Other NI News In Brief

BIG Appointment

The Big Lottery Fund's new Northern Ireland Director has pledged to continue to support communities most in need in a challenging time of recession and change. Joanne McDowell (pictured) has been appointed as NI Director of the largest distributor of Lottery good cause funding in Northern Ireland, which gives out millions of pounds from the National Lottery every year to community projects that improve health, education and the environment. Joanne and staff from the Big Lottery Fund will be holding a series of information sessions in September to let people across Northern Ireland know about the Reaching Out programmes - and the Big Lottery Fund is also developing new programmes to launch in Autumn 2010.

Hoaxes Continue

There was a total of four security alerts in Belfast into the early hours of Thursday morning - all of which have been declared hoaxes. At about 11.15pm on Wednesday, the BBC building on Ormeau Avenue was evacuated after a suspicious package was left outside and the Army carried out a controlled explosion two hours later. It was later declared an elaborate hoax as were alerts in Tennent Street, Ballygomartin Road and on the M1 at the Broadway roundabout.

Whale Saved

A minke whale which was stranded on a beach in Co Down has been refloated by four staff from the Quoile Countryside Centre. They encouraged the mammal back to sea from Tyrella Beach at the second attempt.

Custom And Practice?

It emerged this week that seven Revenue and Customs staff based in Belfast have been sacked for deliberately under-paying benefits to ethnic minorities. It follows an internal investigation into nine men based at the HM Revenue and Customs call centre in Belfast. Two resigned after it was launched and seven were dismissed on Tuesday. They are believed to have tampered with computer records to ensure ethnic minorities living across the UK did not receive the benefits they were entitled to. All have now been fully reimbursed.

PSNI's First Pole

The first Polish national to join the PSNI was introduced to his new patch yesterday in what was labelled "an historic day" for the Polish community in the province. Constable Peter Orlowski, who recently finished his training at Garnerville College in Holywood, Co Down, will be policing the Newry area for the next two years of his probation period. The 35-year-old has lived in Northern Ireland for five years and this week met the area's police commander, Chief Inspector Sam Cordner, and the Honorary Polish Consul for Northern Ireland, Jerome Mullen at the city's town hall.

Pump Wars

The supermarket chain, Asda has thrown down a challenge to other retailers with news that will spark a price war at the petrol pumps, announcing a two pence-a-litre reduction in the cost of its fuel. The cut, which took effect on Tuesday, means that Asda customers across Northern Ireland will not pay more than 111.9p for unleaded, while its diesel will drop one pence to 114.9p a litre. The retailer has committed to hold down these prices at its seven outlets for at least two weeks – which it said would allow motorists to fill their tanks for less over the August Bank holiday weekend.

NI 'Left Cold', Says Attwood

The Stormont Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood has expressed his concern at plans that may "leave many in Northern Ireland out in the cold". He commented as the UK's coalition Government revealed plans to cut Winter Fuel Payments and increase the qualifying age, and deny many families their child benefit. "People in need here should not be victims of London policies. We need a strong voice to campaign against these proposals. I will be meeting Work and Pensions Minister Iain Duncan Smith next month to raise concerns and seek a better result for Northern Ireland," he said.

(BMcC/KMcA)