20/04/2017 BBC Newsline

The headlines on BBC Newsline this Thursday evening.

The Stormont parties are getting more time to reach a deal,

as the talks deadline is to be extended beyond

The SDLP leader rules out any election pacts with Sinn Fein.

We are not interested in sick kiddie impacts. We do not involve ourselves

with that. They had one, then another, then

another. She was visibly shaken. Concerns over a proposed tidal

energy scheme on the Antrim coast. The pictures that show the extent

of the vandalism on the as Ulsterbus celebrates

its 50th birthday. And just as you thought

it was time to pack away the There is a blast of cold weather

coming our way early next week. I will have more later

in the programme. Politicians at Stormont are to be

given more time to reach a deal to restore a power-sharing

Executive. The Secretary of State had set

early May as the deadline But the BBC understands that will be

pushed back until the end of June. Our Political Correspondent Enda

McClafferty has more. This has come as no real surprise,

because the feeling was it was unrealistic to expect anything to be

decided before the Westminster election. We understand that the

provisions have no been alone for, to enable the parties to set up a

executive in the three weeks following the Westminster election.

They will have to find their way to try and resolve the differences. No

great surprise that the state has been taken. A draft bill will be

published tomorrow. Most people seem to agree that this

is the correct decision. It gives everyone a little more breathing

space. They also have the other thing undermined that they have two

focus on the party political side of the election. But people are saying

that this should not be used either as an excuse for the parties not to

have come any settlement. It has simply stretched the amount of time

given for us to stretch to form a new executive.

Will the current talks process be parked until after

No decision has been taken on that. We know that room table discussions

are due to be done once again on Monday. But we expect that this will

be put off until after the Westminster election. A decision

that will probably come before the end of this month. But Sinn Fein

believe the case - a crisis that we know all facing is because of the

decision of the Prime Minister to call the general election. There is

a wader belief amongst the nationalist community is that the

British commenting or quantity power-sharing executive working

here. We do not want that because they are working towards leaving the

European Union and the know that most people in Northern Ireland did

not vote for that. I will come back to you

again shortly, Enda. But we can hear from the SDLP

leader, Colm Eastwood. This afternoon, I asked him

about the purpose of his meeting yesterday with Sinn Fein's Michelle

O'Neill. The meeting was officially scheduled

one. Obviously, the issue of the election came up. But we're not

going to form any sort of panicked. We do not form sectarian practice.

-- pacts. But we want to put across the message very strongly that, for

all the United Kingdom is looking to leave the European Union, the people

in Northern Ireland voted against that and we want to send that

message loud and clear. You talk about an alliance but how would that

actually work? How would that work without an electoral pact? I want

people to think this over. I am disappointed that Naomi has already

rejected the chance of the conversation. I was hoping we could

talk about this. It is an empty Brexit headcount? I have said that

again. We will not do an electoral pact with one party to keep another

party owed from another part of the community. Other parties may wish to

do that, we do not want to do that. This election is all about Brexit

and we need the Prime Minister to know exactly how the people of

Northern Ireland feel. We can talk about the election. How vulnerable

are some of these constituencies that you currently hold? We have

fantastic, hard-working MPs. The good of the two Westminster and

faked the case for Northern Ireland. The argue against Brexit. The do all

of that on our behalf. Of course, the only party representing the 56%

of people who voted against Brexit. Much pleasure are you under to

secure these seats again? Ever leader of our party is always under

pressure secure seats. We are used to having these eight battles. I

have been involved in many of the campaigns myself running or how hard

we will faked. There is talk of restoring power-sharing. The

Unionists are seeing the talks are dead in the water. How do you view

them, with the background of the general election? I have talked very

clearly that what I think of the Prime Minister calling an election

in the middle of the talks process. We understand that the British

government do not care about Northern Ireland. That has been made

clear in the last couple of days. The onus is on all of us that we

have the power sharing executive here. We are committed to doing

that. Doesn't look likely that any sort of deal will be secured any

time soon? I think the Prime Minister has made them very

difficult. And how would you sum

up today, Enda? It is pretty clear from that

interview is that the real challenge for any sort of alliance to be

formed between the parties get into the nitty-gritty. But the focus will

move to the election campaign. Then beyond that, we are looking at this

period afterwards. Who knows, we may even have a new Secretary of State

for Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister may even, if she wins, DC

to reshuffle the Cabinet. The Shadow Secretary of State, the Labour Party

representative, is not going to run in the election. The foundation has

confirmed that he is stepping away from politics for personal and

family reasons. He took up the position last year. He held the

portfolio here, but he had the same job in Scotland, as well. After

doing both of these jobs, say by same long overdue arrest. --A rest.

