In Short

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

A round-up of today's other stories in brief.

PSNI question man (24) over arson murders

A 24-year-old man is being questioned by police following the murders of two people in an arson attack at their cottage in Co Armagh, writes Dan Keenan, Northern News Editor.

Thomas O'Hare (33) and Lisa McClatchey (21) died last week in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after they were beaten, doused with petrol and set on fire by a gang of up to six people at their home in Tassagh, near Keady.

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The latest suspect was taken in for questioning in Co Armagh on Saturday night. A 28-year-old woman, arrested on Friday, has been released. One man has appeared in court over the incident, accused of withholding information.

Police also want to speak to four men who remain seriously ill with burns in St James's Hospital, Dublin.

Irishwoman badly injured by cone

Scottish police believe a 23-year-old Irishwoman who received serious spinal injuries after a traffic cone was dropped on her head from a bridge in Edinburgh city centre may be a student there.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders police confirmed they had received a call in relation to the incident at Merchant Street yesterday. The woman is in a serious but stable condition in hospital, where family members joined her from Ireland yesterday. Her name and other details are not being released.

It is understood she was returning with friends from a night out when the cone landed on her head from a height of some 60ft.

While her condition is not thought to be life-threatening, she received very serious spinal injuries. Officers believe it may have been a prank that went wrong and have appealed for those involved to come forward.

Officers sealed off the scene yesterday morning and interviewed patrons of nearby pubs and clubs. They are also examining CCTV footage of the area.

Cross-Border music events start

The first in a 10-year series of all-Ireland musical events takes place at St Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle on Friday. The Cross-Border Orchestra of Ireland and the Altnaveigh House Piping Hot group from Newry will perform a musical collaboration entitled The Crossing - Celebrating the Rich and Diverse Culture of the Island of Ireland.

The concert will feature music from the Ulster Scots and Irish traditions and will mark the launch of a 10-year programme of concerts designed to promote the music and culture of the island of Ireland.

Stardust survivors call for new inquiry

Survivors of the Stardust fire and relatives of those who died are to hold a news conference in Dublin tomorrow night to press for a new inquiry into the nightclub tragedy in Artane, Dublin, which resulted in the deaths of 48 people on St Valentine's Day, 1981.

Antoinette Keegan of the Stardust Victims Committee said the Department of the Taoiseach had informed the committee that they would receive a letter from Mr Ahern today. She quoted an official at the department as saying, with reference to the news conference, "hopefully, you can share the good news".

A spokesman for the department would not confirm this yesterday, but said contact with the families was "ongoing".

Ms Keegan said: "We want the Government to come back with an answer."