30/08/2014 BBC Newsline

points and their mood is considerably darker

A man who escaped injury in an arson attack on his Armagh home

has described it as attempted murder.

The man's pregnant wife wasn't in the house at the time

of the attack in Mullacreevie Park in the early hours of this morning.

The fire service helped to put out the blaze

and the police are investigating the incident.

Louis O'Neill surveying the damage to his home, amazed he escaped

injury. He was upstairs when the attack happened. He was unaware the

outside of his home was on fire and that the blaze was spreading

inside. Smoke was billowing into the house. The intensity of the fire is

evident from the damage to the front of the house. A lot of things

happened that saved his life, his dog started barking, the neighbours

raised the alarm and he got out in time. If I hadn't had the inside

door close, I probably would not be standing here. I would have been

overcome by fumes. The hallway is completely black. Today, the

neighbourhood was quiet as friends came to help. He and his wife are

expecting a baby in a few weeks, she was away at the time. This is

attempted murder. If someone came to my door and try to talk to my house

with me and whoever castles in the house inside, they were trying to

kill me. He says he has no idea why his home was targeted. He is just

relieved there was no loss of life in the attack.

Three men arrested yesterday on suspicion of attempting to murder

a high-profile loyalist in North Belfast earlier this month have been

released pending a report being sent to the Public Prosecution Service.

The men were questioned in connection with a gun attack

on John Boreland in Carr's Glen Park on the 20th of August.

while fellow loyalist Andre Shoukri escaped injury.

A local solicitor says a report that a Garda officer

passed information to the IRA about two dissident republicans in custody

The Republic's Justice minister Frances Fitzgerald has asked

the Acting Garda Commissioner for a report into the matter,

which is said to have happened last year.

Solicitor John McBurney, who represented the family

of murdered RUC Chief Superintendent Harry Breen

at the Smithwick Tribunal into Garda collusion,

Minister Fitzgerald has indicated that there is a criminal

investigation ongoing in relation to the matter that will take its

course. That will be important. I think the concern is wide as to what

is being done to ascertain how many other similar incidents may have

occurred, not just in recent months but in the recent past and in the

mod -- the more distant past. A day of commemoration

has been taking place in Bellaghy in county Londonderry in memory

of Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney The poet was born in the village

and is buried there. Family, friends and people from the

area came to his grave to hear his poems. The perimeter barbed wire,

forgotten. I remembered her head towards my head, never closer.

They read was laid on his grave to mark the occasion. It is good to

come in memory of such a brilliant artist, poet and person. I can't

believe it has been a year. Just to be here and express their

appreciation, it still touches people deeply. After the readings, a

walk back into the village for an afternoon and evening of music.

And now here's Barra Best with the weather forecast

We have had a few showers today. One or two will continue through this

evening but not for everyone. Most of us will end on a drying out. It

will be largely dry through the night as well. Not especially

chilly, temperatures between ten and 12 degrees. A lot of dry weather,

that will stay with us, getting off with a pleasant and bright start.

Through the day, it is good to turn more unsettled. To begin with,

they'll be a fair and that of sunshine. That last for quite a

while along Eastern counties before the cloud rolls in from the west. It

is courtesy of a week weather front coming from the Atlantic. There will

be some showery outbreaks, with stronger winds as well as it heads

eastwards. It is not a bad picture across Britain, the best of the

sunshine across parts of Scotland, one was the south-east with

temperatures getting into the low 20s. For Northern Ireland, in the

afternoon, they'll be outbreaks of light rain and drizzle. In between,

it will write not in one or two places. Despite it being rather

breezy, temperatures will reach 1819 Celsius. That weather Will Claye

into Monday. It will be a drier and brighter day. There will be cloud

around but spells of sunshine as well. North-westerly winds and

temperatures reach 17 or 18 degrees. The good news is, as we look towards

the rest of next week, a lot of settled weather to come with

virtually no rain in the forecast. It looks as though it will turn

warmer as well by the middle of the week.

BBC Newsline will be back tomorrow evening at 6:50pm.

You can keep up to date with local news on BBC Radio Ulster

From everyone on the BBC Newsline team, good bye.