28/03/2017 BBC Newsline

story: Scotland has asked for a new Scottish independence referendum,

but Westminster and these are the headlines this

Tuesday evening: the current Stormont stalemate

can't continue for long. Rates bills will be affected

because there's no Executive - Work to upgrade the A6

is to begin as soon as possible, after a court challenge

by an environmentalist fails. who seriously injured five members

of a film crew in Belfast. who was born 100 years ago

this month, As he adapts to life

without his captain, Martin O'Neill's expected

to experiment with fringe players for tonight's friendly

against Iceland. And now the clouds

and rain are back, I'll have the detailed forecast

later in the programme. The Secretary of State

James Brokenshire says all options will be considered,

including direct rule, if more talks to form a power

sharing Executive fail. He told MPs at Westminster

that the Government didn't want to see a return to London rule,

but it has a responsibility Sinn Fein say they would regard such

a move as an act of bad faith. Our political correspondent

Enda McClafferty has more. Believe it or not, today was a day

of celebration, marking ten years of Northern Ireland Water. But there

was no minister and very few MLAs to toast in its success. Northern

Ireland Water spends a lot of time and money clearing blockages. Moving

the political obstacles at Stormont will be much harder. And today, we

got a taste of what failure might bring. Should talks not succeed in

their objectives, the Government will have to consider all options.

So following the Easter recess, as a minimum it will be my intention to

bring forward legislation to set a regional rate, to enable local

councils to carry out their functions and to provide further

assurance around the budget for Northern Ireland. That, for some,

sounded like a move closer to London rule. Direct rule is not an option.

Clearly, James Brogan share has two act in tandem with the legislation.

He would be acting in severely bad faith if he was to move to direct

rule. But what are the chances of fixing our broken political system

in the next three weeks? Some of us fear that Sinn Fein have now decided

that now the time for devolution is over, and their main ambition is now

lie southwards. But others believe it is time to bring in the big --

politicals big hitters. The Prime Minister should go to Northern

Ireland and find a resolution sooner rather than later. Back in Stormont,

the benches lay empty again today. The only thing moving was the clock,

as yet another countdown is underway. If we don't get a deal

very quickly, the British Government will take more and more powers to

London, and we will see more and more direct rule. We don't want the

British Tory party to run Northern Ireland. We need to get the Assembly

and the Executive back up and running, we should send talks team

to a Boot Camp Co-op -- Boot Camp to sort it out, and because we need

stability I would say no new issues for the next five years for the

duration of the mandate. So the political uncertainty will continue

to cloud around Stormont for at least another three weeks. But the

good news is that tomorrow is payday for the politicians. They will

receive their first pay cheques since the election, for around

?3000, for those that is that accept the full amount. Not bad when you

consider that the vast majority of them were only around for a couple

of days. As we heard in Enda's report,

the Secretary of State has said he will ask Westminster to pass

legislation to allow rates Our economics and business editor

John Campbell is here. So what's the current

situation with rates bills? Your rate Bill is made up of two

parts, one is set by the local councils and the other is set by

Stormont. Stormont hasn't got around to setting the rates Bill, and those

bills would normally be going out this Saturday. Clearly we can have

writes on page, because that would cause a crisis for councils, so the

Secretary of State has said he will set the regional part of the raid,

so rates bills can then go out. So what's the Secretary

of State going to do? He will set the rate, and on

Saturday a letter will be sending -- sent out saying, you will have your

rate -- rates Bill soon. Normally you pay your rates Bill from April

to January, this time it will be made to February, so you still need

to pay the full amount, come what may.

We've been reporting on the difficulties a lack

of a budget has been causing for those who get Stormont funding -

Tonight we have a statement from the senior civil servant who will

effectively take control of Stormont's finances from tomorrow.

He has said that apartments are writing to these voluntary community

groups just tell them they will get into room funding. -- to tell them.

It means for the next few months they know they are going to get that

money, but ultimately it will be the decision of the Finance minister.

If Westminster can pass rates legislation, could it also

That's certainly something which is being discussed at Stormont, and as

far as I know the officials in the department of Finance and the

Northern Ireland Office have been talking about this. Ultimately

Parliament could do this, they can do what they like. There's little

precedent in terms of the way welfare reform went through

Westminster, albeit with the consent of the Assembly. -- there is some

precedent. Although clearly it would be a move that would annoy Sinn Fein

and the SDLP, who do not want what they see as creeping direct rule.

