Other NI News In Brief

Derry Shooting Shock

It has been revealed that shots were fired outside a house in Londonderry overnight in an attack around 10.30pm. It happened when two armed and masked men went to a house in Cornshell Fields looking for another man and were told by the occupants that he was not there. The shots were then fired at a car and horse-trailer.

Cig 'Ban Welcome'

The Ulster Cancer Foundation (UCF) has welcomed an announcement by the Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, that following a delay of almost one year, regulations to control point-of-sale advertising for tobacco products and ban sales from vending machines will now go to public consultation. Gerry McElwee, Head of Cancer Prevention at UCF said: "Smoking is the largest single preventable cause of death and disease in Northern Ireland killing 2,500 local people every year. Tobacco remains the single greatest contributor to the enormous health inequalities between rich and poor. Two thirds of smokers take up the habit before they reach adulthood. So smoking is not an adult choice but a childhood addiction. UCF are delighted that the Health Minister will now publish these regulations for consultation so as to protect our children from a future of ill health and premature death," he said.

Booze By-Laws Breeched

Two men have been fined for breaching alcohol by-laws. William Glen Hawthorne, from Hopewell Avenue in west Belfast, was fined £50 and ordered to pay costs of £66 after he was detected drinking alcohol at Oldpark Road on May 22 and Bryan Smyth, from Cliftonville Road in north Belfast, was fined £60 and ordered to pay costs of £66 after he was detected drinking alcohol at Alexandra Park on May 15 in prosecutions brought by Belfast City Council.

Germany Calling!

NI's expertise in wind energy will be on show at a major technology exhibition in Germany this week. Four companies are exhibiting and a further group will be visiting the Husum WindEnergy Exhibition, from 21-25 September, with assistance from Invest NI. The event, held at Husum, near Hamburg, is the most important events for the wind energy sector and is expected to attract over 30,000 visitors from companies, organisations and institutions involved in this technology. Around 1,000 companies are listed as exhibitors. Besides technical innovations, Husum WindEnergy also covers turbine technology, the re-engineering and expansion of powergrids and supply chains to accommodate offshore and onshore wind power.

Negligence Reviewed

The Sinn Fein MLA John O'Dowd has welcomed the announcement by the Health Minister Michael McGimpsey that his Department is reviewing all outstanding medical negligence case over 10 years old. "While I welcome the announcement by the Minister, I am still concerned that he has failed to produce the full cost to the public purse of the delay in medical negligence cases. The cost for the previous years, decades in some cases have not been produced, with the Minister stating in response to a written question that they were unavailable. This is a totally unacceptable state of affairs," he fumed.

Dog-Gone-It!

Dog owners have been fined in court for allowing their animals to stray. In prosecutions brought by Belfast City Council Stephen McLaughlin, from Highcairn Drive in north Belfast, was fined £30 and ordered to pay costs of £66 after his dog was caught straying at Caledon Court on February 26. Thomas Parczewzki, from Deerpark Road, also in the north of the city, was fined £25 and ordered to pay costs of £66 for allowing his dog to stray at Oldpark Road on April 30. Lisa O'Hara, from Springfield Road in west Belfast, was also fined £30 and ordered to pay costs of £66 after her Labrador was found straying at Spinners Square on March 4. Meanwhile, Michael O'Neill, from Rosapenna Street in north Belfast, was fined £25 and ordered to pay costs of £66 for failing to have a licence for his Staffordshire bull terrier.

(BMcC/GK)