:00:18. > :00:22.Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline.
:00:23. > :00:25.A schoolgirl has been stabbed on a Lagan College schoolbus -
:00:26. > :00:31.The murder of Connie Leonard - it's emerged a restraining
:00:32. > :00:35.order was issued against the man who killed her.
:00:36. > :00:38.The Kingsmills inquest is told a key suspect of the killings has been
:00:39. > :00:47.Enda Kenny is to step down as leader of Fine Gael at midnight.
:00:48. > :00:56.They call him the Beast, he's played in the Premier League
:00:57. > :01:04.And, after a day of sunshine and showers -
:01:05. > :01:16.I'll have your forecast later in the programme.
:01:17. > :01:21.A pupil has been taken to hospital after an incident on a school bus
:01:22. > :01:24.It happened at Lagan College in Castlereagh, from where I'm
:01:25. > :01:32.joined by our reporter Ita Dungan - Ita, what do we know?
:01:33. > :01:39.Yes, I am here at Lagan College, an integrated school on the outskirts
:01:40. > :01:46.of East Belfast. An oversubscribed school that has a pupil population
:01:47. > :01:50.of around 1200. First we heard of this incident was around four p.m.,
:01:51. > :01:56.when a parent called into the newsroom to say there was an
:01:57. > :01:59.incident, a stabbing incident on a school bus stop shortly afterwards
:02:00. > :02:05.parents received a text from the school and that text confirmed that
:02:06. > :02:10.the incident had taken place on a school bus and a student had been
:02:11. > :02:14.taken to A The text went on to say no one was deeply injured and
:02:15. > :02:18.senior management and the PSNI were dealing with the incident. I have
:02:19. > :02:27.tried to speak to the principle here but no one is available. What the
:02:28. > :02:32.police have since told us is that yes, incident did happen just down
:02:33. > :02:38.the road here, it happened on the bus and it was indeed a schoolgirl
:02:39. > :02:41.that was stabbed. She was taken to hospital. It's not clear whether she
:02:42. > :02:45.has since been released or she remains in hospital but the police
:02:46. > :02:48.said they are working hard to try to establish what exactly happened on
:02:49. > :02:50.the school bus. Thank you. It's been confirmed that a judge had
:02:51. > :02:53.issued a restraining order against the man who murdered
:02:54. > :02:55.Connie Leonard in her Connie was well known
:02:56. > :02:59.as a traditional Irish musician. She was stabbed to death by Paddar
:03:00. > :03:08.Phair, who then took his own life. He also stabbed and injured her son
:03:09. > :03:11.Conor, who has Downs Syndrome. He was released from hospital
:03:12. > :03:14.today and says he wants Our south-west reporter,
:03:15. > :03:26.Julian Fowler reports from the scene A floral tribute outside the home
:03:27. > :03:30.where Connie Leonard lived with her son. Also outside the home, police
:03:31. > :03:37.cordoned observing the scene of the murder. Connie Leonard had entered
:03:38. > :03:41.her volition ship with Paddar Phair and had put in place a number
:03:42. > :03:45.station order banning him from contacting him to leap across her. A
:03:46. > :03:50.court hearing was due to take place yesterday to confirm the order.
:03:51. > :03:54.Instead Paddar Phair came to her home on Monday night and attacked
:03:55. > :03:59.her and her son before taking his own life. Those who work with
:04:00. > :04:05.victims of domestic violence say Connie had tried to protect herself.
:04:06. > :04:10.She has gone, she has got an order, she has contacted PSNI, actively
:04:11. > :04:15.tried to keep yourself safe but I think where the focus needs to be is
:04:16. > :04:19.the responsibility for this lies very firmly with the man who has
:04:20. > :04:25.committed this crime and not with Connie and not with the agencies all
:04:26. > :04:29.the community around her. Today the limit family released these photos
:04:30. > :04:33.of Connie, a talented traditional musician who played the piano
:04:34. > :04:38.accordion. She was involved with the Irish music organisation which put
:04:39. > :04:49.local children and prepared them for the Fermanagh flyer. The loss of a
:04:50. > :04:57.talented person, it's a big loss because she was very much involved,
:04:58. > :05:04.she has been involved at different levels over the years. It is thought
:05:05. > :05:08.that her son Connor, who has Down's syndrome, tried to raise the alarm.
