:00:00. > 3:59:59tax relief on your pension contributions? Join me now on BBC
:00:00. > :00:08.Two, Good evening and welcome
:00:09. > :00:11.to the programme. There was anger today from senior
:00:12. > :00:14.medics over the lack of progress on abortion, specifically in cases
:00:15. > :00:20.of fatal foetal abnormality. The Health Minister said
:00:21. > :00:23.he would set up a working group to look at guidelines
:00:24. > :00:24.for practitioners by the end of February,
:00:25. > :00:27.but as yet, that hasn't happened. Meanwhile, Sarah Ewart,
:00:28. > :00:29.the woman who brought this issue to the public's attention,
:00:30. > :00:32.says she believes it was all Our Health Correspondent
:00:33. > :00:38.Marie-Louise Connolly reports. OK, well, this is the letter
:00:39. > :00:42.we sent out to all 108 MLAs. Sarah Ewart continues to lobby
:00:43. > :00:45.politicians around the issue of Northern Ireland's
:00:46. > :00:47.abortion guidelines. It's just asking, really, have
:00:48. > :00:53.they set up their working group? It's almost two and a half years
:00:54. > :00:55.since Sarah went public about travelling to England
:00:56. > :01:00.for an abortion after being told her baby had severe brain malformation
:01:01. > :01:05.and no chance of survival. She says she's frustrated
:01:06. > :01:07.about the lack of progress in setting up a working group
:01:08. > :01:10.on the issue of fatal foetal abnormalities, which was
:01:11. > :01:12.announced last month by the DUP. It was all really to make them look
:01:13. > :01:19.good, but they are not actually In the letter, I said
:01:20. > :01:24.that the treatment That the scaremongering that had
:01:25. > :01:29.gone on before the vote, it was just vile
:01:30. > :01:37.how we were treated. But Sarah isn't the only one
:01:38. > :01:40.putting pen to paper. I think that this is a way
:01:41. > :01:45.of fobbing off women, because every single day
:01:46. > :01:48.that the Northern Ireland Executive and the wider Assembly deliberate,
:01:49. > :01:52.consider, think, work their way through this issue, a woman
:01:53. > :01:54.somewhere in Northern Ireland Other medical professionals who work
:01:55. > :02:01.at the very heart of this issue say they too await contact
:02:02. > :02:05.from the Department. We have been in touch
:02:06. > :02:08.with the Minister over the past six I have him to be most
:02:09. > :02:17.engaging on the issue, but now there is a sense
:02:18. > :02:19.of urgency about that. But the Health Minister
:02:20. > :02:21.has defended his actions. In a statement to the BBC,
:02:22. > :02:27.Simon Hamilton said... It added that the working group
:02:28. > :02:30.will also consult with interested And the Minister said
:02:31. > :02:43.that he remains fully determined... In another development,
:02:44. > :02:45.MLAs could receive advice from academics from the local
:02:46. > :02:47.universities, as they too plan to set up their own working
:02:48. > :02:51.group on abortion. It's understood
:02:52. > :02:55.they're also frustrated The Assembly Standards Commissioner
:02:56. > :03:00.has dismissed all complaints brought against the Lagan Valley
:03:01. > :03:04.MLA Basil McCrea. The complaints alleged he had
:03:05. > :03:08.engaged in inappropriate behaviour or sexual misconduct
:03:09. > :03:09.towards his staff. Douglas Bain found the the MLA
:03:10. > :03:12.was not guilty of breaking any On tonight's The View programme,
:03:13. > :03:18.Mr McCrea was asked did he agree with the Standards and
:03:19. > :03:24.Privileges Committee, which said there were serious
:03:25. > :03:36.shortcomings on his part in terms Not really, to be honest. I think
:03:37. > :03:40.the committee have maybe missed the point that a lot of the allegations
:03:41. > :03:44.were signed at a matter of fact by the Commissioner to be falsified,
:03:45. > :03:48.and the honesty of the people making the statements was not correct. It
:03:49. > :03:55.is not that I wouldn't take advice from them but they have missed the
:03:56. > :03:57.point that there is a conspiracy and in fact their attention has been
:03:58. > :03:59.drawn to that. And you can see that interview
:04:00. > :04:01.in full on The View, immediately after this
:04:02. > :04:03.programme on BBC One. The Arlene Arkinson inquest has been
:04:04. > :04:06.told that the child killer Robert Howard was like a pied piper
:04:07. > :04:09.to young people in Castlederg. The claim was made by Heather Moore,
:04:10. > :04:11.a former district nurse, who said there was a constant stream
:04:12. > :04:14.of them to Howard's flat. He was acquitted of
:04:15. > :04:16.the 15-year-old's murder, but was always the main suspect.
:04:17. > :04:20.Will Leitch reports. Arlene Arkinson was
:04:21. > :04:23.well-known to Heather Moore. A district nurse, she knew
:04:24. > :04:29.most of the young people in the Castlederg area.
