Other NI News In Brief

Ford Gears-up For Executive

The Alliance party's leader David Ford (pictured) has this morning announced his intention to stand for the position of Justice Minister. He has been favourite for the post after Sinn Fein and the DUP said they would not fill the role. His announcement is timely as, under the Hillsborough Castle Agreement the responsibilities for policing and justice are to be devolved by 12 April.

Spanish Extradition Refused

Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún has welcomed the ruling by the High Court in Belfast that it will uphold the original verdict made by Judge Tom Burgess in November, stating that an extradition warrant against Arturro 'Benat' Villanueva coming from the Spanish authorities should be rejected as it contains no particulars of any offence committed. "A similar warrant issued against Inaki de Juana, another Basque living in Belfast should be rejected on similar grounds as both are clearly politically motivated," she said. "These two men are being pursued for their political ideas and the extradition attempts on behalf of the Spanish authorities should be abandoned. It is Sinn Féin’s belief that there are now important developments happening within the Basque Country, through initiatives for the Abertzale Left to resolve the conflict and to pursue national and democratic rights through peaceful and democratic methods. The Spanish Government should grasp this opportunity instead of focusing on negative approaches such as these extradition cases."

Openness Needed On Parades

SDLP Policing spokesperson Alex Attwood has said the Sinn Fein/DUP working group on parading should have published the results of its work without delay. "Failure to publish the parading document agreed in secret between the two parties does nothing to reassure the communities directly affected. This issue has such an impact and is so sensitive that doing business in secret and telling the community little or nothing is wrong and utterly inconsistent with the transparency and openness that Sinn Fein and DUP say they want around parading. The contradiction is there for all to see," he claimed.

Parenting Information Needed

More information on positive parenting techniques from the Government and an increased awareness of children's rights are vital to changing people's attitudes toward the physical disciplining of children, according to University of Ulster research. Final-year psychology student Emma Curran carried out the research as part of a Science Shop project, in partnership with the NSPCC, to examine current attitudes to the use of physical discipline, specifically in relation to students who are training in professional areas. The study scooped the top prize of £650 at the annual Science Shop Awards, which recognise the best community-based action research projects of the year. A major finding of the study, which surveyed 81 students, revealed a lack of knowledge about the current law regarding assault of children.

CIM Award Highlighted

The Ulster Unionist South Antrim MLA Danny Kinahan has congratulated Jonathan McMeekin and Geoff Wilson, members of the Irish Footbal Association's (IFA) Marketing and Communications Department, on winning the prestigious Chartered Institute of Marketing's UK Award for Small and Medium Enterprise. "This is a terrific accolade, and I am very proud that Jonathan, an Antrim resident, and Geoff, originally from Crumlin, are flying the flag for local talent. I am delighted that the IFA has such an exceptional team at its core, offering as it does excellent opportunities for staff and more broadly for the sport. Up against competitors across the marketing spectrum, such success is the reward for the hard work and initiative shown by the team, which is in turn borne out by rising match attendance and sponsor support," he said.

(BMcC/GK)