07/04/2014 BBC Newsline

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Hello and welcome to BBC Newsline. The Irish President, Michael D

Higgins, arrived in London ahead of his state visit to the United

Kingdom, the first by a president from the Republic. The visit had

already been described as historic, a further sign of the closer

relationship between the two countries. The decision by Sein

Fein's Martin McGuinness to accept the Queen's invitation to a state

banquet has been attracting most political attention here. Donna

Traynor is in Windsor tonight ahead of tomorrow's state banquet hosted

by the Queen. . Good evening from Windsor. Following the visit by the

Queen to the republic in 2011, this visit by the president completes the

circumstance in Anglo Irish relations. The stamg has been set.

-- stage has been set. As you can see, as with protocol union flags

and trick tricolours line the route. The Royal Standard is flying above

the tower. That means that the queen is in residence and is awaiting her

visitor. But today the focus has been on Martin McGuinness and that

acceptance of an invitation to a state banquet tomorrow. Our

political correspondent reports. The band played Raglan Road, a bitter

sweet air on the president's first state visit to Dublin. Now an

enchanted way as the dangers of the past are laid to rest. With full

military honours for president Michael D Higgins. Also on his way,

in very different circumstances, the deputy First Minister, who says the

visit is about building peace and reconciliation. Well this is about

sending the message to everybody about how things have changed. Werp

not just involved in a peace process, we are involved in a change

process. And change is good for all of us. We had to move forward and

being progressive and positive and constructive. Ofbgt it won't be

Martin McGuinness's first encounter with the Queen. But it will be at a

state banquet. So what is the view from the banks of the Foyle?

#123450i I have no problem with it. Why not, she came here. So he can go

there. I think he was being a bit two-faced. I was pleased that he

did, because he is going to represent the people really isn't

he? He should, yeah, I think it's OK. The deputy First Minister's

decision has been welcomed by the Secretary of State. This is another

demonstration of the real progress that has been made with respect to

Northern Ireland in recent years and in terms of improving the

friendliness and strength of the relations between the UK and Ireland

and the Republic of Ireland. At the last Westminster and Dail elections

over 24 million people voted and 400,000 voted Sinn Fein. It is not

just about them, but about everybody in Britain and Ireland. Let's

represent it is about the president of Ireland and the Queen of United

Kingdom and not about Sinn Fein. This oak Strang from an acorn taken

from wind sor castle and planted here to mark the Queen's coronation.

It has thrived and as is blot somes again -- blossoms again, so will a

new relationship between Britain and Ireland. Even though the security

was tight for the arrival of president Higgins. President Higgins

spoke about his visit before he left. In an interview with the BBC

he explained its significance. I think the visit is very important

for relationships between the people of Ireland and the people of of the

United Kingdom. I also think it will have a special significance for the

Irish community in Britain. It would be hard to match the symbolism of

the queen's visit to Dublin. This will be a different visit. I think

the Queen's visit here was of great significance. Full of symbolism. And

that visit having happened then, we move on then to in this visit to

look very much to the future. Like all state visit there is will be a

banquet and an address to Parliament. But this one is

different. President Higgins will be here for four days and for those

staying in the castle, that is not normally the domain of royal guests.

President Higgins will be at the Irish embassry tonight and then he

will be staying here. We will bring you full coverage of the visit. And

I'm back here tomorrow afternoon for his ceremonial arrival. Back to the

studio. Thank you. A row has erupted over posters in south and east

Belfast claiming hundreds of overseas workers are receiving

higher wages and denying local people jobs. The UKIP MLA David

McNarry says the posters represent community frustration over 500

foreign workers being employed on an oil rig contract at Harland and

Wolff. The Alliance Party has condemned the posters as racist. I'm

outraged by it. I think this is ridiculous putting up these

unsubstantiated lies, accusations of immigrants coming into Northern

Ireland. Particular ly when we have seen recent racist incidents in

Belfast. I know who is responsible and it is nothing but a reaction as

to what they think is happening to workers, men losing jobs, men not

being offered jobs in east Belfast, where the shipyard was born and

bred. More than two dozen towns and cities across Northern Ireland are

to benefit from lower parking charges. From next start, 93 roads

service sites will charge ?1 for five hours parking. As Mark Simpson

reports, Belfast is not included in the scheme. The idea behind the

scheme is to try to get more shoppers into towns and cities

across Northern Ireland like Hollywood here. In fact 25 towns and

cities will be part of the scheme and under the scheme it will be ?1

for five hours of parking. And the scheme begins on Saturday morning.

The question is - will it work? I think it is a perfect compromise.

Five hours for ?1 doesn't sound like a lot. In an ideal world you would

be able to park free, but those days are long gone with so many cars.

Anything that encourages people back into the towns has to be a great

thing. This one obvious place missing from the long list of towns

and cities benefitting from cheaper parking and this a Belfast N terms

of price of parking there, there is no change. Preparations for the

first major golf tournament of the year - the US Masters - have been

disrupted due to thunder storms. Stephen Watson is reporting from

Augusta all this week for BBC Newsline. First light at Augusta and

Northern Ireland's champions had already arrived. They were all

trying to squeeze in some practice before the bad weather set in. But

it wasn't long until day one was brought to a premature end. There

are storms approaching the area. Accompanied by dangerous lightning.

The former open champion was taking it in his stride. I have been here a

few times, so I know course well. I have got a few holes in yesterday.

Disappointing for the people that come to watch. They travel from all

over America and they have got a day where they won't see any golf. The

course was evacuated and practice cancelled for the first time since

2003. Thankfully there is better weather forecast for tomorrow. Now

the local weather. We have had some hefty showers today, but once we get

beyond today there isn't as much rain in the forecast. There will be

some, but mainly patchy and light. Maybe the odd bright interval. I

think we are going to see increasing amounts of cloud as the week

progresses and temperatures are heading back to average after a mild

spell. Coming back to tonight, although the showers are moving on

there will still be some to come on a brisk breeze. But not as heavy and

not as many as today and clear spells in between. Maybe some grass

frost, but most places should be frost-free. Tomorrow, a bright and

breezy day. Mainly dry too, although there will be one or two showers. It

is a similar start across the republic, although that breeze will

bring more cloud in the afternoon, as it will in western Scotland. For

eastern Scotland, England and Wales, mainly dry and bright. Also quite

breezy and feeling cool in the breechltz temperatures up to 15 in

the south-east. For Northern Ireland, near average temperatures

tomorrow. 11 degrees or so. Still bright in the south and east at

first. But cloud will increase later and that will threaten some light

rain for northern and western parts tomorrow night. Through the rest of

the week, a good deal of cloud. Some patchy rain on Thursday. Otherwise

largely dry. Have a good night.