:04:30. > :04:31.She lived next door to Robert Howard's flat
:04:32. > :04:33.on Main Street. Heather Moore told the inquest
:04:34. > :04:35.that there was a constant stream of young people entering the flat,
:04:36. > :04:38.especially at weekends. and her slightly older friend
:04:39. > :04:44.Donna Quinn. It was almost always
:04:45. > :04:47.children in groups - although she did see one
:04:48. > :04:49.teenaged girl enter alone - a girl whom Howard was later
:04:50. > :04:53.charged with assaulting. Of the groups of
:04:54. > :05:01.youngsters, she said... This is Patricia Quinn arriving
:05:02. > :05:06.for the inquest recently. Heather Moore said she once saw
:05:07. > :05:09.Mrs Quinn arrive at Howard's flat early one morning, only
:05:10. > :05:12.to discover her daughter Donna already there, and dragged
:05:13. > :05:15.her off the premises. Patricia Quinn denies
:05:16. > :05:19.being Howard's girlfriend. Other witnesses
:05:20. > :05:29.have insisted she was. Later, three first cousins
:05:30. > :05:34.of Arlene Arkinson also told the inquest about being
:05:35. > :05:37.in Howard's flat with others. One called him a
:05:38. > :05:39."strange creepy sort of man". Another said that Arlene had
:05:40. > :05:42.confessed to her that she'd fallen pregnant and then had a miscarriage
:05:43. > :05:46.in the summer of 1994, but she said added that
:05:47. > :05:50.she'd never really believed her. Meanwhile, the Arkinson's legal team
:05:51. > :05:53.has expressed dismay that key documents have still not been
:05:54. > :05:56.disclosed to them by the PSNI. Will Leitch, BBC Newsline,
:05:57. > :06:09.at Belfast Coroner's Court. The Culture Arts and Leisure
:06:10. > :06:11.Minister, Caral Ni Chuilin, has walked out of an Assembly
:06:12. > :06:13.committee hearing where over the Casement Park
:06:14. > :06:16.redevelopment project. The Minister objected
:06:17. > :06:18.to being questioned under oath while other's hadn't been
:06:19. > :06:20.sworn in before doing so. Mervyn Jess' report begins
:06:21. > :06:23.with the moment the Minister finished her 80 minute-long
:06:24. > :06:25.reading of a prepared text. I look forward to hearing
:06:26. > :06:27.from the committee. Thank you very much.
:06:28. > :06:30.Thank you. Is the Minister
:06:31. > :06:32.to answer any questions? Do you want me to read
:06:33. > :06:36.the statement out again? Sorry, sorry!
:06:37. > :06:40.Minister! That was how the minister
:06:41. > :06:42.brought her appearance in front of the Stormont
:06:43. > :06:45.committee to a close. More than an hour after she began
:06:46. > :06:47.reading out her opening statement. Some may have expected it,
:06:48. > :06:50.but others where left dumbfounded. -- Some may have expected it,
:06:51. > :06:53.but others were left dumbfounded. The Culture Arts and Leisure
:06:54. > :06:55.Minister took exception to being sworn on oath to answer
:06:56. > :06:57.questions on safety issues at the Casement Park
:06:58. > :06:59.development in West Belfast, I swear by Almighty God
:07:00. > :07:05.that the evidence I shall give... After taking an oath,
:07:06. > :07:07.she went ahead with her opening statement, while questioning
:07:08. > :07:09.the committee's fairness. ..and I would be happy to take
:07:10. > :07:12.questions in the future, but only after the committee has
:07:13. > :07:17.decided that all the witnesses will be questioned on oath,
:07:18. > :07:20.or that no witnesses will be It is only then that I will return
:07:21. > :07:27.to this committee to answer questions, as soon as clarity
:07:28. > :07:29.has been achieved. I look forward to hearing
:07:30. > :07:31.from the committee. Thank you very much.
:07:32. > :07:34.Thank you. Is the Minister to
:07:35. > :07:36.answer any questions? Do you want me to read
:07:37. > :07:40.the statement out again? Sorry, sorry!
:07:41. > :07:41.Minister! Minister, can you please sit down
:07:42. > :07:44.and answer questions? I think I've made it clear,
:07:45. > :07:47.I'm not coming back to this committee to answer questions
:07:48. > :07:50.unless you've clarified the position of oath.
:07:51. > :07:59.The Minister leaves this committee and refuses to answer questions.
:08:00. > :08:01.I think it's unprecedented, from what I understand.
:08:02. > :08:03.I think it's discourteous, it's elitist, in a string
:08:04. > :08:07.of discourtesy extended to this committee.
:08:08. > :08:08.The ongoing sage over Casement Park continues.
:08:09. > :08:14.The last of Stormont's double jobbing politicians is
:08:15. > :08:19.The DUP's Gregory Campbell says he won't be fighting
:08:20. > :08:23.Instead he will concentrate on his role as MP for East Londonderry,
:08:24. > :08:36.Ballycastle and its surrounding area was left without ambulance cover
:08:37. > :08:38.for several hours early this morning, after a paramedic
:08:39. > :08:51.was assaulted by a man he was trying to treat.