Our political editor Mark Devenport is at Stormont.

As we saw there, Sinn Fein not happy about the prospect of direct rule,

but does it seem to be an increasing possibility?

I think that's fair to say. Clearly the Secretary of State's main

clarity is to have another deal, have a compromise, that will be his

ideal option. -- main priority. But he has been fairly strong id ruling

out another election, which means direct rule is more likely if we

don't have a deal. And Westminster may be stepping in in terms of the

rates, that could be a common-sense approach in the short-term, but we

be looking back on this period is a slow motion approach to direct rule.

Tomorrow the Prime Minister will officially trigger the UK's

departure from the European Union - what will that do to the mood

Well, it has affected the mood already. The notion that Brexit

negotiations will be going on in parallel with attempts to get the

Executive up and running I think don't make the Government's job any

easier. Sinn Fein mentioned it as one issue they were concerned about

when they pulled out the first phase of the talks, and today in the House

of Commons Nigel Dodds mentioned it as a reality which a willing partner

in Government would have to come to terms with. So I think we already

have these two parties pulling in different directions on Brexit, and

the fact it will be at the top of the news won't make things at all

easier. And on Brexit, the Government has

indicated what might happen if there's a border poll and support

for a united Ireland - We've been hearing about the

possibility of a Scottish independence referendum, even if

they have two apply for EU membership all over again. Today

we've had a letter to Mark Durkin from David Davis, in which he sets

out the view that if we had a border poll which ended up for a -- with a

vote for a united Ireland, Northern Ireland would be joining an existing

member of the EU, so they would automatically get EU membership. So

in one sense we are in -- ahead of the queue ahead of Scotland, but

there is that small matter of a border poll and a united Ireland to

deal with first, which is no small matter at all.

The man who co-ordinated the historic first handshake with

the Queen and Martin McGuinness, Co-operation Ireland Chief

Executive Peter Sheridan, says he believes the institutions

would not have fallen had Martin McGuinness

He was speaking to Jim Fitzpatrick for a special edition

I genuinely believe that Stormont would have collapsed if he had been

part of the Sinn Fein process. I know they say he was, but I think

his input was lacking at that time, and I think the Executive would not

have collapsed to the same extent that it did.

And you can see more on that in the BBC Spotlight programme,

which examines the controversial legacy of Martin McGuinness and

That's at nine o'clock, here on BBC One.

The Department for Infrastructure has won a court case

over its upgrading of the main road between Belfast and Londonderry.

It says the construction work will now begin as quickly as possible.

An environmentalist had claimed that part of the A6 route would impact

a protected wetland, and the birds which use it.

Our agriculture and environment correspondent

These are the birds that were at the centre of the case, migratory

visitors from Iceland. And it was the swans which are conservation

listed, that environmentalist Chris Murphy had said had not been taken

into account when assessing the impact of the new A6 carriageway. He

went to court to contest a section of the road, claiming it would deny

the swans their feeding grounds. But the judge was not persuaded. I don't

feel this is the end of the road. Or rather the route. It's only a small

section of the big road that concerns me, and should be of

concern to millions. This should be a World Heritage site. Finest

wetland -- freshwater wetland in Ireland. The judge said protections

offered to wetlands under European legislation were very important, but

should not be allowed to hinder appropriate development. All the

correct assessments had been done, she said, and the decision to build

the road was rational and four. This ?160 million scheme has been long in

the planning. It is meant to deliver better access and economic benefit

to the North West, and improve road safety and journey times for

commuters. The freight industry welcomed today's decision. The North

West has lagged behind in and connectivity for decades, so today

heralds a new chapter. There have been further controversy about the

route because it passed through a landscape made famous by Seamus

Heaney. Though that did not really that feature in the case. The

department for infrastructure says it will get on with the work now as

quickly as possible. They are to be asked not to do anything on the

contested section, while Mr Murphy considers whether to appeal.

A 23-year-old man is recovering from leg injuries following a shooting

He was attacked by two masked men inside a bookmakers' shop

at Central Drive in the Creggan area, at about half past eight.

It's believed his injuries are not life-threatening.

