Cinderella Sought

'Poor' Cinderella, little Hannah McManus from Meigh, Newry is pictured dreaming of ballgowns and glass slippers at the launch of Buttercrane's 'Search for Cinderella' competition. The shopping centre is calling for girls aged 5-11 years to the enter their competition for the chance to star as Cinderella at the Buttercrane's Santa's arrival event on the 13th November. The winning Cinderella will also receive a great prize package worth £400. Entry forms are available in the centre or online at www.buttercraneshopping.co.uk

Jim Dougal Dies

Media political commentator and veteran broadcaster Jim Dougal has died at the age of 65. Mr Dougal held a number of high-profile positions including being BBC Northern Ireland Political Editor and RTE Northern Editor. He left broadcasting in 1997 to take up a post with the European Commission in Belfast and was later appointed head of the European Commission in the UK, but resigned in 2004. In recent years he worked on programmes at UTV.

Disppeared Body Recovered

The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains in its search for the body of Gerard Evans has found human remains at a site in Carrickrobin in County Louth. The recovery is ongoing and the formal identification process will take some time. The family of Mr Evans, the Irish police - An Garda Síochána - and the State Pathologist's Office have been informed.

IFA's 'Friendly Focus' Praised

Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, has praised the Irish Football Association EU-funded Football For All Project for its impact promoting Community Relations in Northern Ireland. Commissioner Hahn said: "Over the last 10 years, the Football For All project has transformed the atmosphere at Northern Ireland international football games creating a fun, safe and family friendly environment. Bringing together key partners from both the private and public sectors, the project has played a central role to get real progress in community relations in football."

Viable Device Found

The Army bomb disposal team has rendered an improvised explosive device safe in Ronanstown in Dublin last night. After receiving call from Gardaí about the device, the Defence Forces deployed the team to an area of waste ground off the Fonthill link road. The team arrived on scene at 9.10pm and made safe the device, which they described as "viable". No controlled explosion was carried out, and the device was handed over to gardaí for their investigations. The scene was declared safe at 10.45pm.

Dublin Garden 'Gunman' Held

A man has been arrested after he test fired a gun in his back garden in Cabra in Dublin. Gardaí and the emergency response unit raided his home following reports that gunshots were heard. A man and woman have also been arrested at the scene and a number of guns and ammunition have been recovered.

All Should 'Win Peace Dividend'

Speaking at this week's 'Securing Our Place In The Economy, Delivering Community Benefits', organised as part of the North Belfast Respect Programme, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, has said that all in the community must benefit from peace and prosperity. "Over the recent period, the north of Ireland had the highest levels of growth anywhere on Ireland or Britain. New investment came in and unemployment fell," he said. "However these statistics mask the reality that not all areas benefitted equally. Patterns of persistent deprivation continued. Sections of the community were left distant for the prosperity and peace that benefitted others and areas in north and west Belfast, inner east and the lower Ormeau, the Village and Donegal Road neighbourhoods became spectators to progress. This is unacceptable and unsustainable," he said, noting "our determination to grow the economy out of recession and into prosperity, and to tackle patterns of deprivation and deliver change in the community".

Irish Teen Dies After Street Fight

A teenager who was attacked by gang of youths in Dundalk, has since died in hospital. Niall Dorr, 18, sustained serious injuries after being subjected to a vicious assault by the youths along Castle Road, Dundalk between 9.00pm and 9.20pm on Wednesday. He died last night in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Gardai in Dundalk said they are investigating the incident and have launched an appeal to anyone who may have been in the Castle Road area of Dundalk between 9.00pm-9.30pm on Wednesday, or anyone who may have any information to contact Dundalk Garda station on 042-9388400 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800-666-111.

Pollution Fine

A Co Tyrone man has been fned a total £1,000 plus £25 court costs at Strabane Magistrates' Court for making a polluting discharge to a waterway. Norman Rutledge of Ednagee Road, Castlederg, was charged with two offences under the Nitrates Action Programme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 and was fined £500 for each offence. On 10 December 2008, following a complaint of pollution, a Water Quality Inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service) inspected a waterway at Castlebane Road and observed it to be dark green in colour with a foaming appearance and there was an odour of farm effluent. The Water Quality Inspector observed two tractors with slurry tankers operating in a field off the Silverhill Road. At the bottom of a lane at the road side slurry was being discharged at a high flow and discharging into a waterway. A sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the waterway was very badly polluted at the time of sampling.

(BMcC/KMcA)