Two Arrested In Connection With Dissident Republican Activity

Police investigating dissident republic activity have arrested two men.

The men, aged 39 and 40, were detained in west Belfast and south Down on Friday morning.

Two properties were also searched as part of the ongoing operation.

Man Pleads Guilty To Over 20 Waste Offences

A man from Crossmaglen in Co Armagh has pleaded guilty to 24 waste offences at Newry Magistrates' Court.

Mr Martin Conlon (53) Loughross Road, Crossmaglen, pleaded guilty under the Waste and Contaminated Land (NI) Order 1997.

Between June 2014 and March 2015, officers from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and PSNI found approximately 22 tonnes of suspected fuel laundering and mixed controlled waste on premises owned by the defendant. The sites did not have a licence, nor were they authorised by the NIEA to store, keep or treat controlled waste.

Sentencing was deferred until a later date.

SDLP Select McCrossan To Contest Assembly Seat

Daniel McCrossan has been selected by SDLP members in West Tyrone to contest the next Assembly election.

Mr McCrossan said he was "deeply humbled" and thanked his party members.

He said: "More and more people now realise that a Stormont government led by the DUP and Sinn Féin is not working. It's very clearly not working at the minute with Ministers in and out of government, creating political instability and damaging our regional economy. We need a radical alternative to stale fights, stale games and stalemate. The SDLP are that radical alternative.

"While others have been bickering, we've been getting to work. We have a radical programme for job creation, especially in the North West where unemployment continues to run riot. Key in that prosperity plan is a modern roads network, including the unforgivably overdue upgrade of the A5, the expansion of Magee to attract new skills clusters like film and digital technology and real direct investment in areas like Strabane and Omagh."

(CD)