TWO senior Ulster Unionists could face disciplinary proceedings by the Orange Order for attending the funeral of murdered PSNI officer Ronan Kerr.

LIFE is a lottery, they say, and you certainly don’t get to pick your parents.

Snooker legend Alex ’Hurricane’ Higgins struggled to cope with the fame and fortune thrust upon him at a young age, a memorial service heard today.

Friends, family and sports stars are expected to attend a thanksgiving service today for snooker star Alex Higgins.

The funeral of former snooker world champion Alex Higgins is to take place in Belfast on Monday.

Former world snooker champion Alex Higgins has died at the age of 61.

A telecommunications firm has announced plans to create nearly 80 jobs at a research and development centre in Belfast.

The loyalist Ulster Defence Association must prove its vow to end all criminality and paramilitarism is for real, Martin McGuinness insisted today.

The loyalist Ulster Defence Association’s announcement that it was standing down its military wing and putting weapons 'beyond use' from midnight last night was welcomed - coupled with the message it was not enough.

The UDA has announced that its military wing, the UFF, is standing down all of its units from midnight tonight.

Police were today hunting a machete-wielding thug who slashed a man in south Belfast.

The Progressive Unionist Party is to field three candidates in the March 7 Northern Assembly Election, it was confirmed today.

TOM COOPER (Irish Examiner, July 6) is correct in his observation that Ian Paisley encourages racism and racial hatred in Northern Ireland — recently described as one of the race hate capitals of northern Europe.

REMARKS by Senator Mary O’Rourke that her campaign team “worked like blacks” (Irish Examiner, January 9) reveal how entrenched racist attitudes are in Fianna Fáil and the wider republican tradition to which it is aligned.

Three men questioned about the hit-and-run death of a teenager in south Belfast were today released by police.

THE leadership of the Loyalist Volunteer Force last night ordered all its military units to stand down.

No drinks were on the house in true blue Sandy Row today.

A major hotel group today announced plans to open a four-star hotel in Belfast city centre.

BELFAST’S top police commander last night hit back at unionists who have quit community partnerships over the street violence raging across the city.

Belfast’s top police commander tonight hit back at unionists who have quit community partnerships over the street violence raging across the city.

Northern Ireland’s most senior policeman Hugh Orde was today challenged to acknowledge his officers made mistakes in allowing loyalist paramilitaries to take over a Belfast housing estate where families were forced to flee their homes.

Detectives investigating the loyalist paramilitary murder of a father-of-three will tomorrow set up vehicle checkpoints in the area where he was gunned down a week ago.

LOYALIST paramilitaries who assassinated a delivery driver outside a south Belfast shop have pledged to intensify their onslaught against rival terrorists, it was claimed last night.

A man has died after he was shot while arriving for work in a staunchly loyalist area of south Belfast this morning.

Loyalists today greeted the IRA’s statement with suspicion and expressed concern over the motives behind the historic announcement.

A FOOTBALLER has been given a 30-year ban for head-butting the referee during an amateur soccer match.

Two loyalist bandsmen were stabbed and seriously injured in an attack in Belfast early today.

Unionist political and community leaders in Northern Ireland were today told to do more to tackle racial attacks in their areas.

Three men have been arrested following a number of incidents in Belfast that the police believe are linked.

Northern Ireland’s Equality Commission has become involved in a row over loyalist threats against Catholics living in an apartment block in Belfast city centre.

Crude graffiti has been daubed on walls as part of a new offensive by loyalists to drive Catholics out of a troubled south Belfast area, it emerged today.

Sinister sectarian leaflets demanding that Catholics be thrown out of a loyalist area of Belfast are being investigated by police, it was confirmed today.

DANCER Michael Flatley has been rebuked again by Cork County Council for carrying out work on his €30 million Fermoy mansion without planning permission.

President Mary McAleese’s husband, Martin, has held at least one meeting with leading members of the Ulster Defence Association, according to BBC Northern Ireland.

Two racially motivated attacks have left three families, including two pregnant women, homeless for Christmas.

Police in the North are investigating reports of shots being fired at a premises in south Belfast.

Six pipe bombs were discovered by police close to a nursery school in south Belfast today.

Community representatives must help end the serious rioting which saw four police injured in Belfast city centre, a senior PSNI officer said tonight.

Police fired a number of plastic baton rounds and arrested two people following serious rioting in Belfast city centre last night.

Fresh rioting has erupted in a loyalist area of Belfast city centre as police came under attack with blast bombs.

Police in the North are treating as arson a fire which extensively damaged the Glasgow Rangers Supporters' Club in south Belfast this morning.

A man and a woman are in custody today after three pipe bombs were discovered during a security operation in Northern Ireland.