:00:00. > :00:10.The Secretary of State has conceded that an Assembly election now looks
:00:11. > :00:13.highly likely after Sinn Fein said they weren't interested in any more
:00:14. > :00:21.Talks were held throughout the day at Stormont to try to find a way
:00:22. > :00:26.Here's our political correspondent, Gareth Gordon.
:00:27. > :00:29.This is the man whose job currently looks less like Secretary of State
:00:30. > :00:32.for Northern Ireland and more like mission impossible.
:00:33. > :00:36.I do see the situation here as being grave.
:00:37. > :00:40.I think an election is likely to be divisive and the issues of bringing
:00:41. > :00:44.parties together again at the end of that election.
:00:45. > :00:47.But I am also very clear on the responsibilities that I hold
:00:48. > :00:52.and that if there is no reappointment by the start of next
:00:53. > :00:55.week, it is incumbent upon me to call an election
:00:56. > :00:58.within a reasonable period of time, and that is what I will do.
:00:59. > :01:05.If an election does not lead to an executive being formed
:01:06. > :01:09.within a relatively short period of time, around a week follows
:01:10. > :01:12.on from that election for the Assembly to meet,
:01:13. > :01:15.another two weeks to form an executive within that time period.
:01:16. > :01:18.The potential option at that stage would be another election.
:01:19. > :01:20.Never mind a second election - a first one would not be
:01:21. > :01:25.But it may be his only one after hearing what Sinn Fein had
:01:26. > :01:34.What needs to happen next is an election.
:01:35. > :01:36.We're not interested in trying to get into negotiations now.
:01:37. > :01:43.This has now gone beyond just Stormont.
:01:44. > :01:48.Last night the Prime Minister spoke to the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.
:01:49. > :01:52.The progress that has been made in Northern Ireland has been hard-won.
:01:53. > :01:55.And we must all recognise that we don't want to put that
:01:56. > :02:01.That is why I think it is so important for the government
:02:02. > :02:05.and for all parties to work as hard as we can to see a resolution
:02:06. > :02:10.to this issue so we can see a return to the power-sharing institutions
:02:11. > :02:13.and ensure that the progress that has been hard-won can be continued.
:02:14. > :02:17.We need to see at that point joint authority
:02:18. > :02:19.in Northern Ireland, the Dublin government having a key
:02:20. > :02:24.The Secretary of State said speculation of that
:02:25. > :02:29.The tensions were all too obvious at a meeting
:02:30. > :02:37.of Stormont's Public Accounts committee this afternoon.
:02:38. > :02:40.This whole place is falling to pieces...
:02:41. > :02:48.I have done it before and I will do it again.
:02:49. > :02:51.It's a year to the day since Arlene Foster was sworn
:02:52. > :02:57.I'm tired of Stormont being a watchword for arguing
:02:58. > :03:00.and that is not why our people elected us.
:03:01. > :03:04.They did so to produce a better future for us all.
:03:05. > :03:10.Now she's facing a brutal election, and after that - who knows?
:03:11. > :03:12.The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, said after talking to members
:03:13. > :03:21.of Sinn Fein he remains hopeful there could be talks.
:03:22. > :03:30.Rising from this situation, which is very serious, today I spoke to Sinn
:03:31. > :03:35.Fein, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald and also Martin McGuinness
:03:36. > :03:39.and I spoke to Arlene Foster. Add arising from Arlene Foster's
:03:40. > :03:43.statement yesterday evening, that she is willing to talk to the
:03:44. > :03:48.parties, Sinn Fein have confirmed they would be willing to accept an
:03:49. > :03:51.invitation to those talks and Martin McGuinness confirmed he would like
:03:52. > :03:56.to attend that meeting. If that happens, and I hope it does, we will
:03:57. > :04:00.offer every support we can from here in Dublin, government buildings, and
:04:01. > :04:02.the same from the British Prime Minister.
:04:03. > :04:04.Tonight, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said in a statement
:04:05. > :04:07.that the party is open to discussions but as yet doesn't
:04:08. > :04:08.see any basis for credible negotiations this side
:04:09. > :04:15.The Economy Minister has submitted plans to cut costs associated
:04:16. > :04:16.with the controversial Renewable Heat Incentive scheme
:04:17. > :04:22.Mr Hamilton has sent a business case to Finance Minister Mairtin O
:04:23. > :04:29.Muilleoir which will reduce the RHI overspend to "effectively zero".
:04:30. > :04:32.It is believed to propose reducing tariff rates paid to around 1,800
:04:33. > :04:34.people as well as a public consultation on a
:04:35. > :04:42.The Finance Minister says it will now be assessed by his officials.
:04:43. > :04:45.A primary school caretaker who pleaded guilty to having more
:04:46. > :04:47.than 28,000 indecent images of children has been given
:04:48. > :04:54.a three-year sentence, most of which he'll spend on licence.
:04:55. > :04:56.35-year-old Gary Carruthers from Victoria Street in Belfast
:04:57. > :05:01.also admitted having two paedophile manuals.
:05:02. > :05:04.Some of the children in the images were as young as two years old.
