17/05/2017 BBC Newsline

Good evening, the headlines on BBC Newsline.

A schoolgirl has been stabbed on a Lagan College schoolbus -

The murder of Connie Leonard - it's emerged a restraining

order was issued against the man who killed her.

The Kingsmills inquest is told a key suspect of the killings has been

Enda Kenny is to step down as leader of Fine Gael at midnight.

They call him the Beast, he's played in the Premier League

And, after a day of sunshine and showers -

I'll have your forecast later in the programme.

A pupil has been taken to hospital after an incident on a school bus

It happened at Lagan College in Castlereagh, from where I'm

joined by our reporter Ita Dungan - Ita, what do we know?

Yes, I am here at Lagan College, an integrated school on the outskirts

of East Belfast. An oversubscribed school that has a pupil population

of around 1200. First we heard of this incident was around four p.m.,

when a parent called into the newsroom to say there was an

incident, a stabbing incident on a school bus stop shortly afterwards

parents received a text from the school and that text confirmed that

the incident had taken place on a school bus and a student had been

taken to A The text went on to say no one was deeply injured and

senior management and the PSNI were dealing with the incident. I have

tried to speak to the principle here but no one is available. What the

police have since told us is that yes, incident did happen just down

the road here, it happened on the bus and it was indeed a schoolgirl

that was stabbed. She was taken to hospital. It's not clear whether she

has since been released or she remains in hospital but the police

said they are working hard to try to establish what exactly happened on

the school bus. Thank you. It's been confirmed that a judge had

issued a restraining order against the man who murdered

Connie Leonard in her Connie was well known

as a traditional Irish musician. She was stabbed to death by Paddar

Phair, who then took his own life. He also stabbed and injured her son

Conor, who has Downs Syndrome. He was released from hospital

today and says he wants Our south-west reporter,

Julian Fowler reports from the scene A floral tribute outside the home

where Connie Leonard lived with her son. Also outside the home, police

cordoned observing the scene of the murder. Connie Leonard had entered

her volition ship with Paddar Phair and had put in place a number

station order banning him from contacting him to leap across her. A

court hearing was due to take place yesterday to confirm the order.

Instead Paddar Phair came to her home on Monday night and attacked

her and her son before taking his own life. Those who work with

victims of domestic violence say Connie had tried to protect herself.

She has gone, she has got an order, she has contacted PSNI, actively

tried to keep yourself safe but I think where the focus needs to be is

the responsibility for this lies very firmly with the man who has

committed this crime and not with Connie and not with the agencies all

the community around her. Today the limit family released these photos

of Connie, a talented traditional musician who played the piano

accordion. She was involved with the Irish music organisation which put

local children and prepared them for the Fermanagh flyer. The loss of a

talented person, it's a big loss because she was very much involved,

she has been involved at different levels over the years. It is thought

that her son Connor, who has Down's syndrome, tried to raise the alarm.

He was found by the police with stab wounds to his stomach. He is now

recovering from his stab injuries and is expected to attend his mother

's funeral on Friday. An inquest into the IRA killing

of ten protestant workmen in County Armagh has been told that

a key suspect has been linked No one has ever been convicted over

the Kingsmills massacre in 1976. The victims were travelling to their

homes after work. A Catholic was allowed to leave, 11th to stunt were

shot, only one survived. More than four decades after the killings,

relatives of the killings are coming to this inquest day after day. Still

elderly, hurting and looking for answers. There were some answers

today, when the suspect was described as a prime individual.

This family is headed by the PSNI review, conducted after a report in

2011. The review linked the suspect whose name can't be made public to

46 murders over the two-year period from 1974 to 1976. The inquest heard

that these murders involved 22 civilians, including a

seven-year-old boy, 21 soldiers, two police officers and a paramilitary

activist. The issue of on the run letters was also raised. It's been

claimed that a number of suspects in the Kingsmilss massacre received on

the run letters from the British government. It was asked if frantic

evidence that isn't new guys at death. The coroner said other

witnesses might be required. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has