:05:09. > :05:12.He was found by the police with stab wounds to his stomach. He is now
:05:13. > :05:13.recovering from his stab injuries and is expected to attend his mother
:05:14. > :05:17.'s funeral on Friday. An inquest into the IRA killing
:05:18. > :05:20.of ten protestant workmen in County Armagh has been told that
:05:21. > :05:23.a key suspect has been linked No one has ever been convicted over
:05:24. > :05:45.the Kingsmills massacre in 1976. The victims were travelling to their
:05:46. > :05:48.homes after work. A Catholic was allowed to leave, 11th to stunt were
:05:49. > :05:53.shot, only one survived. More than four decades after the killings,
:05:54. > :05:58.relatives of the killings are coming to this inquest day after day. Still
:05:59. > :06:04.elderly, hurting and looking for answers. There were some answers
:06:05. > :06:10.today, when the suspect was described as a prime individual.
:06:11. > :06:15.This family is headed by the PSNI review, conducted after a report in
:06:16. > :06:23.2011. The review linked the suspect whose name can't be made public to
:06:24. > :06:27.46 murders over the two-year period from 1974 to 1976. The inquest heard
:06:28. > :06:32.that these murders involved 22 civilians, including a
:06:33. > :06:37.seven-year-old boy, 21 soldiers, two police officers and a paramilitary
:06:38. > :06:40.activist. The issue of on the run letters was also raised. It's been
:06:41. > :06:46.claimed that a number of suspects in the Kingsmilss massacre received on
:06:47. > :06:52.the run letters from the British government. It was asked if frantic
:06:53. > :06:54.evidence that isn't new guys at death. The coroner said other
:06:55. > :06:58.witnesses might be required. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has
:06:59. > :07:01.announced that he's stepping down He'll remain as Taoiseach
:07:02. > :07:05.until a successor is chosen by his party, and confirmed
:07:06. > :07:15.by the Dail. I'm joined by our Dublin
:07:16. > :07:24.correspondent, Shane Harrison. Why is he going? He is the most
:07:25. > :07:27.successful leader of his party, the only leader to be returned as
:07:28. > :07:36.Taoiseach after a general election and its longest serving Irish Prime
:07:37. > :07:45.Minister. He said he would return to smack wrote resign at midnight. The
:07:46. > :07:51.nominee will then have to be ratified by the Dail at a later
:07:52. > :07:54.date. His resignation was expected, he had a poor general election last
:07:55. > :07:58.year and told colleagues he wouldn't lead them into the next one, but in
:07:59. > :08:03.February his position became precarious after he had to admit
:08:04. > :08:09.that a radio interview he had given in which it claims to have had a
:08:10. > :08:11.conversation with an independent whistle-blower never happened. His
:08:12. > :08:19.supporters will put his achievements, as they regard them,
:08:20. > :08:23.and making sure that Ireland, the peace process are at the centre of
:08:24. > :08:26.the Brexit negotiations but opponents will say that more could
:08:27. > :08:31.have been done on policing and for the homeless and for those who are
:08:32. > :08:38.vulnerable and poor. Who is tipped to be successor? There are two main
:08:39. > :08:43.candidates, but his favourites are the Minister for social protection,
:08:44. > :08:49.the son of an Indian doctor who revealed himself to be gay before
:08:50. > :08:54.the Republic can the only country to introduce same-sex marriage in the
:08:55. > :09:00.popular vote. The other is the housing minister, whose father was
:09:01. > :09:05.also a Fine Gael minister. There is also the possibility that the
:09:06. > :09:10.justice minister and education Minister may nominate themselves but
:09:11. > :09:11.at the moment it is regarded as a two horse race between the over
:09:12. > :09:14.Risca and Simon covertly. It's believed that a prisoner
:09:15. > :09:16.who died in Maghaberry Jail this The 38-year-old man
:09:17. > :09:19.was on remand awaiting trial. The prison service say his next
:09:20. > :09:36.of kin have been informed. Still to come for stop catch up with
:09:37. > :09:36.the Syrian family living in the North-West and hear about their
:09:37. > :09:43.special arrival. The head of the Republic's customs
:09:44. > :09:45.authorities has said that after Brexit up to 8% of freight
:09:46. > :09:48.traffic crossing the border will be subject to checks at so-called
:09:49. > :09:51.trade facilitation posts. At the weekend the prime
:09:52. > :09:53.minister Theresa May spoke of the need for as seamless
:09:54. > :09:55.a border as possible. Here's our Economics
:09:56. > :10:09.and Business Editor, John Campbell: The political refrain has been no
:10:10. > :10:14.return to the borders of the past. Now we're getting some idea about
