Weather Alert

NI is facing a severe weather warning with strong winds and snow forecast for Tuesday. There will be a mix of rain, sleet and wet snow in low areas, but there will be snow on higher ground with up to 10cm in places like the Sperrin Mountains and some travel may also be disrupted as winds are expected to reach 80mph. However, conditions will be worst in the northwest, but winds are also expected to reach 70mph elsewhere.

ESA Clarity Call

The Ulster Unionist Party leader Tom Elliott has called on the Minister for Education to provide some clarity on the role of the Irish Medium Sector under the soon to be established standards authority, the ESA. "In response to a question I posed the Education Minister on how the Irish Medium and Integrated sectors would be included in the Education Skills Authority, (ESA) I received a written answer stating that the Department of Education will continue to support the Irish Medium and Integrated sectors. This is an extremely ambiguous statement from the Minister, I would urge him to quickly clarify exactly what input the Irish and Integrated sectors will have into the new Education Skills Authority," he said.

DUP Backs UDR

DUP representatives have handed over a cheque for £2,215 to the UDR Association as a contribution to the Northern Ireland section of the National Memorial Arboretum. The money was raised through a collection held at the Party's Annual Conference. Upper Bann DUP MLA Stephen Moutray said: "The National Memorial Arboretum was created to commemorate all soldiers, Members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces and Civilian services killed during service to their country since 1948. The Ulster Ash grove is that part set aside to remember soldiers and civilian services killed during the troubles in Northern Ireland," he said, adding: "As a party the DUP will continue to support our brave service personnel. As part of that we believe that it is important that personnel who made the supreme sacrifice are not forgotten."

(BMcC)