:00:00. > :00:14.and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.
:00:15. > :00:16.Good evening. The headlines on BBC Newsline:
:00:17. > :00:22.on Arlene Foster's first full day as First Minister.
:00:23. > :00:26.Edwin Poots under fire for saying his leader's most important job
:00:27. > :00:32.The newly refurbished Dublin trains are off the rails
:00:33. > :00:40.into the body that oversees teaching standards.
:00:41. > :00:55.after 50 fines a day are issued to motorists.
:00:56. > :01:05.The first domestic football trophy. 9 County Antrim Shield at Ballymena
:01:06. > :01:08.Park. An one of the coldest nights of winter so far. I'll have your
:01:09. > :01:10.full forecast shortly. On her first full day
:01:11. > :01:13.as the First Minister, Arlene Foster has completed her
:01:14. > :01:16.party's ministerial team. She has appointed Mervyn Storey
:01:17. > :01:19.to her old job in charge of the Department
:01:20. > :01:22.of Finance and Personnel. Mr Storey was previously
:01:23. > :01:25.the minister for social development. That role is being filled
:01:26. > :01:29.by the DUP's chairman Lord Morrow. Here's our political
:01:30. > :01:43.correspondent Chris Page. The first engagement for the new
:01:44. > :01:47.First Minister. At Park primary school in Lisburn, the well wishes
:01:48. > :01:55.continued. We made you a card to wish you good luck in your new job.
:01:56. > :01:59.Lovely, thank you very much. I think that's a brilliant drawing of me.
:02:00. > :02:04.Much better than some of the cartoons I see in the newspapers.
:02:05. > :02:09.Much, much better. Then Mrs Foster had her first Question Time from P 7
:02:10. > :02:13.pupils. ALL: Good morning Mrs Foster. She
:02:14. > :02:20.was quizzed about the transfer test and her own school days. But what
:02:21. > :02:26.MLA would she bring in to face minute material Question Time in the
:02:27. > :02:32.Assembly. Her old post of finance minister was vacant. Later
:02:33. > :02:36.shafternoon she announced who would take over, Mervyn storey. He will
:02:37. > :02:39.steer through the budget for the upcoming year. This year Northern
:02:40. > :02:45.Ireland begins with a considerable amount of hope. We need to see an
:02:46. > :02:50.implementation of budget. Challenging as that is, it needs to
:02:51. > :02:55.give to the financial structures of Northern Ireland, that stability
:02:56. > :03:00.they need. Mr Storey moves from the department of social development.
:03:01. > :03:05.His successor is Lord Morrow. It's like back to the future. Things have
:03:06. > :03:11.moved on but it is some 14 years since I was in social development.
:03:12. > :03:16.He's a close ally of Mrs Foster. It was a day of more congratulations
:03:17. > :03:19.for people in power. But the ministers will not be in the jobs
:03:20. > :03:24.for very long. After the elections in May, the biggest parties will
:03:25. > :03:25.pick their ministries in the new Stormont Executive.
:03:26. > :03:28.Away from the Assembly business today a row erupted over comments
:03:29. > :03:31.made by the DUP Assembly Member Edwin Poots
:03:32. > :03:34.about the First Minister's appointment.
:03:35. > :03:37.He described Mrs Foster's new role as her second most important job
:03:38. > :03:46.but Mr Poots maintains he was misunderstood.
:03:47. > :04:00.Arlene Foster and her mum Georgina Kelly as she became First Minister
:04:01. > :04:04.at Stormont yesterday. It was comments made in the Assembly
:04:05. > :04:08.chamber shortly after her appointment which have caused
:04:09. > :04:11.concern. Congratulating Arline on her elevation to First Minister.
