:00:07. > :00:10.The Alliance Party has yet to decide whether it will follow
:00:11. > :00:13.the Ulster Unionist Party and SDLP into opposition at Stormont.
:00:14. > :00:17.Earlier today the party was offered the Justice Ministry,
:00:18. > :00:21.Tonight the Alliance leadership met with the party's council
:00:22. > :00:28.Our Political Editor Mark Devenport joins me now live from East Belfast
:00:29. > :00:33.Mark, have there been any developments in the Alliance
:00:34. > :00:49.Well, what has happened to note is that the 120 members of the Alliance
:00:50. > :00:53.ruling council discussed the situation with the justice portfolio
:00:54. > :00:57.for just over two hours or so in East Belfast. They, so far as we
:00:58. > :01:02.could tell as we weren't allowed to speak to the ordinary members, have
:01:03. > :01:06.fairly fully endorsed the leadership position that they shouldn't take
:01:07. > :01:12.the job at this stage is because both the DUP and Sinn Fein rejected
:01:13. > :01:15.their demands to change at Stormont including the so-called petition of
:01:16. > :01:21.concern system which allows measures to be vetoed on the Assembly floor.
:01:22. > :01:25.Tonight they First Minister Arlene Foster has described some of the
:01:26. > :01:29.developments as that of a small parties searching for relevant. I
:01:30. > :01:33.put that to David Ford and he said both the DUP and Sinn Fein had
:01:34. > :01:39.recognised the Alliance relevance by coming to them and offering them the
:01:40. > :01:41.Justice Ministry. I think it is slightly ironic given that Arlene
:01:42. > :01:47.Foster and Martin McGuinness Alastair Lyons to give them are just
:01:48. > :01:54.as Muslim. That suggests that they know -- Justice Ministry. We had
:01:55. > :01:59.decisions in the last Executive on the basis of entitlement and a cross
:02:00. > :02:05.community boat. It seems they are not prepared to give fundamental
:02:06. > :02:08.reforms to make Northern Ireland better and get away from the
:02:09. > :02:13.problems which we saw in the last Assembly and it was there
:02:14. > :02:15.unwillingness to move in any way which have contributed to the
:02:16. > :02:22.decision of the Alliance Party tonight. Tonight's alliance ruling
:02:23. > :02:26.council meeting followed a dramatic day at Stormont with the SDLP
:02:27. > :02:33.following the Ulster Unionists into opposition. My colleague Ende
:02:34. > :02:34.MacLaverty has been following the twists and turns of the day.
:02:35. > :02:37.It has been a day of high drama at Stormont.
:02:38. > :02:41.The SDLP is announcing that we will go into opposition
:02:42. > :02:42.to conform a constructive opposition to the Executive.
:02:43. > :02:46.The SDLP's decision to quit the Executive came after a day
:02:47. > :02:53.It had been clear over the last number of days
:02:54. > :02:58.that the party was getting ready to turn its back on government.
:02:59. > :03:00.That decision was rubber-stamped after a meeting with the First
:03:01. > :03:04.Minister and the Deputy First Minister.
:03:05. > :03:06.We are very disappointed with the approach that has been adopted.
:03:07. > :03:11.We have tried time and again and have met as many
:03:12. > :03:15.departments and departmental officials as we possibly can.
:03:16. > :03:17.But that wasn't the only surprise as the first
:03:18. > :03:20.and Deputy First Minister tried to find a new Justice Minister.
:03:21. > :03:22.And the first candidate through the door was the Green Party
:03:23. > :03:30.We were invited to put forward our views on what we would like to see
:03:31. > :03:34.in a future programme if we were to consider taking up
:03:35. > :03:39.Next up was the Independent Unionist MLA Claire Sugden.
:03:40. > :03:42.She stepped out without giving too much away.
:03:43. > :03:46.Then it was the turn of the Alliance delegation,
:03:47. > :03:49.led by former Justice Minister David Ford.
:03:50. > :03:52.But they were in and out in less than ten minutes.
:03:53. > :03:57.But there was no sign of panic among those they left behind in the room.
:03:58. > :04:02.We are in control, we know exactly what we are doing,
:04:03. > :04:07.and we are very confident that come next Wednesday,
:04:08. > :04:13.Ministers will be appointed and the Executive will meet on Thursday.
:04:14. > :04:16.We are very clear that we both campaigned to be in government,
:04:17. > :04:19.and others didn't campaign in such a clear way and we are seeing
:04:20. > :04:23.the fallout over that over the past few days.
