Spread of Delta variant in NI means no end in sight for social distancing and face coverings

Dear reader

We now know for sure that the 24 Sinn Fein politicians who attended a huge funeral for a former IRA leader during the pandemic last year will not face prosecution.

The Public Prosecution Service initiated an internal review of its original decisions not to prosecute anyone following the controversial scenes at Bobby Storey’s funeral in June 2020.

The PPS announced on Thursday afternoon that it was upholding those decisions, in a decision that angered unionists.

Mervyn Storey, the DUP’s leading member on the Policing Board, and who will take over as chairman of the Justice Committee next week, said the ultimate blame for the rules being broken at the funeral lies with Sinn Fein.

The long-running saga over a head of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland is finally over, with the announcement that Dr Jayne Brady has been appointed to the role.

Dr Brady, who has an engineering background, is currently digital innovation commissioner within Belfast City Council.

Alistair Bushe

Editor

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