Other NI News In Brief

House Fire Kills Pensioner

An elderly man has died in an overnight house fire near Ballymena. The victim, who was 73, lived on the Woodgreen Road with a 999 call received about the fire at around 2.40am on Tuesday. The police said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire and have asked for anyone with information to come forward. The man's name has not yet been released.

Robbery Suspect Charged

A 23-year-old man has been charged with armed robbery and is expected to appear at Belfast Magistrates Court today (Tuesday). The charge relates to an incident at Twaddell Avenue, north Belfast, when, shortly after 6.45pm on Sunday, a man carrying a replica gun entered a newsagent and demanded cash from a female member of staff. The woman was in the process of placing cigarettes in a bag when a male customer aged in his 40s intervened and detained the man at the scene.

Shock At Child's Death

The SDLP Chairman of Down District Council Eamonn O'Neill has expressed his shock at the death of a toddler following a RTC in Clough on Saturday. "This is an truly tragic time for the local community. I can only express my deepest, heartfelt condolences to the family and friends. Unfortunately, the issue of road safety in and around Clough was brought up at the local District Policing Partnership meeting on Thursday night and it is terrible that this has now happened. On behalf of the community I offer my deepest condolences and know that the people of Clough and the wider community will help and support the family at this, their worst time." See: Second Stolen Saburu Death Revealed

Marine Bill Sets Sail

The NI Environment Minister Edwin Poots has urged the public to have their say on a new Bill aimed at improving and protecting Northern Ireland's unique marine environment. With just two weeks of the consultation period Mr Poots said: "The seas are very important. They provide food, employment and pleasure. However, competition in our seas is growing fast so we must act now to look after our seas," and noted that one key area of the consultation is the proposal to introduce a new planning system for the marine environment, by 2014. This new planning system will manage all the competing activities that take place at sea in a more integrated manner. "I encourage everyone with an interest or long association with the sea to take part in building an effective marine planning system."

Prison Priority Call

North Antrim Sinn Féin MLA Daithí McKay has said that the temporary governor of Maghaberry, who is to be appointed this week, needs to prioritise the resolution of the many long-term problems that are ongoing. Mr McKay raised the issue with the Justice Minister David Ford in the Assembly, commenting: "A new governor at Maghaberry has a lot of work to do to resolve the well-documented difficulties that are ongoing there. A proper management structure must be put in place which doesn't simply manage the prison at the behest of the Prison Officers Association. A new governor should prioritise the many long-term problems that exist at Maghaberry including Roe House," the republican MLA said. Although the Prison Service will run open competitions for the post at Maghaberry, Patrick Maguire, who had previously governed Maghaberry from 2002 to 2005, has been appointed as interim Governor will take up post by the end of June.

Taxi! Taxi!

Belfast-based taxi company fonaCAB recently introduced a 25% discount promotion designed to target price-conscious customers who were not necessarily choosing the fonaCAB service. The initiative which resulted in a 9% increase in bookings in week one is proving to be very successful. William McCausland, Managing Director, fonaCAB said: "A commercial decision was taken in early June to introduce a 25% discount card targeted at customers who would not normally use fonaCAB. Only customers in possession of a discount card are eligible for a reduction to limit the amount of fares at a reduced rate," he said. "Since the launch we have received over 1,000 online requests for cards. Significantly these have been from key parts of the city where we want to grow the fonaCAB business and given that most of the discounted fares are new customers, these new promotion-led bookings represent work that drivers would previously not have been accessing."

(BMcC/GK)