Barracks shooting soldier's mother shocked by verdict
The mother of a soldier shot dead in Northern Ireland has said she is shocked that the suspect was acquitted today.
'First' robot doctor begins working on hospital wards
What is thought to be the first robot doctor in the UK has begun working at a hospital in Northern Ireland.
Police injured in Union flag row clashes
Twenty-nine police officers were injured during sectarian riots between republicans and loyalists in east Belfast today.
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No injuries as pipe bomb explodes in NI village
A pipe bomb has exploded in a village in Northern Ireland, police said today.
The device was detonated in the Ardaveen area of Bessbrook, Co Armagh, just before midnight.
There were no reports of any injuries.
A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said Army technical experts had been called to the scene.
Obama marks anniversary of Good Friday Agreement
US president Barack Obama has paid tribute to the people and leaders of Northern Ireland on the 15th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
He said: "The people of Northern Ireland and their leaders have traveled a great distance over the past fifteen years.
"There is urgent work still to be done – and there will be more tests to come.
"There are still those few who prefer to look backward rather than forward – who prefer to inspire hate rather than hope.
"The many who have brought Northern Ireland this far must keep rejecting their call."
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Farmers fear for the future after big freeze
Forecasters are predicting the cold weather could last well into April raising fears about the elderly and vulnerable. In Northern Ireland, the helicopters have been out again delivering emergency food supplies to remote farms and communities cut off by deep snow.
From County Down, ITV News Reporter Marc Mallett:
NI bomb squad examines abandoned beer keg
The potential threat, described as a "beer keg with wires sticking out of it," was found on Clogh Road in Rosslea following a telephone bomb warning in the early hours of this morning.
Nearby homes have been evacuated and security personnel have been on site since 1am.
The alert comes after a beer keg containing 60kg of explosives was discovered in an abandoned car in the same area last Friday.
RAF helicopter helps farmers in Northern Ireland
The Chinook made deliveries to the Glens of Antrim on Tuesday, and is now understood to be heading to the Dromara area of South Down.
Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill said that the Irish Air Corps was also providing air support to help find and rescue stranded livestock.
Watch ITV News reporter Marc Mallett's report on the air drops here
Chinooks help reach stranded farmers
They are normally used to supply and support the military, but today RAF Chinooks took to the skies to ferry food to animals stranded in the snow.
The helicopters dropped their emergency supplies across rural parts of Northern Ireland hardest hit by blizzards.
ITV News reporter Marc Mallet watched the Chinooks on their mission of mercy:
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Chinook helicopter deployed amid snow aftermath
An RAF Chinook helicopter has been called to Northern Ireland to assist with an emergency operation to reach farms and families cut off by huge snow drifts.
It is due to refuel at Aldergrove, near Belfast, this afternoon and then begin airlifting fodder and provisions to the Glens of Antrim where thousands of livestock are feared to have died.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said, "The MoD can confirm that we have received a request from the Northern Ireland Executive to help deliver animal feed to farms severely affected by the recent snow".
"We are working with the NIE to see what support can be provided and a Chinook helicopter is being deployed to Northern Ireland this morning as part of this support”, he added.
A senior official with the Department of Agriculture will be on board the Chinook to identify areas worst affected by the snow and freezing temperatures.
Farmers said the conditions, especially in the Glens, are the worst in living memory.
Northern Ireland calls Army in amid snow aftermath
Sinn Fein has asked the British Army to help deal with the aftermath of heavy snow in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill has called for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to use its helicopters for food drops to cattle and sheep stranded in the worst affected remote areas.
Estimates suggest up to 10,000 animals have been buried beneath snow drifts that have reached up to 18 feet high in parts of Counties Antrim and Down.
"What we have done is we have asked the MoD to provide a helicopter because there was no helicopter available anywhere on this island that would be capable of taking the feed up and distributing it," Ms O'Neill said.
"They have agreed to come in and there were talks late into the night last night to make sure everything was ready to go", she continued. "Anything that helps get food and aid out on the ground then that is what we need to do".
Hill farmer says snow has created 'a disaster area'
Drifting snow is preventing rescue teams getting to the more remote parts of the country, farmers in Northern Ireland say they expect 'catastrophic' losses of livestock.
Hill farmer Sean Scullion has 40 sheep unaccounted for, speaking to Daybreak he said: "This is a disaster area, this has been a disaster zone for the past three days".
Farmers count the cost of worst spring in living memory
Farmers across Northern Ireland and Wales are fearing for their future as the snow inflicts untold damage on their livestock.
Some sheep farmers have been trying to dig their flocks out from under deep drifts, but only a few of the animals they find have survived.
ITV News' Marc Mallett reports:
Read: 'Emergency food drops' for livestock in Northern Ireland
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