02/01/2017 BBC Newsline

Good evening.

A man in his 20s is being treated in hospital after being seriously

assaulted in West Belfast in the early hours of yesterday.

The police say he was at a house party in Wauchope Court off

Roden Street before the attack.

Sinn Fein's National Chairperson has accused the First Minister

of unvarnished arrogance regarding the significance

of the political crisis over the renewable heat scandal.

Declan Kearney said the political process is being dragged

towards an unprecedented tipping point as a result of

the DUP's behaviour.

He has called for Arlene Foster to step aside to allow

an independent investigation to be held into the controversial scheme.

Three vehicles have been destroyed and a house damaged in a series

of arson attacks in Holywood.

The attacks were in East Link, Abbey Ring and Abbey Place

in the early hours of New Year's Day.

A van, a people carrier and a car were set alight

between 3:15am and 4am.

The police say they are investigating a link

between all of the incidents.

Two men arrested in connection with an attack in Portrush

in the early hours of yesterday morning have been released on bail.

A 44-year-old man suffered a suspected broken arm

in the assault in the Dhu Varren Park area.

A 69-year-old man was treated in hospital for cuts to his head.

Windows of a house and a car were also damaged.

The Tyrone Gaelic Football manager Mickey Harte has said the GAA

could stop playing the Irish national anthem and flying

the tricolour at matches when, as he put it, "the time is right."

The GAA's president has said changes could come in the future as part

of an "agreed Ireland."

Mickey Harte was speaking to the BBCs Talkback programme.

Life changes, things move on.

There was a time in the '70s when you were not allowed to play,

in adverted commas, foreign games and play in the GAA,

so that has changed.

There were times when the police force from this part of the world

were not allowed to play.

These things changed over time, but they have to change

when the time is right.

Five students from Zambia have received diplomas in computing

with the help of tutors who were thousands of miles away

at South West College in Omagh.

The students used a video link with the college

to do their studies, but made the journey

to County Tyrone to collect their diplomas in person,

as our South West Reporter Julian Fowler reports.

A graduation photo to cherish.

These five students from Zambia had been studying IT for the last four

years and have achieved their Level 4 Diploma in Computing

and Systems Development.

This is where they study - a classroom at Fatima

Girls Secondary School, in Ndola in northern Zambia.

Meanwhile, their tutors are 5000 miles away in the Virtual

Learning Centre in Omagh.

Everybody told us at the start that this would never work,

that the challenges were too great and that we couldn't do it.

But we have done it.

The students have persevered through significant challenges -

drought, lack of electricity, walking through the rainy season,

and they have achieved so much and we are so proud of them.

20 students began the course four years ago, and though only

five have graduated, it has given them new life skills.

They appreciate this opportunity that has been given to them.

This is a big achievement, because by their education

and even this graduation they are going to

touch so many lives.

The computer equipment and internet connection in Zambia

was provided by a charity.

They will earn their living and they will keep their families,

and that's the key to the whole thing.

And they'll influence an awful lot of people to do something similar

to what they have done themselves, and that's the benefit.

It may be small in numbers, five, but this will multiply.

It can be difficult for students in Zambia to fund further studies

after leaving school.

These graduates hope to teach or get jobs in industry.

I really never imagined it.

It's so unreal, I can say.

We are just really, really proud and happy to be here.

It's a wonderful moment.

Patrick Chingaipe.

APPLAUSE.

As they collected their diplomas, they were given loud applause

from the other graduates.

The five Zambian students have been on a long journey

to get to this ceremony, and there is a great sense of pride

in their achievement.

The National Museum of Ireland has appealed to whoever anonymously sent

in archaeological discoveries to come forward.

This is one of the National Museum's four sites.

It is next to the Dail.

People visit each week to look at the collections,

covering different ages, including the Bronze Age

and the Viking periods.

Recently, they received four items sent anonymously with these

letters without a postmark, addressed to the History Museum

rather than the National Museum.

It gives rise to a suspicion that the sender may not have been

living in Ireland for very long.

The items include two Bronze Age axes, a Viking strap end that

originated in Scandinavia, probably Norway, and very rare

in Ireland, and a small, twisted ring which may be linked

to the strap end.

The museum believes the items were probably discovered in at least

three different sites.

There is also a suspicion that the artefacts were found

using a metal detector, even though it is illegal

to excavate items with a metal detector without a licence.

The finder may not have known that, especially

if he or she is from abroad.

But staff would like whoever discover the artefacts to come

forward, to let them know the circumstances and whereabouts

of the finds in order to help them build up the picture of Irish

history and prehistory.

Road conditions in some parts earlier today were described

as "treacherous" by the police and there were six crashes

in the Ballymena area.

Let's hear if the cold weather is set to continue

with Angie Phillips.

Hello, good evening.

It's been a fairly settled start to the new year so far,

if not a bit on the cold side with some wintry showers.

Not so much wintry showers in the forecast this week.

Some rain, not an awful lot of it though until we get

to the end of the week.

Variable cloud, so some bright or sunny spells.

It will continue to feel quite chilly though for a good part

of the week as well.

And certainly quite cold in places for a time this evening.

Clear spells inland and towards the south.

The temperatures here dropping close to freezing,

even slightly below.

That will lead to some frost.

Where we have a few showers, maybe some icy patches as well.

But only temporarily.

We have more cloud edging its way in through the night.

As it does so, the temperatures will start to rise a little,

but we will also get more in the way of rain or drizzle

pushing in as well.

Into tomorrow, if you are heading back to work it's a cloudy day.

You will get some patchy rain around, particularly but not

exclusively across parts of the North and West.

A bit more breeze bringing a few spots further inland.

But for parts of Scotland, particularly the north

and North West, it's a wet and a windy day tomorrow.

Elsewhere a few spots moving into northern England, North Wales.

Other than that the rest of England and Wales and the Republic

of Ireland largely dry after a frosty start.

The best sunshine though towards the south and perhaps more

sheltered parts of the East.

For Northern Ireland, plenty of cloud around

I think come the afternoon.

And as I mentioned still some bits and pieces and rain running

through on the breeze.

But mainly light and patchy, so there will be dry spells,

the best of those likely towards the south east.

Temperatures a little bit better than today.

Seven or eight Celsius, but with more of a breeze,

particularly around the coast, it will continue to feel quite cold.

Into tomorrow night, we still have the cloud,

patchy drizzle, the breeze, so it should be frost free.

We also have a fairly weak weather front moving in from the North.

That will bring a narrow band of rain south-westwards

through tomorrow night.

That then clears away the south-west on Wednesday,

so a mainly dry and bright day following in behind that,

with highs of around seven or eight Celsius.

The breeze easing down as well.

There is off to a frosty start, mainly dry, but some rain on the way

for Thursday night into Friday, but a little bit milder.

Our next television news is at 10:20pm tonight.

Good evening.

Join Alexander Armstrong