Other News In Brief

Alliance Calls For Urgent Action From TUI Over NI Families Stranded In Rhodes

The Alliance Party has called for urgent action from travel operator TUI on NI families stranded on the Greek island of Rhodes.

The party's spokesperson for the Economy, Travel and Tourism Stewart Dickson said: "The situation that has unfolded in Rhodes is deeply disturbing and utterly unacceptable. Many families, some with young children, have been stranded, forced to queue for hours, and made to endure unlivable hotel conditions. This is absolutely deplorable, and TUI need to step up and rectify this situation immediately.

"Many of these families, including constituents of mine, need to return to work or face the potential of being out of pocket. It’s high time that large corporations such as TUI demonstrated a real sense of responsibility towards their customers, and not hide behind standardised responses.

"My constituents, like all travellers, should be able to trust their chosen operator to deliver a reliable service and offer effective solutions when things go wrong. They have been completely let down. I implore TUI to rectify their failings immediately and ensure the safe and swift return of all passengers.

"In addition, TUI must adequately compensate not only for the tangible losses but also for the emotional distress caused due to their mismanagement. I would also advise customers affected to contact the Consumer Council when they return, who can offer excellent advice and support."

Mivan Sponsor Antrim Rovers FC Football Academy

Mivan has been announced as the official sponsor of Antrim Rovers FC Football Academy.

The Antrim-based refurbishment and fit-out specialist has said that it is "delighted" to support the work being done at the local Football Academy.

John Cunningham, Chief Executive, Mivan said; "The club does a lot of good work to give positive opportunities to our young people in the local area and we wish them every success this year."

Sean Logue, Chairman, Antrim Rovers FC added: "Receiving sponsorship from local businesses in the area is so welcome and is vital for the successful running of our football club. I cannot thank Mivan enough for their generosity and for providing much appreciated support for our Academy. It is the life blood of our football club, allowing us to form new teams every year and adding young players to our existing squads.

"The Academy provides young people in the borough an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of football from our experienced coaches, it teaches them how to win and lose, build resilience and experience being part of a team."

Established in 1998, Antrim Rovers FC is a community focused club with a total of 18 women, men, girls and boys teams, over 350 registered players and 60 coaches and volunteers. The club's Football Academy is open to all boys and girls from the ages of 5 to 10 and runs every Friday evening from 7pm to 8pm at Allen Park from May to the end of August.

Nine Weeks Of Roadworks Announced In South Belfast

The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has announced roadworks scheme for Harberton Park in Belfast, set to get underway from Monday, 24 July.

The footway and carriageway resurfacing works will extend from Bristow Park to Upper Malone Road and will greatly improve the strength and surface quality of the areas roads and footpaths.

It is expected all work will take approximately nine weeks to complete.

To facilitate safe delivery of the scheme it will be necessary to implement localised lane closures initially with a full road closure to follow when the carriageway works commence.

The majority of the scheme will be completed during the hours of 8.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday. Full details of closures will be displayed in advance.

Completion of the work by mid-September is subject to favourable weather conditions, however, the Department will keep the public informed of any change.