THE 1980s electronic pop group Ultravox are reforming for a special reunion tour for the first time in more than 20 years, it was announced yesterday.

STEPHEN MAGUIRE admitted tournament success had been “too long” in coming after clinching the Northern Ireland Trophy on Sunday night.

Scotland’s Stephen Maguire beat Irishman Fergal O’Brien 9-5 tonight to be crowned the new Northern Ireland Trophy champion.

Scotland’s Stephen Maguire led Fergal O’Brien 4-3 after the first session of the Northern Ireland Trophy final.

Former British Open winner Fergal O’Brien booked his place in this year’s Northern Ireland Trophy with an impressive victory over local favourite Mark Allen.

Stephen Maguire became the first player through to the Northern Ireland Trophy final after a gutsy victory over former world champion Shaun Murphy.

Fergal O’Brien caused the biggest upset of this year’s Northern Ireland Trophy so far by dumping out crowd favourite Ronnie O’Sullivan.

WORLD champion John Higgins crashed to a shock defeat at the Northern Ireland Trophy yesterday.

Last year’s runner-up Ronnie O’Sullivan avoided a shock defeat in his opening match at this year’s Northern Ireland Trophy tonight after being taken the distance by Leicester qualifier Tom Ford.

Northern companies could shed 30,000 jobs if British government plans to make them pay rates are implemented, an industrial lobby group claimed today.

IRELAND’S Venture Capital Conference is moving from Dublin to Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on March 9 to look at what the future holds for venture capital on the island of Ireland.

Smoking is to be banned in workplaces in the North, including bars and restaurants, from April 2007, the British government announced today.

Shaun Murphy’s first test as world champion comes next month in the newly-created Northern Ireland Trophy.

IT looks doubtful at this stage that even Santa could deliver what Taoiseach Bertie Ahern wished for yesterday - that the deal on Northern Ireland could still be delivered by Christmas. This Christmas.

A DISAPPOINTED but determined Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last night said an agreement was still possible before Christmas.

Ahead of her highly-anticipated Irish appearance on the Main Stage at Oxegen tomorrow, PJ Harvey has just confirmed two headline dates for September.

Fergal McCann, venture capital expert and lead adviser with InterTrade Ireland, the cross-Border business development body, said there was no shortage of funding available to entrepreneurs but businesses needed to do more to attract interest from venture capitalists.

Northern Ireland’s “primitive” rail transport and “frustrating” road congestion came under fire today at the beginning of an international conference on the Belfast-Dublin economic corridor.

Northern Ireland’s economy needs a period of political stability if devolution is to start delivering concrete results for business, Stormont enterprise minister Sir Reg Empey claimed today.

There must be more IRA disarmament if Northern Ireland’s political institutions are to be made stable, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble said today.

David Trimble tonight failed to halt a special meeting of his Ulster Unionists’ ruling body called by hardliners demanding more IRA disarmament.