:04:24. > :04:27.We are clear that we are going to be in government, there will be
:04:28. > :04:30.an Executive in place by the end of next Wednesday and we are also
:04:31. > :04:33.very clear that it will meet next Thursday.
:04:34. > :04:38.Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness may be clear on what they expect
:04:39. > :04:40.to happen next, but they may have to plan for an Executive
:04:41. > :04:55.Elderly residents at a Londonderry care home have called
:04:56. > :04:57.on the Presbyterian Church not to shut it down.
:04:58. > :05:00.The church wants to close it along with another home in Portrush.
:05:01. > :05:03.They say both places were built in the 19th century and can't be
:05:04. > :05:06.updated, so they want to move almost 40 residents to a refurbished
:05:07. > :05:11.More than 60 staff are affected by the proposal.
:05:12. > :05:15.Here's our North West reporter Keiron Tourish.
:05:16. > :05:19.Ard Cluan on Limavady Road has been operating since 1971 and,
:05:20. > :05:23.over that time, residents say it has been like a home from home.
:05:24. > :05:26.But the 13 elderly people who live there may be forced to move
:05:27. > :05:29.to a different home almost 30 miles away.
:05:30. > :05:32.The Presbyterian Church has proposed to close this facility
:05:33. > :05:37.and another home in Portrush, which has 26 residents,
:05:38. > :05:38.and transfer everyone to a refurbished 50-bedroom care
:05:39. > :05:54.And I know the surroundings, like, you know?
:05:55. > :06:06.And I would be sorry if I was pushed away somewhere else.
:06:07. > :06:09.The Presbyterian Church has insisted the well-being of its residents
:06:10. > :06:16.Though the Church acknowledges the reaction of residence
:06:17. > :06:21.We do not want to come to the stage where we are forced
:06:22. > :06:30.We are providing a better class of care and an easier regime
:06:31. > :06:43.Politicians and the trade unions have called for urgent meetings
:06:44. > :06:46.with the Presbyterian Church to try and get this decision reversed.
:06:47. > :06:48.They say any possible closure and relocation would cause massive
:06:49. > :06:55.A church in County Down says its congregation will have
:06:56. > :06:59.to meet elsewhere after an arson attack on its building.
:07:00. > :07:01.Tyres were set on fire against Rathfriland Baptist Church
:07:02. > :07:06.The church's pastor says the attack has stunned the local community
:07:07. > :07:10.and it will be weeks before they will be able to hold services
:07:11. > :07:18.The clear-up work at this church will take weeks,
:07:19. > :07:21.but it could have been much worse, had a passer-by not noticed this
:07:22. > :07:25.fire last night and alerted the emergency services.
:07:26. > :07:28.These tyres were already in the church grounds and shortly
:07:29. > :07:34.after 11 o'clock last night, they were moved against the side
:07:35. > :07:41.The church says the damage caused means the building won't be able
:07:42. > :07:45.The pastor says there is good community relations here and there
:07:46. > :07:48.has been very little anti-social behaviour in the past.
:07:49. > :07:51.It is a very peaceful community here, a lovely place to live,
:07:52. > :07:54.a great town and, like I say, it is not something
:07:55. > :08:00.It is totally out of character and out of keeping in the area.
:08:01. > :08:03.It is an attack on the Lord and an attack on the Gospel.
:08:04. > :08:06.We are just here to preach the Gospel and we will continue
:08:07. > :08:13.It has taken the whole community by surprise, we are all shocked,
:08:14. > :08:16.but the community will rally around the church, I popped in to see
:08:17. > :08:19.the pastor to show solidarity and I think that will happen
:08:20. > :08:22.Despite the quick response from the Fire Service,
:08:23. > :08:24.church leaders say significant damage has been caused
:08:25. > :08:29.A meeting due to take place here today was held
:08:30. > :08:32.in a neighbouring church and Sunday services are likely to be held
:08:33. > :08:37.at the local high school until the repair work is completed.
:08:38. > :08:40.Meanwhile, this morning, it was reported to police that
:08:41. > :08:43.windows and an internal door have been damaged in an attack
:08:44. > :08:53.Police are appealing for information about both incidents.
:08:54. > :08:57.The West Belfast-based printing and packaging firm Delta Print has
:08:58. > :09:02.been sold in an ?80 million deal to a Finnish company.
:09:03. > :09:05.The business was founded in 1981 by Terry Cross and its major
:09:06. > :09:10.Mr Cross will be staying on as an adviser to the new buyers,
:09:11. > :09:19.Huhtamaki, which already has a factory in Lurgan.
