it was revealed that
:07:04. > :07:06.the Irish Open is to come to Northern Ireland twice in the next
:07:07. > :07:09.three years, the BBC has learned that negotiations are under way to
:07:10. > :07:11.bring the biggest competition in golf, The Open itself, to Northern
:07:12. > :07:15.Ireland. The one and only time the Open
:07:16. > :07:20.Championship has been held here was 1951. Stephen Watson is at the Royal
:07:21. > :07:27.County Down Golf Club. It was confirmed today that the
:07:28. > :07:33.Irish open will be staged here at Royal County Down Golf Club, and
:07:34. > :07:36.also at the Loch earn resort in County Fermanagh. It has been made
:07:37. > :07:42.possible by part County Fermanagh. It has been made
:07:43. > :07:47.Stormont executive. It also said that negotiations are at an exam --
:07:48. > :07:54.at an advanced stage, to bring The Open back to Ireland. A hole for the
:07:55. > :07:59.First Minister on the day the executive delivered to professional
:08:00. > :08:03.golf tournaments. The biggest of them all could be on the way. He
:08:04. > :08:08.revealed negotiations are at an advanced stage to bring The Open
:08:09. > :08:13.back to Northern Ireland for the second time ever. We have been
:08:14. > :08:17.talking to them for some time. I believe that we have the courses
:08:18. > :08:21.that would meet their requirements. We may have some in the structure
:08:22. > :08:26.issues to deal with, but I am still confident that it is capable of
:08:27. > :08:31.coming to Northern Ireland. What stage of those negotiations at?
:08:32. > :08:34.coming to Northern Ireland. What past the early stages of
:08:35. > :08:42.discussions. Would you be confident of delivering it? I can't when we
:08:43. > :08:47.were still talking to them, to indicate the level of confidence. I
:08:48. > :08:52.am determined to put every effort we can in order to bring the open to
:08:53. > :08:57.Northern Ireland. A deal has been struck with the European Tour for
:08:58. > :09:02.the Irish open to return. It is a four-year agreement, really. You're
:09:03. > :09:06.showcasing one of the great courses in the world at Royal County Down
:09:07. > :09:14.Golf Club, and Loch earn has so many great reports. We know where we are
:09:15. > :09:18.for four years. This is a tremendous day for the European Tour. Royal
:09:19. > :09:24.County Down Golf Club has staged picture in a month before, like the
:09:25. > :09:28.British senior open and the amateur Walker cup that saw Rory McIlroy
:09:29. > :09:33.play the famous links. It is the first time in 75 years that the
:09:34. > :09:39.Irish open will have been held here. It is great for the course to have
:09:40. > :09:44.such fabulous players playing on it. I think the town and the area, and
:09:45. > :09:48.Northern Ireland as a whole will benefit. It will hopefully bring in
:09:49. > :09:58.more golf tourists to not just Northern Ireland, at the whole
:09:59. > :10:01.country -- but all of Ireland. As for The Open, it is only been staged
:10:02. > :10:10.in Northern Ireland once before, back in 1951. I understand will port
:10:11. > :10:14.Russia is the chosen venue again, and it is believed the deal could be
:10:15. > :10:21.delivered as early as 2019. You're watching BBC Newsline. Still
:10:22. > :10:24.to come on the programme: We're taking a closer look at how the
:10:25. > :10:27.economy is trying to recover from the recession by visiting various
:10:28. > :10:31.places over the next few weeks. This evening I'm in Cookstown, where
:10:32. > :10:48.success has been found in a niche business.
:10:49. > :10:58.The author of a new report says that the argument over the Unionist flag
:10:59. > :11:01.is caused by a Democratic -- a demographic shifts in Northern
:11:02. > :11:11.Ireland. He concludes one of the problems is a lack of political
:11:12. > :11:17.leadership. Belfast is a city in transition. It
:11:18. > :11:21.is also a divided city, divided high walls and even by this river. On the
:11:22. > :11:26.east bank you have a solidly Protestant unionist population, on
:11:27. > :11:30.the west, solidly nationalist and Catholic. What does that mean for
:11:31. > :11:37.its future? Well it is not that simple, there are still significant
:11:38. > :11:42.pockets of unionists in saw the -- in northern South Belfast, there is
:11:43. > :11:51.a dramatic shift. In 2001 there were 130,000 Catholics and about 135,000
:11:52. > :11:55.Protestant Belfast. Ten years later the Catholic population had
:11:56. > :12:00.increased by than 5,000, a tipping point where it is larger than
:12:01. > :12:04.Protestants, who have been -- who have been increased by 16,000.