A five-year-old girl whose home was targeted in a gun attack is said

A cousin who was with her told this programme that the child stopped

Martin Cassidy reports from west Belfast.

About 10pm last night, shots were fired at a terraced house

here in the Crescent and there were two people

in the house at the time - one a young woman and also

They have done fine. I just thought someone had put the fest and banged

on the window. But then there was another one, then another one. I

just stood in the room and my cousin was terrified. Only escaped injury,

the little girl was traumatised by the attack. They were beating on the

heart of the five-year-old. She had stopped breathing. She was shaking.

The attack has been condemned by Sinn Fein.

It is clear the attackers who fired through the windows of the house

did not care who the target was, there was a young woman

with a five-year-old and we're grateful none of them were harmed.

People in this area and the family are asking why this attack

happened, because no-one has explained to them why it occurred

How has the young woman and child responded?

The young women, I didn't speak to the child, she is being cared

for, but the young women is concerned for herself and her

family circle, because she is unaware why this happened.

Four bullet holes through the window of the living room,

right beside the city. If anybody had been sitting

there, they would have been injured or killed.

The people who carried out this attack must come

Guus Hiddink police enquiries are continuing.

The survey that says most 15-year-olds in Northern Ireland

People living near a picturesque bay in County Antrim are opposing plans

to land power cables from an proposed tidal

The company says Murlough Bay is just one option and there will be

planning conditions attached to any approval.

Here is our Agriculture and Environment Correspondent,

it is one of the most picturesque places along the coastline. A

designated place of scientific interest. The final design for the

tidal energy scheme has not been put forward, but I believe to include

certain elements which would stick above the sea. Given that this is

such a breathtaking part of the countryside, there are reservations

about how the power cables gate onto the land and get hooked up into the

good. And that is with the problems start. Patrick is worried about the

cables coming ashore here and a new power station having to be built on

the cliffs. It would be deeply intrusive. It would create a massive

scar on the landscape. It would also take many years to achieve. If that

is the really thinking about this proposal, there are certain to be a

lot of objections. It is one of two options. The other would be a much

longer and more expensive undersea cable going elsewhere. If this gets

ahead, there will be a range of conditions we would comply with. We

hope we work with the various residence and licensing authorities

with regard to that. The energy company has always -- only apply for

permission for what it wants to build at sea. A plan for a

substation is expected to be submitted in the coming months.

We have heard about teenage moods and angst.

But most 15-year-olds in Northern Ireland are said to

That is the key finding of a large-scale international study

of students' well-being by the Organisation for Economic

Our education correspondent Robbie Meredith has more.

There are 700 teenagers preparing for their GCSEs

at the Easter School run by the West Belfast

They're obviously hard-working, but are they happy?

The OECD asked half a million pupils in 70 countries

to score how satisfied with their lives they were.

From a zero, which meant they were very unhappy,

to a ten, which meant they were very happy indeed.

The average life satisfaction score in Northern Ireland

was 7.24 out of ten, around the European average

but higher than England, Scotland and Wales.

But what about young people in West Belfast?

I am working hard and I have support.

School was going good. I play a lot of sport. Have good relationships

with my friends. My teachers are always behind me. When you test

yourself and get the results you want, that also gives you

motivation. The study also found

pupils performed best when they talked regularly

with their parents about school. He says you should go and get

help with your GCSEs. School can only help the children

for so long of a day and then they go home. The strategy at school is

one we hope will be carried through to the home. That is what we are

attempting to do. It wasn't all plain sailing,

there are still worries about exams and bullying remains a problem

but what this study suggests is that contrary to some of the stereotypes,

the majority of our teenagers are happy, ambitious

and highly motivated. Yesterday on the programme,

we revealed that more than a third of the Belfast Bikes

are out of action because Since then, photos have emerged

of some of the bikes dumped Such crime has cast doubt

on the development of the scheme. It is not good news for something

which is proved very popular in the city over the past couple of years.

But it is images of these which will upset the people learnt the City

Council. We do not know how many of them are clear. More than one third

are no off the streets. That is 210 breaks either stolen or vandalised

in Belfast over the past couple of years. Dublin bakes launched in

2009. The council leader seat damages sought rear of a similar do

not have statistics for it. The future expansion of the service

appeal will be in doubt of this sort of vandalism or theft continues. The

police are appealing for any information to stop bicycles ending

up like this. Still to come, the new piece of public created by

schoolchildren in dedicated to two of the island 's most famous poets.

