:00:10. > :00:14.A man has been shot outside his home in County Meath this evening.
:00:15. > :00:25.Gardai say the victim, who was 55, was shot a number of times around
:00:26. > :00:26.7.45pm at the Old Mill housing
:00:27. > :00:30.It's understood he was well known to the police and had links
:00:31. > :00:32.with those involved in a recent criminal gang feud.
:00:33. > :00:35.A cyclist in his 40s has died following a collision with a lorry
:00:36. > :00:40.on the Knockmore Road outside Lisburn.
:00:41. > :00:42.The accident happened this afternoon just before 2.30pm.
:00:43. > :00:45.of the road remains closed in both directions close to the Ballinderry
:00:46. > :00:50.There's to be a big shake-up in the rules dealing
:00:51. > :00:54.An independent panel has made significant changes which it says
:00:55. > :00:58.will help to improve public confidence in our politicians.
:00:59. > :01:01.The new regime will affect many aspects of MLAs' work,
:01:02. > :01:04.including their offices, staffing and travel allowances.
:01:05. > :01:08.Here's our political correspondent, Chris Page.
:01:09. > :01:10.Money matters are part and parcel of politics,
:01:11. > :01:13.but there's one in particular which can be toxic -
:01:14. > :01:19.This BBC Spotlight programme in 2014 raised questions
:01:20. > :01:22.about the activities of some parties.
:01:23. > :01:25.Now the people who set the rules are changing them.
:01:26. > :01:29.The Independent Financial Review Panel say the changes are radical.
:01:30. > :01:32.Professionalism, fairness and equity is really at the heart of what we're
:01:33. > :01:35.doing to ensure that MLAs get the money they deserve to do the job
:01:36. > :01:40.we all want to see done, but at the same time comply
:01:41. > :01:43.with a set of rules and controls that limit those moneys to prevent
:01:44. > :01:51.So Stormont is getting a brand new expenses system.
:01:52. > :01:53.Previously, MLAs were entitled to claim ?67,000 a year
:01:54. > :02:00.There are new rules for staffing arrangements.
:02:01. > :02:10.MLAs will only be able to employ one close relative.
:02:11. > :02:15.Future vacancies will be fulfilled by public consultation after a
:02:16. > :02:18.public advertisement. When it comes to constituency
:02:19. > :02:20.offices, they won't be allowed The rent they can claim
:02:21. > :02:24.will be capped at ?8,500. There will be restrictions
:02:25. > :02:26.on signs, for example. Assembly members won't be able
:02:27. > :02:29.to call their office's MLAs' salaries will go up
:02:30. > :02:36.by ?1,000 to ?49,000, but the pay of Junior Ministers
:02:37. > :02:40.and the Speaker will be cut. Any politician knows any negative
:02:41. > :02:43.story about expenses damages the reputation of
:02:44. > :02:47.politics in general. The Independent Financial Review
:02:48. > :02:50.Panel say these new rules will help improve public
:02:51. > :02:54.confidence in Stormont. The regime will kick in straight
:02:55. > :02:57.after the Assembly elections Six new schools are to built
:02:58. > :03:04.with money provided under the Stormont House and
:03:05. > :03:07.Fresh Start agreements. The funding totals ?43 million
:03:08. > :03:10.and is earmarked for shared Our Education Correspondent
:03:11. > :03:23.Robbie Meredith reports. Children at Phoenix Integrated
:03:24. > :03:26.Primary School in Cookstown were singing for special guests
:03:27. > :03:30.today who were bringing A physical manifestation
:03:31. > :03:37.of the Fresh Start agreement This is good for the schools
:03:38. > :03:44.and for the economy. I think it's a positive indication
:03:45. > :03:48.things are moving forward. Shared education campuses
:03:49. > :03:56.at different sites and integrated buildings - it's the first
:03:57. > :04:01.instalment of ?500 million promised for similar projects
:04:02. > :04:04.by the UK Government. The Secretary of State says
:04:05. > :04:08.it's a good investment. Great education is crucial in terms
:04:09. > :04:12.of economic competitiveness. It's also important in terms
:04:13. > :04:18.of community cohesion. This is a timely investment
:04:19. > :04:21.for a number of schools but we're on the cusp of an election so it's
:04:22. > :04:24.also a good time for politicians We're very pleased to be able
:04:25. > :04:30.to do it before we go into the pre-election period,
:04:31. > :04:34.or whatever you want to call it. We're delighted the UK Government
:04:35. > :04:37.has come forward with this money. If we weren't making this
:04:38. > :04:41.announcement we'd be criticised This is one of the schools that'll
:04:42. > :04:47.get money to plan a new building. They want that to lead
:04:48. > :04:51.to bricks and mortar. The money is a significant issue
:04:52. > :04:56.for our school. We'll be hoping for a purpose-built
:04:57. > :04:58.school, a new school That really will be something
