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December 20, 2011

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News Letter, Tuesday, 29 Tuesday, December 20, 2011 December 20, 2011

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Coming home for Christmas

SEE PAGE 3

INSIDE TODAY

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ACADEMICAL AS OMAGH GO TOP

The best coverage

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PICTURE: JIM DUNNE

CRAWFORD CUP SPRINGS FEW SURPRISES

Ps 34-35

TOP TWO SET FOR ULSTER SENIOR

see pages 30-31

LEAGUE SHOWDOWN

ALL ACTION: Omagh against Letterkenny Academicals Jamie Lagan in action during the 31-5 win KUKRI LEAGUE ONE AND TWO REVIEW: Pages 30-31

Janets planning for the future

Singing sensation from Tyrone, Janet Devlin, will be spending the festive holidays at home in Gortin with her mum Patricia and the rest of the family. Janet, pictured sorting through her mail with her mum, today tells the News Letter of her plans for the future. She reveals that after Christmas she will be in the recording studio, as well as taking part in the X Factor tour and she is also planning a move to London. See our full interview with Janet on pages 16 and 17

INSIDE
Business
Bringing greenhouse gas emissions down to earth
PAGE 28 & 37
News Letter, Tuesday, December 20, 2011 23

Firms not prepared for big freeze

PAGES 39

Dont give thieves a present this Christmas

PAGE 41

termed casino banking. Business Correspondent far outweighed Lenders will also have to hold to the economy by the benefit r.sherriff@newsletter.co.uk bigger capital buffers of avoiding futo protect ture financial against losses and crises, which he there will LEGISLATION to measures to boost competition be said would reach 9.5bn ring-fence in modest assumptions. a year on UK banks retail arms the banking sector. from their riskier investment operations Mr Osborne said implementaThe Government is proposing tion of will the be passed by the end most far-reaching reforms the reforms would of take of place in stages, liament in 2015, George this Par- British banking but legislation rein Osborne promised yesterday. history, Mr Osborne our modern lating to the ring-fence told MPs. completed by May 2015 would be The Chancellor said Our objective is to the Governand banks make sure would ment was carrying what happened in be expected to comply out far-reaching reforms the most happens again, that Britain never soon as practicably possible. as taxpayers are of British protected banking in modern The Government will and customers get a history in an produce bet- a White Paper effort to avoid a repeat ter service. next spring setting of the disout further details astrous 2008 crash. Accepting key recommendaof the proposals. tions of the Vickers The move was welcomed Report into by banking reform, The Chancellor said: Foyle MP and former Mr Osborne said Our obSDLP leader jective is clear, we the changes will cost Mark Durkan who has want to the for a separation of campaigned 3.5-8bn a year and leadindustry rate High Street banking sepatraditional re- duction from to tail banking from what in GDP of 0.8-1.8bn. a re- investment banking to protect has been the British economy, But he said the costs protect Britwould be ish taxpayers and make sure that The

BY riChArD ShErriFF

Bank ring-fencing in law by 2015

An ever-present danger exists when banks combine casino-type investment banking with traditional retail deposits which are rightly guaranteed by the taxpayer.

Centra model Finola Guinnane juggles some last minute shopping in the run up to Christmas as research shows shoppers are doubling up on festive essentials such as bread, chocolate and phone cards ahead of the holidays

2.5m rebrand for Radisson Resort

THE New Year will ring the north west as the Radissonchanges in the Blu Roe Park Resort at Limavady becomes the Roe Park Resort as part of a 2.5 million investment strategy. The award winning hotel announced the rebranding yesterday ures showed the hotel as the latest figis the market and achieving outperforming occupancy well above the Northern Ireland average. The Roe Park Resort has invested 1.9m on capital projects during the last three years as part of an ongoing programme. The investmentdevelopment includes the creation of five luxury suites within the 18th century manor house, refurbishment of 50 bedrooms, a revamp of the Coach House brasserie and Roe Park suite and further redevelopment of the 18 hole parkland golf course. In 2012 the hotel plans to ther 600,000 in upgrading invest a furall remaining bedrooms and further development of the Spa. This rebrand marks chapter for the Roe Park an exciting new Resort, said general manager George Graham. For 16 years we have been growing with the Radisson brand with million in the last three sales topping 20 years. We believe the time is now right for the Roe Park Resort to move forward as an independent brand. As a major contributor to the local area we employ over 200 staff at and inject over 4.5million peak season annually into the local economy. This vestment strategy marks rebrand and inour further commitment to the area and our continued guarantee to deliver a quality experience to our guests. The hotel also expects to benefit from plan to host the Irish Open in the province, he said. Being the only 4 Resort on the North star Golf and Spa Coast, we are ideally placed, both in terms of geography and facilities, to support such event coming to Northern a major golfing Ireland.

However, this report importantly sets out recommendation s on how savers and taxpayers can be protected from massive on speculative, investment losses or casino-type banking.

nothing is too big to fail. Mr Durkan said The Report is not a complete Vickers prescription. Indeed, there is also pelling case for a financiala comtransaction tax or Robin Hood tax on the dealings of banks and hedge funds.

News Letter will not be publishing a business supplement on December on January 10. We would 20 nor January 3. Normal like to wish our readers and contributors a very publication resumes Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year

Man charged over death

POLICE last night charged a 34-year-old man with manslaughter following the death of Colin McLeister in Portrush in the early hours of Saturday morning. The accused is due to appear in Ballymena Magistrates Court this morning. Mr McLeister, a 48-year-old father-of-three, is believed to have lost his life after falling down a flight of stairs at the Playhouse bar on Main Street in the coastal town. See page 6

Collision with car kills five-year-old

BY PHILIP BRADFIELD
p.bradfield@newsletter.co.uk

Accused is terminally ill

A MAN accused of murdering two soldiers at Massereene Army base has told a court that he is dying from cystic fibrosis. Doctors advised Brian Shivers in 2008 that he had five or six years to live because of the medical condition involving his lungs. Shivers told his trial that he had no involvement in the murders of Sappers Mark Quinsey and Patrick Azimkar in March 2009. See page 4

A SOuTh Belfast family have suffered an unthinkable loss after a five-year-old boy died following a road traffic accident. Police said they attended the

scene of the fatal incident in the upper Lisburn Road area yesterday afternoon. The five-year-old died following a collision with a car on private property at around 3.30pm this afternoon, a police spokesman said. The Very Rev Edward

ODonnell of St Brigids Parish Church, situated just off the Malone Road, told the News Letter last night that the family were members of his parish and that he was supporting them through their loss. MLA Conal McDevitt said the tragedy happened only half a

mile from his home. I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to the family of this little boy, he said. This is an unthinkable tragedy, all the more distressing in that it is a few days before Christmas. Turn to page 12

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