:04:12. > :04:17.That's the second most important job she will ever take on. Her most
:04:18. > :04:20.important job has been and will remain that of wife, mother and
:04:21. > :04:28.daughter. Family will always come first. I know that will be the case
:04:29. > :04:34.with Arline and should be the case. -- Arline. That part of the speech
:04:35. > :04:43.was described as sexist and patronising. But Mrs Foster brushed
:04:44. > :04:46.aside the criticism. Some of the media questions yesterday wouldn't
:04:47. > :04:52.be asked of a man. I'm focussing on the job ahead, what I need to do. I
:04:53. > :04:57.am a mum, daughter, a wife. That's part of who I am. But I'm doing a
:04:58. > :05:01.job to lead Northern Ireland now. That's where my focus is. Others
:05:02. > :05:05.weren't so quick to ignore them. A woman to take on this role on the
:05:06. > :05:09.very first day to have those statements said about them, I think
:05:10. > :05:14.there is no way a man would ever have things like that said to them.
:05:15. > :05:20.I think once again, it proves Northern Ireland is not a place for
:05:21. > :05:25.women to get involved in politics. During a radio interview today Mr
:05:26. > :05:31.Poolingts attracted further criticism when he accused a fellow
:05:32. > :05:35.guest of getting involved in feminine clap trap. When I was
:05:36. > :05:40.Health Minister, I always said the most important job I had was my
:05:41. > :05:45.family. My wife and my children. And my father. Health would always take
:05:46. > :05:49.second place to that. If I don't do things right at home, I will I'll
:05:50. > :05:53.not be able to do things right in work. We've fewer women in elected
:05:54. > :05:58.office in any part of the UK or Ireland. Arlene Foster's appointment
:05:59. > :06:04.could be seen as the exception rather than the rule. Critics of
:06:05. > :06:06.Edds win Poots says it will do little to encourage other women into
:06:07. > :06:07.politics. Just two months after being
:06:08. > :06:10.introduced, the first of the new Enterprise
:06:11. > :06:19.trains has been withdrawn A convicted child killer, Robert
:06:20. > :06:22.Black, who murdered the schoolgirl Jennifer Cardy in 1981, has died
:06:23. > :06:25.in Maghaberry prison. The Prison Service has informed the
:06:26. > :06:27.police and the prisoner ombudsman of the death, although it isn't
:06:28. > :06:29.being treated as suspicious. A spokesperson said it would not
:06:30. > :06:32.be appropriate to comment further Jennifer Cardy was nine and had been
:06:33. > :06:35.cycling to a friend's house near her home in Ballinderry
:06:36. > :06:40.when the Scottish man abducted her. Just two months after being
:06:41. > :06:43.introduced, the first of the new Enterprise
:06:44. > :06:45.trains has been withdrawn passenger doors on the train opened
:06:46. > :06:52.unexpectedly while it was moving. that's led to the safety licence
:06:53. > :07:09.in the Republic being suspended. They cost over ?12 million, mostly
:07:10. > :07:13.European money. Four Enterprise trains have been refurbished doo due
:07:14. > :07:19.to run between Belfast and Dublin from February. The first started in
:07:20. > :07:23.November. On two occasions, passenger doors opened without
:07:24. > :07:27.obvious reason. In December and last week while passing through north
:07:28. > :07:33.Dublin. Now the safety railway commission in Dublin has issued a
:07:34. > :07:38.prohibition notice for the trains. Three of new trains are in their
:07:39. > :07:42.commissioning and testing phase. Since the prohibition notice the
:07:43. > :07:46.fourth has been languishing here at the depot whilst engineers try to
:07:47. > :07:48.work out what's causing the problem with the doors. In a statement
:07:49. > :08:21.translink says: Meanwhile, no Enterprise trains are
:08:22. > :08:24.running. Translink is carrying out a technical review with specialist
:08:25. > :08:28.doctor contractors. One union officer fears the service could
:08:29. > :08:35.ultimately be delayed. We had numerous meets with this company. We
:08:36. > :08:40.agreed to agency coming in. We did away with the demarcation. We agreed
:08:41. > :08:47.to all sorts of flexibility and all sorts of overtime. And still they
:08:48. > :08:54.couldn't get it done. The railway safety commission is reviewing a
:08:55. > :08:56.submission from Translink about redue viewing the door situation.