:10:15. > :10:21.the board of the future. The Republic's top customs official has
:10:22. > :10:25.laid down his opinions. He said customs declarations will happen
:10:26. > :10:28.electronically and most will be immediately improved. He said they
:10:29. > :10:34.will be no checks at the border but there will be so-called trade
:10:35. > :10:37.facilitation stations about ten calamitous past the border. Some
:10:38. > :10:48.freight will be diverted there for checks. Perhaps 8% of container
:10:49. > :10:54.traffic. Most of the document to recheck on present experience... 8%
:10:55. > :10:59.doesn't sound very much, but it could mean hundreds of the race
:11:00. > :11:04.having to stop the checks every day. Today's news is concerning to those
:11:05. > :11:09.involved in the cross-border because we are looking at minimum 6000 HGV
:11:10. > :11:12.movements across border on a daily basis so if we are looking at 8% of
:11:13. > :11:19.those vehicles having to be checked, that could be 600 vehicles actually
:11:20. > :11:23.having to stop and have good to that, these costs will be passed on
:11:24. > :11:27.and they will be consequences with delays, Julie Tom reliability. Sinn
:11:28. > :11:30.Fein say it is helpful to have got some clarity but added that
:11:31. > :11:36.restrictions on trade relatives dating impact on the economy is both
:11:37. > :11:39.north and south. We now have some idea what the Irish government is
:11:40. > :11:45.planning for its side of the border. Wood is less clear is what might
:11:46. > :11:47.happen on this side, but I understand the UK Government
:11:48. > :11:53.officials are due to make local call it firms in the coming weeks to
:11:54. > :12:13.update them on their ideas -- local haulage firms.
:12:14. > :12:16.He has been strongly criticised over decisions to prosecute former
:12:17. > :12:25.soldiers for troubled related killings.
:12:26. > :12:30.The appointment of McGrory was hailed by some as a break with past
:12:31. > :12:34.but decisions about the past provoked a storm criticism from
:12:35. > :12:38.conservative Unionist politicians. Former soldiers who served in
:12:39. > :12:44.Northern Ireland took to the streets in protest at the decision for
:12:45. > :12:46.prosecuting a small number. The director of public predictions was
:12:47. > :12:52.accused of bias against former soldiers. In an Irish language
:12:53. > :12:53.programme last week he was asked if he felt some people were trying to
:12:54. > :13:18.pressurise him into standing down. Earlier this year, he hit back at
:13:19. > :13:25.those who said he was treating soldiers unfairly. They are
:13:26. > :13:28.certainly being personally insulting and they are questioning my
:13:29. > :13:37.integrity. What concerns me more about that is it isn't it is
:13:38. > :13:41.insulting to this office. The DUP and Sinn Fein failed to reach
:13:42. > :13:45.agreement on how to deal with the past. Today disagreed when asked if
:13:46. > :13:51.the DPP had been put under undue political pressure. We have had
:13:52. > :13:56.difficulties with the office of the director recently in terms of the
:13:57. > :13:59.way in which 90% of what has happened in the past has been caused
:14:00. > :14:05.by terrorism and paramilitaries, yet that doesn't seem to be that balance
:14:06. > :14:09.when it comes to prosecuting people, and we had difficulties with the
:14:10. > :14:13.office in the nation to that doesn't mean I don't wish him well, I do as
:14:14. > :14:20.he goes on to the next stage of his career. What are the criticisms? I
:14:21. > :14:25.think it was entirely his own decision. I think they overstepped
:14:26. > :14:33.the mark, across-the-board, the attacks on him were nothing short of
:14:34. > :14:37.disgraceful. They couldn't back-ups of the allegations, I think he did
:14:38. > :14:43.exceptional job. This professor of law at Queens University says
:14:44. > :14:46.McGrory was unfairly maligned. The real is loser to make
:14:47. > :14:50.determinations, if politicians fail to grasp that, if there is an odd
:14:51. > :14:54.and we should have an amnesty than politicians need to grasp that. None
:14:55. > :14:59.of the politicians crossed the metal. So he had to go and do his
:15:00. > :15:12.job and make decisions on a legal basis. McGrory said he will step
:15:13. > :15:16.down. The successor is expected to be appointed in September. He
:15:17. > :15:19.wouldn't elaborate on why he has announced his resignation now but
:15:20. > :15:23.sources insist the criticism he has faced is not the reason and say this
:15:24. > :15:27.has been planned for some time. In fact they say he had planned to make
:15:28. > :15:31.the announcement late last year but was stopped from doing so because he
:15:32. > :15:35.didn't want to appear that he had been pressurised into stepping down.