:08:52. > :08:53.The victim needed hospital treatment for a bite.
:08:54. > :08:55.An 18-year-old man was arrested and bailed following the attack.
:08:56. > :08:58.The Ambulance service wants tougher sentences for people who assault
:08:59. > :09:07.He had physical trauma and emotional trauma. We want custodial sentences
:09:08. > :09:13.for people carrying out these acts on our cruise. Ballycastle is one
:09:14. > :09:21.fatal station. Could be eight, nine, ten on is call anywhere else, but
:09:22. > :09:34.that is only one in Ballycastle. We cannot bring cruise out then air, so
:09:35. > :09:36.Ballycastle was left without one. -- -- crews out of thin air.
:09:37. > :09:38.A court has allowed the Attorney General to become
:09:39. > :09:40.involved in the Ashers Bakery's appeal against a discrimination
:09:41. > :09:44.It was ordered to pay ?500 for refusing to make a cake
:09:45. > :09:47.John Larkin raised an issue with the lawfulness
:09:48. > :09:49.of the legislation at the centre of the case.
:09:50. > :09:52.Football and one of Northern Ireland's key players had been ruled
:09:53. > :09:54.out of this summer's European Championships in France.
:09:55. > :09:57.Chris Brunt requires knee surgery and will now miss the tournament.
:09:58. > :10:00.Scans had shown that Brunt ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament
:10:01. > :10:02.in his right knee, and so he underwent surgery
:10:03. > :10:04.in France today to repair the damage.
:10:05. > :10:07.But he will now miss the rest of the season,
:10:08. > :10:10.as well as this summer's European Championships.
:10:11. > :10:12.That robs Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill of the services
:10:13. > :10:15.of one of his most experienced players.
:10:16. > :10:20.of Northern Ireland's Euro qualifying matches
:10:21. > :10:26.and has amassed 54 caps during his international career.
:10:27. > :10:28.The news also completes a miserable fortnight for the player,
:10:29. > :10:31.after he was hit by a coin thrown from one of his club's
:10:32. > :10:35.own supporters during West Brom's 3-1 FA Cup defeat at Reading.
:10:36. > :10:45.Filming for the next Star Wars movie is set to return to County Kerry.
:10:46. > :10:48.Some scenes for the last movie took place on Skellig Michael off
:10:49. > :10:52.Now, for the next film in the franchise, contractors
:10:53. > :10:55.are carrying out the groundwork at the western end of
:10:56. > :10:59.Filming is expected to take place over a two-week period in May.
:11:00. > :11:06.Tourism groups have welcomed the development.
:11:07. > :11:18.People are still coming in, after 50 years, since the filming of Ryan's
:11:19. > :11:23.Daughter, asking where Ryan's Daughter was filmed, so we are
:11:24. > :11:31.hoping, with this huge, huge franchise, people will come and ask,
:11:32. > :11:32.we was Star Wars films? -- where was?
:11:33. > :11:34.Looking ahead to a story we're bringing you tomorrow.
:11:35. > :11:37.We find out about the County Armagh school which has doubled the amount
:11:38. > :11:39.of GCSE passes among boys in just two years.
:11:40. > :11:41.Staff have introduced a series of measures,
:11:42. > :11:43.including insisting that male relatives attend parents meetings.
:11:44. > :11:46.That's tomorrow night on BBC Newsline and on Good Morning Ulster
:11:47. > :11:53.Now, with the weather forecast, here's Cecilia Daly.
:11:54. > :12:03.Good evening, more wintry weather in the forecast tonight, warnings in
:12:04. > :12:07.force for snow and ice. It is currently dry after earlier rain,
:12:08. > :12:11.some showers dotted around, but rain, sleet and snow heading
:12:12. > :12:17.southwards during the early hours, lying snow likely especially over
:12:18. > :12:24.higher ground, and temperatures around freezing, so watch out for
:12:25. > :12:28.ice. That rain and snow will move southwards early morning, dropping
:12:29. > :12:34.snow in its part, snow possible anywhere but most of the disruptive
:12:35. > :12:38.snow is likely above 600 feet. They are prepared for rain, sleet and
:12:39. > :12:43.snow tomorrow morning, quite nasty on some roads, it will become
:12:44. > :12:49.slow-moving over northern England, Wales and parts of Dublin and the
:12:50. > :12:56.Republic, lots of snow over higher ground because it is very slow and
:12:57. > :13:00.heavy at times. A bitter wind to the north, not so bad to worse London
:13:01. > :13:05.and the South East, with some sunshine. Dry and brighter weather
:13:06. > :13:10.tomorrow afternoon, feeling cold in the wind, some showers but also dry
:13:11. > :13:14.weather. Some wintry showers on Saturday, snow on the hills, most
:13:15. > :13:21.places dry with sunshine but cold in the wind. The wind will drop by
:13:22. > :13:24.Sunday, possibly a sharp frost in the morning, some sunshine but also
:13:25. > :13:29.rain to come later in the day. Our next BBC Newsline is at
:13:30. > :13:32.6.25 in the morning during