A high Court judge has refused bail to a hairdresser accused of raping a 17-year-old male. Michael Joseph Diver (32) – described in court as ‘openly gay’ – is alleged to have sexually assaulted the youth in his flat in the Sackville Court area of Londonderry on March 18.

Fears that Cashel’s Social Welfare Office might close have prompted staff at the office to launch a petition on Main Street in the coming weeks. The news comes in the wake of Cashel Hospital’s closure earlier this year and has sparked widespread popular opposition, says Ellen Allison, who works in the Office.

Our Health Service faces a time of unpopular but necessary restructuring – some of which will be left to the new Assembly. Claire Regan reports on the task ahead for our new Health Minister and MLAs.

A poll commissioned by the Irish Penal Reform Trust has found that the majority of voters surveyed prefer non-custodial programmes over prison for most offenders.

BBC Children in Need has announced grants totalling more than £1.2m for projects in Northern Ireland. One hundred and sixty-four schemes will benefit, including one in Lurgan to help alienated young people.

Nurses working for five health service providers around the country will hold a one-hour work stoppage later this morning, as part of their campaign for better pay and shorter working hours.

There is no sign of any moves today to resolve the long-running nurses’ pay dispute as hospitals in Dublin and Roscommon prepare for the latest round of work stoppages tomorrow.

Residents in some of Limerick’s troubled housing estates will no longer have to turn directly to gardai in the battle against anti-social behaviour.

The nurses’ dispute is due to escalate today with one-hour work stoppages taking place at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel and St Luke’s Psychiatric Hospital, also in Clonmel.

Nurses will begin work stoppages in three hospitals in Dublin and Tipperary this Wednesday in their bid to get better pay and working conditions.