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Balmoral Show: Day One in Pictures
The Balmoral Show has kicked off at its new home at the Maze prison site outside Lisburn.
Also in the news ...
Toddler taken to morgue in body bag new
Record jackpot in US lottery draw
'Casual' police website wins fans
Truck left dangling in bridge crash
Farne Islands puffin census starts
'Obtuse' rail announcements slammed
Council may fine pigeon-feeders
Aussie minister floored by kangaroo
FO staff quizzed on Olympic tickets
Moderator mistaken for jewel thief
Trailer firm races into global motorsports markets
A company which makes trailers for the transport of motorsport vehicles is hoping to sell its products to global markets.
Look to emerging markets: RICS chief
NORTHERN Ireland's construction firms should continue to look to emerging markets for opportunities, the head of a professional organisation said.
Thomas Cook in debt cutting move
THOMAS Cook took another step towards calmer waters be announcing a £425m fundraising with shareholders in a bid to cut debt.
Coach tour firm destined for growth with air travel bid
A local independent specialist tour operator has launched a new dedicated air holiday division.
A change of place but not of pace at Balmoral Show
Not actually Balmoral in Belfast – that's the smell of leafy streets and manicured lawns – but the new, vast Maze site where the show of the same name was in full swing.
Amazon attacked over UK tax bill
THE UK arm of internet shopping giant Amazon paid corporation tax of just £2.4m last year despite sales of £4.2bn.
Appointments: Christopher McCartan
Christopher McCartan has been appointed sales executive at Mercury Security Management.
Appointments: Diana Armstrong
Diana Armstrong has been appointed western area consultant at David Scott Tiles.
Appointments: Suzi Stewart
Suzi Stewart has joined Lucas Love Recruitment as principal IT specialist.
Business galleries
R&D takes Portadown company to Paris
The Deluxe Group, based in Portadown is a bespoke joinery firm which specialises in luxury fit out.
Technology helps photographer boost business
Donal Doherty is a Londonderry photographer specialising in wedding, lifestyle and portrait photography.
Jobs Fund helps Equiniti expand workforce
One of Northern Ireland’s most successful IT software and services companies, Equiniti ICS, has expanded its workforce with the support of Invest Northern Ireland’s Jobs Fund.
Company Profiles
Company Snapshot: Manderley Food Group Ltd
Manderley Food Group is now an English registered company with headquarters in Corby. The main shareholders are the Hutchinson family in Tandragee.
Company snapshot: Liberty Information Technology Ltd.
Liberty Information Technology is a subsidiary of the Boston (USA) based financial services group, Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, and describes its activities as software development and associated services for the wider group. It has been in business in Northern Ireland since 1996.
Company Snapshot: Old Bushmills Distillery Co. Ltd.
Old Bushmills Distillery is engaged in distilling, maturation, blending, marketing and selling of Irish whiskey. The company, based in Bushmills village, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Diageo Group.
Tourism
Northern Ireland has dirtiest beaches in UK
Northern Ireland's beaches were the most littered in the UK last year, a survey showed.
ESPN Brazil scopes Northern Ireland Golf
Following a fantastic year of golf for Northern Ireland with the sell-out Irish Open and the achievements of local heroes Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke, ESPN Brazil visited Northern Ireland to get to get first-hand experience of golfing in the province.
Tourism conference to explore the Northern Ireland experience
The tourism industry is set to hear the Canadian perspective on growing a successful and dynamic tourism sector at an industry wide conference on Tuesday 5th March at the La Mon Hotel and Country Club, Belfast.
Help & Advice
Improve your employees work with new furniture
In business it’s all about productivity. You know that your business’s success largely depends on the performance of your employees.
In Video: Equality Commission event in Belfast
The Equality Commission for NI and Employers for Disability NI have come together to organise a half day seminar at Malone House, Belfast, to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Developing strategy for mobiles is a smart move
Question: I own a boutique retail outlet. How important is it for me to have a mobile strategy?
Small Business Can
If we start sharing the lessons then business can be successful
A long, long time ago, I wrote a book called Community Enterprise, Business Planning for the Social Economy. (It comes to mind now because I was at the Ulster Bank Business Achievers final last week in Belfast and talked to some great social enterprises.)
The Mac's canteen team has expansion on the menu
The Mac – or the Metropolitan Arts Centre, to give it the full title – has just celebrated its first birthday. So, too, has the Canteen at the Mac. But while the Mac is a charity, the Canteen is an independent commercial business, run by JRS Catering.
Skin clinic is offering NI a unique service
THE Claro Skin Clinic in Dundonald offers a service that is unique in Northern Ireland, at which people worried about moles can have an expert examination and assessment without the need for a GP referral.
Opinion
Raising a toast to revolutionary King
Just when we thought the green shoots of recovery had wilted, been clamped in a silo and turned to silage, the one and only Mervyn King steps forward to sprinkle his magic dust over the UK economy.
Jobs joy has set stage for the G8
You can tell it's going to be a big announcement when the combined journalist, security and civil servant gathering generates something of a party atmosphere.
End of Euro quotas will be a big boost to milk producers
Northern Ireland farmers produce a large supply of milk. Last year 1.95bn litres came from the farms and passed down the marketing chain.
The Apprentice is just entertainment, so tune in and switch off
You couldn't love them if you reared them. That's certainly the first impression given by the bunch of Lord Sugar mini-mes which drooled at the lap of the architect of the Amstrad empire in this week's Apprentice show.
Stock market slump proves that Ferguson will be sadly missed
There's nothing like stock markets to put you in your place.
Nothing succeeds like a good succession plan
The news of Alex Ferguson's departure came as a huge shock. His track record as a manager was both remarkable and unparalleled.