:08:57. > :08:59.The body that registers teachers in Northern Ireland
:09:00. > :09:03.The General Teaching Council has been made the subject of what are
:09:04. > :09:05.called "special measures" by the Department of Education.
:09:06. > :09:08.The department has told our Education Correspondent
:09:09. > :09:11.there are "ongoing issues" with the organisation.
:09:12. > :09:17.This exclusive report from Robbie Meredith.
:09:18. > :09:23.The general teaching council is responsible for registering all
:09:24. > :09:29.teachers here. It also decides if they are fit to keep their jobs. Is
:09:30. > :09:35.it up to the mark? It is based here in Belfast City centre. It has 19
:09:36. > :09:38.staff and a 33 member council. An independent review conducted last
:09:39. > :09:41.year identified a lack of communication and a lack of trust
:09:42. > :09:45.between some council members and management. Now the department is
:09:46. > :09:51.putting the body under close inspection. We have been engaging
:09:52. > :09:55.with the GTC over the last couple of months over those issues of concern.
:09:56. > :09:59.We want to ensure it functions efficiently and effectively. And
:10:00. > :10:02.their services are there and available to the teaching
:10:03. > :10:06.profession. A letter from the department says a number of special
:10:07. > :10:13.measures will be introduced immediately to address governance
:10:14. > :10:21.and staffing issues. These include monthly meeting between the chair
:10:22. > :10:24.and Reg strayer. And all future GTC council meetings have officials
:10:25. > :10:30.present. They pay an annual fee of ?44 for this. The GTC in a way is
:10:31. > :10:35.trying to present itself as the voice of teachers. But the actual
:10:36. > :10:41.teachers' voice isn't being heard. I think the department are fed up with
:10:42. > :10:45.what they see going on. Fed up with about a million of teachers' money
:10:46. > :10:53.being wasted. Teachers do not see value for what they are getting for
:10:54. > :11:00.their ?44. There are also a number of ongoing internal grievances with
:11:01. > :11:01.GTC staff. In a statement, she welcomed more frequent meetings with
:11:02. > :11:14.the department. It's a washout but these pupils make
:11:15. > :11:18.the best of a flooded football pitch. .
:11:19. > :11:24.A police officer was warned today he could . be jailed for allegedly
:11:25. > :11:28.approaching a senior judge and threatening to arrest him.
:11:29. > :11:31.Lord Justice Gillen told Thomas Anthony Carlin his actions at
:11:32. > :11:35.a court hearing in Belfast amounted to prima facie contempt of court.
:11:36. > :11:55.43-year-old Thomas Anthony Carlin was representing himself against is
:11:56. > :11:59.San #257beder. He got up to move towards the bench claiming he was
:12:00. > :12:03.going to arrest the judge. Security around courtroom staff intervened
:12:04. > :12:08.and he was taken away. He was brought bought amid a heavy police
:12:09. > :12:15.present. The judge warned him any further incidence would see him
:12:16. > :12:20.arrested. Lord Justice Gillen told Mr Carlin he was being granted legal
:12:21. > :12:24.aid to secure a lawyer. He said Mr Carlin had abused his position as a
:12:25. > :12:27.police officer and would have the opportunity to apologise to the
:12:28. > :12:32.court and explain his behaviour later this week. The PSNI says the
:12:33. > :12:34.matter's been referred to the police ombudsman.
:12:35. > :12:37.Junior doctors in Northern Ireland want the health minister to rule out
:12:38. > :12:41.the introduction of the new employment contract
:12:42. > :12:44.that's at the centre of a 24-hour strike in England today.
:12:45. > :12:47.The government's plan to impose the contract there
:12:48. > :12:50.has led to the postponement of thousands of operations.
:12:51. > :12:59.David Maxwell has been speaking to local medics.
