Latest news with #Newtownabbey
Belfast Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
The Open: NI star takes share of lead after bouncing back from opening bogey with hot streak
Just now Tom, on the other hand... Has another great look at birdie on 10 as he takes aim at this narrow par-four green and arrows one just short of the pin, leaving him around 10 feet for what would be four-under in his last four holes. Nicolai Højgaard is also on the dance floor but he has a longer look at birdie and an awkward slope to come over just in front of the hole. Advantage McKibbin. one minute ago Gareth Hanna Life-changing money on offer? The winner's cheque this week will be made out for £2.3M. Tom McKibbin (22) will have his eyes on that prize after his promising start, but it won't be for the money. He's already earned £4M this year since his move to the contentious, Saudi-backed LIV Golf. 6 minutes ago Pádraig's problems persist A bit of clever alliteration but not a good situation for the Irishman as he pushes his drive off the par-four 10th tee and now has a group of about 15 people looking for the ball and they still can't find it. Eventually they have to call it - lost ball, he's away back to the tee to hit his third. 7 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Pin locations for day one An unashamed post for the golf nerds here - the pin sheet for today's setup. 11 minutes ago 'There may only be seven players under par but I'm impressed at the scoring so far because being out on the course you can feel how the wind is causing a lot of problems, especially on the par-threes - the afternoon wave could be in for a really punishing day.' Belfast Telegraph sports reporter Adam McKendry 17 minutes ago Adam McKendry New leader! And it's this man! Newtownabbey's Tom McKibbin rolls in the birdie putt confidently on the ninth and he joins playing partner Nicolai Højgaard at -2! Højgaard makes the up and down for par to remain tied at the top, while Pádraig Harrington holes for par as well to stay at +2, although he was worryingly close to another three-putt there. McKibbin in the mood His drive on the ninth finds the rough to the right of the fairway but his follow up shot is exceptional, bouncing it short of the green and rolling up to around five feet for a birdie that would tie the lead given Nicolai Højgaard has missed the green with his second after also finding rough off the tee. This has been a remarkable bounce back from McKibbin after his first three holes. He looks very composed out there. 31 minutes ago Par it is McKibbin can't convert the birdie putt on eight so he remains -1, with Højgaard doing likewise to remain one clear at -2. It's another bogey for Pádraig, though, and a third three-putt of the round already as he drops back to +2. That one will hurt most of all as he completely misread the first putt from just short of the green, pushing it way right and leaving him too much to do with his comebacker. 36 minutes ago Adam McKendry Harrington battling The two-time Open champion isn't having things his own way as he misjudges the approach into the par-four eighth and leaves it short. After his hot start, he's really cooled off since and can't get anything going. Tom McKibbin is on the green in two after piping another one down the middle, with his approach earning a "Good shot" remark from Pádraig. He's looking to join Højgaard, who has a longer birdie putt, at the top. 48 minutes ago How it stands First group going along nicely. Keeping good pace, too. 50 minutes ago The eagle lands!! Lovely putt from McKibbin up and over the ridge, right to left, and in she drops! After a rocky start, he's now three-under for his last three holes and up to -1! That would be a share of the lead if it wasn't for Nicolai Højgaard getting up and down from the left of the green for birdie and he's reassumed the solo lead at -2! Harrington, meanwhile, scrambles for his par which is not a bad outcome after that drive. Still +1. 59 minutes ago Adam McKendry The roar carries We could hear that roar for Phil's bunker shot all the way down on 7, where Tom McKibbin got a loud ovation after crushing his drive down the middle. He'll have a great chance to go for the green and maybe set up an eagle chance. Pádraig Harrington has had to lay up after finding the fairway bunker. Things are fun in this group - McKibbin and Højgaard in particular are having a good few laughs. Today 07:13 AM A beautiful noise The Open on Twitter / X First tee shot. First birdie of the Harrington is off to a strong start. The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 07:11 AM Gareth Hanna He'd pay for that in my fourball... Phil Mickelson won't be under par for long. His tee shot on the 176-yard par three third was plugged in the face of the front bunker, and he can't get it out of the trap. In my fourball, that would be 50p to every other player for not escaping the bunker. OH BUT WAIT! He WILL be under par for long. He's only gone and holed his next bunker shot for a