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05 EURO) Friday, December 2, 2011

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Stars apology over strike comments P5

Bringing Dickens classic to life
Performers get into the festive spirit as Wireless Mystery Theatre prepares to stage a special performance of A Christmas Carol at the Ulster Hall, Belfast, on December 12. With live music from a string quartet, hand-operated sound effects and a vintage jingle ad break, Wireless Mystery Theatre will bring the world famous Charles Dickens novel to life. Tickets are available from the Ulster Hall and Waterfront box offices or online

Ulster coach seeking home comfort SPORT

INSIDE

Mayor sorry over snub

UNIONISTS in Belfast City Council last night spent over an hour pressing the Sinn Fein Lord Mayor of Belfast to give what they saw as a clear apology for snubbing a 15-year-old girl at an awards ceremony. They slammed a statement from Niall O Donnghaile yesterday that he apologised to anyone who was offended by his refusal to present the Duke of Edinburgh Award to the Army cadet at Mondays ceremony. This, unionists claimed, put the blame for being offended on the young girl and her family. They said the affair had seriously damaged Belfasts reputation.

Paterson pledge on Dublin collusion

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

Turn to page 7

Strikers to get overtime pay

REFUSE collectors who took part in Wednesdays strike thought to have cost the local economy 35 million are set to be paid overtime tomorrow to clear the backlog of rubbish in Belfast. It is understood that Belfast City Council will pay out around 3,000 in wages to the 24 staff. See page 4

THE Secretary of State says he will ask the Republic of Ireland government to open its archives to satisfy unionist concerns about Dublins historic relationship with the Provisional IRA.

Owen Paterson made the commitment yesterday at the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster in response to requests by Upper Bann DUP MP David Simpson. The news comes after a major review of allegations of DublinPIRA collusion in the News Let-

ter last week. It highlighted unionist anger at what is perceived as an ongoing revision of history to portray them as the main villains of the Troubles. In the reports, University of Ulster Professor of Politics Henry Patterson called on Dublin to open its archives for the Arms

Trial of 1970 in which Dublin ministers were accused of buying arms for the IRA. Yesterday Owen Paterson said he would raise the matter with Dublin, adding: Obviously there will be some key material in the Republic of Ireland. Turn to page 12
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