:13:00. > :13:05.Katherine Williamson's worked in general Mez sin for five years. Like
:13:06. > :13:10.many junior doctors here she had one eye on England today where a new
:13:11. > :13:14.contract is being proposed. It includes an 11% pay rise but there
:13:15. > :13:17.are concerns over pay rates for unsocial hours and safeguards to
:13:18. > :13:22.protect doctors from beingover worked. Some fear similar changes
:13:23. > :13:26.could be brought in here. These contract changes will make us much
:13:27. > :13:30.more stressed, much more thinly spread, less able to treat patients
:13:31. > :13:33.adequately. We worry about our family members and friends who need
:13:34. > :13:37.to come into hospital and the care they will get under the new
:13:38. > :13:41.contracts. In a statement to the BBC, the local Health Minister Simon
:13:42. > :13:46.Hamilton said an imposed contract would be the west possible outcome.
:13:47. > :13:52.He'd sympathy for the Westminster's Government aim to create a seven-day
:13:53. > :13:56.NHS. He said it is essential to work with staff to achieve it. The Health
:13:57. > :14:01.Minister seems to be adopting a wait and see approach. He hasn't rejected
:14:02. > :14:04.the idea of a new contract nor has he said he'll implement any
:14:05. > :14:10.agreement finally reached in England. But doctors here say that
:14:11. > :14:13.uncertainty is unhelpful. Northern Ireland doesn't know what's
:14:14. > :14:18.happening yet. Though we hope it won't come in here, our fear is it
:14:19. > :14:23.will. The knock-on effect is doctors who work here may not want to in
:14:24. > :14:31.August and it could impact on our health service. Scotland and Wales
:14:32. > :14:40.say they'll stick to their existing system.
:14:41. > :14:46.A bus lane in Belfast's Great Victoria Street is to be shortened
:14:47. > :14:50.after nearly 5,000 fines were issued to motorists for driving in it
:14:51. > :14:55.It's understood many of those receiving penalty notices
:14:56. > :14:57.claimed they were trying to access the front of the Europa Hotel when
:14:58. > :15:13.This is the contention strip of bus lane near Belfast City centre. It
:15:14. > :15:20.runs along Great Victoria Street from Bradbury Place up to the front
:15:21. > :15:25.of the Europa Hotel. Motorists have been required to drive up to the
:15:26. > :15:31.entrance to the hotel bicrossing the bus lane to access the front of the
:15:32. > :15:42.Europa. Those who drove into the bus lane earlier were detected by the
:15:43. > :15:48.camera. About 5,500 were caught. That's around 50 fines per day. It
:15:49. > :15:54.equates to something in the region of a ?250,000 if paid within the
:15:55. > :16:00.first 14 days. Among those who fell foul of the bus lane is the owner of
:16:01. > :16:04.a wedding hire car company bringing bridal parties not hotel. You're
:16:05. > :16:08.bringing passengers to cut across the lane it seemed unnatural to my
:16:09. > :16:13.drivers on that day. I wasn't driving but they said it felt safer
:16:14. > :16:17.to go in, drive down the lane and verge in slowly rather than cut
:16:18. > :16:21.across at 90 degrees. I got three fines in the space of just over an
:16:22. > :16:27.hour. I would like to see them refunded. Following discussions with
:16:28. > :16:31.the management of Europa, the bus lane will be shortened by 25 metres
:16:32. > :16:36.which should make it easier for traffic to turn into the hotel
:16:37. > :16:41.without breaching the restrictions. Its worth stressing, the change will
:16:42. > :16:44.not come into effect for at least three weeks.
:16:45. > :16:47.The head of the Rivers Agency says there's no engineering solution to
:16:48. > :16:50.recent flooding and people will have to adapt their homes and businesses.
:16:51. > :16:57.David Porter told the Assembly that December had seen unprecedented
:16:58. > :16:59.rainfall and nothing could have stopped the water.
:17:00. > :17:07.Our agriculture and environment cCorrespondent reports.
:17:08. > :17:14.People have been demanding action from the politicians over the
:17:15. > :17:19.flooding. Today, MLA's got anywhere chance to ask the River Agency why
:17:20. > :17:25.it happened. Three winter storms, the wettest December on roared and
:17:26. > :17:33.in lock anyway, five times more water flowing in than flowing out.