:05:05. > :05:12.Gary Carruthers was arrested in September 2015 after
:05:13. > :05:14.National Crime Agency officers uncovered images and videos stored
:05:15. > :05:19.on more than 20 devices hidden in a safe in his bedroom.
:05:20. > :05:22.They also found what were described in court as "paedophile manuals"
:05:23. > :05:27.which gave advice on how to groom children.
:05:28. > :05:32.The judge told Gary Carruthers that the harm was all too obvious.
:05:33. > :05:37.She said downloading such images from the internet maintained
:05:38. > :05:42.the industry which exploits and abuses children for the sexual
:05:43. > :05:51.The court heard Gary Carruthers abused his position of trust
:05:52. > :05:55.by superimposing pictures of children from the school
:05:56. > :06:03.at which he worked onto images of children being abused.
:06:04. > :06:05.At a previous hearing he admitted the charges.
:06:06. > :06:08.The judge told him that entering guilty pleas would normally earn
:06:09. > :06:11.substantial credit but in this case, she said that the evidence
:06:12. > :06:12.against you is overwhelming, you were effectively caught
:06:13. > :06:16.She said the methods set out in the manuals
:06:17. > :06:20.and the images depicted in them were utterly shocking.
:06:21. > :06:23.He has been put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely
:06:24. > :06:31.and because of time already served, he is now due to be released.
:06:32. > :06:34.A senior police officer says all sections of the criminal justice
:06:35. > :06:38.system here need to reflect on how bail conditions are managed.
:06:39. > :06:42.It comes after a man charged in connection
:06:43. > :06:46.with the killing of prison officer David Black went missing.
:06:47. > :06:48.40-year-old Damien Joseph McLaughlin of Kilmascally Road near Ardboe
:06:49. > :06:51.was due to stand trial next month but he hasn't been seen
:06:52. > :06:56.Mr Black's family have said they feel betrayed
:06:57. > :07:11.I feel that amidst what is a very stressful situation for the family,
:07:12. > :07:16.what I can say is the police are going to reflect on this, we will
:07:17. > :07:21.look at our systems, we have commenced a review and we will that
:07:22. > :07:24.our processes, look at how this process is very limited and whether
:07:25. > :07:28.it could have been better. That is what we're doing as the police and I
:07:29. > :07:31.would urge that all sections of the criminal justice system take this
:07:32. > :07:33.opportunity to reflect. Six homes were evacuated
:07:34. > :07:35.in West Belfast overnight because of a fire at a nearby
:07:36. > :07:37.filling station complex. The blaze was at this property
:07:38. > :07:39.on the Stewartstown Road 45 firefighters and seven vehicles
:07:40. > :07:43.dealt with the fire, which was contained
:07:44. > :07:45.to a single building. An investigation has started
:07:46. > :07:49.into the cause of the fire. When the crews arrived,
:07:50. > :07:51.they were faced with They had to work
:07:52. > :08:00.to contain the fire. Through their hard work,
:08:01. > :08:03.they were able to stop it spreading to adjacent premises and private
:08:04. > :08:08.housing to the rear. Snow and high winds have been
:08:09. > :08:11.forecast for the next few days. It is a very chilly and wintry night
:08:12. > :08:18.with possible disruption due to snow In fact, the Met Office has issued
:08:19. > :08:22.a weather warning right Most of the snow we get is expected
:08:23. > :08:28.to fall over hills and mountains. But for some low-level areas,
:08:29. > :08:34.we could see some accumulations, and as we all know in this part
:08:35. > :08:37.of the world, that could be enough Tonight, as temperatures fall
:08:38. > :08:41.to freezing and below, those showers Tomorrow will feel bitter and raw
:08:42. > :08:46.when you factor in those north-westerly winds,
:08:47. > :08:49.which will continue to drive in scattered wintry showers
:08:50. > :08:52.right throughout the day. To begin with tomorrow those showers
:08:53. > :08:55.pretty much affecting anywhere And those wintry showers
:08:56. > :09:00.will continue to affect parts of Ireland and Scotland,
:09:01. > :09:02.maybe into parts of For the bulk of England and Wales,
:09:03. > :09:07.here we see rain but where that rain meets cold air it could turn
:09:08. > :09:10.wintry as well. Across Scotland and Ireland,
:09:11. > :09:13.bitterly cold temperatures struggling into the low single
:09:14. > :09:16.figures. For us for the mid-afternoon,
:09:17. > :09:19.the showers continue to come and go, you'll want to wrap up warm,
:09:20. > :09:22.it will feel very cold, especially if you get any
:09:23. > :09:25.of those wintry showers The showers will continue
:09:26. > :09:29.through tomorrow evening and tomorrow night as the winds
:09:30. > :09:31.begin to come into the north so feeling very cold
:09:32. > :09:34.if you happen to be outdoors. Some of the snow will build up
:09:35. > :09:37.and it could cause some disruption Fewer showers around on Friday,
:09:38. > :09:40.largely dry but a few wintry showers Temperatures on the rise this
:09:41. > :09:45.weekend so not quite as chilly. Our next BBC Newsline
:09:46. > :09:48.is at 6.25am in the morning You can also keep updated
:09:49. > :09:52.with News Online.