TheHarpNews.com

More High Flyers take to the Skies
The number of helicopters registered in Ireland has doubled in the last five years. Property developers are using helicopters to get a bird’s-eye-view of sites while other wealthy owners are using them to avoid traffic and to fly to social events like the Galway Races. Figures from the Irish Aviation Authority show the number of registered helicopters has risen to 113 - up from just 56 in 2000.

Security Scale Down Angers Paisley
With the announcement by the British government of a major initiative to drastically scale down security in the North of Ireland it seems not everyone there was happy. DUP Leader Ian Paisley claimed the action amounted to “surrender to the IRA” and showed “bad faith” on the side of the British. The British government moved swiftly in the wake of the IRA’s statement about ending its armed struggle. The number of troops is to be cut by half to about 5,000 while many observation posts and watchtowers are to be closed as part of the plans announced by Peter Hain in light of the dramatic statement made by the IRA.
The hope is that Northern Ireland can take another step to normalisation for lives of the people in the region. But there is no pleasing some people, Mr Paisley warned the British government it would pay a high price for its programme of demilitarisation in the North.