The recession in Northern Ireland is over according to the chief economist working for one of the province's 'big four' banks. Angela McGowan is also predicting positive economic growth before the year's end following the publication of Northern Bank's latest quarterly survey. It reveals the local economy stopped contracting in the third quarter of 2009. A growth of 0.9% is forecast for the final quarter - October to December. Northern Bank economist Angela McGowan predicts the local economy will also grow slightly next year, after it stalls again.

Two men have been arrested following a shoot out with police in a county Fermanagh village. Last night officers were shot at in Garrison close to the border. They returned fire and no one was injured. The PSNI's blaming this and second attack last night on dissident republicans. In Belfast a car was driven through a barrier into the policing board headquarters complex at Clarendon Dock. Two men abandoned the car that burst into flames a short time later. Police have said no serious damage was caused.

Dissident republicans are being blamed for two attacks on police last night. Officers were shot at in the County Fermanagh village of Garrison close to the border. They returned fire and no one was injured. And later in Belfast a car was driven through a barrier into the policing board headquarters complex at Clarendon Dock. Two men abandoned the car that burst into flames a short time later. Police have said no serious damage was caused.

Two 23-year-old men have been killed in a crash outside Ballyclare. It happened when the Subaru they were driving left the Collin Road at about 1:20 yesterday afternoon. Police believe the car had been stolen earlier from a house in Larne.

A post-mortem examination is to take place after a man was found murdered at an east Belfast house. It is believed the dead man is a Polish national, his body was found in Ardenvohr Street yesterday evening at about twenty to six. A murder inquiry was launched earlier, and police say they are linking the murder to a sudden death in South Belfast. The body of the murdered man's housemate was found on a building site in south Belfast yesterday. This death is not being treated as suspicious.

Sinn Fein has chosen a former police reserve officer to join its team of MLAs in the Assembly. Billy Leonard was picked by the party last night to represent east Londonderry. He'll replace Francie Brolly who stepped down last month Mr Leonard is a Coleraine Councillor, and a former member of the Orange Order and the SDLP. He says he's firm in his Republicanism.

A 200m exclusion zone has been put in place around a mechanical engineering works at Mallusk after a fire. Firefighters say the area will be cordoned off until 11 o'clock tonight because of the presence of gas cylinders on the site . Eight lorries were badly damaged in the fire

The chair of Moyle District Policing Partnership Chair has received a death threat. Oliver McMullan was on his way to a DPP meeting in Bushmills last night when police called him to say that the Samaritans had received a call that he'd be killed if he attended the meeting. The Sinn fein councillor went ahead and chaired the meeting - he says he should engage with the DPP instead of ''living in isolation in the dark ages.''

There are calls for Northern Ireland councils to back the set-up of safety for firefighters committee. Limavady council is the first of the 26 here to back a report by the Fire Brigades Union, which calls for work to start on creating a body responsible for safety advice for firefighters. Limavady firefighter Joe McCloskey died during a blaze at the Gorteen Hotel six years ago. Since then 22 other firefighters have lost their lives. His brother-in-law and Limavady councillor Paddy Butcher says his death may have been prevented had a fire service ombudsman been in place:

An Electoral Registration event's taking place in Coleraine today. The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland is helping people to get on the Electoral Register, and obtain an Electoral Identity Card at the town hall between 3:30pm and 7pm.