07/03/2016 BBC Newsline

Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline: The attempted murder

of a prison officer in Belfast - a dissident group calling itself

The Arlene Arkinson inquest hears that the suspect Robert Howard

was haunted by, what he called, his very dark time in Castlederg.

Two men in court after a stolen fire engine smashes parked cars and ends

How it feels to be waiting two years for an operation -

what difference will an extra ?30 million make.

BBC Newsline has just learned that David Jeffrey has been appointed

Poultry waste is a big problem, we have come hear to way that is being

addressed in County Danny Gall. BBC Newsline has just learned that

David Jeffrey has been appointed It's still quite cold initially this

week but there are sign of some warmer weather moving in before

the week is over. The prison service has asked

the PSNI for an updated assessment of the threat level to its staff

after a prison officer was seriously injured in a bomb

explosion last week. The dissident republican

organisation that describes itself as the IRA has told the BBC

it was responsible. Police believe the discovery

of a small arms dump near Larne at the weekend may have disrupted

plans for further attacks. Our Home Affairs Correspondent

Vincent Kearney reports. The 52-year-old prison officer

targeted in last week's attack is said to be making a good

recovery after surgery It is understood a bomb planted

under his van partially exploded after being dislodged

when he drove over a speed In a statement to the BBC,

they said the attack was the result of an ongoing dispute

between dissidents and the prison authorities about their treatment

in Maghaberry prison near Lisburn. It said the officer was targeted

because he was responsible for training prison officers

who work in Roe House, a wing housing dissident

Republicans at Maghaberry. The same dissident

organisation shot dead prison officer David Black

as he drove to work at the prison At the time it was said

he was killed because of the dispute The statement said the prison

officer who was attacked last week was one of a number on a list

of potential targets. The prison service has now asked

the police and updated assessment on the level of threat

against its staff. The Assembly opened

business today with words of support to the officer

and condemnation for those There can be no justification

whatsoever for this despicable act of these people who want to take us

back to the days of the past. This attack on an individual is part of

the ongoing campaign by Republican terrorists in that prison to get

greater control, greater movement and to have the Gartree prison

return to the weird was during the Maze. They have no support within

the community. We have to send them a message that that is no place for

this type of attack. Republicans will attempt to escalate

the activities to mark the centenary When I say I am deeply concerned, I

mean I am deeply concerned. I believe there are people within

dissident Republicans groups who want to mark this centenary by

killing police officers, prison officers or soldiers.

Dump in profit at country Park may have disrupted dissident Republicans

The PSNI today released images of

They included component parts that could have been

used to make under car booby-trapped bombs.

Three men and a woman arrested yesterday by detectives

investigating the attack are still being questioned.

The Police in Londonderry say they believe the motive

for an attack on a house in the Waterside was NOT sectarian

and isn't linked to any other recent incidents.

A device - thought to be a pipe-bomb - was made safe

Here's our North-West reporter, Keiron Tourish.

Detectives were carrying out door-to-door inquiries as a result

of the attack. Army bomb disposal officers were called to the scene

and said the device was viable. It was made safe and taken away for a

further forensic examination. Around 20 homes were evacuated during

bidders that like the alert. We need to explain to people, why do he do

those? People in the area do not want this. The PSNI CD do not

suspect as sectarian mortars nor do they believe there's any with other

incidents in Northern Ireland. They have appealed for information. --

say they do not suspect assets TV and Walters.

You're watching BBC Newsline, still to come on the programme:

The stolen fire engine that could end up a write-off

after a trail of destruction through Larne.

An inquest was told today that the child Killer Robert Howard

was haunted by the face of a girl - and frightened for his own safety.

The insight came from a Detective giving evidence about the death

of fifteen year old Arlene Arkinson from Castlederg.

Howard died in prison last year serving a sentence

Arlene Arkinson's body was never found, a jury cleared Robert

They had not known he already had a record

But one police officer has told the inquest

that after investigating Arlene's disappearance,

he encountered Howard again a few years later.

Trevor Stephenson told the court he had met

Robert Howard in 1999 in Deptford on another case.

He says Howard told him the Castlederg

years were very dark time for him, that he was a coward,

scared of what happened to him if he ever told what had done.

Mr Stevenson told the court more of what Robert Howard

I believe it was Arlene the officer said.

If you haunt someone, you need to be dead and he added

that Robert Howard was one of the most evil men

His victims said he kept the conversation going, he hoped Howerd

would reveal the location of the body for a Christian burial. He

agreed in court that he could have been manipulated by Howard.

Later a retired Detective Inspector explained how a complaint

The inquest continues. that officers had tried

Detectives investigating the circumstances surrounding

to question three men arrested yesterday.

was cordoned off after his body was found in a nearby stream.

Two women, also arrested over the incident remain in custody.

A postmortem will take place tomorrow.

I am hearing that it could be an eastern European person. It

I am hearing that it could be an of Lithuanian origin so that is what

we're hearing the ground. Two men have appeared in court

charged with taking a fire engine That is what the residents

of the Glenarm Road awoke to in the early hours

of Saturday morning. A stolen fire engine

smashed eight cars in its path before coming to rest

on the front garden of a house, There was a long continuous,

bang, culminating in a final Big Bang at the end. I jumped out of bed

and looked out the window. I could not believe my eyes. There was a

There was a fire engine in my front garden.

in custody at Coleraine magistrates Court over this theft.

