Stormont sittings must do more: Ford
THE Assembly’s public sittings each week are doing little real business, Justice Minister David Ford has said.In an interview ahead of his party conference on Saturday, the Alliance leader said he...
View ArticlePM joins Hain row over judge comments
DAVID Cameron suggested yesterday that he was concerned at the unusual legal action which has been launched against former Secretary of State Peter Hain.Days before Mr Hain’s attack on one of Northern...
View ArticleMassive fines increase in parking crackdown
THE penalty for illegal street parking is to rise by 50 per cent, roads minister Danny Kennedy has confirmed.Yesterday, it was announced that motorists in the Province will have to pay £90 instead of...
View ArticleTrain and bus fares up due to rising costs
Train and bus fares are to rise by an average of three per cent, with the company responsible for the services blaming rising costs.Translink said many of its fares would remain unchanged when the rise...
View ArticleWomen charged over Tang murder
TWO women have been charged in connection with the murder of Simon Tang in Carrickfergus in 1996.The suspects, aged 33 and 34, were detained on Wednesday as part of the renewed investigation into the...
View ArticleDR CARROLL O’DOLAN: Time to take stock of fracking plans
THE Preese Hall Review released this week into the earthquakes [seismic activity] triggered by gas exploration fracking at Blackpool gives scant reassurance once it is looked at in detail.Its findings...
View ArticleDrum Beat: Musical treat as crowds support Steeple event
THE Steeple Estate in Antrim was the centre of a massive event last Saturday afternoon, the occasion being the annual band procession and fun day of the Steeple Defenders Flute. A brilliant atmosphere...
View ArticleInvest legal challenge closes
A CONTROVERSIAL decision to take a major business start-up programme from Invest Northern Ireland away from its existing delivery partner was effectively reversed yesterday as it was confirmed that a...
View ArticleRelief as jobless total holds steady in March
A GROWTH in export outputs and a levelling off of the jobless figures were hailed yesterday as an encouraging sign that the Province could be at least a small way along the road to economic...
View ArticleDisabled get online guide to top tourism attractions
A WEBSITE which gives information on disability access to some of Northern Ireland’s most popular venues and attractions has been launched.The online guide Access 400 has been created by the charity...
View ArticleHouse blaze victim named
A MAN who died in a house fire in Castlederg yesterday has been named as 88-year-old Robert Fitzpatrick.Police said a post-mortem examination will be carried out in due course but they are not treating...
View ArticleQuarter of Ulster taxis fail legal test
ONE in four taxis in Northern Ireland do not comply with legal requirements, it has been revealed.Officials from the Driver and Vehicle Agency who carried out spot checks on 659 taxis at the end of...
View ArticleStaff level fears after jail clash
A DUP MLA has called for a review of staffing levels at Maghaberry Prison after a warder was knocked unconscious.The officer hit his head on a pillar during clashes with inmates on Wednesday night.Two...
View ArticleElections to ‘super councils’ in 2014
ELECTIONS to the 11 new “super councils” are now expected to take place on the same day as the 2014 European election, it is understood.Much work is believed to have been done behind the scenes since...
View ArticleOrange parade ruling irrelevant, says cleric
AN Orange parade – in which participants defied a Parades Commission ruling last year – will not face stringent musical restrictions when it takes place later this month.Bands accompanying Orangemen...
View ArticleKenny blasted over Finucane comments
THE Taoiseach appears to be creating a “hierarchy of victims” by pressing for a public inquiry into Pat Finucane’s murder while failing to meet relatives of the Kingsmills massacre, it was claimed last...
View ArticleCorruption fears over planning changes
GIVING local councillors complete control over most planning applications has the potential for corruption for as long as parties refuse to say who their big donors are, Green Party leader Steven Agnew...
View ArticleWe were first on donations, say Greens
GREEN Party leader Steven Agnew has refuted the Alliance Party’s claim that it is the first party to voluntarily reveal its big financial backers.Alliance MP Naomi Long announced her party’s decision...
View ArticleClothing firm collars market in India
First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have officially opened a shirt store in India which is operated by Castledawson-based company, Savile Row.The ministers, who...
View ArticlePrice control will bring power savings to firms
THE biggest energy users in the Province stand to save as much as £100,000 on electricity charges in the next five years under proposals released yesterday by the Utilities Regulator.Even smaller firms...
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