Green light for energy upgrade
A £44 million plan to upgrade Northern Ireland’s electricity network to allow more wind farms to connect to the grid has been provisionally approved by the Utility Regulator.The works by Northern...
View ArticleJim Allister suggests flag resolution package
TUV leader Jim Allister has proposed resolving Province-wide “alienation” of flag protesters by requiring all civic buildings to fly the Union Flag on a minimum number of designated days each year.Mr...
View ArticleJudge threatened to stop libel trial and award costs against Sinn Fein
THE judge in the Sinn Fein libel trial at one point threatened to stop the trial and award costs against Sinn Fein, it can now be revealed.On another occasion, Mr Justice Gillen turned down a request...
View ArticleFirework injuries at all-time low
Fourteen people needed emergency hospital treatment for fireworks injuries over the Halloween period in Northern Ireland this year, it has been revealed.This is the lowest number since records began 16...
View ArticleAre politicians doing enough to stop the protests?
We are now into our third week of street demonstrations since the Union Flag was removed from Belfast City Hall to be flown only on designated days of the year.Fifteen people were arrested on Monday...
View ArticleVIDEO: 80 protests take place across province
Eleven police officers were injured in the latest night of loyalist violence over the ongoing dispute about the Union flag in Northern Ireland.Most suffered leg injuries from bricks thrown by rioters...
View ArticleRepublic too must admit culpability
THE rank hypocrisy of senior politicians in the Republic in their attitude to terror-related atrocities in Northern Ireland knows no bounds, particularly in a blind spot view of killings in the...
View ArticleIn Pictures: Protests won’t end until flag returns, say loyalists
Loyalists involved in flag protests across Northern Ireland have vowed not to stop until the Union Flag is flown again at the City Hall all year round.Police say around 80 protests were held across the...
View ArticleUK-wide protest planned for Friday
A flags protest may be held across the UK this Friday, loyalists have said.Four protests have been planned for Tuesday evening, three in Belfast and one in Magherafelt.While a province-wide protest was...
View ArticleMen appeal McIlveen murder convictions
One of the men convicted of the murder of a Catholic schoolboy knew nothing in advance about a baseball bat used to batter the victim, the Court of Appeal heard on Tuesday.Senior judges were told the...
View ArticleFord labels Unionist forum as ‘tribal’
The leader of the Alliance party David Ford MLA has said that Parties should be working on a cross-community basis and not on a cross-unionist basis. Reacting to the joint Unionist statement from the...
View ArticleLisburn council to review flag policy
COUNCILLORS in Lisburn have voted to review their policy over the flying of the Union flag.Currently the Union flag is only flown on designated days at the Island Civic Centre in Lisburn - the same...
View ArticleThree held over David Black murder
Two men and a woman have been arrested over the murder of Northern Ireland prison officer David Black.Mr Black, 52, was shot as he drove to work on a motorway in Co Armagh on November 1. Dissident...
View ArticleUnionist leaders unveil plan to address loyalist fears
Unionist political leaders have unveiled proposals they hope will persuade loyalists to end their ongoing protests in Northern Ireland over flying the Union flag.Stormont First Minister and Democratic...
View ArticleEquality concerns raised over ‘IRA playpark’ in Newry
THE Equality Commission wrote a five-page letter to Newry and Mourne Council almost two years ago flagging up numerous concerns about naming a playground after an IRA man who was later linked to the...
View ArticleInflation rate unchanged at 2.7 per cent
The UK’s rate of inflation was unchanged yesterday but there are fears the respite may only be brief as energy prices continue to rise.The Office for National Statistics said the Consumer Prices Index...
View ArticleNot all the trees bring joy at Christmas
DURING the Christmas and New Year holiday season I’ll be returning to some of the many warmly-reminiscent stories about trees that have appeared on this page during the past half-dozen years. It’s so...
View ArticleCoffee firm grounded for global growth
Lisburn-based specialist coffee roasting company ‘Pure Roast Coffee Limited’ is to further target export markets following an investment from the £50m Growth Loan Fund.Finance for the £50M Growth Loan...
View ArticleSanta will soon be steaming away
AS old steam trains are always very popular on this page, I’ll remind readers that there’s one more weekend left to catch Santa on the Lapland Express at the Downpatrick and Co. Down Railway, before he...
View ArticleRemembering our Constabulary heroes
BACK in September 2010 I leafed through a new book called Constabulary Heroes. The front and back covers depicted an awesome pink-red cloudy sky - a sunset, or a sunrise - with a black sombre lining on...
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