:04:59. > :05:07.to make a song and dance about. The BBC understands that
:05:08. > :05:11.an associate principal is to be appointed to West Belfast school
:05:12. > :05:14.De La Salle to work alongside the current principal
:05:15. > :05:17.and senior management. It comes after parents of some
:05:18. > :05:20.of the pupils there called for the school's management
:05:21. > :05:22.to be stood down. This latest development comes a week
:05:23. > :05:28.after some parents began protesting outside the school gates
:05:29. > :05:30.about teachers not turning At one stage, around a third
:05:31. > :05:36.of the staff were off sick. These parents take little comfort
:05:37. > :05:39.from the news that another principal I want the principal
:05:40. > :05:45.and the board of governors to go. They have failed the
:05:46. > :05:49.children and the parents. Stand down and let's
:05:50. > :05:55.have an investigation. Let's have an investigation
:05:56. > :05:58.into what's happened. What has brought this school
:05:59. > :06:00.to the situation it's in? In a statement, the principal
:06:01. > :06:06.of La Salle said she wanted to reassure parents that the school
:06:07. > :06:10.remains focussed on the education provision and emotional well-being
:06:11. > :06:15.of all the students. This evening the parents are due
:06:16. > :06:20.to meet the Children's Commissioner. The BBC understands a new associate
:06:21. > :06:23.principal is to be put in place But until something changes,
:06:24. > :06:31.this group says they will continue 110 jobs are to be created
:06:32. > :06:41.at an engineering company in Cookstown as part
:06:42. > :06:47.of a ?6.8 million investment. The First and Deputy First Ministers
:06:48. > :06:50.made the announcement during a visit The company makes washing
:06:51. > :06:55.and recycling equipment for a variety of industries and has
:06:56. > :06:58.customers across the world. The managing director
:06:59. > :07:00.says its skilled workforce Planning permission has been granted
:07:01. > :07:10.for a huge solar farm in County Antrim -
:07:11. > :07:16.the biggest in Northern Ireland. The ?40 million development will go
:07:17. > :07:19.on 200 acres of land near Lough But developers say delays
:07:20. > :07:23.in connecting renewable projects to the electricity grid
:07:24. > :07:26.could threaten its viability. Our Agriculture and Environment
:07:27. > :07:28.Correspondent Conor Macauley If all goes to plan,
:07:29. > :07:35.the man who currently farms sheep on this land by the shores
:07:36. > :07:37.of Lough Neagh could soon Joe McQuillan's application to build
:07:38. > :07:45.a huge solar farm on his land has been given the nod by
:07:46. > :07:49.the Environment Minister. This is a 200 acre development
:07:50. > :07:52.but it is not until you come here that you get a true sense
:07:53. > :07:56.of the scale of this project. These panels are going to be in both
:07:57. > :08:00.fields to my left and to my right and all the way back
:08:01. > :08:04.to that far tree line. It really is going
:08:05. > :08:08.to be a sea of solar. And despite its scale, it has
:08:09. > :08:11.all gone through without a whimper, no opposition of any kind,
:08:12. > :08:15.not a single letter of objection. Looking down, big fields,
:08:16. > :08:19.open and totally enclosed, no people looking into it
:08:20. > :08:25.from residential houses. This is a smaller scheme being built
:08:26. > :08:28.near Belfast International Airport, but the infrastructure
:08:29. > :08:31.is much the same. The pressure now is to get
:08:32. > :08:33.the new one built, connected and generating before next March,
:08:34. > :08:35.when government subsidies The connection is the problem,
:08:36. > :08:42.that is due to network pressures, something the energy firm behind
:08:43. > :08:45.the solar farm was discussing I think it will be very tight
:08:46. > :08:56.for time and I know they are working on it and there is a lot
:08:57. > :08:59.of goodwill, but there just isn't This is a ?40 million scheme,
:09:00. > :09:05.but they will have to move fast to get it up and running ahead
:09:06. > :09:11.of the deadline. Belfast City Hall is tonight lit up
:09:12. > :09:14.in the colours of the Belgium flag in solidarity with the people killed
:09:15. > :09:17.and injured in yesterday's bombing At least 31 people died and around
:09:18. > :09:24.250 were injured following explosions at Brussels airport
:09:25. > :09:28.and at a Metro station. A book of condolence has also been
:09:29. > :09:31.opened for the public to sign Over 1000 motorcycle fans packed
:09:32. > :09:38.into Titanic Belfast tonight for the official launch of this
:09:39. > :09:52.year's Vauxhall International North The countdown is on to one of our
:09:53. > :09:58.biggest and certainly fastest sporting events, the North West 200.
