23/05/2011

Other NI News In Brief

Sixty Year Return

Newell Bingham, from Kilkeel, Co Down, the first post-war student from Ireland to study at Harper Adams University College in Shropshire, returned to Harper 60 years on. Mr Bingham is seen being welcomed by Harper Adams Principal, Dr David Llewellyn, last week. Newell Bingham was a student at Down High School in the 1940s. He entered the National Diploma in Poultry Husbandry at Harper Adams in September 1949.

Stabbing Horror In Belfast

A 50-year-old woman has died after being stabbed in north Belfast. The woman's body was discovered at residential premises on the Antrim Road on Monday morning. The PSNI have said that a 51-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and has been taken to Antrim custody suite and have appealed for information and asked anyone who saw anything suspicious to contact them.

No Collusion In Bomb Murder

Early details have emerged after a public inquiry into alleged State agency collusion with loyalists who murdered Lurgan solicitor Rosemary Nelson in 1999. It found there was no such "wrongful act or omission by or within the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Northern Ireland Office or Army or any other state agency" as it had been commissioned to investigate, but it could not exclude the possibility that a 'rogue member' of the security forces had been involved. The NI Secretary of State Owen Paterson has however told the House of Commons that there were failings in the measures taken to protect the lawyer and said that the government was "profoundly sorry" for these failures.

Prison Death Mourned

The Vice-Chair of the Justice Committee at Stormont, Raymond McCartney, the Foyle MLA, has expressed his condolences to the family of the young prisoner who died in Maghaberry. "I send my sincere condolences to the family of the young man who died in Maghaberry today. Although all the circumstances surrounding the death are not yet available, reports suggest that the young man took his own life. I am once more calling on the Justice Minister, David Ford to ensure that all measures available to protect vulnerable prisoners are in place. This is just the latest tragic death to have taken place in recent times in our prisons. It is of no benefit that after each death in a prison we instigate an investigation into the circumstances if we learn nothing from it," he said, noting that, "while an investigation is essential, what is needed is sufficient properly deployed resources to protect vulnerable prisoners".

Obama In Ireland.

Air Force One touched down in Dublin airport earlier this morning with the President, and his wife Michelle, greeted by President of Ireland, Mary McAleese and her husband Martin. Later today the President, the First Lady and Taoiseach Enda Kenny will take part in a public celebration at College Green in Dublin. The President will also address the audience after entertainment from many well known Irish artists. Mr Obama and the First Lady will then call on President McAleese at Áras an Uachtaráin and visit the President's ancestral home of Moneygall.

Hendersons Clean-up

A 'waste not, want not' partnership between two Northern Ireland based companies has cleaned up at a glittering awards ceremony in London this month. Henderson Retail which teamed up with ISL Waste Management Ltd to reduce waste and increase recycling in each of its 70 Spar and Eurospar shops and forecourt outlets across the Province recently won 'High Street Recycling Champion' accolade.

Graham Builds Success

A top building firm, Graham, has won prestigious British Council for Offices (BCO) award for its new HQ office in Hillsborough, Co Down. The award was made at a packed awards ceremony in Manchester with over 250 leading architects and designers from the North of England, Northern Wales and Northern Ireland rubbing shoulders with occupiers and other property professionals. The judges commended the winners in what proved to be a fierce competition, with a very high standard of entries from across the north of England, North Wales and Northern Ireland region.

(BMcC/GK)

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