11/01/2017 BBC Newsline

The Secretary of State has conceded that an Assembly election now looks

highly likely after Sinn Fein said they weren't interested in any more

Talks were held throughout the day at Stormont to try to find a way

Here's our political correspondent, Gareth Gordon.

This is the man whose job currently looks less like Secretary of State

for Northern Ireland and more like mission impossible.

I do see the situation here as being grave.

I think an election is likely to be divisive and the issues of bringing

parties together again at the end of that election.

But I am also very clear on the responsibilities that I hold

and that if there is no reappointment by the start of next

week, it is incumbent upon me to call an election

within a reasonable period of time, and that is what I will do.

If an election does not lead to an executive being formed

within a relatively short period of time, around a week follows

on from that election for the Assembly to meet,

another two weeks to form an executive within that time period.

The potential option at that stage would be another election.

Never mind a second election - a first one would not be

But it may be his only one after hearing what Sinn Fein had

What needs to happen next is an election.

We're not interested in trying to get into negotiations now.

This has now gone beyond just Stormont.

Last night the Prime Minister spoke to the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.

The progress that has been made in Northern Ireland has been hard-won.

And we must all recognise that we don't want to put that

That is why I think it is so important for the government

and for all parties to work as hard as we can to see a resolution

to this issue so we can see a return to the power-sharing institutions

and ensure that the progress that has been hard-won can be continued.

We need to see at that point joint authority

in Northern Ireland, the Dublin government having a key

The Secretary of State said speculation of that

The tensions were all too obvious at a meeting

of Stormont's Public Accounts committee this afternoon.

This whole place is falling to pieces...

I have done it before and I will do it again.

It's a year to the day since Arlene Foster was sworn

I'm tired of Stormont being a watchword for arguing

and that is not why our people elected us.

They did so to produce a better future for us all.

Now she's facing a brutal election, and after that - who knows?

The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, said after talking to members

of Sinn Fein he remains hopeful there could be talks.

Rising from this situation, which is very serious, today I spoke to Sinn

Fein, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald and also Martin McGuinness

and I spoke to Arlene Foster. Add arising from Arlene Foster's

statement yesterday evening, that she is willing to talk to the

parties, Sinn Fein have confirmed they would be willing to accept an

invitation to those talks and Martin McGuinness confirmed he would like

to attend that meeting. If that happens, and I hope it does, we will

offer every support we can from here in Dublin, government buildings, and

the same from the British Prime Minister.

Tonight, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said in a statement

that the party is open to discussions but as yet doesn't

see any basis for credible negotiations this side

The Economy Minister has submitted plans to cut costs associated

with the controversial Renewable Heat Incentive scheme

Mr Hamilton has sent a business case to Finance Minister Mairtin O

Muilleoir which will reduce the RHI overspend to "effectively zero".

It is believed to propose reducing tariff rates paid to around 1,800

people as well as a public consultation on a

The Finance Minister says it will now be assessed by his officials.

A primary school caretaker who pleaded guilty to having more

than 28,000 indecent images of children has been given

a three-year sentence, most of which he'll spend on licence.

35-year-old Gary Carruthers from Victoria Street in Belfast

also admitted having two paedophile manuals.

Some of the children in the images were as young as two years old.

Gary Carruthers was arrested in September 2015 after

National Crime Agency officers uncovered images and videos stored

on more than 20 devices hidden in a safe in his bedroom.

They also found what were described in court as "paedophile manuals"

which gave advice on how to groom children.

The judge told Gary Carruthers that the harm was all too obvious.

She said downloading such images from the internet maintained

the industry which exploits and abuses children for the sexual

The court heard Gary Carruthers abused his position of trust

by superimposing pictures of children from the school

at which he worked onto images of children being abused.

At a previous hearing he admitted the charges.

The judge told him that entering guilty pleas would normally earn

substantial credit but in this case, she said that the evidence

against you is overwhelming, you were effectively caught

She said the methods set out in the manuals

and the images depicted in them were utterly shocking.

He has been put on the sex offenders' register indefinitely

and because of time already served, he is now due to be released.

A senior police officer says all sections of the criminal justice

system here need to reflect on how bail conditions are managed.

It comes after a man charged in connection

with the killing of prison officer David Black went missing.

40-year-old Damien Joseph McLaughlin of Kilmascally Road near Ardboe

was due to stand trial next month but he hasn't been seen

Mr Black's family have said they feel betrayed

I feel that amidst what is a very stressful situation for the family,

what I can say is the police are going to reflect on this, we will

look at our systems, we have commenced a review and we will that

our processes, look at how this process is very limited and whether

it could have been better. That is what we're doing as the police and I

would urge that all sections of the criminal justice system take this

opportunity to reflect. Six homes were evacuated

in West Belfast overnight because of a fire at a nearby

filling station complex. The blaze was at this property

on the Stewartstown Road 45 firefighters and seven vehicles

dealt with the fire, which was contained

to a single building. An investigation has started

into the cause of the fire. When the crews arrived,

they were faced with They had to work

to contain the fire. Through their hard work,

they were able to stop it spreading to adjacent premises and private

housing to the rear. Snow and high winds have been

forecast for the next few days. It is a very chilly and wintry night

with possible disruption due to snow In fact, the Met Office has issued

a weather warning right Most of the snow we get is expected

to fall over hills and mountains. But for some low-level areas,

we could see some accumulations, and as we all know in this part

of the world, that could be enough Tonight, as temperatures fall

to freezing and below, those showers Tomorrow will feel bitter and raw

when you factor in those north-westerly winds,

which will continue to drive in scattered wintry showers

right throughout the day. To begin with tomorrow those showers

pretty much affecting anywhere And those wintry showers

will continue to affect parts of Ireland and Scotland,

maybe into parts of For the bulk of England and Wales,

here we see rain but where that rain meets cold air it could turn

wintry as well. Across Scotland and Ireland,

bitterly cold temperatures struggling into the low single

figures. For us for the mid-afternoon,

the showers continue to come and go, you'll want to wrap up warm,

it will feel very cold, especially if you get any

of those wintry showers The showers will continue

through tomorrow evening and tomorrow night as the winds

begin to come into the north so feeling very cold

if you happen to be outdoors. Some of the snow will build up

and it could cause some disruption Fewer showers around on Friday,

largely dry but a few wintry showers Temperatures on the rise this

weekend so not quite as chilly. Our next BBC Newsline

is at 6.25am in the morning You can also keep updated

with News Online.