announced that he's stepping down He'll remain as Taoiseach

until a successor is chosen by his party, and confirmed

by the Dail. I'm joined by our Dublin

correspondent, Shane Harrison. Why is he going? He is the most

successful leader of his party, the only leader to be returned as

Taoiseach after a general election and its longest serving Irish Prime

Minister. He said he would return to smack wrote resign at midnight. The

nominee will then have to be ratified by the Dail at a later

date. His resignation was expected, he had a poor general election last

year and told colleagues he wouldn't lead them into the next one, but in

February his position became precarious after he had to admit

that a radio interview he had given in which it claims to have had a

conversation with an independent whistle-blower never happened. His

supporters will put his achievements, as they regard them,

and making sure that Ireland, the peace process are at the centre of

the Brexit negotiations but opponents will say that more could

have been done on policing and for the homeless and for those who are

vulnerable and poor. Who is tipped to be successor? There are two main

candidates, but his favourites are the Minister for social protection,

the son of an Indian doctor who revealed himself to be gay before

the Republic can the only country to introduce same-sex marriage in the

popular vote. The other is the housing minister, whose father was

also a Fine Gael minister. There is also the possibility that the

justice minister and education Minister may nominate themselves but

at the moment it is regarded as a two horse race between the over

Risca and Simon covertly. It's believed that a prisoner

who died in Maghaberry Jail this The 38-year-old man

was on remand awaiting trial. The prison service say his next

of kin have been informed. Still to come for stop catch up with

the Syrian family living in the North-West and hear about their

special arrival. The head of the Republic's customs

authorities has said that after Brexit up to 8% of freight

traffic crossing the border will be subject to checks at so-called

trade facilitation posts. At the weekend the prime

minister Theresa May spoke of the need for as seamless

a border as possible. Here's our Economics

and Business Editor, John Campbell: The political refrain has been no

return to the borders of the past. Now we're getting some idea about

the board of the future. The Republic's top customs official has

laid down his opinions. He said customs declarations will happen

electronically and most will be immediately improved. He said they

will be no checks at the border but there will be so-called trade

facilitation stations about ten calamitous past the border. Some

freight will be diverted there for checks. Perhaps 8% of container

traffic. Most of the document to recheck on present experience... 8%

doesn't sound very much, but it could mean hundreds of the race

having to stop the checks every day. Today's news is concerning to those

involved in the cross-border because we are looking at minimum 6000 HGV

movements across border on a daily basis so if we are looking at 8% of

those vehicles having to be checked, that could be 600 vehicles actually

having to stop and have good to that, these costs will be passed on

and they will be consequences with delays, Julie Tom reliability. Sinn

Fein say it is helpful to have got some clarity but added that

restrictions on trade relatives dating impact on the economy is both

north and south. We now have some idea what the Irish government is

planning for its side of the border. Wood is less clear is what might

happen on this side, but I understand the UK Government

officials are due to make local call it firms in the coming weeks to

update them on their ideas -- local haulage firms.

He has been strongly criticised over decisions to prosecute former

soldiers for troubled related killings.

The appointment of McGrory was hailed by some as a break with past

but decisions about the past provoked a storm criticism from

conservative Unionist politicians. Former soldiers who served in

Northern Ireland took to the streets in protest at the decision for

prosecuting a small number. The director of public predictions was

accused of bias against former soldiers. In an Irish language

programme last week he was asked if he felt some people were trying to

pressurise him into standing down. Earlier this year, he hit back at

those who said he was treating soldiers unfairly. They are

certainly being personally insulting and they are questioning my

integrity. What concerns me more about that is it isn't it is

insulting to this office. The DUP and Sinn Fein failed to reach

agreement on how to deal with the past. Today disagreed when asked if

the DPP had been put under undue political pressure. We have had

difficulties with the office of the director recently in terms of the

way in which 90% of what has happened in the past has been caused

by terrorism and paramilitaries, yet that doesn't seem to be that balance

when it comes to prosecuting people, and we had difficulties with the

office in the nation to that doesn't mean I don't wish him well, I do as

he goes on to the next stage of his career. What are the criticisms? I

think it was entirely his own decision. I think they overstepped

the mark, across-the-board, the attacks on him were nothing short of

disgraceful. They couldn't back-ups of the allegations, I think he did

exceptional job. This professor of law at Queens University says

McGrory was unfairly maligned. The real is loser to make

determinations, if politicians fail to grasp that, if there is an odd

and we should have an amnesty than politicians need to grasp that. None

of the politicians crossed the metal. So he had to go and do his

job and make decisions on a legal basis. McGrory said he will step

down. The successor is expected to be appointed in September. He

wouldn't elaborate on why he has announced his resignation now but

sources insist the criticism he has faced is not the reason and say this

has been planned for some time. In fact they say he had planned to make

the announcement late last year but was stopped from doing so because he

didn't want to appear that he had been pressurised into stepping down.

It is understood that he now plans to return to private legal practice.

It's 50 days to the Irish golf open begins in Port Stewart. It starts in

July, the same as the start of the holiday season.

This quiet corner of the north Coast will soon be packed with people. As

well as the usual summer visitors, more than 20,000 golf fans a day are

excited to come to Port Stewart to watch the Irish open. And the 16th

free, they will get in, there is stuff going on, plenty of music, the

towns are all geared up, I've spoken to a lot of people in the bars and

restaurants, I think it's good to be a great experience. But even without

a big golf tournament, it's not always an easy time to get in and

out. But behind-the-scenes, they have a plan. We have worked

tirelessly to make sure we have effective transportation, it should

be seamless getting people in and out. It is windy today but warm and

sunny. If the last couple of exciting to go by, we can only hope!

