10/01/2017 BBC Newsline

The Prime Minister Theresa May has had a telephone call

with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny this evening about the

It has also emerged that the Secretary of

State James Brokenshire is to hold meetings with the main parties and

the Justice Minister Claire Sugden over the next 24 hours.

Earlier, the DUP leader Arlene Foster said if

But she said she also remains open to discussions with the parties

to see if a way forward can be found.

Going to the polls though looks increasingly likely

following yesterday's resignation of Martin McGuinness

Our Political Correspondent Gareth Gordon reports.

More dark clouds than rays of light, but all

Not these ones stacked in the great Hall,

but the ones which we knew had a place in the assembly chamber

I have no doubt that if the election proceeds, it will be a

It will be a very difficult election and with Sinn

Fein indicating that they're not going back, there are

those of us who will also want to look at

the construction of the

institutions to see what we can do better,

because I think that there is

no doubt, if you look back at our documents

always said mandatory coalition as a first

step towards moving to voluntary coalition

and so we will want to look those issues as well

after an election, if it takes place.

So, undoubtedly, we're in for a period of direct rule.

24 hours after her partner in Government told

her he was leaving, Arlene Foster sprung a surprise.

A public inquiry into the heating scandal could be

We're very keen that it is set up for all the reasons I have

The fact that from a political point of view I think it

is needed to restore the confidence in the institutions and also for me

personally to be able to regain my integrity, which has

been constantly maligned over this past number of

weeks and months, so it's important that we get this inquiry up and

running as quickly as possible and I hope

it'll be in place before the

Martin McGuinness thanked well-wishers.

Whether his health issues will allow him to even run an

election is not clear but others are ready.

We've had two max uprising elections, Brexit and then the

I think we have unprecedented anger about this

scandal where there are so many unknowns that there is all to play

for if we go to an election and we will go on very confidently.

What should be happening now is the Secretary of State

and the Irish Foreign Minister should be convening

talks with all five parties, not just with the two that have caused

the problems of last 14 months, to see what

structures before we have the election campaign.

The next steps are as uncertain as Stormont's future.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams has rejected a DUP claim that there could be

a long period of direct rule if there's no agreement

BBC Newsline's Tara Mills has been talking to the Sinn Fein president.

So, you see, if you're against half a

billion of money being flushed down the drain or possibly into

someone's pocket, if you are against that,

equality, if you value the progress that has been made, and unionist

leaders have played a role in that process, if you want that to

continue, then come out and vote and vote

accordingly to make sure that

the institutions that are put in place will be sustainable

and will be based upon fairness, decency,

But what you've done means the money is going

to go down the drain until the election process

is completed and it also means that there can't be a

short-term inquiry as the one you had suggested.

That could take years, so you have undoubtedly got

what she wanted or what you set out to get.

And that's why Martin felt that his position was untenable.

What are the other consequences of Martin McGuinness resigning is that

there is no voice, there is no nationalist voice in the Brexit

negotiations because you don't have a voice

at Westminster, so we are

You have detached electorate away from the Brexit

We published a document strategy on Brexit, we have argued

for the North to be treated with a special designated status...

If you're not there, how can you hope...

We couldn't get that done anyway because the DUP are for

Brexit and against the majority vote which says that the people want to

The fallout from not having a functioning Executive could be far

Sara Neill has been speaking to some groups who believe

For many nationalists, the straw that broke

withdrawal of funding to the Irish language scheme.

It targeted the most marginalised with in the

community, people who couldn't afford to send their children,

people who couldn't attend to themselves.

You're talking about pennies in terms of the overall budget and it

was seen as crass and as an outrageous attack.

The findings of the oracle institution of query

allegedly made public later this month but without a solid

Government, victims say they are the real losers,

a sentiment echoed by those affected by the Troubles.

We just don't want to believe that as

soon as Sir Anthony's report was ready and

delivered on Friday, that

the collapse of the Government and the collapse of our dreams and hopes

and desires that this was going to be our day.

I think the losers in this process are the people, either

citizens and in particular, those citizens that were so badly affected

by the Troubles and lost loved ones, lost limbs and they were having some

sort of hopes raised by the Stormont Agreement

We were assured it would be a fresh start

and now the whole thing is

In business, we know that markets hate uncertainty

and it is feared that this political instability could cast a shadow over

economic growth and later a slowdown in the construction industry.

The industry was already in a very fragile position, beginning to make

a recovery after ten long years and that just adds further

uncertainty to an industry that quite frankly

can play a very important role in economic growth,

I've never seen a time when we need strong leadership more

than we do now in advance of Article 50 being triggered in March.

We need to have that Northern Ireland voice

out there, we had very unique circumstances that the rest of the

UK do not face and who is going to be talking for us at those

In the second week of January, little more than 24 hours

after Martin McGuinness stepped down, it's still not clear what lies

in store for the people of Northern Ireland

and if there is an election, what change that could bring.

What is clear is that the events of yesterday at Stormont will be felt

Other news now, and a nine-year-old boy's in a critical condition

after being knocked down by a car in Liscolman near

A man in his seventies has been arrested.

One other story tonight, a County Antrim husband and wife

have admitted helping the murderers of a Randalstown businessman

Wing Fu Cheung, also known as Nelson Cheung,

was stabbed to death near Randalstown in 2015.

Gary and Lisa Thompson had previously denied

all charges against them, but entered new guilty pleas

Four people have now been convicted in connection with the killing.

Good evening. Temperatures today have been up to 10-11 . Go to those

values in half an ad on the wind and that is what it will be like

tomorrow. A wind warning will come into effect later tonight. It will

drag in showers, most frequently in the North West. In the south-east,

temperatures could get low enough for ice and by morning, gales or on

the north coast. Tomorrow, we can expect a windy day everywhere which

will make it feel much colder. Those winds could be quite damaging in

places. There will also be some dry weather, bright with a ransom is a

mostly rain showers falling through the cause of the day. Snow showers

over the Scottish mountains, severe gales across much of Scotland as

well as north-east England. Further south across Britain and in the

Republic of Ireland, there will be sunshine and a view showers in the

West. A cold, windy day with some sunshine but also rain tomorrow.

Tomorrow night, however, those showers will turn increasingly

wintry and we can expect snow and ice on Thursday and Friday.

Particularly in the north and west and over the hills. There will be

snow in particular. Don't be surprised that if by Thursday there

is a bit of snow just about anywhere.

Our next BBC Newsline is at 6.25am in the morning

You can also keep updated with News Online.