:09:20. > :09:27.This is a good day for West Belfast in particular. There was a dearth of
:09:28. > :09:31.employment and manufacturing employment and it's pretty
:09:32. > :09:39.indicative of the cut in corporation tax rates which are helping
:09:40. > :09:40.investment and the potential for Abe better future for investing in
:09:41. > :09:44.Northern Ireland. The professional services firm
:09:45. > :09:46.Deloitte says it will create 300 more jobs in Belfast
:09:47. > :09:48.than originally planned. It had aimed to employ 700 people
:09:49. > :09:51.in the city by 2019. That will make Belfast the firm's
:09:52. > :09:57.largest UK base outside London. On to golf now, and Rory McIlroy has
:09:58. > :10:00.made an excellent start He's in second place, two shots
:10:01. > :10:16.behind the leader Danny Willett. Rory McIlroy has struggled at the
:10:17. > :10:21.Irish Open in recent times. He missed the cut at Royal County Down
:10:22. > :10:25.last year and before that in Dublin and Cork. But today the tournament
:10:26. > :10:32.host produced one of his best Irish Open displays. He found his touch on
:10:33. > :10:37.the K Club Greens as well. And brilliant shots like this helped
:10:38. > :10:45.McIlroy to three birdies in the opening nine holes. And more
:10:46. > :10:51.followed in the back nine. This part of the 13th gave him a share of the
:10:52. > :10:55.lead. And alongside him at that point of the top of the leaderboard,
:10:56. > :11:03.the Masters champion Danny Willett from England. Graham Mick Doerr
:11:04. > :11:10.struggled early on dropping shots to go to overpower soon bounced back
:11:11. > :11:17.with a birdie at the seventh and an eagle at the 10th to move himself up
:11:18. > :11:21.the leaderboard. -- Graeme McDowell. Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke had
:11:22. > :11:26.three front line birdies at a course that holds fond memories for him.
:11:27. > :11:33.Shane Lowry who won this tournament as an amateur seven years ago
:11:34. > :11:36.started with a round of 100 par. While Paul Don also impressed
:11:37. > :11:38.playing in his first Irish Open as a professional.
:11:39. > :11:41.Now here's Cecilia Daly with a look at the weather
:11:42. > :11:49.the thunderstorms we had earlier on. quite heavy, although not
:11:50. > :11:52.By the end of the night many of them will have eased away.
:11:53. > :11:54.One or two of them still lingering in the West.
:11:55. > :11:57.We are expecting things to continue to dry up tomorrow.
:11:58. > :12:00.The drier half of the day will be in the morning.
:12:01. > :12:03.I'm afraid after a promising start it will end up rather
:12:04. > :12:06.One or two showers and initially, but they'll fizzle out.
:12:07. > :12:08.There will be a decent chunk of dry weather
:12:09. > :12:11.It will start to warm up quite nicely.
:12:12. > :12:14.Down to the South West, you can see where the
:12:15. > :12:19.It edges in across the Republic of Ireland and it will land
:12:20. > :12:20.across Northern Ireland tomorrow afternoon.
:12:21. > :12:23.Also some rain eventually for parts of Wales and south-west England,
:12:24. > :12:25.but bar the odd shower many parts of Britain will have
:12:26. > :12:30.Tomorrow afternoon is looking pretty wet just about everywhere.
:12:31. > :12:32.Persistent rain, heavy rain at times.
:12:33. > :12:35.Temperatures not getting much higher than around 15 Celsius.
:12:36. > :12:39.Maybe 16 towards the North Coast before the rain arrives.
:12:40. > :12:41.It will start to ease away again tomorrow evening,
:12:42. > :12:44.but if you're at the Ulster match down in Dublin tomorrow night
:12:45. > :12:46.there could still be some rain around through the game.
:12:47. > :12:56.As we look ahead to the rest of the weekend, there will still be
:12:57. > :12:57.some unsettled weather at the Irish Open.
:12:58. > :12:59.Some sharp showers around this weekend.
:13:00. > :13:01.Northern Ireland will have some showers this weekend too.
:13:02. > :13:04.There will be some sunshine at times.
:13:05. > :13:07.At the moment it looks like we will probably have
:13:08. > :13:08.fewer showers and lighter showers on Sunday.
:13:09. > :13:17.So, that is maybe the drier of the two days.
:13:18. > :13:23.You can hear from the Alliance Party's Naomi Long on the view which
:13:24. > :13:24.follows this programme. Our next BBC Newsline is at 6:25am
:13:25. > :13:27.in the morning during Breakfast From all of us here
:13:28. > :13:32.on the programme, goodnight. Soak up the atmosphere at the most
:13:33. > :13:39.famous flower show in the world. from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
:13:40. > :13:43.2016.