:09:59. > :10:01.Tonight, a host of the top road racers from home and abroad gathered
:10:02. > :10:06.for a special meet the fans event, including the joint record holder,
:10:07. > :10:10.Alistair Seeley, and the Event Director, Mervyn Whyte. The big
:10:11. > :10:15.question is, can you be the all-time record holder? We will find out on
:10:16. > :10:20.the 14th of May. Corporations are going good, I am physically and
:10:21. > :10:27.mentally in a good place so I will get two rounds out of the way with
:10:28. > :10:31.the BMW buys and the callous Aki Crew will be rocking up for the
:10:32. > :10:34.Supersport event so I am trying to do what I do every year, relax and
:10:35. > :10:39.enjoy the event and hopefully stand on the top step. What about this
:10:40. > :10:45.event tonight? Fantastic excitement with the fans? Absolutely brilliant,
:10:46. > :10:49.a massive number of people tonight, really good to get them here and see
:10:50. > :10:52.those fans. What an excellent evening and everybody I was talking
:10:53. > :10:56.to enjoyed tonight and it was a full house. You give something back to
:10:57. > :11:02.the spectators. We really appreciate that. Big plans for this year?
:11:03. > :11:06.Really big plans, the entry list is one of the best, you're making a
:11:07. > :11:10.number of changes after feedback from last year, were changing the
:11:11. > :11:14.race management, reducing the groups and the numbers on the grid.
:11:15. > :11:21.Introducing a further big screen at the start, with a scrolling detail
:11:22. > :11:26.map on it together updates. And again, we ask able to bring their
:11:27. > :11:30.radio with them and tune into BBC Radio Ulster and enjoy the day. Have
:11:31. > :11:37.a good time. There will not miss one thing on the BBC. Across radio, the
:11:38. > :11:38.division and online. This year's North West 200 will be live on BBC
:11:39. > :11:40.Northern Ireland. Looking ahead to tomorrow's BBC
:11:41. > :11:44.Newsline and we'll be inside the GPO in Dublin ahead of the
:11:45. > :11:46.Easter Rising centenary. Also on Sunday itself,
:11:47. > :11:48.when the biggest commemoration will be taking place,
:11:49. > :11:51.we'll be live with a special That's here on BBC One at 11.25am
:11:52. > :11:54.on Sunday morning. Let's get the weather
:11:55. > :11:57.forecast with Geoff. Rain is in the forecast
:11:58. > :12:03.and we haven't said that But if it is not raining
:12:04. > :12:07.with you at the moment, The sky is clouding over tonight
:12:08. > :12:10.before that front moves in, bringing rain to all parts,
:12:11. > :12:13.spreading slowly to the East. It means a pretty soggy start
:12:14. > :12:19.but as the front gradually moves away, behind that we will start
:12:20. > :12:22.to see a clearance with brighter skies and breaks in the cloud
:12:23. > :12:25.and actually some brighter or sunny The front is very much setting
:12:26. > :12:30.the tone for the weather You can see how it is bringing some
:12:31. > :12:33.strong winds and rain into the south-west,
:12:34. > :12:36.into Wales and into other parts Gradually it starts to fragment
:12:37. > :12:43.and behind it some clearer air so we will see some brighter spells
:12:44. > :12:46.through the afternoon. Those clearing skies on Thursday
:12:47. > :12:50.night mean that overnight In fact, in some rural areas
:12:51. > :12:57.we could see temperatures cool enough to see a bit of frost
:12:58. > :12:59.by Friday morning. So Good Friday gets underway
:13:00. > :13:02.on quite a chilly note. Actually, it will be the best day
:13:03. > :13:06.of the Easter break because we will start to see some drier,
:13:07. > :13:09.brighter conditions through the day and highs of ten or 11 degrees
:13:10. > :13:12.before the rain moves It is going to be pretty unsettled
:13:13. > :13:19.by the time we get to the weekend so do make the most of Friday
:13:20. > :13:22.because "wet and windy" just about sums up the weather
:13:23. > :13:25.by the time we get through to Our next BBC Newsline is at 6.25am
:13:26. > :13:30.in the morning during You can also keep updated
:13:31. > :13:34.with News Online.