Local traders are hoping that golf fans will be allowed to move freely

between the town and the tournament and that's what's going to happen.

All the local traders, they get no benefits, a lot of them were

complaining that they lost business from what they thought was going to

happen. So it's going to be run differently this time, all traders,

will take them to the golf club and explain how it'll work. So local

businesses are now having for a slice of the action. That'll be

great. Different people coming into the town, word-of-mouth spread, we

are all happy. Looking around the golf course and the town, there

still is a lot of work to do to cope with the number of people due to

come here, but the organisers still have 50 days to do it.

You may remember that last week we reported on some of the five

hundred Syrian refugees who have re-settled in Northern Ireland.

This week we go to the North-West to see how one family are finding

As Keiron Tourish reports, they had one special reason

It's just over a year since this family decided to start a new life

in Northern Ireland. They had fled their Syrian homeland and had been

living in Turkey before arriving here for a new life with their baby

who was born here last July. When we came to dairy, all the people here

were very friendly, very kind -- dairy. All the people helped Syrian

people, and the weather is good because in the Middle East, it's

very sunny, very hot. They are gradually getting used to life in

the city. He says everyone has been kind and extended of welcome while

they settle in a foreign country with the challenges that brings.

TRANSLATION: There is a nice city, and the people who live here on ice.

The conflict in Syria has forced many to flee their home land in

search of a new beginning. The family has settled here, they have

been getting practical help from volunteers as they escape the

conflict in the Middle East. Sometimes they are from with

letters, Jobcentre, other organisations, lots of translation

work needed, sometimes they panic, what's in this letter? But overall,

they are doing very well and they are a great bunch of people, very

friendly. In the last year in 11 families have moved to the city,

that's 48 people. Since then, they have been three births stop Syrian

families have paid tribute to the people here in the city who say they

have been given the time and space to settle in and start the new

lives. Earlier on the programme

Mark Simpson brought us up to speed with how

the North Coast was As for the on course management

of the four day event at Portstewart in July,

Stephen Watson has been speaking to championship

director Simon Alliss. The aim was to make it a strong list

and the best Irish open, to develop a world-class field and put Irish

golf on the map. Ever since then we have been innovating and developing

the tournament, we think this will be the biggest one yet. A

star-studded field, can we expect more big names? I hope so, can't

give too much away, but we are hosted by Rory McIlroy, we will

never forget that, he's a true champion of the game and an exciting

personality, we have heard an announcement for John Rand, very

exciting, it'll be the first start for him, Justin Rose, Olympic

medallist, mustn't forget him, he hasn't played in the Irish open for

seven years. It's would be the first time he has played professional golf

in Northern Ireland, watch this space. We've talked about Irish

opens at other places, it is time the night to shine here and I think

it'll be a wonderful display of golf, it'll be different,

innovative, it'll be new, and unmissable. The Irish open start in

around seven weeks' time. Irish Premiership runners-up

Crusaders have confirmed the signing of former Burnley and Denmark

underage international The 41-year-old, who played

38 times for Burnley in the Premier League, stands 6 foot

five inches tall and goes He joins the Shore Road outfit

on a one year contract. It's a good opportunity for me not

to hang my boots up, just keep it going, just to show people, there is

the wife in the old dog yet. Was it a difficult position, you are 41

now? No, the Europa League is one of the things I have always been

dreaming of, like I said, opportunities.

It has been sunny but we have also had thundery downpours and they have

continued through into this evening. Many of them will die out tonight

but it will turn largely trove of clear skies developing on the

Bridges is depth. Not especially cold, but it may be chilly in

countryside areas. We can look forward to a fine start to the day

tomorrow, plenty of dry weather, some sunshine, but it won't start

that way. To begin with, a great start for the outdoors. Slow-moving,

light winds, a few of them have the potential to be heavy and possibly

thundery. Between, some sunshine with temperatures reaching maybe 17

degrees. Cooler in the West, if you're travelling tomorrow across

the island, a similar pictures. The second part of the afternoon, you

will coming and going. Scattered showers will stay with us into

tomorrow evening, one or two lasting through tomorrow night, but largely

dying away and the bridges will tumble to about 7 degrees for a few

spots. Turning chilly for some of us. But after a pretty promising

start on Friday, it will once again go downhill, a bright, sunny start

followed by scattering of showers as they pop up from the Atlantic but

the winds to stay nice and light. Just below average the time of year

for some of us, always milder and warmer the east coast. The week and

will stay on settled, low pressure remained in control, some scattered

showers around but some sunshine to, Sunday will be the most grey.

Finally, a reminder of our top story. A schoolgirl from Lagan

College has been stamped Dabo crosstabs in the arm on a school

bus. The girl wasn't seriously injured. We are looking at the

election campaign here later, Heimlich summary