Police in Derry are investigating an explosion outside a house at Dunmore Gardens in the Creggan area.
The blast was reported shortly before midnight last night, the area remains cordoned off while a forensic examination of the scene is carried out.
There are no reports of any injuries.
A judge in the united states has ruled that a catholic priest should be exradited back to Ireland to face child molestation charges here.
82 year-old Reverend Francis Markey was arrested in Indiana in November on an extradition warrant alleging he raped a 15 year-old boy in Donegal in 1968.
For the past two years, he has been fighting the attempts by the Director of Public Prosecutions to bring him back to Ireland.
The priest, from the Catholic diocese of Clogher, is wanted in Ireland on charges of twice raping a 15-year-old boy in 1968.
Fr Markey’s alleged victim made the accusations against him in 2006, nearly 38 years after he said the rapes took place.
The priest’s accuser said he was 15 years old when Fr Markey, who was considered a family friend, allegedly raped him once in Lough Derg, Donegal and once in Co Galway, after his father’s funeral
Markey was stripped of duties at a Minnesota church in 1982 after parents complained he was “overly affectionate” with boys.
Francis Markey has been held in the St. Joseph County Jail since November, his legal team have indicated he intends to appeal this week’s extradition ruling in the US court of Appeals.
The Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly will appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food this morning to discuss her Special Report on the Lost at Sea Scheme, which she found was ‘contrary to fair and sound administration’.”
The committeen initially refused to meet her, but relented in the face of concerted pressure.
Fine Gael says this should be the first step to a full parliamentary investigation into the Lost at Sea Scheme which should involve former Marine Minister Frank Fahey, Department Officials and others.
Two men were arrested in Strabane last night in connection with a paramilitary style shooting which took place on Monday night.
The two men, both 23, were arrested in the Ballycolman and Carlton Drive areas of the town shortly after 9 o’clock last night.
A 24-year-old man was forced out to the front of his flat in Lisnafin Park in the town at around 11 o clock on Monday night.
Meanwhile, an area of Lisnafin was cordoned off last night near Riversdale Leisure Centre, while police xamined an abandoned car.
It was reported to police that a suspicious looking vehicle lay empty in a street not too far away from where Monday nights shooting took place.
Meanwhile the 24-year-old victim of Monday nights shooting remains in a serious condition in hospital.
He’s being removed from Altnagelvin Hospital to the critical care unit in the Ulster Hospital in East Belfast this morning.
Figures released by customs show that sixty-nine people driving Northern Ireland registered cars in Donegal have had their vehicles seized during a two day customs crackdown.
There was widespread anger during the operation with claims that many people travelling between Inishowen and Derry were delayed by up to three quarters of an hour as a result.
Tax and customs officials were operating checkpoints, most notably in Burnfoot, checking if people living in the Republic, had properly taxed cars.
On the 14th and 15th of this month a total of 1,060 vehicles were stopped.
69 vehicle were seized on the spot while a further 96 warnings were issued.
Irish Revenue has been unapologetic stating the rules were clear and the non-payment of tax would be vigorously pursued.
A statement released said that revenue maintains a focus on Vehicle Registration Tax offences throughout the year but at regular intervals customs undertake blitz style operations.
The statement states that these operations play a vital role in both the promotion of tax compliance through public visibility but also the detection of people who are not adhering to the law.
A man has been shot in both legs in a paramilitary-style attack in Strabane.
Four men went into a house at Lisnafin Park, Strabane, at around 11 o clock last night.
Meanwhile, Two families have been left homeless after an oil tank was deliberately set on fire in Strabane.
A 24-year-old man was forced out to the front of his flat in Lisnafin Park in Strabane at around 11 o clock last night.
He was then shot in both legs in the garden at the front of his home.
The man was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital where he’s recieving treatment. Police have appealed to anyone with information about the attack to contact them.
As of yet no-one has claimed repsonsbility for the shooting, but it’s believed dissident republicans where behind the attack.
Meanwhile, a young family and a young man have been left homeless after an oil tank was deliberlatley set on fire in Strabane.
The fire service was called to the fire on the Ballycolman Estate shortly after 3 o clock this morning.
Two detached bungalows were destroyed and fire officer Mark Deeney, who was at the scene said the damage was so severe that the houses caanot be used for the forseeable future.
At the moment there is nothing to suggest that the shooting and the fire are connected.
Strabane Councillor, Micheala Boyle has condmened both incidents.
Two families have been left homeless after an oil tank was deliberately set on fire in Strabane.
The Fire Service was called to the fire on the Ballycolman estate shortly after 3 o clock this morning.
Two bungalows were badly damaged and a shed of neighbouring property destroyed in the incident.
Fire officer Mark Deeney who was at the scene said the damage was so severe that the houses cannot be used for the foreseeable future
Hopes that air services in and out of Donegal and Derry might resume this evening have been dashed. Aer Arann had hoped to restore their Dublin services in and out of the North West, but have now confirmed all flights have been cancelled.
Aer Lingus has also cancelled all its flights into and out of Ireland today.
The airline had been hoping to resume some flights from this afternoon around lunchtime but Irish airspace remains closed to air traffic after a renewed eruption at the Icelandic volcano yesterday afternoon.
That put us at the centre of the contamination zone and led to the Irish Aviation Authority reversing yesterday’s decision to ease flight restrictions.
The Government’s Taskforce on Emergency Planning is meeting at the moment for talks on the crisis.
Donegal County Council officials are assessing the Water Services Investment Programme for the next three years which has now been published by the Minister for the Environment.
The investment includes funding of almost 100 million euro to schemes in Co Donegal, many of which have been previously flagged. As expected, the biggest single investment of 25 million euro goes to the new waste water plant in Letterkenny, while 16.5 million goes to the Killybegs Sewerage Scheme.
The full list of schemes to be funded in Donegal is as follows -
• Gweedore Sewerage Scheme – Network €8.5 million
• Gweedore Sewerage Scheme – Wastewater Treatment Plant €2.9 million
• Glenties/Dungloe Sewerage Schemes – Wastewater Treatment Plants €7million
• Killybegs Sewerage Scheme – Contract 2 (main pumping station & outfall) €16.5 million
• Ballybofey/Stranorlar Sewerage Scheme – Network €150,000
• Ballyshannon/Rosnowlagh Regional Water Supply Scheme –Treatment Plant €6 million
• Donegal (Group B) Sewerage Schemes – Wastewater Treatment Plans €25 million
• Donegal (Group B) –Networks €5million
• Letterkenny Sewerage Scheme – Wastewater Treatment Plan €25 million
• Water Conservation State 3 Works – Watermains Rehabilitation Project €3.1 million
Crime levels have fallen substantially in the Letterkenny Garda District this year, with crime down between 40 and 45% across the board.
Superintendent Vincent O’Brien told a public meeting of the local Joint Policing Committee this is partly due to the success of the CCTV system in the town.
He said he would like to see 10 more cameras, spread out across a wider area.
Superintendent O’Brien says the fall in crime is particularly evident in areas such as burglary and theft.
Members of the committee expressed disappointment after less than ten members of the public attended. It was the first public consultation to be called since November 2007.
Members agreed that the next meeting of the JPC should be held in public.
