22/05/2014 BBC Newsline

Hello and welcome to BBC Newsline. The Deputy Leader of NI21, John

McCallister, says the public rift in the party is because he instigated

an external investigation into rumours relating to the party

leader, Basil McCrea. Last night Mr McAllister described NI21's decision

to drop its unionist designation as crazy and dysfunctional. In an

exclusive interview for The View, Mr McCallister apologised to NI21's

supporters for the current turmoil within the leadership. Two

candidates and all of those who worked hard to develop this. But the

promise I would is we are going to sort these issues and we are going

to resolve this. We are going to address them and we're going to get

holding the party and what it but I am truly sorry to the voters and the

people who feel that we have let them down. And we have missed an

opportunity, which is true, particularly the candidates who have

walked the streets for three weeks and have been so bitterly

disappointed. Meanwhile, NI21's leader, Basil McCrea, has told The

View he's confident he has done nothing wrong and will respond if

anyone brings any complaints to his attention. In another twist, the

NI21 European candidate, Tina McKenzie, has tonight resigned from

the party's executive. And you can see more on this developing story on

The View immediately after this bulletin. A man who attacked a Newry

student with an iron bar in Chicago four years ago is being sentenced

there this evening. Heriberto Viramontes was found guilty of

attacking Natasha McShane from Silverbridge, leaving her with

permanent brain damage. He was sentenced Peter Coulter reports. The

attack left Natasha McShane brain-damaged and in this footage,

Heriberto Viramontes can be seen using her credit card moments

afterwards and in October last year, it was found guilty of the attempted

murder of girls. He was led into court this morning in a red jumpsuit

and had to listen to impact statements from the family of

Heriberto Viramontes. The group Natasha McShane. Speaking in court,

her friend said it was a cowardly, evil beating and she told the judge

she still has seizures and could not drive or read a bike. She said,

Heriberto Viramontes tried to murder my friend. My life, my dreams were

altered by this man. The attackers made headlines around the world but

the biggest impact has her that her daughter 's she said she still

requires 24-hour care and has a team of ten people to which he words

together and has been able to take a few steps without a wheelchair. She

said, she is alive he may not be a monster but Chicago is Students and

staff at Belfast Metropolitan College have described scenes of

chaos at the Millfield campus today when a student was stabbed. The

26-year-old man is in a serious but stable condition in hospital. The

alleged attacker was also taken to hospital with minor injuries but has

now been arrested. Andy West's report contains some graphic

eyewitness accounts. Witnesses describe a scene of pandemonium as

the attacker ran from the toilets in this building on the college campus

covered in blood and holding a knife. I ran into the toilet with

two boys from class and I could just see a guy lying on the ground with

blood everywhere. And then we heard screaming and an older teacher or

pupil was standing in the cubicle beside us and he was shouting, give

me the knife. I heard the door opening and I just seen the guy

lying on the ground with what looked like blood coming from his neck. I

could not see the knife. It seemed to be a Stanley knife or a penknife.

These students watched in horror as one of their teachers was grabbed by

the attacker in the car park. They grabbed her and she thought he was

going to attack so she started to shout for help. She was in shock,

she could not talk. I heard her saying it was not her blood. She was

not injured? No. The 21-year-old alleged attacker was taken to the

Mater Hospital before being arrested by police. The 26-year-old victim

was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital and we understand he is in

a serious but stable condition. Detectives in the Serious Crime

Branch are taking steps to obtain all the material from the Boston

College oral history of the Troubles. Some of the testimony

gathered for the US project was used earlier this month to question the

Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams. The PSNI already gained access to some

of the tapes following a lengthy legal battle. More than 40 former

republican and loyalist gunmen and bombers active during the Troubles

gave interviews to the college. The PSNI says it has a duty to fully

investigate all serious crime, including murder. The college says

it has not received any requests regarding the matter. Polls have

closed in the European and local council elections. Counting begins

in the morning for the 11 new super-councils and the final results

for the 462 seats are expected to be revealed on Saturday. It's going to

take a bit longer before we know who won the three European seats.

Martina Purdy has this report. The polls opened at seven o'clock in the

morning amid little expectation that turnout would exceed the mid-50s. It

is expected that Martina Anderson would top the poll in the given the

plethora of unionist candidates. Standing for the largest unionist

party, Diane Dodds is expected to be re-elected. Voting for the first

time as the Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt cast his vote in both

polls, his party's European candidate is hoping to be

re-elected, having served since 1989 but fortunes could depend on how

well this former DUP MEP and the TV leader has polled. The SCOP and

Alliance are among ten parties vying for the three seats. Belfast City

Hall is among the current centres for the council elections and we

should know my late afternoon tomorrow those first results. It

will be Monday before we will know who triumphs in the European polls.

Rory McIlroy has carded a four under par 68 in his opening round at the

PGA Championship at Wentworth. Rory bogeyed the 17th before picking up a

shot on the last. He scored two eagles, which included this

world-class shot on the par four seventh. Time for the weather

forecast with Geoff Maskell. A time you have got two different eagles on

the but the most part and I dry to just and I try to play at the best I

could. And move onto and it added up to

after some torrential downpours and the odd lightning strike overnight,

any of those removing as the temperature drops to tomorrow plenty

and some nothing in terms of the intensity a decent covering of cloud

and across the East coast but what is driving the weather is this that

is working its way that means and so there will be and that band of rain

across Wales and the central a much drier day than we have seen today,

the and the temperatures will really be noticed, topping at around ten or

11 degrees as warming up by the time we get always a risk of similar for

Sunday and just casting our ice towards the Bank Holiday what we may

not escape without a little bit of drizzly That's it for now. You can

keep up-to-date online and follow this programme on Facebook and

Twitter. From BBC Newsline - goodnight.

Throughout history, Armagh has always been a spiritual sanctuary.