glorious par!! He'd still owe 50p though... The Open on Twitter / X A short game holes out from the sand. The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. Today 07:08 AM Gareth Hanna Louis, Louis - oh baby! Oosthuizen becomes the first man to drive the par four fifth green. It's 372 yards but all downhill. Get the line right and these boys can get it there. Super shot on what is the most picturesque point on the course. He misses the eagle try up the hill but it's a two-putt bird and he's back to level par. Back at one, Darren Clarke has a two-putt par to get his Open off to a steady start. (Kudos to those who recognised the Kinks reference in the title of this one.) Today 07:06 AM Pars all round The sixth is going to be another really tricky hole with the wind blowing directly left to right across the green but the lead group navigate it well, all of them hitting the green with their tee shots and two putting from range. Not much more to add - on to the seventh and a potential birdie chance! Today 07:05 AM Gareth Hanna Mickelson in the red! A birdie on the second gets the LIV Golf player into red figures, joining Nicolai Hojgaard and Jacob Skov Olesen at the top. And Lucas Herbert who rallies in a long putt on the first. It smashed the back of the cup. It could be this golf legend's last time playing in NI – why you should catch him while you still can Phil Mickelson made scores of Northern Ireland kids happy on Tuesday. Today 06:56 AM Adam McKendry Birdie for McKibbin The Newtownabbey man is on the board! A nice curling putt from right to left and he's back up to +1. Harrington tidies up nicely for par to remain on the same score but Højgaard continues to look impressive as he leaves his first chip in the rough but then holes from 15 feet to save par after his second pitch shot.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
DUP councillor Linda Clarke suspended over planning conflicts
A Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor has been suspended for three months by a standards watchdog over her involvement in planning decisions lobbied on by her Clarke, of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, was investigated by the Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner for found she failed to declare her interests for council planning decisions on which her husband, DUP assembly member Trevor Clarke, was making Clarke is a DUP councillor for the Dunsilly area and works in her husband's constituency office in South Antrim. The watchdog began investigating in 2019 following a series of newspaper reports.A hearing on Wednesday was told Mrs Clarke sat on the council's planning committee in May 2017 when her husband made representations on two was noted in council records as representing the Clarke had received guidance from the council's lawyer earlier that month advising of a possible conflict of advice said that Mr Clarke was understood at the time to be "connected with a planning consultancy business".Assistant commissioner Ian Gordon found Mrs Clarke had breached three sections of the councillors' code of conduct relating to declaring hearing was told the councillor had apologised in submissions to the expressed "regret" that she did not declare her "dual conflict of interest" in the planning applications and withdraw from the council Gordon said the councillor "did not display insight into her actions" and did not accept her conflict of interest "until very recently".He said the councillor had a "significant private and personal non-pecuniary interest"."The area of planning is a matter of substantial public interest," he commissioner said Mrs Clarke had "no previous history" of breaching the code and had self-referred to the watchdog following media reports. Controversies The watchdog probe was among a number of controversies which emerged in 2019 surrounding the the time, the couple insisted they "made all the relevant declarations and adhered to all rules".In 2023, another DUP councillor who worked in Mr Clarke's constituency office was suspended from the council's planning committee for three watchdog found John Smyth breached the code of conduct by not declaring an interest when Mr Clarke made representations to the 2021, the assembly member apologised for not declaring to a constituent who was opposing a planning application that he was lobbying for the plans through a side-line consultancy apology followed a complaint made to the Northern Ireland Assembly's standards had faced questions in 2019 after it emerged he was running the consultancy business, which represented applicants in the council planning denied it was a conflict of interest that breached assembly rules, but later ceased its also emerged Mid and East Antrim Borough Council had launched a planning enforcement investigation into a triple garage built at the Clarkes' home without Clarke, at the time, insisted it did not require planning he later submitted a retrospective application, which was DUP has been approached for comment.