A courthouse, once a stage for judges, lawyers and criminals,

could soon be home to performances in the world of theatre,

A plan to transform Bangor courthouse has been submitted

If successful the group behind it hopes to have the building up

and running by 2020. Dan Stanton reports.

This is how many people will remember the building. It operated

here for decades. Today, it is crumbling. It is empty and unused

since been taken out of service. The last person charged with a serious

offence was taken through the store in 2013. If the application is

successful, these structures will disappear. What would remain as the

holding cells. The organisation behind the bid want to use for a

variety of events. We want to restore the building back to the

former glories. Within it, we could have a lot of different pop-up arts

events we want to restore the listed building but also keep a permanent

performance venue. Artists working in the nearby points at the seafront

are hoping they will be able to operate in some of the pop-ups if

the project is successful. As an absolutely amazing building. It

lends itself so will to do an arts base and multipurpose base. I am an

artist here, I have been here over the years, as for the redevelopment

of the area, it would be nice to get a space somewhere else which was

still based in the town. They will know if they have secured funding

for the next development of the fees in a couple of months' time. If

successful, the building could be completed by the end of 2020.

From a possible future place for the arts

to a new piece of public artwork that has been

It is dedicated to the poets John Hewitt and Seamus Heaney

and was created by school children who have been learning

Our North-East reporter Sara Girvin reports.

Reflecting on his own school days, John Hewitt once wrote. No, his

life's work and that of Seamus Heaney our being celebrated in the

classroom. Children from floor schools unveiled the artwork. The

family of Seamus Heaney said he would have been absolutely

delighted. I just wish he could of been here. He would've been

overwhelmed. Many of the artists involved for learning about the

poets for the first time. I cannot rate very well, but the poetry was

fun to read. It was fun because we got to Colin a lot of pictures

instead of doing work! Poetry is a map of the face and everybody is

different. The man behind the project was a friend of Seamus

Heaney and says he would've approved. He a great poet and a man

of letters, but he was a shy and humble person. He had great ability

and talent which will last for generations. These artworks support

that. The work of these poets has already cemented the legacy, but it

is this art installation will inspire the next to come.

Ulsterbus is celebrating its 50th birthday this week.

Over the decades of the Troubles, the company lost some

of its staff, amid hijackings, bombings and firebombings.

Of course, the modern fleet of buses is completely different.

The drove onto this in 50 years ago. The changes in the buses have

reflected the change of society. Like ticket collectors. We do the

same job as the men, so we should get equal pay. And then Becky Scott

became a bus driver. There have been cases of a driver

stopping and people getting off the bus coming onto once. But more than

1500 vehicles were destroyed during the course of the troubles,

hijacked, set on fire and stolen. It could not have happened with the

cooperation and goodwill of the stuff. They were willing to serve

the public. When buses were on the road, it represented normality.

Norman remember walking on a bus and walking off holding a suspect

package. W Kelly suspect packages offer boss of the need arises? Up

until midnight, it is my problem. After that, it is someone else's.

This week, back in 1967, Ulsterbus was brand-new. Some of the he called

the kid back to the 1940s. Passengers are having the chance to

relive these days by having a look around some of these classic

vehicles. The next fight for the Belfast boxer

Michael Conlan will be in Chicago and he's confirmed that his second

professional bout will The name of his opponent

has yet to be released, although he is likely to be a step

up in class from Tim Ibarra who Conlan comfortably defeated

in his pro debut in New York It has been a mixed day

on the weather front. Mostly dry, but quite cloudy so far.

But it is going to get much more cold. Temperatures are going to fall

significantly. Next week, we're looking at a drop in temperatures

for quite a few days. Overnight in Ream pitching in from the West

during the course of the night. Most places being up in double figures.

Tomorrow, a decent start. Patches of green. Many places, particularly in

the East will dry out from the mid-morning. But another area coming

down from the North, bringing with it some more rain. Temperatures

slightly down on today. 12-15dC. Down Seen the best chance of

sunshine tomorrow. Becoming damp later in the afternoon. Tomorrow is

the perfect is the for the mortar bake racing. Saturday looking as if

it will be reasonably dry. A few showers around in the West

throughout Saturday. Temperatures just getting up in two double

figures. Recently, high pressure has dominated the weather. That is

moving away and this low-pressure will become this controlling feature

into the start of next week. It will bring a big drop in temperature. Any

showers that come along could contain some rain and sleet and it

could even be some snow on the high ground. Significantly colder next

week. But it will bring some clear sky. Good news for stargazers. A

remainder of the main headlines. The Stormont parties are getting

more time to reach a deal, as the talks deadline

is to be extended beyond You can also keep in contact with us

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