This area's always a for young people. They have all witnessed

that, and that is not something you would want a ten-year-old or

11-year-old to watch. The youth leaders tried to get them away from

the site they don't want them to say.

A man who crashed into 15 members of a film crew,

seriously injuring five of them, has been sentenced to two years

Hugh McGrattan, who is 25 and from Whiterock Drive in west

Belfast, drove into the group on Apollo Road in South

He had previously admitted five counts of causing grievous bodily

Mr McGrattan was driving between 52 and 69 mph before the crash. As he

slowed down at a bend, he struck a curb, lost control, and hit the film

crew at 25 mph. One woman was left with paralysis from the chest down,

and others also suffered life changing injuries. The court was

told McGrattan has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder

since the crash. He said he accepted he was driving too fast, but said

signs should have been in place alerting him to the victims'

presence. The judge said McGrattan, although not racing or showing off,

was driving at a greatly excessive speed with total disregard for other

road users. He will serve two years and four months in prison.

Sentencing McGrattan, the judge said she took into account the fact he

stayed at the scene at the time, showed remorse, and pled guilty at

the earliest opportunity. She also find him ?50 and disqualified him

from driving for five years. -- she find him.

From today, the new ?1 coin is being put into circulation.

It's described as the world's most advanced coin.

If you take a look at it - the new one is on the left -

at first glance it's not that different from the old one.

The Queen is on one side, and a new design representing

the four parts of the UK is on the other.

And as Helen Jones discovered, there are more in-built features

The new ?1: is difficult enough to get your hands on at the moment.

Northern Ireland has been given two supplies, they will become a

familiar sight over the next two weeks. The most secure coin in the

world, brought out to prevent fraud and counterfeiting. That's according

to the Royal Mint. The new coin apparently has a hidden security

feature, 12 sides, an image that works like a hologram and

micro-sized lettering inside both arms. Is Northern Ireland's ready?

I'm probably safer without the crisps anyway! Shopping trolleys

will also need to be re-engineered. 25% of our parking meters have

already been updated, as I found out to my surprise in Belfast city

centre. Are you kidding me?! Translink says it has been preparing

for the change for some time. As from today, the coin will be in

circulation with the round coin until 15th October. From that date,

the round pound coin loses its legal tender status, and you will have to

pay with the new 12-sided coin. Can you see the hologram? Yes, I can,

the ?1 symbol and the number one. That's amazing. Apparently one in 30

?1 Collins is counterfeit. That is why we need this. You are going to

let me keep that, aren't you?! Is this the new coin? Quite light. Once

the old coin is decommissioned, who knows? Maybe it could end up being a

collector's item. I will get that back a few! -- off you!

The singer Josef Locke was as famous in the 1940s as the likes

100 years on from his birth in Londonderry a new book

chronicles the tenor's life, and an exhibition is running

Our North West reporter Keiron Tourish has been

trawling the archives, and has come across some lovely

footage of Josef Locke which also features our own broadcasting star,

Business-macro was one of the brightest stars of his generation.

