'Take The Gun Out Of Policing': SF

Unarmed policing is now the focus for Sinn Fein who have responded to last week's Police Ombudsman's Office report into the killing of stolen car driver, Steven Colwell in April 2006 at a police checkpoint when the vehicle was presenting a danger to officers. The party's Policing Spokesperson Gerry Kelly said it raised a number of serious areas of concern in relation to the use of weapons by the PSNI. "There still appears to be a tolerance of a gun culture in the PSNI that is at odds with what we have been achieving in wider society," said the former Republican prisoner. "The Patten Commission recommended a routinely unarmed policing service and Sinn Fein is determined to achieve that goal."

Firm Commitment

Texam in Lisburn has used Invest Northern Ireland trade missions to win a series of contracts from major manufacturing operations in Saudi Arabia. A leading supplier of power transmission and conveying products, it has taken part in missions to key Saudi business centres such as Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman over the past two years. The contracts, the company's first in one of the Middle East’s most dynamic markets, were announced by John McGuigan, Texam Managing Director, and welcomed by Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director. Speaking during a visit to the company, which employs 10 people, at Blaris Industrial Estate, Dr Kell said: "Texam's success is an excellent example of a smaller company which has identified and grasped the opportunities now developing strongly from the growth of the manufacturing industry in Saudi Arabia."

Irish Agenda

The Líofa campaign, to encourage fluency in the Irish language, has exceeded its target of 1,000 signatures. The NI Language Minister Carál Ní Chulín announced the milestone on Friday - 15 weeks after the campaign was launched. The Minister said: "The Líofa project's initial target was to encourage 1,000 people from all walks of life across to sign up to becoming fluent in Irish by 2015. The fact that we have exceeded our target in less than four months is a great milestone and demonstrates that Irish is indeed a shared language that can be enjoyed by everyone," she said, adding: "Well done to everyone who has signed on to become fluent by 2015."

B&B Accolade

SDLP Moyle District Councillor Catherine McCambridge has congratulated Olive McAuley from Cullentra House B&B Cushendall who won the Top Guest House in Ulster award from B&B Ireland. The Glens councillor said: "I am particularly pleased to see a rural guest house receive the award. It is important that the NITB and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development work to promote and develop the concept of the bed and breakfast industry within the rural and farmhouse community, which has the potential to generate additional income for many hard-pressed farmers at this difficult economic time," she said.

(BMcC)