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Michelle McIlveen of the DUP who topped the poll in the Strangford constituency is kissed by a supporter. Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association Images

DUP and Sinn Féin in command as North's 'shambolic' assembly count resumes

There have been widespread delays in counting across the region with less than half of the assembly’s seats filled so far.

THE DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST Party and Sinn Féin look set to remain the biggest parties in the Northern Ireland assembly as counting resumes this morning with still more than half of the seats to be filled.

The delay in filling seats in the 108 member assembly has been described as ‘shambolic’ by the Belfast Telegraph with anger growing in the region that it is taking so long to fill seats.

The paper reports a series of embarrassing blunders where in one count centre votes for the assembly and the alternative vote referendum were mixed up.

Meanwhile in Omagh some ballot papers had to be dried out with a hairdryer after getting wet. Elsewhere, a table stacked with voting papers collapsed and further delayed the process.

BBC News reports that as of 11.33am this morning, 50 seats have been filled so far with the DUP on 22, Sinn Féin on 15, the Ulster Unionist Party on six, Social Democratic and Labour Party on four and the Alliance on three.

Last night it was reported that the North was set for an historically low turnout of around 55 percent, a figu e that could put pressure on the smaller parties in the assembly.

It now appears likely that DUP leader Peter Robinson will retain his position as first minister in Northern Ireland with Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness as his deputy.

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    Mute SV3tN8M4
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    Feb 7th 2025, 1:57 PM

    Comreg asleep at the wheel for years in relation to this. It’s just another useless Quango draining Taxpayers money.

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    Mute Kieran Woods
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    Feb 7th 2025, 2:35 PM

    @SV3tN8M4: Absolutely. A gang call Yourtell scammed lots of older people to sign up to a service posing as a branch of Eir. When they received huge bills, they then got fake solicitors letters threatening prosecution. Comreg said it was out of their hands for months and didn’t even issue a warning. It’s only when the scam reached Joe Duffy that they decided to look at it. Absolutely useless.

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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Feb 7th 2025, 2:11 PM

    The Amazon and E-Flow ones are the best… I’m well used them but constantly have to sort stuff out for my Mum she’s so trusting.

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    Mute Pupper Class Gifts
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    Feb 7th 2025, 1:58 PM

    Great idea. Maybe it’ll help to unmark the text msg I get from An Post – they’re always marked as potentially dangerous, not recommended to open

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    Mute A D
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    Feb 7th 2025, 4:14 PM

    Will this eliminate ‘number spoofing’, where a false number is displayed as the sender?

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    Mute thomas molloy
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    Feb 7th 2025, 1:59 PM

    If “the Bookie always wins” are all promotion/ads communications not scams. ?

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    Mute Athena
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    Feb 7th 2025, 2:28 PM

    Any decent supplier will filter them out.
    Question: what is that register actually monitoring? Is the spam thing a front to “get up close and personal”???

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    Mute Jerry LeFrog
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    Feb 7th 2025, 2:34 PM

    @Athena: The third-last and second-last paragraphs in the article detail what the register will be doing.

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    Mute Athena
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    Feb 7th 2025, 3:10 PM

    @Jerry LeFrog: I know that. You believe that. Just wait and see.

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    Mute Kieran Menon
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    Feb 8th 2025, 10:01 AM

    There’s scammers registered, and Comreg does nothing…

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    Mute Ned
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    Feb 7th 2025, 4:26 PM

    O lord what next?

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    Mute stefan epure
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    Feb 7th 2025, 10:06 PM

    We can spoof a MAC, IP, email address what makes them think that a lousy ID cant be spoofed either ?

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