:15:36. > :15:42.It is understood that he now plans to return to private legal practice.
:15:43. > :15:51.It's 50 days to the Irish golf open begins in Port Stewart. It starts in
:15:52. > :16:00.July, the same as the start of the holiday season.
:16:01. > :16:07.This quiet corner of the north Coast will soon be packed with people. As
:16:08. > :16:14.well as the usual summer visitors, more than 20,000 golf fans a day are
:16:15. > :16:21.excited to come to Port Stewart to watch the Irish open. And the 16th
:16:22. > :16:26.free, they will get in, there is stuff going on, plenty of music, the
:16:27. > :16:30.towns are all geared up, I've spoken to a lot of people in the bars and
:16:31. > :16:37.restaurants, I think it's good to be a great experience. But even without
:16:38. > :16:41.a big golf tournament, it's not always an easy time to get in and
:16:42. > :16:48.out. But behind-the-scenes, they have a plan. We have worked
:16:49. > :16:52.tirelessly to make sure we have effective transportation, it should
:16:53. > :17:00.be seamless getting people in and out. It is windy today but warm and
:17:01. > :17:06.sunny. If the last couple of exciting to go by, we can only hope!
:17:07. > :17:10.Local traders are hoping that golf fans will be allowed to move freely
:17:11. > :17:17.between the town and the tournament and that's what's going to happen.
:17:18. > :17:20.All the local traders, they get no benefits, a lot of them were
:17:21. > :17:25.complaining that they lost business from what they thought was going to
:17:26. > :17:30.happen. So it's going to be run differently this time, all traders,
:17:31. > :17:33.will take them to the golf club and explain how it'll work. So local
:17:34. > :17:37.businesses are now having for a slice of the action. That'll be
:17:38. > :17:45.great. Different people coming into the town, word-of-mouth spread, we
:17:46. > :17:49.are all happy. Looking around the golf course and the town, there
:17:50. > :17:52.still is a lot of work to do to cope with the number of people due to
:17:53. > :18:01.come here, but the organisers still have 50 days to do it.
:18:02. > :18:05.You may remember that last week we reported on some of the five
:18:06. > :18:07.hundred Syrian refugees who have re-settled in Northern Ireland.
:18:08. > :18:10.This week we go to the North-West to see how one family are finding
:18:11. > :18:13.As Keiron Tourish reports, they had one special reason
:18:14. > :18:25.It's just over a year since this family decided to start a new life
:18:26. > :18:28.in Northern Ireland. They had fled their Syrian homeland and had been
:18:29. > :18:34.living in Turkey before arriving here for a new life with their baby
:18:35. > :18:41.who was born here last July. When we came to dairy, all the people here
:18:42. > :18:52.were very friendly, very kind -- dairy. All the people helped Syrian
:18:53. > :19:00.people, and the weather is good because in the Middle East, it's
:19:01. > :19:07.very sunny, very hot. They are gradually getting used to life in
:19:08. > :19:10.the city. He says everyone has been kind and extended of welcome while
:19:11. > :19:22.they settle in a foreign country with the challenges that brings.
:19:23. > :19:27.TRANSLATION: There is a nice city, and the people who live here on ice.
