02/01/2017 BBC Newsline

A man's in hospital after being seriously assaulted

The police say he had been at a house party

The police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them.

Sinn Fein's National Chairperson has said the political

process is being dragged towards an unprecedented

tipping point as a result of the DUP's behaviour

Declan Kearney has repeated calls for the First Minister Arlene Foster

to step aside and for an independent investigation into the

Three vehicles have been destroyed and a house have been damaged

in a series of arson attacks in Holywood.

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

The police say they are investigating a link

Students from Zambia have received diplomas in computing

with the help of tutors at the South West College in Omagh.

The students used a video link with the college

to do their studies, but they made the journey

to County Tyrone to collect their diplomas in person.

Our South West Reporter Julian Fowler was at the graduation for us.

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

years and have achieved their Level 4 Diploma in Computing

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

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

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

The computer equipment and internet connection in Zambia

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

These graduates hope to teach or get jobs in industry.

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

As they collected their diplomas, they were given loud applause

The five Zambian students have been on a long journey

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

The National Museum of Ireland wants to talk to an anonymous donor

Some of the items date back to the Bronze Age

as our Dublin Correspondent Shane Harrison reports.

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

People visit each week to look at the collections,

covering different ages, including the Bronze Age

Recently, they received four items sent anonymously with these

letters without a postmark, addressed to the History Museum

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

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

The museum believes the items were probably discovered in at least

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

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

Chip shops are used to getting orders for food to be delivered,

but one in West Belfast went a step further over Christmas

She was down with the flu and asked it to deliver medicine.

The request was so unusual that the shop posted it

on social media and got a lot of reaction online.

The medicine was duly delivered much to the relief of the sick customer.

She was over the moon. She was actually giving the delivery guy a

?10 tip. She wouldn't take it. The girl asked for it so we wanted to

help her. In ice hockey, the Belfast Giants

have defeated Coventry Blaze 4-1 The victory means they move

to within four points of the league's leaders,

the Cardiff Devils. Main roads are being salted tonight

with icy conditions forecast. Angie Phillips has

more weather details. 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 Variable cloud, so some

bright or sunny spells. It will continue to feel quite

chilly though for a good part A few icy patches in parts of the

South tonight. Increasing cloud will bring the temperature is above bit

but also some rain and drizzle. If you are heading back to work

tomorrow it is a cloudy day. Some patchy rain around. Mainly but not

exclusively in the north and west. For parts of Scotland it is a wetter

and windy day tomorrow. Some in northern England and Wales as well.

Other than that largely dry. After a frosty start best sunshine likely to

the south and more sheltered parts of the East and North Sea coast. For

the Northern Ireland, we have a lot of cloud by the afternoon, still a

bit of rain and drizzle. Mainly patchy and sides so dry gaps in

between. The best likely towards the south and south-east. Temperature is

better. More of a breeze particularly around the coast. It

will feel cold. Through tomorrow night we still have the cloud and

bits of rain and drizzle running through on the breeze. That should

stay frost free. Also a weak weather front moving in from the north-east.

That is a narrowing band of rain and it pushes south and west and moves

away into Wednesday. Behind it it turns dry and bright with some

sunshine. The breeze easing with highs of seven or eight Celsius. It

looks like Thursday will be a cold start with the risk of frost. Mainly

dry but some rain on the way for Thursday night perhaps into Friday

but temperatures coming up a bit. The next BBC Newsline is at 6:25am

but from me, good night.