Other NI News In Brief

Hacking Alert For NIO

A one-time Northern Ireland Office Secretary, Peter Hain, (pictured) has been warned by police that his computer may have been hacked. Reports in the Guardian newspaper said that this might have been carried out by people working for News International and that computers belonging to other senior Northern Ireland civil servants might also have been compromised. Mr Hain was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2005 to 2007, was involved in peace negotiations and as a result would have had access to sensitive security data.

Policing Goes Gaelic

The NI Policing Board, in partnership with Newry and Mourne District Council, will hold an Irish Language public meeting tonight in Newry to give members of the Irish language community the opportunity to find out more about the work of the Board and how it oversees policing. Two Irish speaking PSNI officers will also present at the event and there will be an opportunity to question Board Members and Assistant Chief Constable Rural Region on current and future policing issues in the District. This meeting in the Irish Language, the third in a series organised by the Board, forms part of our Community Engagement Strategy and highlights our commitment to offering everyone a say in how their community is policed. The meeting will begin at 7.00pm in the Sean Hollywood Arts Centre, Newry on Tuesday.

Larne Should 'Stand Alone'

A Sinn Fein MLA Oliver McMullan has called for Larne area to be treated as a stand-alone region in the Regional Development Strategy. "Larne is an important hub in terms of transport infrastructure and a gateway for tourism yet Larne is being treated within the strategy as part of the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan," he said. "In order for Larne and its natural hinterlands of the Glens and Carnlough to develop and attract inward investment it is essential that Larne is a stand-alone project. I am also disappointed that Larne has also has been removed as one of the 16 main hubs and given the fact that the strategy states that these hubs should be given first consideration in terms of inward investment it leaves the entire North East region at a deficit," he said, adding that he will be writing to the Minister of Regional Development Danny Kennedy in order to secure a meeting to discuss the future development of the area.

(BMcC)