Daily updated Northern Ireland news from http://www.4ni.co.uk http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp Wed, 16 May 2012 22:29:10 +0000 Airtricity, Northern Ireland's fastest-growing energy provider, has entered into an agreement with Phoenix Energy Holdings Limited to acquire Phoenix Supply Limited, Northern Ireland's market leading gas supplier. Phoenix Supply is the regulated supplier of natural gas to around 130,000 domestic and business customers in Greater Belfast.Following the acquisition Airtricity, SSE's retail supply..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144384 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144384 SDLP Policing spokesperson Conall McDevitt has spoken with deep concern about the revelations regarding the PSNI"s retention of human tissue in 67 cases of violent or unexplained death between 1960 and 2005 without the subjects' families being informed.The South Belfast MLA, who is also chairman of the Policing Board"s Human Rights and Professional Standards committee, said: "This is an exceptio..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144428 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144428 A teenager has been convicted of raping a five-year-old boy.The 14-year-old boy was convicted of raping the child and one count of sexually assaulting him, at Belfast Crown Court today.Neither can be identified for legal reasons.During the week long hearing, the victim testified via videolink.The 14-year-old has been released on bail.The recorder of Belfast, Judge Tom Burgess listed the ..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144426 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144426 Police have re-opened the investigation into the murder of a teenager in west Belfast 11 years ago.18 year old Damien Duffy was beaten and stabbed during a confrontation between two groups of people on the Stewartstown Road in the early hours of 20 May 2001. Damien, a trainee maintenance officer, was transferred to hospital in London but died a fortnight later on 4 June 2001.As the eleventh an..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144430 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144430 The man who was killed in a car crash in Ballymena on Tuesday was 66-year-old Vincent Kelly.Mr Kelly was the driver of one of the cars involved in the accident, which happened on the Lisnavenagh Road.The other drivers injuries are not believed to be life threatening.Police are appealing to anyone with information to contact them.(CD)..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144431 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144431 Figures released today for the period January - March 2012 show that the Northern Ireland unemployment rate was down 0.5 percentage points over the quarter at 6.7%.Commenting on the figures, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: "It is positive to note the Northern Ireland labour market figures for the first quarter of 2012, which showed an increase in employment levels and a reduction in the ..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144427 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144427 Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has released the 2011/12 out turn figures for new build social and affordable homes.Two thousand and fifty three new home starts have been delivered in 2011/12, keeping the Programme for Government target firmly on track and realising an overall investment of more than £230 million in towns and villages across Northern Ireland.Minister McCausland s..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144438 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144438 An increasing number of 16 year olds in Northern Ireland have contact across both religious and ethnic divides. That"s according to new research published by Queen"s University and the University of Ulster today as part of Community Relations Week.According to the 2011 Young Life and Times Survey (YLT), which features the first set of YLT respondents born after the 1994 ceasefires, only a mino..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144436 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144436 A charity has been created which is dedicated to improvement of the quality of native broadleaved trees through tree breeding programmes.Future Trees Trust was launched today by Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Michelle O"Neill and Shane McEntee, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The launch took place at the Agri Food Biosciences Institute (AFBI),..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144434 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144434 b Lo Launches First Intercultural Arts Strategy /b Alliance MLA Anna Lo has launched the first ever Intercultural Arts Strategy that was put together by the Arts Council. She launched the report this morning in the Crescent Arts Centre in South Belfast. The Arts Council strategy recognises the changing face of society in Northern Ireland and its increasing cultural diversity. It flags up the n..... http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144440 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=144440