:12:05. > :12:07.Protestants, who have been -- who has changed from having a Protestant
:12:08. > :12:11.majority, to the first time the Protestant population being in a
:12:12. > :12:16.minority. Those figures were published in December 2012,
:12:17. > :12:21.published a week after the vote was taken in Belfast City Council. It is
:12:22. > :12:25.not as if the people who came to protest about the flag decision had
:12:26. > :12:33.read those figures and decided to come out in protest, but, actually,
:12:34. > :12:37.sometimes people can act like human censorious, they pick up what is
:12:38. > :12:42.happening underneath their feet, they pick up the vibration. The
:12:43. > :12:49.report cites a cultural conflict over the flag which is drawn in
:12:50. > :12:52.mainly young Protestant men who are suffering higher than average
:12:53. > :12:55.unemployment at a time when Catholics are excelling in schools
:12:56. > :13:02.as they retired up poverty. There is a section of our population, young
:13:03. > :13:09.Protestant men, who have no way out of their poverty. They experience it
:13:10. > :13:14.as inequality. That will erupt. His report concludes that the sea bed of
:13:15. > :13:18.conflict will have to be managed through job creation, political
:13:19. > :13:21.leadership and peace with reconciliation.
:13:22. > :13:24.Last night, we brought you the report that showed how poorer
:13:25. > :13:27.Protestant boys are falling behind at school. Today, the Progressive
:13:28. > :13:31.Unionist Party says it's unhappy a report into the issue hasn't been
:13:32. > :13:33.adopted by the party leaders. The party's councillor John Kyle
:13:34. > :13:44.published the report and asked senior politicians to agree its
:13:45. > :13:50.recommendations. I am still waiting, but I am optimistic that
:13:51. > :13:58.they will agree what has been proposed. I do think there is a lack
:13:59. > :14:00.of urgency. This report from the community relations Council
:14:01. > :14:04.highlights that this must be dealt with, we can't be complacent and
:14:05. > :14:08.feel that doing a little bit here and there will solve the problem. If
:14:09. > :14:11.we don't solve it, we will have bigger problems down the road.
:14:12. > :14:14.We keep hearing that the local economy is getting stronger, with
:14:15. > :14:18.some predicting it will grow by almost 3% this year. But is there
:14:19. > :14:21.any sign of recovery where you live? Well, over the next few weeks we'll
:14:22. > :14:30.be taking the economic temperature in several towns. Tonight, Donna is
:14:31. > :14:33.in Cookstown. Cookstown is at the heart of
:14:34. > :14:36.Mid-Ulster. In the worst years of the recession Mid-Ulster had one of
:14:37. > :14:41.the biggest rises in unemployment of any part of the UK. Between 2008 and
:14:42. > :14:42.2010, the number of the people claiming
:14:43. > :14:50.2010, the number of the people this area surged by an almost
:14:51. > :14:57.unbelievable 73%. Many of those jobs were lost in construction - a sector
:14:58. > :15:00.which has been slow to recover. John Campbell has been taking a closer
:15:01. > :15:04.look here and has found that recovery in this part of the world
:15:05. > :15:18.is being driven by a different line of work.
:15:19. > :15:27.PDS is a prime example. It is much bigger than it was before the
:15:28. > :15:38.recession. Its workforce is also getting better.
:15:39. > :15:44.It's a profitable niche. The workforce has doubled in three
:15:45. > :15:52.years. It is very much a growing organisation. Particularly, in our
:15:53. > :15:58.export markets. But does growth in this whole sector
:15:59. > :16:06.mean the economy is on the up? It is a challenging marketplace.
:16:07. > :16:11.There are signs of improvement, but those pockets of improvement are
:16:12. > :16:15.very much pockets of improvement. They are in specialist areas. In the
:16:16. > :16:20.wider context, the economy is still suffering.
:16:21. > :16:29.Keirin Higgins says the last year has definitely been more positive.
:16:30. > :16:31.Keirin Higgins says the last year Over the last number of years, we
:16:32. > :16:39.have assisted with the start-up of a significant number of businesses. In
:16:40. > :16:44.the last year, we have started more businesses in the last year than in
:16:45. > :16:47.the last seven or eight years. There are still some obvious signs
:16:48. > :16:54.of the downturn, there is a feeling that a recovery will be one which is
:16:55. > :17:05.fragile and uneven. However, it is finally under way.
:17:06. > :17:09.What are the potential difficulties? Those in high-tech areas like IT and
:17:10. > :17:13.engineering are talking about a skills shortage. There are not
:17:14. > :17:16.enough people to fill the jobs they are offering. They are prepared to
:17:17. > :17:22.pay good money, they just aren't enough of those people out there.
