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16/02/2010
Other NI News In Brief
SF Pick Candidate
The West Belfast Sinn Féin candidate selection convention for the upcoming Westminster election will take place this evening, in the Roddy McCorley Club on the Glen Road. The selection convention will be chaired by Stormont Junior Minister Gerry Kelly with the procedure overseen by Minister Michelle Gildernew. Gerry Adams, party President (pictured here) has been the 'sitting' MP - who does not 'take his seat' in the British Parliament - for republican-based political reasons.
Drugs Accused For Court
Eight men are to appear in court in Belfast following a large drugs seizure at the weekend. They are charged with conspiracy to supply drugs and a variety of money laundering offences. Cocaine, speed and herbal cannabis with an estimated value of £2m were found by police in Kilkeel, Belfast and Preston in England on Saturday. See: £2m Weekend Drug Haul
Water Of Life
A water brand, Ballygowan, has unveiled a major new campaign to raise much needed funds for breast cancer awareness across Ireland. Supporting the Marie Keating Foundation and its campaign partner in Northern Ireland, Action Cancer, the Ballygowan 'Be Part of It' campaign also hopes to promote the importance of early detection in saving lives. The first phase of the campaign is the launch of its Ballygowan Pink Bottle - a stylish pink bottle, but with every bottle sold in Northern Ireland supporting Action Cancer's life-saving early detection services and education services. Also, over the next six months, in the lead up to Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Ballygowan will also be running a series of events to involve consumers in raising funds for the Marie Keating Foundation and Action Cancer.
Rail Problems
Speculation that the planned upgrade of the Coleraine-Derry section of the Belfast-Derry railway line may have been shelved has caused East Derry SDLP Assembly Member John Dallat to table a priority written question to the Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy seeking an assurance that the work will commence as planned. "Any suggestion that this work can be downgraded to care, maintenance and a passing loop, but not relaying of the track is unacceptable. We need assurances that the Derry-Belfast rail service is on course to become a first-class intercity service and won't be among the first casualties of cuts facing the Assembly due to the financial crisis," he said.
Glengormley Park Plagued
There will be more light shed on a suburban public park problem soon - literally - now that a decision has been made to improve lighting in Newtownabbey's Glengormley Park. The move has been welcomed by DUP Alderman Nigel Hamilton: "I had approached the director and raised the issue at January's Council meeting looking for improvements that would bring some reassurance to residents who have been very concerned at the unacceptable regularity of damage and noise form young people in part of the park near Carnmoney Road," he said, explaining that over £2,000 pounds of damage has been caused over the last six months along with an increasing nightly problem of noise and abuse with anti social behaviour and resulting damage. "The decision makes the park a safer and more user friendly place for the public at night," he concluded.
Facebook 'Closes Site'
SDLP South Belfast MLA Conall McDevitt has welcomed reports that Facebook has moved to close down a Belfast-based group which was very clearly racist. "I reported this group to the PSNI's Hate Crime Unit last Thursday and notified university authorities as there seemed to be a substantial student element involved. I also called on Facebook to close it down and was disappointed when there was no sign of action by the weekend. I learned during a BBC interview on the subject today that Facebook has finally taken action and I welcome this. This group was 15,000 strong and recruiting 1000 new people a day across Ireland. Its content was directly and obscenely abusive to specified minority groups. Social networking sites need to be aware of the danger that they could be abused for evil and illegal purposes and they need to act quickly and decisively against racist groups," he said, yesterday after the racist group that was directing hate-filled abuse at Roma rose-sellers in Northern Ireland appeared on the social networking site.
Senator Wants Derry 'On The Map'
A Dublin Fianna Fail Senator Cecilia Keaveney has asked why Ordnance Survey Maps in Ireland have the name Londonderry alone on them instead of Derry. The Senator had raised the issue with Dáil Minister Eamon Ryan who said there was nothing the Ordinance Survey could do under the current arrangements as it continued to be Londonderry because Derry City came under another jurisdiction and is up to their Ordnance Survey office what any town is named. He further explained the names used are copyrighted to the Ordnance Survey NI and when the Ordnance Survey in the Republic reproduce maps, they are unable to alter the names provided under the copyright rules. But she has repeated that this did not answer her question: "I have asked can we not have both names on the maps? I will be returning to Minister Ryan again on this and believe there should be a debate with the Stormont Minister on the issue, in the context of the new political dispensation," she fumed.