:17:34. > :17:38.Farmers claimed silt where the Bann enters the loch made it worse. It
:17:39. > :17:44.will not make one millimetre of difference to the flood levels in
:17:45. > :17:50.this event. The flood level in those fields is absolutely 100% determined
:17:51. > :17:58.by the level of the loch. 30 properties have been flooded, most
:17:59. > :18:04.around Loch Neagh. In the West, it was the road network which suffered.
:18:05. > :18:14.50 closed in Fermanagh, leading to 50-mile detours for some. Back in
:18:15. > :18:17.Loch Neagh, it was questioned whether the levels should be
:18:18. > :18:24.lowered. One small reduction in the level could save a lot of these
:18:25. > :18:31.homes and businesses probably. There were competing interests on Loch
:18:32. > :18:37.Neagh, fishing, farming, boating. Restricting levels would make access
:18:38. > :18:43.difficult. That will be reviewed. I wouldn't want to give anyone any
:18:44. > :18:47.undue hope or hope without basis. I do not believe that there will be a
:18:48. > :18:53.significant change to the level. If it was possible, we would have
:18:54. > :18:57.already done it. He told MLAs if climate change predictions were
:18:58. > :19:00.right, they were fighting a losing battle and in some places people may
:19:01. > :19:02.have to accept their homes and businesses were at risk and adapt to
:19:03. > :19:04.a new reality. While the flooding has caused misery
:19:05. > :19:07.to many people, a school in Enniskillen has decided
:19:08. > :19:11.to try and make the best of the situation, by turning flooded
:19:12. > :19:15.football fields into a venue as our south-west reporter
:19:16. > :19:28.Julian Fowler discovered. Moving the goalposts. There's been
:19:29. > :19:33.no football played here for weeks. But that's brought an opportunity
:19:34. > :19:38.for another sport. Water Polo. Pupils at Devonish college have been
:19:39. > :19:42.learning to play with the paddlers kayaking club. They challenged their
:19:43. > :19:47.teachers to a competition. We haven't been able to play sports on
:19:48. > :19:50.the grass pitches. A few came up with the idea of water Polo as a
:19:51. > :19:55.joke. We decided to take it a stage further. Here we are today. After
:19:56. > :19:58.all the disruption, this was a chance to get out of the classroom
:19:59. > :20:05.and to make the most of the floodwater. A lot of our kids have
:20:06. > :20:13.been affected by the weather. A lot making journeys in the back of buses
:20:14. > :20:18.and so on. We are just trying to have a bit of fun and make school as
:20:19. > :20:23.enjoyable as we can. While the competition was hot, the water was
:20:24. > :20:27.cold. It meant all of the post-Machin Terre views had a fairly
:20:28. > :20:37.predictable theme. How was it? Very, very cold. Cold! I can't feel my
:20:38. > :20:45.feet. It was great, yeah, Better than football? Definitely, yeah.
:20:46. > :20:49.Extremely cold. Yeah. At the final whistle, the teachers had their
:20:50. > :20:53.excuses ready. 4-2 in the end up there. A bit of wind advantage at
:20:54. > :20:59.one stage might have pipped it for the pupils. That's my excuse anyway.
:21:00. > :21:03.Not only did the pupils win, they also gave their teachers a soaking.
:21:04. > :21:09.The waiter here is beginning to recede. Many people will hope this
:21:10. > :21:11.doesn't become an annual sporting competition.
:21:12. > :21:14.Thankfully for local football fans the pitch is good for tonight's
:21:15. > :21:23.Thomas Niblock is there - here we go ahead with the two teams
:21:24. > :21:37.Yes, the two teams played on Saturday. Lingfield won that game in
:21:38. > :21:42.extra time. It is bitterly cold. If you're coming to the game, bring a
:21:43. > :21:46.coat, scarf and hat and gloves. It is the County Antrim Shield final.