BBC News
03-07-2025
- BBC News
West Belfast 5G masts: Man arrested for arson
A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of a number of counts of arson on 5G masts in west said they believe these attacks are not the work of a single individual.A sixth arson attack on 5G towers in three weeks was reported on June 2023, 16 arson attacks on 5G towers took place in west Belfast, with the most recent attack near the Rathcoole estate, in Newtownabbey, bringing the total to 17. The man who was arrested remains in police Insp McAnee said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) "continue to keep an open mind and are actively pursuing a number of lines of enquiry"."It is our current assessment that these attacks are not the work of a single individual."It is therefore important to reiterate our appeal for the public's assistance. "We remain of the belief that there are individuals out there who will have knowledge that could assist us in identifying those responsible and stopping these attacks."Police added that the public should continue to see increased police visibility around the affected areas."Engagement with stakeholders will continue as part of our effort to ensure that steps are taken to protect this critical infrastructure and prevent future incidents," Det Insp McAnee said. Cornerstone, the firm responsible for maintaining the physical masts which provide signal for network providers, previously told BBC News NI it was aware that some people have concerns about mobile phone base stations."The strong consensus of expert groups and public health agencies, such as the World Health Organization, is that no health risks have been established from exposure to the low-level radio signals used by these base stations," Cornerstone said.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- BBC News
Encrochat: Newtownabbey cocaine dealer jailed for eight years
A drug dealer who used the encrypted communications platform EncroChat to smuggle large quantities of cocaine into Northern Ireland has been jailed for eight Patton, 40, from Dorchester Avenue in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, admitted offences, including conspiring to possess cocaine, fraudulently importing the drug and having cocaine with intent to supply also admitted a charge of possessing criminal property, namely £250,000 in at Londonderry Crown Court on Wednesday, a judge said Patton had been operating on a "commercial scale". Judge Neil Rafferty added: "The defendant in this case was centrally involved in the organisation, supervision and control of the importation of significant commercial quantities of cocaine."The court in Derry was told he had committed the offences on dates March and April judge said the Encrochat mobile network was advertised as a highly-encrypted and secure platform, providing a secure means of communication between individuals using the and Dutch police penetrated the Encrochat network and shared with international police forces in 2020.A number of cases are currently being progressed through the year, a self-confessed drug dealer from County Antrim was one of the first to be sentenced in Northern Ireland for offences linked with EncroChat. 'Significant number of people worldwide' Judge Rafferty added: "French police gained access to the network and thereby access to the communications between a very significant number of people worldwide. "Thereafter, the information captured was geolocated and provided to law enforcement bodies."The judge said that, in the UK, the National Crime Agency had been the central agency which received the material. "Each Encrochat user had a different username," he said."In this case the username attributed to the defendant is 'massive-movers'." Patton is currently serving a a 32-month, handed down in March last year at Belfast Crown Court, after he admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply. 'Buy a cash counting machine' Patton, the court was told, had contacts in Panama, Columbia, Spain, the Netherlands, Ecuador and message exchanged between Patton and another Encrochat user referred to the delivery of fifteen bits or tops of cocaine at £45,000 exchange also referred to the bits and tops being collected at junction 17, M1 in the Dundalk area in the Republic of another exchange a user told Patton that he should buy a cash-counting machine. Judge Rafferty said a pre-sentence report compiled by a probation officer stated that Patton "has struggled to come to terms" with the harm his offending has caused to Rafferty said the messages showed Patton "fulfilled a command and control capacity to move multi-kilo consignments of cocaine."I am satisfied that in this case the defendant's use of the Encrochat network was to facilitate and conceal commercial scale drugs criminality."
BreakingNews.ie
15-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Gun pointed at man during vehicle hijacking in Antrim
A man had a gun pointed at his face and was struck with the weapon during a vehicle hijacking in Co Antrim. Detectives are appealing for information about the incident which occurred shortly after 10pm on Saturday near commercial premises on the O'Neill Road in Newtownabbey. Advertisement Two men reported seeing another two males looking inside the van they had been travelling in as they left the premises. Our detectives are appealing for witnesses following a hi-jacking in the O'Neill Road area of Newtownabbey last night. — Police Antrim and Newtownabbey (@PSNIANDistrict) June 15, 2025 A PSNI spokesperson said: 'When challenged, one of the males ran towards one of the men and demanded the keys to the vehicle. 'When the man refused to give him them, the suspect pointed a handgun in his face, before striking him on the top of the head with the weapon, and taking the keys from him. 'Both suspects then made off in the van.' Advertisement The man armed with the handgun is described as being approximately six feet in height, of athletic build, and dressed in dark coloured clothing and a balaclava. Anyone with information is asked to call 101, and quote reference number 1630 of 14/06/25.
