25/11/2015 BBC Newsline

a night of Italian joy but Mancunian disappointment. Andy Swiss, BBC

News. Tributes have been paid to two men

from Northern Ireland who died in an accident

on a building site in Australia. The victims were Joseph McDermott,

from Omagh, and Gerard Bradley, from near Macosquin in

County Londonderry. They were both in their 20s

and had only recently arrived They died

when a concrete slab fell on them Two towns in Northern Ireland

devastated by news from the other side of the world. Like so many

Irish nationals, the young men in their 20s were working on a

construction site in Perth. Only a few weeks into their jobs, they were

killed when a concrete slab fell from a crane. Joseph McDermott was

from Omagh. Today, the sad news has rippled through the time. A young

fellow turned down in the prime of his life. We went out to Australia

just a few weeks ago for an adventure, to make a few blind. He

is only a way five weeks tomorrow. The sense of grief in the town is

palpable. It is unreal. His colleague, Gerard Bradley, lived

outside cold rain but for years he worked in this pub. The night, his

friends gathered in Portstewart stunned. Everybody is devastated.

Terrible news. My phone has not stopped all day. Great guy, very

popular. Nobody in the time but have a bad word to say about him. The

life and soul of the party when he was out. A gentleman. Everybody is

devastated. Gerry was a big Arsenal fan. He was -- was a sports fan in

general, which is why he was often find here at the golf club. He was a

very good golfer. He joined here in 2,000. He was 14 and had a 14

handicap. He was very popular with the members. A really nice kid. It

is just a tragedy. Questions are being raised about safety on the

construct an site in Perth. The family of an autistic teenager

who almost died in a brutal beating in 2012 have hit out at the sentence

handed down to his attacker. Ryan Craig, who was originally

charged with attempted murder, was jailed for five years after

pleading guilty to causing grievous Scott Vineer was discovered with

severe head injuries in Lisburn. The judge told Ryan Craig that his

behaviour in the aftermath of the attack on Scott Vineer was not

indicative of genuine remorse. Craig, seen here at an earlier

hearing, attacked police with a petrol bomb. A year later, the

20-year-old from Ashland Gardens and is burnt will spend five years in

prison and five years on licence. Scott Vineer's had hoped for a

longer sentence. He knew what he was doing. He knew it was wrong and he

deliberately kept details away from anyone who could help Scott. He

should have been given the maximum, as far as we are concerned. I reckon

he should have got 15 years. Judge Lynch also told Craig that although

he would be released from prison, Scott Vineer would never be released

from the imprisonment he subjected him to. The Vineer family have been

telling me how the attack left Scott with his life sentence. The judge

came to see us first and prepared us by saying he did not think he would

survive. -- the dock your. We were prepared to say our goodbyes. It was

absolute horror. Seeing him laying there, knowing how bubbly and how

strong he was, I just couldn't understand how anyone could have

done that, such horrific injuries, to him. Scott was just 17 when he

was attacked Ellie Watton from college. He has been left with

permanent brain damage. In August, Scott was best man at his mum and

stepdad's wedding. He fought back before and he is determined to live

a normal life. I hope to eventually get my own place when I 25 or so. I

don't want to go far away so I can see my friends, and all that. When

Scott was found unconscious by hand this disused furniture store, his

injuries were so severe that the police could not identify him from a

photograph. Although his recovery has astounded medical experts, but

he and his family will be dealing with the aftermath of this attack

for the rest of their lives. Police have confirmed they've

found a bomb near Dungiven. It was discovered this afternoon

following a controlled explosion The security operation is expected

to continue into tomorrow. It's the second alert in the area

in recent weeks. The Chancellor, George Osborne, has

scrapped plans to cut tax credits. The decision brings unexpected

relief to one in six households in Northern Ireland which stood to

lose hundreds of pounds a year. But there will still be tough times

ahead in terms of Stormont spending. Here's our business

correspondent Julian O'Neill. I would not be able to pay most of

my bills of the tax credits. It sees you through the month when you're

waiting for you we're just coming. So, it had looked like time was up

for child and working tax credits, going into today's Autumn

Statement, but then came a surprise announcement. Because I have been

able to announce today an improvement in the public finances

home of the most simple thing to do is not the phasing these changes but

to avoid them altogether. As a result, Natasha is among tens of

thousands of local people breathing a sigh of relief. We did expect him

to make some kind of changes because things had not been well received,

but I did not expect that to be a complete U-turn, which is great for

parents, working parents and makes me feel a lot more secure. The

outlook is not so good for Stormont generally. As the night of the wider

Autumn Statement will see day-to-day public spending feeling the squeeze

for years to come. The Stormont Executive had set

aside ?245million to cope with the Earlier today,

Finance Minister Arlene Foster told me they will now decide where that

money should be spent. That is a matter that we will have

to discuss. We thought there would be something on tax credits today

but there has been a complete change of direction so we now have to

decide what to do with that money. It is a ring fenced lot of money,

there is money set aside for welfare to the tune of ?345 million, but the

240 million that was set aside for tax credits we will have to discuss

how we can help people with that money. Does go into health, in the

welfare? I have to set a budget for 2016-17 based on the figures that

have prompted today and I have to set up at the end of January, so

there is not much time in which to have those discussions.

We had a cold snap last weekend and we are heading for another one for

this weekend. At the moment we are still in mild air begin with the

night it will be mainly dry with the cloud closing in through the night

to bring this down hill fog. Eventually, we will get its pieces

of rain and drizzle. Temperature is no lower than six or seven. In the

tomorrow, not a great deal of change. It will be dull and it will

be turning wetter. Initially, just misty and murky with patchy drizzle

with more persistent rain moving into the West Theatre in the

morning. The rain is edging across parts of the Republic, in towards

the West of Scotland. One or two showers for West Wales and the West

of England, but generally speaking dry weather. Some bright spots along

the east and south-east of England. Temperatures in double figures, some

out for the time of year. Northern Ireland can the afternoon the

rainbow trackers we were eastwards. Probably not clearing the East coast

until dusk or afterwards. Misty and murky, but milder 1213 degrees.

Enjoy them out weather because as we head into Friday this is the first

sign of the change. A weather front moving in, bringing heavy spells of

rain and some quite squally winds. It is the boundary between the mild

air that we have an colder air coming in of the Atlantic. On Friday

onwards it will turn cold, temperatures following with wintry

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