He played to packed theatres across the world. -- Josef Locke. A new

exhibition has been running at the Central Library, with unseen

photographs, family letters, and lots of other memorabilia. A book

also tells his life story. I feel but Josef Locke was the city's most

famous musical son. -- I feel that. He had a 50 years plus career as a

singer in England, Ireland, and Australia and Canada. I think we

must look back now and realise that in that time, in the post-war age,

Josef was a huge what we would call a celebrity. Hundreds of recordings,

which sell to the present day, and that is why I wrote the book because

I felt he had to be remembered. He was born 100 years ago this month,

and his family were relatively poor. But he had an amazing voice as a

tenor. He served in the Irish Guards and the RUC before becoming a star

on stage. A film called Hear My Song in the 1990s documented his life,

and the fact he was pursued by the taxman after claims he was earning

around ?2000 per week in the late 1940s. Are on the road than ?17,000,

but the papers said it was ?47,000. -- I only owed

?17,000. They finally agreed it was not that much. According to the

film, you ran away to sea on a boat. Do you believe films? Neither do I,

but I did! I took my Rolls-Royce and my Bentley with me! The Josef Locke

exhibition will continue here at the Central Library until the end of

this month. He was some character! The Republic of Ireland's

footballers are in friendly action in Dublin this evening,

Mark Sidebottom is here with more. Martin O'Neill is adapting to life

without his captain - Seamus Coleman of course

recuperating from that nasty double Iceland's trip to Dublin provides

an opportunity to experiment, with the manager expected to take

a look at some of his It was a memorable summer for

Iceland in France, and so also for Robbie Brady. The Burnley players

scored twice during the Euros, including this famous winner against

Italy. Being handed the captain's armband is another sign of his

increasing influence within the squad. He will skipper a new look

side. Some players who will play for the first time as well, so it is a

balancing act between getting some players, some international

experience, and actually deserving of the cap, so that the call I have

to make. Darryl Horgan and Andy Boyle, who has since moved to

Preston, looked to be among those set to make their debut.

We'll have the goals on our late bulletin at 10:30.

Its officially 100 days until golf's Irish Open comes north for the third

What Stewart will host, and quite a bit of ground work has already been

done. -- port Stewart. Changes to the tenth, 13th and 14th holes. They

are ready for the Irish open. Rory McIlroy is just one name who will be

playing the links course this summer, in what organisers say will

be the biggest yet. If you think back five years when it came to

royal Portrush, that was huge news, because the Irish open was really

flat on its feet, it is getting bigger all the time. Being part of

the Rolex series and with the prize money involved, that makes it all

come together. A prize pot of $7 million, certainly helps, as the

golf club moves towards Dreamland. I would have said this was impossible,

because the last time was 1953, so to have the Irish open in 2012, 2015

and 2017 in Northern Ireland is fantastic, it's fantastic for the

Causeway coast, but it's fantastic for the country. Port Stewart may

not going to blue skies in July, but the course will be pretty much

perfect, some the finest come to town. -- guarantee blue skies.

He's now in his mid-30s, he's from Portadown and he knows

Colin Turkington, a double British Touring Car Champion returns

to action this weekend in a new car but with an old team,

On a practice track in the Spanish mountains, Colin Tarkington has been

finalising his preparations for a year number 15 behind the wheel.

Touring cars is a sport where you are not too limited by age, and the

more experienced you are, the better you get. So hopefully I can keep

charging on for many more years, and remain at the sharp end. There is no

feeling like winning races, and winning championships, and that is

what drives me on. He has won the British Championship

twice before, and is confident of mounting a significant challenge for

a hat-trick this season. Yet the macro to get your name on that

trophy once is a great achievement, that was my goal when I started out,

so it only gets better, the more times you can win and conquer the

other drivers, there are 32 other guys on the grid, and the level

keeps going up every year so you have to find those extra little bits

of performance from yourself. I have given myself every chance this year,

being with one of the best teams and the best cars, so I am excited about

what lies ahead. And the winner will be crowned after

30 races between April and October. That's the sport.

Now let's get the weather, with Cecilia.

She has some terrific images of the Northern lights. All because of the

clearer skies last night, those on the north coast managed to see the

magical lights. Gary sent this video footage in from the giants Causeway.

Tonight we are looking at a much cloudier picture, the clouds around

today brought some rain at times. It is probably looking nicer now than

it has done all day. So there will be a few breaks this evening, but

there are some showers around as well. They will ease away, and it

may be that a good chunk of the night destroyed, but tomorrow

morning a little more rain is edging northwards. It may start drive then

tomorrow morning, but we are expecting some rain. It will be

milder, but expect some splashes, some puddles and some spray on the

roads, although temperatures will be up to around eight, nine, even 10

degrees. So it is a milder start, but quite cloudy. Dries up briefly

in the morning, but the rain and fortunately doesn't stay away for

too long. Showers will be working their way in is the day goes on. In

between there may be some hints of brightness, but overall quite

cloudy, and if you do get sunshine it is likely to be a bit milder than

today with average is up to 14, possibly 15. Tomorrow night it will

be mild, temperatures in some places in double figures, compare that to

negative figures which we had over the weekend. So the unsettled spell

is due to this area of low pressure which hangs around until Friday, and

gradually moves away over the weekend and we should see an area of

high pressure which will bring hopefully some dry weather for at

least part of the weekend and if we are lucky a good part of the

weekend. So there is some hope in the forecast. Not too bad to start

with on Thursday, some sunshine, a few showers around mainly in the

West, and then hopefully we will see some longer, drier weather this

weekend. Our late summary

is at half past ten.