
Lurgan: Windsor Avenue residents return home after arson attack
DUP councillor Peter Haire told BBC News NI that "somebody could have been killed"."We are lucky there were no injuries," he said."There are businesses and houses right beside and we could be looking at a different story today."This is a listed building and it was once beautiful to look at. "The owners don't live in the country. It's devastating."I appeal to those behind this arson attack to stop."

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The Sun
20 minutes ago
- The Sun
Snooker star who was suspended for match-fixing says match-fixers should be banned for life
SUSPENDED snooker star Mark King has insisted that any player found guilty of match-fixing should be banned for life. King is currently suspended until March 2028 after being found guilty of fixing a match against Joe Perry in 2023. 2 2 But the 51-year-old told BBC Essex: "I don't think anyone should come back once they've been caught. "If you're guilty, that's it, you should never be allowed to play again." King, who was first suspended by snooker's governing body in March 2023 after suspicious betting patterns were flagged following his 4-0 loss to Joe Perry at the Welsh Open in February that year. Perry was not under suspicion and King has consistently denied the charges. After losing an appeal in May, he was hit with a staggering £113,000 cost order. In November 2024, the former Northern Ireland Open champion was found guilty and banned until March 2028. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) made it clear that there's no more serious violation than match-fixing, adding they had thoroughly investigated the case. The body said in a statement: "There was strong evidence against King, and this led to action under the WPBSA's Conduct Regulations." King admitted the scandal had taken a toll on his personal life, with his wife suffering serious health problems during the investigation. He revealed: "The hardest part of this has been seeing what it's done to my wife. Championship League snooker match awkwardly interrupted by Ice Cream Van "She had a pacemaker fitted not long after it all started, and it's been really tough on her." The Essex player, who once reached No.11 in the world, is also a recovering gambling addict and said the entire ordeal had severely impacted his mental health. While the WPBSA emphasised the support available for players, including counselling and legal advice, King described his struggles. He also admits despite receiving emotional support from close friends like three-time world champion Mark Williams, who called just to check on him, King is still facing financial strain due to his suspension. He said: "I don't have £113,000 lying around. "I'm out of work at 51, and I tried doing a bit of labouring, but it was too much for me." With just under three years remaining on his suspension, King is uncertain about his future in snooker. He concluded: "I don't know what's going to happen. I love playing, love the travel, but I'm still hurt and angry."


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'Significant increase' in inmates sees rise in cell sharing in NI prisons
Northern Ireland prisons have a "high density" of inmates, with cell sharing at Maghaberry jail on the increase in order to deal with space 40% (567) of prisoners at Maghaberry share cells, a practice referred to as comes as a new report for the Council of Europe (CoE), the human rights watchdog, notes a "significant increase" of prisoners in Northern is primarily driven by remanding people into custody before conviction or sentencing. Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie said members of the Prison Service have contacted him recently to raise a number of claimed there are "rising tensions" at Maghaberry, partly due to "low staff levels".The Prison Service said newly trained officers have been deployed to the jail, with a further class of recruits set to join them in two weeks' Ireland's prisoner population currently stands at 2,139, which is up by more than 200 on a year largest prison, Maghaberry, has 1,470 inmates, 737 (50%) of whom are being held on remand. Last year, Maghaberry had to re-open a disused cell block to increase its CoE report describes Northern Ireland as having a "high prison density".But it did not define the situation as overcrowding - this is when there are more than 100 inmates per 100 on data for 2023-24, it said Northern Ireland had 86 prisoners per 100 places.A spokesperson for the Prison Service said: "Whilst challenging, the prison population in Northern Ireland has not yet exceeded available capacity, and we continue to prioritise safe, decent, and secure custody."The Prison Service is working with partners across the justice system to identify actions that can be taken to reduce the current population, with a particular focus on remand."Every day prison staff perform their challenging roles with dedication and professionalism."


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bangladesh crash: At least 16 dead after military plane hits Dhaka school
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