:17:23. > :17:25.Stormont has also noticed this, trying to put more skills into the
:17:26. > :17:29.workplace. But that will take more time to come through. That could be
:17:30. > :17:38.a barrier to growth in some of these companies.
:17:39. > :17:42.You have been listening to people talk about skills, but first the
:17:43. > :17:51.news yesterday of the stalling of the Desert crate college. What does
:17:52. > :17:56.that mean for business? I have heard it described as a dark
:17:57. > :18:03.day for the town. I think when you look at it it has been on the go for
:18:04. > :18:09.ten years. ?11 million has been spent on getting the college to this
:18:10. > :18:14.stage, but it has now been re-tendering. That has
:18:15. > :18:17.stage, but it has now been some optimism. I know that there
:18:18. > :18:23.will be hope in the town that - I think there is still optimism.
:18:24. > :18:26.In regard to training young people, how focused do you think it is in
:18:27. > :18:32.this area targeting future prosperity watermark
:18:33. > :18:38.I think there is quite a lot of hope in the town. We get a lot of reports
:18:39. > :18:43.in from local businesses and colleges, and they are working with
:18:44. > :18:46.schools. They go to work places to see what the skills are like, and
:18:47. > :18:51.they get some idea of what it is like to work there. There is an
:18:52. > :18:58.event going on locally, tomorrow. I think it all looks good for young
:18:59. > :19:02.people. We will be focusing next week on
:19:03. > :19:09.retail. From Cookstown back to the studio.
:19:10. > :19:13.When did you last climb through a wardrobe, meet a lion or a witch
:19:14. > :19:17.when you took the dog for walk? Well, regular visitors to Belmont
:19:18. > :19:19.Park in East Belfast could soon be enjoying a taste of Narnia.
:19:20. > :19:23.Characters and images from the world created by local boy CS Lewis will
:19:24. > :19:26.be created around the park, thanks to a new project just passed by
:19:27. > :19:30.Belfast City Council. Will Leitch reports.
:19:31. > :19:41.Let's face it - there's no way a wardrobe in east Belfast could
:19:42. > :19:48.possibly lead to Narnia. What do you know? It's nice but it
:19:49. > :19:52.isn't Narnia gets. The friends of Belmont Park have big plans for
:19:53. > :19:56.their favourite bit of open space. If you are a member --
:19:57. > :20:01.their favourite bit of open space. remember the books, you step through
:20:02. > :20:07.the wardrobe through the trees. If you've read the books, you know why
:20:08. > :20:12.the lamp is there. We will place this lamp just through the gates.
:20:13. > :20:18.That should trigger a lot of images in your mind. Through the woods,
:20:19. > :20:22.there will be other things. I the end of the process, which will take
:20:23. > :20:26.some time, you will go through a Narnia walk through this part with
:20:27. > :20:30.small references to things from your childhood.
:20:31. > :20:35.Eventually, you can expect the White witch's slate, and Aslan the line.
:20:36. > :20:52.But there is still some planning to be done. -- Aslan the lion.
:20:53. > :21:22.Now back live to Newcastle where Stephen has more on golf's Irish
:21:23. > :21:27.Open. Tiger Woods has dropped in a few
:21:28. > :21:31.times to play. Is it fair to say there hasn't been as much excitement
:21:32. > :21:35.since then? We welcome all the best players in
:21:36. > :21:39.the world to come to visit from all over the world.
:21:40. > :21:43.Unlike Royal Portrush, the fans who come here will be able to come in
:21:44. > :21:48.and out of the town. Was that an important part of this?
:21:49. > :21:52.I believe it will be very good for the town of Newcastle. It's lovely
:21:53. > :21:56.to see the golfing fans come and enjoy the local area.
:21:57. > :22:03.It will obviously leave a great legacy for golf. And there is talk
:22:04. > :22:07.of the opening coming perhaps in the future.
:22:08. > :22:12.There is a great run of golf in Northern Ireland. This is going to
:22:13. > :22:15.help continue that. Thank you very much. Tickets are
:22:16. > :22:18.already on sale for the Irish Open next year.
:22:19. > :22:22.Carl Frampton and Frampton stepped off the scales and
:22:23. > :22:33.told the world he would knock his Mexican opponent out. Thomas Kane
:22:34. > :22:36.reports. Bang on weight, and ready to go.
:22:37. > :22:41.reports. Carl Frampton says he is going to
:22:42. > :22:45.win, and win in style. I think I want to get rid of this
:22:46. > :22:53.guy. It will be a big statement when I do.
