20/11/2015 BBC Newsline

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me and on

Victims say they were left in the dark over failure to agree on legacy

We think we have been left behind completely. It is shocking.

A Shankill pensioner asks why she is being repeatedly targeted

Ulster University scientists have made a major breakthrough

AP McCoy talks about life after racing at the premiere

In just over an hour, Ulster Rugby will kick-off

their European Cup campaign against the best team in English rugby.

It's a wintry start to the weekend with gales for some

and icy conditions developing in places, as well.

The First Minister says key documents on the legacy

of the Troubles which were part of the inter-party talks should be

Victims and survivors have called on politicians to apologise

for not including legacy issues in the 'Fresh Start' agreement.

Some victims told the BBC today that right up to the last minute

they were led to believe something was going to happen, but they were

Here's our political correspondent Chris Page.

The Troubles left a legacy of misery.

More than 3,500 people died and many more suffered dreadful injuries.

At the recent inter-party talks, there were discussions

on legislation to set up agencies which would examine the past.

But politicians didn't reach agreement on that issue.

That's not what members of the Victims' Forum expected.

It was a mixture of anger and disappointment. Because right up

until the very last minute we thought it was going to be a full

paper that came out. To think that we have just been left behind and

dismissed completely is shocking. We were led right to the water's edge,

so to speak. We were getting ready to discuss the finer detail of what

we thought was going to be draft legislation on the main issues.

Then, out of the blue, we were told it was all off.

They want an apology from those who signed the agreement.

I feel everybody has let them down. In some centre doesn't matter if one

party or another is more to blame for this. At the end of the day,

both governments and the parties need to support this. We need to

The DUP, Sinn Fein, and the British and Irish Governments are backing

the deal, which resolved issues around paramilitary activity

The First Minister thinks the key talks documents relating to

the legacy of the Troubles should be made public.

The victim set should have the opportunity to see what the problem

is where. I think it is a lack of respect to the vet them is that they

are not given that information. Let's give them all of the

information about what the situation is. Sinn Fein blamed the British

government. The problem is this term national security, which is being

used as a veto. The government has defended its negotiating position.

We want families to have as much information as possible that there

is a certain amount of sensitive information which it was publicly

known would potentially give assistance to terrorists. We simply

could not compromise on that. The Secretary of State is planning to

meet with thick them soon to discuss their concerns. The recent

negotiations have shown once again that there is no issue more

contentious or complex than how to deal with the past. Three men have

escaped injury in a shooting in west Belfast. They were sitting in a van

when a masked man opened fire at around 4:15 p.m.. The police are

An 88-year-old woman has been left badly shaken after being attacked

by three men who also ransacked her home.

They pulled the telephone out of the wall so she couldn't phone for help.

This isn't the first time we have reported on this Belfast

after two men had broken into her home off the Shankill,

Today, community worker Ian McLaughlin told me it's

This time, just before 7.00pm, allegedly three men entered her

She was slapped around the face several times and I think that

when she fell she either squealed or screamed very loudly, which perhaps

upset these people and they left the house with her purse and her

But these aren't the only times Josie Hamilton has

She was once robbed while walking along this stretch

A man even came to her door claiming he was returning money that had been

stolen from her, but she was robbed again.

In fact, her neighbour believes she has been robbed around five times

Her neighbour Marie didn't want to appear on camera.

She helped Josie in the moments after the robbery and

What kind of a state is she in today, Marie?

She's just crying and she's just sitting staring you know - she's

just saying why are they doing that to me? Why is this happening to me

I don't know these people - any money i've had I saved - and she

says I worked hard for my money when she was younger much younger -

and anything that she has she saves for her daughter,

her grandchildren, her great grandchildren, her funeral.

Despite what has happened - Josie told her neighbour that she

A senior judge has appealed for an end to a dispute between

defence lawyers and the Department of Justice over legal aid fees.

The row has led to delays in more than 500 court cases,

involving charges ranging from murder to drink driving.

Our Home Affairs correspondent Vincent Kearney reports.

New barristers at the start of the new legal year. For months now, many

of their senior colleagues and solicitors had been refusing to work

as defence lawyers on solicitors had been refusing to work

bid to have new legal aid rules which resulted in lower fees being

declared unlawful, but the judge said the new rules do not provide

fare pay the defence solicitors in some criminal cases. He also urged

the Department of Justice to speedily rectified the situation.

One of Northern Ireland's pussy nude judges, Lord Justice Wear, today

entered the fray. He said the dispute meant defendants charged

with what are often serious offences are unable to access the expert

legal advice they require and are, quite understandably, reluctant to

proceed without that advice. He said the dispute has resulted in a

significant and growing backlog. It has been revealed there is now a

backlog of just over 530 criminal cases involving nearly 630

defendants. Speaking to barristers and solicitors during the review

court hearing to assess process and serious criminal cases, Lord Justice

Wear said defendants were increasingly concerned that the

delay. He said judges did not want to become involved in the dispute

but could see clearly the increasing adverse effect that was happening.

