Other UK News In Brief

England Win 'Vital'

Many schools and some businesses across the country have decided to close early to let their pupils see England's crunch World Cup match against Slovenia this afternoon. It is the first England match during the working day, and employers have been urged to be flexible and allow their staff to at least watch the game. England needs to win to guarantee their place in the knock-out stages of the World Cup in South Africa.

Sheep Dog Savages Baby

A baby from Shropshire is recovering after being badly bitten by a dog. William Jaundrell, from Wellington, (aged seven months) had been to his grandparents' farm at Peplow, near Market Drayton, last Thursday when the dog jumped into his mother's car as he sat inside. He is being treated for serious leg injuries at Birmingham Children's Hospital. The dog, a Border Collie, has been put down.

NI Bomb Alert 'Ongoing'

People living close to the scene of a security alert in Co Armagh have spent the night out of their homes. The alert is currently ongoing in Keady after a beer keg with wires was found on Castleblaney Road. It is understood a bomb warning was received on Monday after which the police cordoned off a five-mile stretch of the Castleblaney Road from its junction with Rafferty's Corner in Keady. Sinn Fein Councillor Darren McNally said last night that police have confirmed that a device has been discovered behind a hedge.

Construction KPIs Increase During Recession

The latest Construction Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) show that construction industry average productivity per employee increased by 15 per cent in 2009, the sharpest increase seen for five years. However, the increase has come at the cost of over 200,000 jobs and a fall in the median profit margin from almost 10 per cent a year ago to 7.7 per cent. Furthermore the figures exclude companies that succumbed to the recession. Despite the pressures faced by the on the industry, construction clients reported a marked increase in projects delivered to cost. Clients also believed that the industry was improving the impact of its activities upon the environment.

(BMcC/GK)