:22:54. > :22:57.I believe I'm going to do it. You need to look explosive. You need
:22:58. > :23:02.to look exciting in your performances. American TV are
:23:03. > :23:10.interested in us now. I am prepared to give that.
:23:11. > :23:17.It's the terrible fight. If the site where that hometown favourite is up
:23:18. > :23:24.against the veteran. He specialises in going overseas,
:23:25. > :23:37.either Porter regrow or Japan. -- Porter regrow or Japan.
:23:38. > :23:41.The site is live on radio Ulster. He played for Ulster, he coached
:23:42. > :23:44.Ulster and now all he wants to do is beat Ulster. On Saturday, Mark
:23:45. > :23:46.McCall brings his Saracens side to Ravenhill with a Heineken Cup
:23:47. > :23:53.semifinal up for grabs. Thomas Niblock reports.
:23:54. > :23:59.As an injured captain in 1999, Mark McCall led Ulster to their ultimate
:24:00. > :24:06.achievements. Living in London now, McCall is proud.
:24:07. > :24:15.It has been tremendous for me to watch the progress the club has made
:24:16. > :24:23.in the last three or four years. We have gone up against top-class gods
:24:24. > :24:32.in Europe. I am delighted to see it. On Saturday, my attachment is with
:24:33. > :24:37.the Saracens team. I have been with them for five years.
:24:38. > :24:46.Mark McCall of Ulster is long gone - coaching Saracens, who said at the
:24:47. > :24:51.top of the league, Ravenhill is now simply enemy territory. We know
:24:52. > :24:58.there is real expectation from the Ulster team. That expectation comes
:24:59. > :25:06.from within the team. It comes from the public, as well, you expect
:25:07. > :25:12.great things. That's going to make for an
:25:13. > :25:19.atmosphere which will --. It's not like playing an international match.
:25:20. > :25:28.It's the real deal. There will be a hostile and tense crowd.
:25:29. > :25:34.I hope to turn that expectation into something better.
:25:35. > :25:41.They're not just hoping for a win but expecting it.
:25:42. > :25:43.We will hear from the Ulster camp tomorrow.
:25:44. > :25:50.Let's get a look at the weather forecast with Angie.
:25:51. > :25:57.For some people, some more rain in the forecast tonight. A pretty
:25:58. > :26:00.gloomy one for many parts of Northern Ireland. The further east
:26:01. > :26:06.you are, temperatures will struggle at around 10 degrees. We did get
:26:07. > :26:10.some bright spells for a time. Temperatures peaked at 15 degrees.
:26:11. > :26:15.We still have that cloud with us through the evening. Maybe a few
:26:16. > :26:18.showers around. Generally, for Mid Ulster and the West, it looks as
:26:19. > :26:23.though it will stay dry through the night. It is a different story for
:26:24. > :26:26.the Eastern counties. A weather front is rolling in spells of rain.
:26:27. > :26:31.There are uncertainties about how far inland that rain will get, there
:26:32. > :26:35.is potential for heavy bursts. The Met office has issued a rain
:26:36. > :26:41.warning. Be aware that there is a risk of localised versus flooding.
:26:42. > :26:45.The worst about rain will be out of the way I the weekend, and we should
:26:46. > :26:50.see things gradually improving. Many of us are looking at a lot of dry
:26:51. > :26:55.weather tomorrow. A slow start, and it could be gloomy and misty in
:26:56. > :26:57.places. The rain clears quickly, and once it goes on the temperatures
:26:58. > :27:00.does start to rise. We once it goes on the temperatures
:27:01. > :27:05.seeing some bright spells and sunshine coming through by the time
:27:06. > :27:08.we get into the afternoon. Temperatures around 13 or 14
:27:09. > :27:13.degrees. Feeling very pleasant with light winds. 12 showers scattered
:27:14. > :27:18.around, but most places of avoiding those and staying dry. Into tomorrow
:27:19. > :27:22.evening, not a bad end to the day. Bright spells around, but as we head
:27:23. > :27:25.into the night the clouds are gathering. Spells of rain will be
:27:26. > :27:30.moving in, especially towards western areas. On Saturday morning,
:27:31. > :27:34.it's not looking too brilliant because that rain continues to
:27:35. > :27:38.edging. Some heavy bursts of rain around, but hopefully not staying
:27:39. > :27:42.that way. The afternoon looks dry and writer. Highs of 13 or 14. The
:27:43. > :27:44.mother highs on Sunday, but more rain to come.
:27:45. > :27:51.Our late summary is at 10.25pm. You can also keep in contact with us via
:27:52. > :27:57.Facebook and Twitter. From BBC Newsline - good night.