:19:28. > :19:30.The conflict in Syria has forced many to flee their home land in
:19:31. > :19:36.search of a new beginning. The family has settled here, they have
:19:37. > :19:40.been getting practical help from volunteers as they escape the
:19:41. > :19:45.conflict in the Middle East. Sometimes they are from with
:19:46. > :19:50.letters, Jobcentre, other organisations, lots of translation
:19:51. > :19:55.work needed, sometimes they panic, what's in this letter? But overall,
:19:56. > :20:00.they are doing very well and they are a great bunch of people, very
:20:01. > :20:04.friendly. In the last year in 11 families have moved to the city,
:20:05. > :20:08.that's 48 people. Since then, they have been three births stop Syrian
:20:09. > :20:13.families have paid tribute to the people here in the city who say they
:20:14. > :20:15.have been given the time and space to settle in and start the new
:20:16. > :20:19.lives. Earlier on the programme
:20:20. > :20:29.Mark Simpson brought us up to speed with how
:20:30. > :20:31.the North Coast was As for the on course management
:20:32. > :20:35.of the four day event at Portstewart in July,
:20:36. > :20:37.Stephen Watson has been speaking to championship
:20:38. > :20:45.director Simon Alliss. The aim was to make it a strong list
:20:46. > :20:50.and the best Irish open, to develop a world-class field and put Irish
:20:51. > :20:52.golf on the map. Ever since then we have been innovating and developing
:20:53. > :20:57.the tournament, we think this will be the biggest one yet. A
:20:58. > :21:02.star-studded field, can we expect more big names? I hope so, can't
:21:03. > :21:06.give too much away, but we are hosted by Rory McIlroy, we will
:21:07. > :21:12.never forget that, he's a true champion of the game and an exciting
:21:13. > :21:19.personality, we have heard an announcement for John Rand, very
:21:20. > :21:26.exciting, it'll be the first start for him, Justin Rose, Olympic
:21:27. > :21:31.medallist, mustn't forget him, he hasn't played in the Irish open for
:21:32. > :21:33.seven years. It's would be the first time he has played professional golf
:21:34. > :21:40.in Northern Ireland, watch this space. We've talked about Irish
:21:41. > :21:46.opens at other places, it is time the night to shine here and I think
:21:47. > :21:49.it'll be a wonderful display of golf, it'll be different,
:21:50. > :21:54.innovative, it'll be new, and unmissable. The Irish open start in
:21:55. > :21:57.around seven weeks' time. Irish Premiership runners-up
:21:58. > :21:59.Crusaders have confirmed the signing of former Burnley and Denmark
:22:00. > :22:02.underage international The 41-year-old, who played
:22:03. > :22:09.38 times for Burnley in the Premier League, stands 6 foot
:22:10. > :22:13.five inches tall and goes He joins the Shore Road outfit
:22:14. > :22:24.on a one year contract. It's a good opportunity for me not
:22:25. > :22:32.to hang my boots up, just keep it going, just to show people, there is
:22:33. > :22:39.the wife in the old dog yet. Was it a difficult position, you are 41
:22:40. > :22:44.now? No, the Europa League is one of the things I have always been
:22:45. > :22:56.dreaming of, like I said, opportunities.
:22:57. > :23:01.It has been sunny but we have also had thundery downpours and they have
:23:02. > :23:07.continued through into this evening. Many of them will die out tonight
:23:08. > :23:12.but it will turn largely trove of clear skies developing on the
:23:13. > :23:16.Bridges is depth. Not especially cold, but it may be chilly in
:23:17. > :23:20.countryside areas. We can look forward to a fine start to the day
:23:21. > :23:28.tomorrow, plenty of dry weather, some sunshine, but it won't start
:23:29. > :23:36.that way. To begin with, a great start for the outdoors. Slow-moving,
:23:37. > :23:42.light winds, a few of them have the potential to be heavy and possibly
:23:43. > :23:49.thundery. Between, some sunshine with temperatures reaching maybe 17
:23:50. > :23:56.degrees. Cooler in the West, if you're travelling tomorrow across
:23:57. > :24:01.the island, a similar pictures. The second part of the afternoon, you
:24:02. > :24:06.will coming and going. Scattered showers will stay with us into
:24:07. > :24:11.tomorrow evening, one or two lasting through tomorrow night, but largely
:24:12. > :24:18.dying away and the bridges will tumble to about 7 degrees for a few
:24:19. > :24:25.spots. Turning chilly for some of us. But after a pretty promising
:24:26. > :24:30.start on Friday, it will once again go downhill, a bright, sunny start
:24:31. > :24:36.followed by scattering of showers as they pop up from the Atlantic but
:24:37. > :24:40.the winds to stay nice and light. Just below average the time of year
:24:41. > :24:47.for some of us, always milder and warmer the east coast. The week and
:24:48. > :24:52.will stay on settled, low pressure remained in control, some scattered
:24:53. > :24:59.showers around but some sunshine to, Sunday will be the most grey.
:25:00. > :25:06.Finally, a reminder of our top story. A schoolgirl from Lagan
:25:07. > :25:09.College has been stamped Dabo crosstabs in the arm on a school
:25:10. > :25:19.bus. The girl wasn't seriously injured. We are looking at the
:25:20. > :25:21.election campaign here later, Heimlich summary