05/07/2011

Other NI News In Brief

Winter Sun On Offer

Aer Lingus has revealed its winter 2011/12 schedule from Belfast International Airport and said that it includes six European destinations and will offer an extension to their service to Alicante, which will operate twice a week on Mondays and Fridays while other destinations include London, Rome, Tenerife and Malaga.

Army On Show

An event to welcome home troops from the Royal Irish Regiment and Irish Guards has been given the go-ahead by Belfast City Council. Acording to the News Letter, a static event was agreed following negotiations between the council and the MoD after the army controversially refused an invite to stage a parade through Belfast. A mini military tattoo-type event at the King's Hall complex is now being arranged but will not include a parade through the streets of the city.

Twelfth Opening Hours

Royal Mail has said that postal arrangements for the July holiday are will mean no collections or deliveries on Tuesday, 12 July and no deliveries on Wednesday, 13 July but collections from postboxes and also from businesses by prior arrangement. Full services resume on Thursday, 14 July. Post Office branches will be closed on Tuesday, 12 July and Wednesday, 13 July and in Parcelforce Worldwide, there will be no deliveries or collections on Tuesday, 12 July. Full services resume on Wednesday, 13 July.

Portview Flies High In Birmingham

Birmingham Airport has a new World 'Duty Free' area with work just completed by a Belfast-based fit out specialist. It sells a wide range of products including fragrance, skincare, cosmetics and suncare; wines, spirits & champagne; sunglasses & fashion accessories; plus confectionery, souvenirs and travel essentials and has an extensive range of 'duty free' cigarettes and spirits for those passengers travelling outside the EU. Portview Fit Out competed the £1.4m contract with the 1,860sm store being the centrepiece of the new airport refurbishment. The firm looked after all the electrical work and lighting joinery and decoration.

'Freedom Flotilla' Supported

The Sinn Fein MEP, Bairbre de Brún has called on the Greek government to overturn its decision to detain Freedom Flotilla II ships bound for Gaza. The flotilla plans to take much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza to challenge the illegal Israeli blockade. "It is appalling that Greek authorities have bowed to pressure from Israel to 'outsource' this illegitimate blockade which has had far-reaching negative consequences for the 1.5 million Palestinians, half of whom are children, living in the Gaza strip. The stiff restrictions placed on movement and commerce by the Israeli government has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis for the people of Gaza. Given that the majority of the population (80%) depend so heavily on humanitarian aid, it is completely unacceptable that the flotilla should have been halted by Greece. "I call on the Greek authorities to reconsider their ban on the flotilla setting sail from its ports and allow the activists to continue with their essential work, bringing desperately-needed aid to those who have been cut off from the outside world by this blockade," she said. "As the Israeli authorities are intent on placing a stranglehold on the economy of Gaza, I would be sceptical about assurances that the much-needed humanitarian aid will reach the Gaza strip through what they call 'existing channels'. If enough aid was getting through these channels then people of goodwill throughout the world would not be organising ships to bring the aid themselves."

Fraud 'Jailed'

The Social Security Agency has obtained a confiscation order against a Castlederg carer who received £32,157 in benefits he was not entitled to over four years. Martin Harvey, 42, of Ashleigh Court in the town pleaded guilty to two charges of failing to declare his true circumstances last November. He received a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years. The confiscation order was granted at Dungannon Crown Court on Monday. Harvey had claimed income support on the grounds of being a full-time carer who had no savings or other source of income and had failed to declare that he owned a property other than his home. The court granted a confiscation order to the amount of £34,483 with a further sentence of 12 months in default of non-payment.

(BMcC/GK)

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