Lord Justice Wear said it wasn't everyone's interests for everyone

involved to do their very best to bring the matter during conclusion.

27 people have been arrested during an anti-crime operation

Six of the arrests were for drugs offences

20 properties were searched during the operation,

which happened yesterday, and there were 143 stop and searches.

Still to come. The berry singer songwriter Soak is up for the

Mercury Prize award tonight. -- the dairy singer.

A new discovery by scientists at the Ulster University is being

hailed as a global breakthrough in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

It's one of the most serious forms of cancer and only 4% of those

This new treatment makes use of bubbles and sound waves to

This is the front line of the battle against pancreatic cancer. Despite

much scientific research, low survival rates have not improved in

for decades. It is ethical to detect early and difficult to treat. The

satisfactorily as a pancreatic surgeon is that quite often we are

only able to carry out surgery to take the cancer away completely in

about 20% up to 25% of those who have surgery. Scientists here

believe they have had a breakthrough, targeting the tumour

is key. Traditional therapies like radiotherapy or chemotherapy

sometimes destroy good tissue, but this therapy uses Bubbles hundreds

of times smaller than the diameter of a human hair to tackle the

cancer. The bubbles are alluded to the core with oxygen and to the

outside of the bubble we attach a non-active drug. We can focus the

ultrasound at the pancreatic tumour, burst the bubble at the site,

release the oxygen and activate the drug dealing to the tumour reduction

effect. Scientists believe that reduction could be five times more

effective than current therapies. This treatment is not available yet

but it is hoped it will be soon. The first trials are a Jew to take place

in 2017. -- are due to take place. A pair of otters have been spotted

playing in the shadows recently, that is coming up.

One of the most prestigious music awards

is up for grabs tonight and in the running is Soak, the 19-year-old

She's on the shortlist for the Mercury Prize,

which is awarded to the best British or Irish album by an independent

This report from our North-West reporter, Keiron Tourish.

Bridie Monds-Watson, or Soak as she's known on stage, has had a

She left a local band to become a solo artist

"Before We Forgot How To dream" released this summer that's had the

All my songs are about things that I have experienced. When every GUI on

stage it is like the songs that you wrote alone you're sharing with

people and that leads to very vulnerable. It is nice that I am

able to share that the motion with other people and get something out

Undertones member and BBC Producer Michael Bradley

remembers a talented unassuming 15-year-old performing at

Nye days there are so many singers I'd hair, and so many great singers

and good musicians, that the rise above all that is a serious feat for

somebody so young. Soak's short listing for this music award is a

long way from the humble beginnings here along the banks of the River

Foyle were she played the small, intimate venues. Her family say they

are thrilled and delighted with the progress and the music critics say

she is a talented treasure. No one here disagrees with that. The best

It's not that often you get to spot one of our rare protected species,

so you can imagine the delight of two countryside rangers

when a couple of otters trotted up to within

a couple of feet of them and spent an hour snuffling around nearby.

Our Agriculture and Environment correspondent Conor Macauley

They are building a wildlife hides inside the shores of Strangford

Lough. It is an area rich in birds and mammals life which is managed by

The National Trust. Two of its countryside Rangers were doing some

work along the shore when a within a few feet of them. They sat

still hands for about 60 minutes watched as the two young otters, one

male and one female, watched as the two young otters, one

the mud flats right in front of them. Otters need to

the mud flats right in front of their body weight every day. They

would have been scavenging the shore looking for anything they

would have been scavenging the shore find. Hunger would have driven them

to ignore the humans. They came very close to

to ignore the humans. They came very not mind

to ignore the humans. They came very I have never personally had a

to ignore the humans. They came very to see a wild otter light. This was

something very inspiring. Otters were almost wiped out by pollution

here back in the 1970s. A combination of water quality and

conservation work and they are on their way back.

Here's Thomas Niblock. and the Ulster rugby team's European

It's 176 days until the European Champions Cup final and

if Ulster have any ambition in making it to the final, then,

realistically, they have to beat Saracens at home tonight.

The bad news is that Saracens are top of the English Premiership

The good news, however, is that Irish international Iain Henderson

Stepping in just in time for the start of Ulster's European campaign.

The Irish international will make his 50th Ulster appearance against

the English champions, opponents Ulster in the all too well. They are

always tough, whether we play over their order over here, they always

give us a good crack. They are well organised team and what they once.