Robert Duffin, 66, and from Green Link in larne,

Faced five charges linked to the incident.

19-year-old Ross Clarke from Fairway In the town

taking, causing damage and various motoring offences.

The pair will appear in court in Ballymena on Thursday

when it is expected they will apply for bail.

The trail of destruction began here at larne fire

The damage cost of this building during the theft was so severe

Today's structural engineers are assessing repairs but the fire

and rescue service have no idea how much

will cost to fix or when the station will be back in use.

The stolen fire engine is also being examined

to establish whether it can be repaired or needs to be written off.

The fire service said the appliance has been replaced and the crew

are working out of the building at Larne

From our point of view, of service delivery, we have moved into

temporary accommodation. We are still out there protecting the

people 24 hours a day. out of their homes as

the clean-up work continues. But the consequences

of what happened here on Saturday As a football VIP makes a visit,

we ask Brendan Rodgers Around 400,000 people are currently

on hospital waiting lists. Yesterday the Health Minister

announced an additional ?30 million for the next financial year

to reduce that number. That's on top of 40 million

announced in November. That sounds like a great deal

of money - but what impact is it Critics have told BBC Newsline that

knee jerk cash injections is no Our Health Correspondent

Marie-Louise Connolly has the story. For some this is how it feels

being on a waiting list. Eugene Kennedy has been

waiting two years for surgery on his shoulders and 12

months for a knee operation. He has written to the

health minister about November's announcement of money

being allocated to waiting lists. We have not felt the benefit of ?40

million, it has not come our door. Indeed somebody to run this like a

business. Stop this wasting, wasting, fix the damn thing once and

for all. Somebody have the guts to sort this thing out. Stand up and

The BBC understands that while most of the ?40 million is being spent

on patients, less than two thirds has actually gone

We are already seeing it in part on waiting lists. Initial figures show

there has been a decrease in those waiting longer than the target

times. I want to keep that momentum going.

Despite spending 80,000,020 14, 12 months later

For those on the front line, the solution requires

leadership including less political interference.

And operational chief can be sacked. But let them run the service. There

are too many people sticking their noses. Let them get on with the job.

some regard them as knee jerk reactions which failed to offer

We have eroded the value of the NHS over the years. Now is the time for

a careful delivery. Considering some of the reaction, the health minister

may well feel he is dammed if he does and dammed if he doesn't. Most

of the critics are arguing for a better value for a month money. They

have up to three years to spend how this -- -- instead of having up to

three years to spend this money they now have only three months.

The former Health Minister Jim Wells will be the DUP's candidate

in South Down at the Assembly election in May.

Last year was at the centre of controversy after making remarks

about same sex marriage, unstable relationships and child

abuse at a general election hustings event in Downpatrick.

His name appears on a list of 44 Assembly candidates published

The South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell has walked out

of a parliamentary committee meeting after taking exception

to a contribution from the Labour MP Kate Hoey.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee was hearing evidence

at Stormont about how a UK exit from the European Union could affect

During a discussion about the origins of the peace

process the SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, paid

tribute to his predecessor, John Hume, who - he said -

had taken his inspiration from Europe.

You might laugh, but that is what happens. He did a good job. Hold on.

You have to control that. Order, order. That is not acceptable. That

is the second time today. I think John Hume played an amazing part in

that but in terms of this new relationship...

The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry has been told

that the Good Shepherd Congregation of Nuns faces a "very small"

During the period under examination at the Inquiry, the nuns cared

for almost 4300 children and adults in Belfast, Newry and Londonderry.

The allegations, from ten people, include complaints about alleged

emotional abuse, slapping, and the quality of food provided

Many of us enjoy eating chicken and it's a huge industry.

But it has become a victim of its own success because dealing

with hundreds of tonnes of chicken waste has become a big problem.

One solution is a special plant being built in County Donegal

by a County Antrim company which has got a multi million pound loan

Our Agriculture Environment Correspondent Conor

On a Donegal hillside, they are building a facility to help

deal with the problem that has bedevilled

the Northern Ireland poultry industry.

It is a victim of its own success, sustaining 6000 jobs and breeding 40

260,000 tonnes of poultry bedding and droppings,

high in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.

That limits how much you can spread on land about the nutrients leachin

into rivers and breaching EU directives on water

This anaerobic digester is part of the answer.

It will take 25,000 tonnes a year, the by-product

to be spread in a huge forest nearby which needs these nutrients.

A County Antrim company is building it.

Obviously we have a problem in Northern Ireland in terms of the

disposal. This plant will deal with the good portion of that. There are

plans in Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland to deal with that.

