Other NI News In Brief

Somme To Be Recalled

Soldiers from Ireland who fought in the bloody Battle of the Somme are being remembered. Taking place at what is one of the most picturesque settings anywhere for a commemoration - high above Belfast Lough at the County Antrim War Memorial, Knockagh - it will be held on Sunday, 28th June. During a solemn act of remembrance at 11am, the salute will be taken by the Queen's official representative, Joan Christie, the Lord-Lieutenant of Co Antrim. The event will be one of a series of commemorations to recall the thousands of WWI Irish Soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Division and comrades from the 16th (Irish) Division, who died fighting between 1 July and 13 November 1916 in the fateful battle. In a ceremony revived by the locally based Whiteabbey Royal British Legion well over a decade previously, wreaths will be laid and the traditional two-minute silence observed.

Cable Comes Ashore

A new transatlantic under-sea telecommunications cable linking Northern Ireland directly to North America for the first time came ashore at the weekend. It made landfall on the Co Antrim coast having been brought to land at Portrush by US company Hibernia Atlantic, the transatlantic submarine cable provider, and will also provide improved connection with Europe. The cable deployment was part of Project Kelvin, the £25 million (€30 million) joint scheme by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Belfast and its Dublin counterpart, the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources - part financed by the EU. The new cable will connect Northern Ireland, for the first time, directly to North America and greatly improve connectivity with Europe. When combined with the new terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure, currently under construction across Northern Ireland, it will put us at the heart of the global economy.

Two More Flu Cases

The Department of Health has said that two more cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Northern Ireland. This brings the total number of cases here to 17. One of the cases is a male who has recently returned from Mexico. He is recovering at home. The other new case is a female who has recently returned from the USA. She is also recovering at home. The number of cases under investigation in Northern Ireland now stands at five, while the number of negative cases probed to date is 158.

Tragedies On Roads

Two people have died on NI roads. It has emerged that a young man killed in a car crash in Co Antrim at the weekend had recently become a dad for the second time. Christopher Rowan, 24, who was from Ballymoney, was killed when the car he was driving struck a wall early on Saturday morning. The accident happened shortly after 1am on the Castlecat Road in Derrykeighan. Police said that no other vehicles were involved. A 19-year-old man also died after a single-vehicle crash close to Rathfriland in Co Down yesterday morning. He was named today as John McMullan, of Clanvaraghan. A police spokesperson said the accident occurred shortly after 10.30am on Sunday. A male passenger in the car was not injured.

Tourist Bus Hit

An open top bus full of tourists had a window smashed when it was stoned by youths in west Belfast at the weekend. However, none of the 40 tourists were injured, but the operator of Allen's Tours said they were left in a state of shock. The PSNI said a number of youths wearing hooded tops were seen running away after the attack in Divis Street, neat the Falls Road.

Tate's Avenue Facelift

It won't be the Tate Gallery, but a major facelift for an area of south Belfast's Tate's Avenue will see it benefit from proposed public artworks, if planning permission is approved. The Tate's Avenue bridge, like most of the surrounding Village area, has been deprived of major investment in recent years. It is hoped the new visual displays will act as eye-catching additions to the area, allowing the local community to enjoy and celebrate their culture. The innovative plans, which are in the public domain, include the erection of two sculptures and artwork displays on the bridge's walls.

Ballymena Dualling Scheme Commences

Over £12m is to be invested in Ballymena's road network this year, it has been announced. NI Transport Minister Conor Murphy announced the commencement of works to connect the M2 Ballymena Bypass underneath the Larne Road Roundabout to the A26 Ballee Road East dual carriageway. Contractor FP McCann was awarded the contract to complete the £7m scheme, which should take around 10 months.

(BMcC)