Law For Breakfast

A firm of solicitors is holding a free seminar on business law. McGrigors - which last year merged with Belfast law firm L'Estrange and Brett – will host the hour-long 'Beat the Clock' seminar on Thursday 22nd April, at 8am, as a breakfast event organised by the Management & Leadership Network (MLN). The event is one of a series of masterclasses run by MLN and its 'champion firms'. The organisation has just relaunched as a private sector initiative and is being supported by a number of prominent local businesses and 'ambassadors'. It will focus on a number of topical legal issues currently affecting businesses with Bill Manson, from MLN, pictured with Paul McBride, of McGrigors, launching the event this week.

Justice Ministers Confer

The new Stormont Justice Minister David Ford has met the Irish Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern this morning for the first time since taking up the position on Monday. The meeting at Castle Buildings in Stormont was attended by PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott and Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy. A range of issues are on the agenda, including the ongoing threat from dissident republicans

Titanic Recalled

Belfast has marked the 98th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. At 12 noon yesterday, a simple ceremony was held to remember all those people - and especially the 22 men from Belfast - who lost their lives on 15 April 1912. The Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Danny Lavery, joined John Andrews, President of the Belfast Titanic Society and a descendant of Thomas Andrews, the designer of Titanic and managing director of Harland and Wolff, to lay wreaths at the Titanic Memorial in the City Hall grounds. Following the wreath-laying, a minute's silence was observed and prayers said by the Reverend Ian Gilpin, chaplain to the Belfast Titanic Society and minister of the Andrews family church in Comber.

Girl Assaulted

A 14-year-old girl has been attacked on her way home from school in a quiet 'country lane' in north Belfast. A man at the tree-lined Gray's Lane grabbed her on Wednesday afternoon at about 3.30pm. He tried to pull her into nearby bushes but she managed to break free and run home. The teenager was not injured. Her attacker is described as being about 50 years old, with grey hair and a short beard. He spoke with a local accent. Police yesterday appealed for information on the attacker.

Helicopter Charity 'Crashes'

Ireland Air Ambulance has been dissolved despite having collected more than £750,000. It has been wound up without ever getting off the ground with a 999 helicopter. Last year, a BBC investigation alleged that 90% of the money collected by the Ireland Air Ambulance Charity in its first year went on wages and overheads. Now, a new company has been formed with the ambition "to operate a helicopter emergency medical service in Northern Ireland" and has recruited a what is said to be a board of directors with "considerable business experience and cross community representation". An official statement said "At the same time the association, Ireland Air Ambulance will cease operations transferring its assets to the new company" and that "the charity is relying on continued public support and will communicate more details of its plans in the near future".

Fined For Planning Offences

A Belfast company has been fined a total of £160 plus £85 court costs at Belfast Magistrates' Court for the unauthorised display of advertisements. Herbel Restaurants Limited was found guilty of the unauthorised display of two shroud banners at the Belfast branch of Kentucky Fried Chicken, 11-15 Donegall Place, Belfast, and fined £80 for each sign. Planning Service brought the charge under Article 84 of the Planning (NI) Order 1991, which states it is an offence to display an advertisement without consent.

(BMcC/GK)