Road 'Up' Doesn't Halt Traffic

Even though work to repair subsidence in a major Belfast road will last for about a week, traffic flowed well during the morning rush hour despite the hole in one of the city's busiest routes. The road collapsed at Cromac Street on Saturday and people travelling from the east and south of the city were expected to be affected by any delays. However, drivers coming from east Belfast have been using the Queens Bridge rather than the Albert Bridge and motorists on the Ormeau Road have been asked to find another route.

Hanged Man Photo 'Apology'

The Sunday World has apologised for printing a photograph of a man shortly after he had taken his own life. The paper prompted anger from suicide awareness groups and this weekend the northern Editor of the newspaper, Jim McDowell, said he was "genuinely sorry" for using it. The newspaper has also offered £100,000 of free advertising to suicide prevention groups. See: Complaints Follow Suicide Victim's Picture

Drugs Charges

Two men are due to appear in court in Northern Ireland after gardaí and the PSNI broke up a cross-border drug smuggling operation at the weekend. Cannabis worth more than €550,000 and a large amount of cash were recovered in the operation. One man was arrested in Co Monaghan, while two men were detained in Ballymena in Co Antrim. It is believed the drugs were brought from Dublin across the border into Northern Ireland. Two of the men are due to appear before Newry Magistrates Court today.

NIHE Members Revealed

Four new appointments have been made to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. The new board members were nominated by the Housing Council, and welcomed into their four year term by Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie. Councillor Brendan Curran, Councillor Eamonn O'Neill, Councillor Jennifer Palmer and Councillor James Speers will all service until 4 November 2013. The Minister also re-appointed Dr Monica Wilson to the board for a further five year term until 4 November 2014.

Fined Over Planning

A Co Antrim man has been fined £500 plus £70 legal costs and £19 courts costs for failing to comply with a Planning Service enforcement notice. Norman William Purdy of Tullaghgore Road, Ballymoney, pleaded guilty to the non-compliance with the enforcement notice which required the permanent cessation of the use of stationing, dismantling and sale of vehicles and vehicle parts. The Planning Service brought the charge under Article 72 of the Planning (NI) Order 1991- an offence where an enforcement notice is not complied with.

Renovations Boost Belfast Tenants

New kitchen are to be installed in 90 west Belfast homes as part of a £350,000 investment by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Works in the New Barnsley area are being carried out under the EGAN style approach to planned maintenance. Contractor PK Murphy will be working closely with tenants to ensure a higher quality service, the Housing Executive said. A customer service manager has also been employed to work alongside staff to deal with the whole process of consultation, improvement works and finishing touches. The majority of homes involved were built between 1950 and 1965.

(BMcC/GK)