The luck of the draw
A FRESH attempt is to be made to reform the Sunday trading laws in the new parliamentary session. Labour MP Ray Powell's private member's bill aimed at preventing the widespread flouting of the trading rules was drawn third in the annual ballot of over 400. Mr Powell is backed by the Keep Sunday Special Campaign.
IRISH broadcasting service RTE is upgrading its news and sports telephone services for Irish people in Britain. The special newsline will now be updated every hour between Sam and 7pm. RTE claim that Irish people in Britain who use the service will hear practically the same news and sports output as listeners in Ireland.
A SCHOLAR and monk from Downside Abbey is to be honoured by an American University. Dom Bernard Orchard, who is best known for his revolutionary hypothesis on the origins of the synoptic gospels, was this week awarded an honorary degree as Doctor of Humane Letters at the University of Dallas in Texas.
STUDENTS at one of the oldest Catholic girls' boarding schools have acheived success in the Young Electronics Designer Award beating pupils from 1,500 other schools. Lucy Bonze and Claire Guerlain, both 13, from Woldingham School, Surrey, took second prize in the national final for their design of a digital display for bus destination plates.
VISITORS to the Ehhw Vale Garden Festival in Gwent can see a unique relief map of Wales, designed for the Churches Combined Garden, The 10 by 12 foot map shows the locations of every Christian building, including cathedrals, abbeys and monasteries, in the country.
MORE than 3.6 million abortions have been performed in this country under the 1967 Abortion Act, according to a reply at Westminster from junior health minister Thomas Sackville. Only 151, or 0.004 per cent, were performed "in an emergency or to save the life of a woman".
THE Virgin Mary is to be played by an ex-waitress who says she doesn't believe In God. The role of Mary in the famous York cycle of Mystery Plays has been given to English graduate Kate Thomson in what is her first big part. "She will be pure and untouched but she will be good in an ordinary way, rather than an icon," said Kate.
LT Colonel (Rtd) Jimmy Lyons has been presented with the papal award Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for his outstanding contribution to Catholic communities throughout his 47 years of service in HM Forces. Colonel Jimmy served in the Royal Engineers in many parts of the world before hanging up his uniform 11 years ago.