:21:47. > :21:51.The first trophy of the domestic football season. It will be played
:21:52. > :21:58.between Ballymena and Lingfield. What does that represent for
:21:59. > :22:05.Lingfield? The first trophy as a manager. For Ballymena, it is their
:22:06. > :22:06.chance to win the second trophy since their manager came to the
:22:07. > :22:21.club. It's been good to me over the years.
:22:22. > :22:24.As a manager I won against Lingfield three years ago. It holds fond
:22:25. > :22:28.memories in my heart. We have performed well in it. Hopefully
:22:29. > :22:34.tonight will be no different. Does the fact you played and lost against
:22:35. > :22:41.Lingfield at the weekend make a difference to tonight? We will have
:22:42. > :22:45.tested each other out. Had a good look at each other. Could be changes
:22:46. > :22:48.on both sides. Different things which happen in the game which
:22:49. > :22:53.contra-direct what happens. There could be a slip-up. We could score
:22:54. > :22:58.first, they could, and you're chasing the game. Are you confident
:22:59. > :23:07.Ballymena have the ability to beat Lingfield? We have. We've beaten
:23:08. > :23:11.them before. There's no reason why we can't take Lynne field on and get
:23:12. > :23:16.a result. What would it mean for you to win another trophy as a manager?
:23:17. > :23:21.Listen, it's been putting players on the pitch winning games. It is not
:23:22. > :23:25.about managers winning medals. It is about players winning medals. If
:23:26. > :23:31.they play well, they've a chance of picking up a medal. The manager will
:23:32. > :23:36.get the credit for getting tactics right but the players do it on the
:23:37. > :23:41.pitch. The manager only picks the team and hopefully has them fired
:23:42. > :23:46.up. I'm sure you're not crying. It is the wind but conditions will play
:23:47. > :23:54.a massive part tonight? Yes. There's a stiff breeze blowing. Thankfully
:23:55. > :24:03.the rain rain's off. A mistake, slip-up could cost someone the game.
:24:04. > :24:06.From a cold January in Belfast to this year's Olympic Games in Rio.
:24:07. > :24:08.Golf is returning to the Olympic programme, and Paul McGinley,
:24:09. > :24:11.the Ireland team captain, has been speaking to our reporter Nigel
:24:12. > :24:16.Ringland about preparations in Brazil.
:24:17. > :24:23.Paul McGinley's focussed on the first ever golf competition in Rio.
:24:24. > :24:27.The golf course is up and running. They haven't played a tournament on
:24:28. > :24:31.it or a round on it yet. They were hoping to do it in November. That
:24:32. > :24:35.was cancelled. It's moved back to February. A small event there. Get a
:24:36. > :24:39.feel for it. Check out the grasses on it. Check out the wind
:24:40. > :24:43.directions. How the golf course will play. Take photographs and help the
:24:44. > :24:48.guys and girls with a strategy before they get there. The golfers
:24:49. > :24:53.representing Ireland are yet to be confirmed but it promises to be a
:24:54. > :24:58.novel ex-peerens for whoever is selected. So far ahead, it is next
:24:59. > :25:02.August. We're planning January, February, March so far. They will
:25:03. > :25:07.embrace it. It will be great. I'm really looking forward to it. A
:25:08. > :25:11.whole new world for us golfers going over there to Rio competing with all
:25:12. > :25:18.the other sports and trying to represent golf in the best way we
:25:19. > :25:26.can and represent Ireland. And hopes for medal success in reee are high.
:25:27. > :25:32.We'll have the goals action and result on the late bulletin at
:25:33. > :25:42.10.25pm. And live commentary on Radio Ulster. That starts at 7.30pm.
:25:43. > :25:47.I had the coat, hat and gloves today. And tonight you'll need the
:25:48. > :25:49.doubling to duvet. Temperatures falling to freezing and below
:25:50. > :25:59.especially in the countryside. Those clear skies allow those
:26:00. > :26:05.temperatures to fall quite low. Some of us could see minus three or minus
:26:06. > :26:09.four degrees. As cloud builds tomorrow morning it should lift the
:26:10. > 0:19:15temperatures a bit. Colder than today. Further outbreaks of