Other NI News In Brief

Four Held After Dissident Raids

Several men are being questioned at the police's secure facility in Antrim after arrests in Co Armagh during several police raids against dissident republicans. The four arrests were made after searches of houses in Lurgan. It is thought the raids were targeted at the so-called Continuity IRA.

Tennent's No Longer Vital

Belfast is down one music festival this year with news that one - Tennent's Vital - has been cancelled, due to the number of other festivals across the UK, organisers have said. Last year, 35,000 fans packed into Ormeau Park to see The Killers and Razorlight, at Tennent's said it was scrapping this year's event because with more than 500 UK music festivals it could not get enough high-calibre acts. It said it was investigating other opportunities and hoped to continue its relationship with music in NI.

Bushmills Blaze Probed

An arson attack on a cafe in Co Antrim may have involved what police are calling a hate motive. This is a major line of inquiry in the probe following the blaze at a bistro on Main Street, Bushmills. It was badly damaged in the arson attack at about 2.30am on Friday. Adjoining properties were also damaged. A local hostel had to be evacuated during the fire. No injuries have been reported.

Smart Pensioners Wanted

Pensioners seeking to enrol on a Further Education college course this September could be in for a pleasant surprise as the NI Employment and Learning Minister Sir Reg Empey has outlined major assistance for those seeking to claim concessionary fees. Speaking during a visit to the Southern Regional College’s Newry campus, he confirmed what will be good news for many: "After working closely with my department, all six colleges in Northern Ireland have agreed to add to their existing means testing criteria for deciding who is entitled to claim concessionary fees. That means from now on, those who are in receipt of relief under the new Rates Relief Scheme, will also be entitled to claim a concessionary fee at their local college. This has the potential to increase the number of pensioners who can claim reduced fees for their college courses, and in a way that is compliant with Age Legislation," he said.

Nomad No More

The last of the Titanic's tender ships, the SS Nomadic, is to be given a permanent home as a tourist attraction in the Belfast dry dock which played a part in her construction nearly a century. It is to be housed in the 141-year-old Hamilton Graving Dock - once part of the Harland and Wolff shipyard - which is being brought back to life thanks to a £350,000 refurbishment project led by the Port of Belfast and Titanic Quarter. The dock, in the Abercorn Basin, behind the waterfront Odyssey entertainment complex, has not been used for more than 15 years and initial work will focus on providing a temporary dock gate to hold back up to 12 feet of sea water. It is expected the Nomadic - rescued from dereliction in France where it spent time as a floating restaurant on the Seine - will be "home" in the dock before the end of the year.

(BMcC)