Power-Sharing Agreement 'Number One Priority' For Govt

Karen Bradley, the Secretary of State, has said that restoring the power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland is the "number one priority" for the UK government.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Bradley said that the Conservative government "will stand firm behind an agreement which, along with its successors, has been the bedrock of all that has been achieved over the past 20 years".

Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, she said: "Everything we do will have as its core aims the protection and implementation of the agreement, including, of course, as we leave the European Union.

"The restoration of devolved government at Stormont must be our number one priority.

"I still believe that this is achievable and, as we reflect on the anniversary of the 1998 agreement, all of us need to redouble our efforts to make it a reality. Only then, with all parts of the agreement working properly, we will be in a position to build a Northern Ireland that is fit for the future. That is our goal and we are determined to achieve that."

Ballymoney Money Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A Ballymoney woman has been convicted at Coleraine Magistrates' Court for claiming benefits she was not entitled to.

Billie Jo Hargan (36) of Esdale Gardens, Ballymoney claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £18,386 while failing to declare living with a partner. She was given a nine month prison sentence suspended for two years. The fraud was uncovered following an investigation by the Department for Communities

She is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Department for Communities.

Sinn Féin Appeal For Information On Crumlin Arson Attack

Sinn Féin South Antrim MLA, Declan Kearney has appealed for the public to assist police inquiries following a serious arson attack in Crumlin.

Mr Kearney said: "I want to condemn in the strongest possible terms the arson attack on a home in Crumlin at the weekend.

"The fact that those responsible chose to launch their attack in the early hours of the morning, in the full knowledge that the occupants of that house would be asleep, is particularly sinister.

"It is frightening to think what could have resulted if the homeowner had not woken in time to raise the alarm.

"The perpetrators have shown a callous disregard for their victims and need to be apprehended without delay.

"It is in everyone's interests to see these criminals removed from within our community and I am therefore asking the public to assist the police in any way possible with their investigations."