(BMcC/GK)
The West Belfast Sinn Féin candidate selection convention for the upcoming Westminster election will take place this evening, in the Roddy McCorley Club on the Glen Road. The selection convention will be chaired by Stormont Junior Minister Gerry Kelly with the procedure overseen by Minister Michelle Gildernew. Gerry Adams, party President (pictured here) has been the 'sitting' MP - who does not 'take his seat' in the British Parliament - for republican-based political reasons.
Drugs Accused For Court
Eight men are to appear in court in Belfast following a large drugs seizure at the weekend. They are charged with conspiracy to supply drugs and a variety of money laundering offences. Cocaine, speed and herbal cannabis with an estimated value of £2m were found by police in Kilkeel, Belfast and Preston in England on Saturday. See: £2m Weekend Drug Haul
Water Of Life
A water brand, Ballygowan, has unveiled a major new campaign to raise much needed funds for breast cancer awareness across Ireland. Supporting the Marie Keating Foundation and its campaign partner in Northern Ireland, Action Cancer, the Ballygowan 'Be Part of It' campaign also hopes to promote the importance of early detection in saving lives. The first phase of the campaign is the launch of its Ballygowan Pink Bottle - a stylish pink bottle, but with every bottle sold in Northern Ireland supporting Action Cancer's life-saving early detection services and education services. Also, over the next six months, in the lead up to Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Ballygowan will also be running a series of events to involve consumers in raising funds for the Marie Keating Foundation and Action Cancer.
Rail Problems
Speculation that the planned upgrade of the Coleraine-Derry section of the Belfast-Derry railway line may have been shelved has caused East Derry SDLP Assembly Member John Dallat to table a priority written question to the Minister for Regional Development Conor Murphy seeking an assurance that the work will commence as planned. "Any suggestion that this work can be downgraded to care, maintenance and a passing loop, but not relaying of the track is unacceptable. We need assurances that the Derry-Belfast rail service is on course to become a first-class intercity service and won't be among the first casualties of cuts facing the Assembly due to the financial crisis," he said.
Glengormley Park Plagued
There will be more light shed on a suburban public park problem soon - literally - now that a decision has been made to improve lighting in Newtownabbey's Glengormley Park. The move has been welcomed by DUP Alderman Nigel Hamilton: "I had approached the director and raised the issue at January's Council meeting looking for improvements that would bring some reassurance to residents who have been very concerned at the unacceptable regularity of damage and noise form young people in part of the park near Carnmoney Road," he said, explaining that over £2,000 pounds of damage has been caused over the last six months along with an increasing nightly problem of noise and abuse with anti social behaviour and resulting damage. "The decision makes the park a safer and more user friendly place for the public at night," he concluded.
Facebook 'Closes Site'
SDLP South Belfast MLA Conall McDevitt has welcomed reports that Facebook has moved to close down a Belfast-based group which was very clearly racist. "I reported this group to the PSNI's Hate Crime Unit last Thursday and notified university authorities as there seemed to be a substantial student element involved. I also called on Facebook to close it down and was disappointed when there was no sign of action by the weekend. I learned during a BBC interview on the subject today that Facebook has finally taken action and I welcome this. This group was 15,000 strong and recruiting 1000 new people a day across Ireland. Its content was directly and obscenely abusive to specified minority groups. Social networking sites need to be aware of the danger that they could be abused for evil and illegal purposes and they need to act quickly and decisively against racist groups," he said, yesterday after the racist group that was directing hate-filled abuse at Roma rose-sellers in Northern Ireland appeared on the social networking site.
Senator Wants Derry 'On The Map'
A Dublin Fianna Fail Senator Cecilia Keaveney has asked why Ordnance Survey Maps in Ireland have the name Londonderry alone on them instead of Derry. The Senator had raised the issue with Dáil Minister Eamon Ryan who said there was nothing the Ordinance Survey could do under the current arrangements as it continued to be Londonderry because Derry City came under another jurisdiction and is up to their Ordnance Survey office what any town is named. He further explained the names used are copyrighted to the Ordnance Survey NI and when the Ordnance Survey in the Republic reproduce maps, they are unable to alter the names provided under the copyright rules. But she has repeated that this did not answer her question: "I have asked can we not have both names on the maps? I will be returning to Minister Ryan again on this and believe there should be a debate with the Stormont Minister on the issue, in the context of the new political dispensation," she fumed.
(BMcC/GK)
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