Other NI News In Brief

Road Death Mourned

A Co Londonderry family is mourning the death of a 31-year-old man who died following a road accident at the weekend. Alex Tanner from Castlerock was riding a motorbike which was involved in a collision with a car near the village at about 7.30pm on Saturday. The accident happened at the junction of Sea Road and Mussenden Road. Police have appealed for witnesses. It has also emerged that a 33-year-old male motorcylist is in a critical condition after a two-vehicle collision in Cullybackey, Co Antrim. The accident happened on the Craigs Road and involved a lorry. It also happened on Saturday.

Parade Tensions

As Armed Forces Day was celebrated elsewhere with a peaceful parade, an Orange Order parade in west Belfast dedicated to the memory of those who died at the Battle of the Somme was held up for about an hour following the discovery of suspicious devices. They were left on the Springfield and West Circular roads, near the route of the Whiterock parade, but later declared "elaborate hoaxes". Shortly afterwards, 50 Orangemen were allowed through the Workman Avenue gate and onto the mainly nationalist Springfield Road by police amid a number of plastic bottles and other missiles being thrown at the parade.

Lord Mayor's Show Dissent

Still on parades and participants in the Lord Mayor's Belfast Carnival have expressed anger after the event's showpiece parade was re-routed at the last minute. It was supposed to culminate within the grounds of the City Hall but was rearranged only 48 hours before the event and relocated to Custom House Square. This was due to the culmination of a Travellers' protest at City Hall, an expected protest by republicans over the flying of the Armed Forces flag and tensions over the Whiterock Orange parade. Claims of "no consultation" in the process of the decision and "frantic activity" surrounding it, marred the event for some participants.

Shot Fired In Derry Robbery

Police have revealed that a shot has been fired during an attempted armed robbery at a convenience store in Londonderry. It happened at around 1.50am on Saturday as a male member of staff was closing the Westland Street premises was confronted by two masked men. The men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, threatened the man and a round was discharged. They then made off empty-handed towards Lonemoore Road and the staff member was said to be shaken but otherwise unhurt.

Belfast CyberSources Offices Opened By Foster

NI Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has officially opened the new CyberSource offices in Belfast. Last year it was announced that the US firm, would develop a 56 person research and development (R&D) centre in Belfast, with support from Invest NI. Speaking as she opened the offices, the Minister said: "Just over 12 months ago, on the first day of the USNI Investment Conference, we celebrated the announcement that one of the world's most innovative software firms would be setting up a research and development centre here with Invest NI support. "Today, as we celebrate the official opening of this new centre, we can see how rapidly CyberSource has developed its presence in Northern Ireland, with over a third of its target of 56 highly skilled staff in place."

(BMcC/JM)