Blaze Accused For Court

A 32-year-old man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after an alleged arson attack in Co Antrim at the weekend. Two people in a flat in Main Street Ballymoney escaped injury after a fire on Saturday.

Coleraine Jobs Alert

UUP East Londonderry Assembly member David McClarty has warned that news of 33 jobs being shed at the AVX plant in Coleraine could be just the start of more bad news for the town on the employment front. The MLA said: "The economic slowdown is biting right across the province and the Coleraine area is feeling the downdraft. AVX competes in a highly competitive and volatile global market and this news is a blow for the area. There are also indications that the construction industry locally is facing a testing time with several businesses currently trying to ride the down turn in business. However, it looks likely that we will see more jobs being lost before things begin to improve. In an area such as Coleraine where there are few new employment opportunities and even less as we face into a recession, this will have a significant impact," he said.

Suicide Victims Recalled

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness has attended a special suicide remembrance event, the 'Celebration of Hope – Have Your Tomorrows' commemoration event in St Eugene's Cathedral, Londonderry. Speaking at the service, the Deputy First Minister said that statistics could never truly show the human impact of suicide or addiction related death - the suffering, the pain, and the devastation felt by those families, friends, and communities left behind - the sense of loss that all of us have to carry with us: "Often those people affected by addiction issues or mental health issues can be labelled and stigmatised. I have always held true to the view that we judge a society by how we treat these in most need. The lack of support to those in most need diminishes us all. As well as remembering, it is also important that we take action together to provide hope and support for those who need it, and try to ensure that others do not have to go though the same pain, suffering, and loss," he added.

Diversity Plan Launched

The Northern Ireland Civil Service has published an Employment Equality and Diversity Plan which identifies the key equality and diversity issues that the Northern Ireland Civil Service, as an employer, will address over the period 2008 to 2011. The Service employs around 28,000 people supporting Ministers, developing policy and legislation and above all, delivering or supporting key public services in areas such as health, education, regeneration, culture, agriculture, employment and transport. Commenting on the plan, the Minister for Finance and Personnel, Nigel Dodds, said: "It is a stated aim of the Civil Service to be representative of the community it serves. The Service will continue to work hard to promote itself as an employer committed to equality and diversity and I would urge community and political leaders to play their part by encouraging citizens to recognise it as a public sector career of choice."

Housing Promised

NI Housing Minister Margaret Ritchie has reaffirmed her commitment to providing more energy efficient social housing in Northern Ireland - stating plans to deliver 5,250 new homes in three years was 'non-negotiable'. Addressing delegates at the Northern Ireland Housing Forum, the Minister outlined her department's agenda. Ms Ritchie pledged that housing in the Province would remain her 'number one' priority. The Minister assured the forum that she was addressing the problems associated with affordability and provided an update in relation to some of the key components of the New Housing Agenda, including the recent introduction of her new Procurement Strategy.

(BMcC)