They are well led by Owen Farrell at number ten. Leading from

They are well led by Owen Farrell at is Rory Best, who has

They are well led by Owen Farrell at winning side just once after losing

five of their last six meetings against Mark McCall's side. They

have been here the last couple of years and managed to win. For us, it

is all about making sure that we are prepared because you need to be at

the top of your game every prepared because you need to be at

seen in the past, if you lose a couple of games early on, there is

massive pressure couple of games early on, there is

afford any slip-ups. Neither team can take their eye off the ball at

the Kingspan Stadium tonight. There will be live coverage of

Ulster against Saracens on BBC Radio Croke Park in Dublin is the venue

for this year's International Rules Two years ago, a weak Australian

side were humiliated, beaten by 79 points, but the

tourists have arrived determined to make up for the 2013 embarrassment

with their strongest side ever. It is the best of the best. We

should the seriousness of it last year. We came to play last year. We

have been encamped for two weeks and the boys are very serious thinking

to do the same thing. The Irish boys, they are the same. We are a

proud nation. All the sports teams, they carry that pride on their

chest. They were hurt, they were disappointed by what happened, but

today is a new day and a new challenge for us. The bigger the

challenge they bring, the more we have to match that.

There will be live coverage on BBC Radio Ulster MW and online

of Ireland against Australia tomorrow evening.

Now, the curtain will come down on the international road racing

season when the Macau Grand Prix gets underway in the Far East.

Northern Ireland's Lee Johnston will start on the third row of the grid.

The Macau Grand Prix is regarded as the most challenging motor cycle

race in the world. Our unique street circuit where the top row grifters

will battle it out tomorrow. I will be trying as hard as I did at the

north-west, the TT just the rest. Everybody will drive hard. I am

looking forward to it. There is no reason why we can't do well here. As

Lee Johnston did at the reason why we can't do well here. As

Prix when he won a hat-trick earlier this year, but he is determined to

secure more international success. It is massive, especially at this

side of the world. It is nice to win races at home, obviously, but this

opens up a whole other shop window. If you look at the list of names,

the people that have won it from Grand Prix riders and everything, so

would definitely be nice. If he is to win, Johnson will have to be

Martin Jessop, who is in pole position. Just two riders from

Northern Ireland have won this Grand Prix, Robert Dunlop and Philip

McCallum, almost 20 years ago. Now Lee Johnston from County Fermanagh

has the chance to write his name into the record books.

Last night saw the premiere in Dublin of a new documentary

movie about this man, AP McCoy, and his final two years as a jockey.

Being AP follows the 20-time champion jockey as he battles back

from injury and then arrives at the difficult decision to retire.

McCoy has spoken to Mark Sidebottom, who asked what he made of life

on the red carpet compared to that in the saddle.

I would much rather be riding, all right. The film was something I was

Asta Diakite years ago and they nearly did it because of Archie, my

little boy, because he never remembered me riding. I did not

think we would ever get to see it in a cinema, but there you go! He has

taken 18 championship jockey titles, AP McCoy. Does this get to the

essence of AP McCoy? They were with me for the best part of two years, I

think. Nearly 200 hours of filming. They spent a lot of time in my home,

in my life, in my car, so they did not have great material to work

with, but I think the did the best they could with that. I am still

unsure, what drives you more, the fear of losing or the drug of

winning? I don't know. I have been asked a lot of times. I used to

think when I went home at night after having a good day, if I had

had four or five winners, I used to go to bed thinking I was really

happy, but by the time a get to sleep I was worried that may happen

again. There was a fear. Maybe it was the fear. How comfortable are

you with your own celebrity? I get the impression that for you it has

always been about success and not about fame. All I ever wanted to do

was ride horses. When I was lucky to do that all they ever wanted to do

was win. I was never bothered what people thought, to be honest. In a

way I am not very proud to admit, I was always very wrapped up in my own

little world and never cared what was going on outside that. I think

that is probably what kept me going for 20 years, living in my own

little world help me do that. -- helped. It is a fabulous film.

More wintry weather is in store for the weekend.

Angie Phillips has her latest forecast.

The cold air is well and truly digging in at the moment. That is

how we start the weekend. It will be bitterly cold with that winds and

there are more wintry showers in the forecast. Sunday doesn't like a

slightly better day, dryer and a bit brighter, but it will feel cold.

Today, the cold air has been sinking its way southwards. The white

lines, they will continue to get closer together. It is certainly

going to be a blustery evening with sleet and snow showers. Many

blizzard continuance -- conditions are likely. If you're heading to the

Kingspan Stadium he will certainly needs your thermals on against the

wind chill. We have a weather warning in place for the night for

wind. Deals or severe gales are likely, particularly in the north

and east. Gusts up to 60 miles an hour on the coast. They eventually

will drive the sleet and snow showers southwards, leaving a

dusting over the hills. With temperatures falling away back to

freezing or slightly below overnight, it could lead to icy

conditions for tomorrow morning. It'll be very unpleasant on the

roads in places. To take extra care. So, and icy start to the weekend for

some and we will still have a bitter wind blowing through tomorrow. More

wintry showers to come for a time as well. They will start to move in

from the north and west. It will be held wintry mix. They

from the north and west. It will be later in the morning and we will get

brighter spell for a time before later in the morning and we will get

more showers coming in the afternoon, but this time they will

mostly be following as rain. It will feel cold with highs of only five or

6 degrees. In the tomorrow night, blustery winds but still breezy and

calls with showers around. Sunday doesn't dryer and brighter.