It will be generated, collected and sent back by road

to Northern Ireland where will be used to heat

and Power factories run by manufacturing companies

It is an investment for the for the Northern Ireland Executive

It is an investment for the We support our largest employer in

Northern Ireland, we provide cheaper energy to two other manufacturers in

Northern Ireland and we also boost the manufacturing sector. Work began

on clearing the site in December. the manufacturing sector. Work began

will be making its way up the hill to go into these tanks and be turned

into gas. future of the waste

issue not resolved. It threatened to limit

planned expansion. This is one of several

facilities expected to get Executive backing out

of a ?20 million fund to sort out If approved, another bigger digester

is expected to be built in County It is official, we can confirm David

of two football managers, It is official, we can confirm David

Jeffrey is the new manager. He It is official, we can confirm David

been given a three-year contract and is expected to be in the dugout for

Saturday's match. After almost thirty years in charge

of Portadown Ronnie McFall His resignation was triggered

by Saturday's Irish cup quarter As the championship one side prepare

to take on Linfield When Ronnie McFall first took over

as Portadown manager in 1986, Since then Ronnie McFall,

in almost three decades, has guided Portadown

to more than 20 trophies, including four league championships

and three Irish cups. A winner, a man whose professional,

was Brian stream who describes A winner, a man whose professional,

organised and put a really good team together. Dedicated to the town,

dedicated to football. Dedicated to Portadown -- to Portadown FC.

Dedicated to Portadown -- to Portadown FC.

In more recent times, success has been a rare visitors

On Saturday, against championship one side

Lurgan Celtic, Portadown were knocked out of the Irish cup,

signalling the end of the Ronnie McFall era.

There was a lot going on at the club. Players had already signed

pre-contracts. Players seem to be not happy. Everyone was hit hard by

not winning the Irish cup last year. Financially, that has taken its

toll. For the new manager coming in, that will be a real rebuilding job

but sandwiched in between the two of the greats of European football

was Ronnie McFall as the longest serving manager in Europe.

A 29 year reign that has come to an end.

Among those to pay praise Ronnie McFall's contribution

to the local game was Brendan Rodgers.

The former Liverpool manager was in Belfast this afternoon

where he was officially unveiled as Ambassador

The Carnlough man who was given a sneak preview of the new ?13

million Adult Hospice wouldn't be drawn on speculation linking him

with a potential move to Newcastle United -

but he did tell BBC Newsline he hoped to be back

I have said from when I left but I was planning on having a rest until

the end of the season. I felt I needed just a little bit of time to

reflect on my experience and for the previous few years. Do you have a

preference for England or continental Europe. I am open to

both. To be honest I would prefer to stay in the Premier league. It is

the best place to be as a player or manager.

Rory McIlroy cut an at times exasperated figure yesterday

as his final round at the World Golf Championship event

McIlroy gave up a three shot lead and had to settle for third overall.

He has overcooked it. The signs were not good as McAvoy failed to find

the form which had served them well over the first three days. Shots

began to slip away. This missed putt at the ninth saw him fall out of the

lead. The harder he tried, the worst things God and frustration grew. Up

ahead Adam Scott was finishing off his second big wing in as many

weeks. -- big wing. Not even this save at the last could cover up a

poor final day. The Masters is just a month away.

In Gaelic football Tyrone's push for an immediate return to Division

one of the Allianz National league continued over the weekend

Mickey Harte's men remain unbeaten and top of division two thanks

to a comfortable nine points win over Derry in Omagh.

Meanwhile it was a much more fiesty affair in Tralee where Kerry's

division one meeting with Donegal degenerated into an ugly

Both sides finished the match with fourteen men.

The second half saw a Donegal come back prompted by a well taken

Michael Murphy goal but Kerry stormed back to win by five points.

The skies were clear last night for many people to get good photographs

of the Northern Lights. Thank you for sending in so many. We had loads

of them sent to those by e-mails or tweets. This is just a small

selection. Conditions were perfect. The aurora borealis was seen across

the island. To take shots like this you need a camera with a long

exposure. It got quite cold last night. Temperatures were well below

freezing. We have more of these pictures on our Facebook page.

Tonight conditions will be just as good. The skies around. This area of

closed behind me will bring rain later on tonight. As the night goes

on, the rain moves them with thick cloud. Some snow over high ground.

By morning, most places are dry again and hopefully that means by

the time most people are on the road, the ace will be well reduced.

Barely dry weather, brightening up for a while. Some showers later on

in the day. -- fairly dry weather. Temperatures... Reasonably dry for

the journey to work. A fairly clean -- strong breeze coming from the

West. More showers in the afternoon. We have a longer spell of the rain

coming in from the west tomorrow evening and tomorrow night. Cold

enough for some snow mixed in. Nothing too disruptive but by the

end of the evening this will have moved on and temperatures will start

to fall again, bringing ice on Wednesday morning. Low pressure

tomorrow night, is that moves away cold moves them with dry conditions.

Then on Thursday and other weather front bringing more rain. Then

things should start to warm up. Milder air eventually comes and

towards the end of the week. Perhaps at long last you will be able to

ditch the winter coat. Still quite cold and unsettled over the next

couple of days. Temperatures should rise by Friday. Quite cold on

Wednesday, a few showers around, some sunshine. Temperatures reaching

12 degrees by Friday. Our late summary

is at half past ten. You can also keep in contact with us

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