Other News In Brief

House And Car Damaged In Larne 'Hate Crime'

A house and car have been attacked in a suspected 'hate crime" in Larne, Co Antrim.

The incident happened in the Herbert Drive area at around 1.10am today, 04 August.

Graffiti was daubed on the front door and wall of the property and several windows of a car were smashed.

Inspector Heather Scott said: "This incident is being investigated as a hate crime and I am appealing for anyone with any information to contact police in Larne on 101 quoting reference 55 04/08/16 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

Water In L'Derry Is Safe To Drink Following Pollution Spill – NI Water

NI Water has confirmed the water in Co L'Derry is safe to drink following a pollution spill at the River Faughan which killed over 1,000 fish.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) has launched an investigation and NI Water is continuing to monitor the water quality in the river.

Staff have also been re-zoning the area which involves taking water from different treatment works to continue to provide an uninterrupted supply of safe, clean drinking water.

In a statement, NI Water said: "NI Water will continue to liaise with NIEA in relation to their water quality monitoring in the River Faughan, as they are the body responsible for monitoring the condition of the River. This enables NI Water to effectively manage drinking water abstraction from the River."

DUP Urged Not To Use Petition Of Concern Over Same-Sex Marriage

Northern Ireland's DUP party has been asked to not use its veto the next time the issue of same-sex marriage comes before the Assembly.

Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn made the call as he attended an event as part of this year's Belfast Pride week.

He is quoted as saying: "The last time equal marriage was debated here, it was only defeated by the DUP's use of the petition of concern mechanism. I believe it would again receive the backing of a majority of MLAs, even if the DUP decided to oppose it.

"Therefore, the only thing stopping it passing is that veto. DUP members could still vote along with their beliefs and principles, but I would call on the DUP to pledge not to use a petition of concern. It is only intended to protect minority rights and in this instance, it is doing the exact opposite."

He added: "My colleague Naomi Long is one of the cross-party MLAs who has submitted the matter to be debated as a Private Members' Bill, which shows the level of support right across the chamber to change things."

Currently, Northern Ireland is the only region in the UK where same-sex marriage is not legal. Last year, the Republic of Ireland legalised same-sex marriage following a referendum on the issue.

(CD/JP)