Other NI News In Brief

Necking At The Zoo

The animals in the zoo can still provide that 'warm fuzzy feeling', particularly for those with a soft spot for giraffes. By adopting an animal in Belfast Zoo before Valentines Day, loving couples can enter a competition to feed the giraffes on Sunday 14th February. Just choose a level of adoption (bronze, silver or gold) and also answer the question, What does a giraffe's heart weigh? Adoption forms must be received by Thursday 11th February. For further details on how to enter the competition and terms and conditions, visit www.belfastzoo.co.uk

Geotech Hit By Pollution Fine

A Co Tyrone building company has been fined for a polluting discharge to a waterway. Geotech Construction Ltd, of Shanmaghery Road, Galbally, Dungannon, was fined £2,500 plus £25 court costs at Dungannon Magistrates' Court. On 4 February 2008, a water quality inspector, acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formerly the Environment and Heritage Service), inspected a tributary of the Ballinderry River at Lurganeden Road, and observed that the waterway appeared to be badly discoloured. The source of the polluting discharge was traced to the Geotech Construction Ltd site and a sample taken at the time of the incident confirmed that the discharge contained poisonous, noxious and polluting matter which was potentially harmful to fish life in the receiving watercourse.

Playing With Toys

Belfast-based company The Creativity Hub will be at the International Toy Fair in Nuremburg with their innovative storytelling game – Rory's Story Cubes next week. The International Toy Fair - the largest of its kind in the world - is open exclusively to specialist trade, providing the best platform for both national and international manufacturers to get orders as well as meet with specialist traders and buyers from around the globe. The focus of the trade mission is to meet with future distribution partners from Europe and Asia who will help bring Rory's Story Cubes to a number of new markets across the EMEA region. Awarded Dr. Toy's '10 Best Games' award in 2009, the original Rory's Story Cubes game contains nine cubes with iconic images to spark the imagination. The objective is to roll the cubes and create a story that links together all nine face-up images. As well as a fun game, it is used in education, engaging learners of all ages and abilities in storytelling, creative writing, literacy, language development and problem solving. The company is seeking to build on the licensing deal they signed in 2009 with Gamewright, a US games company with a focus on family and educational games. Gamewright will be launching Rory's Story Cubes at the New York Toy Fair (14-19th Feb) will be selling it in America, Australia and New Zealand.

Going Dutch

Local companies secured £6 million worth of business in the Netherlands last year, thanks to Invest Northern Ireland trade initiatives in the region. Delegates at the fourth annual Northern Ireland-Netherlands Trade, (NI-NL) and Export Society dinner held in Belfast last night, heard details of the successes and export potential in the Dutch market. Speaking at the dinner, Tracy Meharg, Invest NI's Managing Director of Innovation and Capability Development said: "Over recent years, Northern Ireland has had great opportunities to enhance trade and export links with The Netherlands, and there is much scope for further growth. The Netherlands is now the sixth most important European market for our manufacturers. Customers in the Netherlands purchased goods worth £95million, 6% of our total exports to markets on the Continent in 2008/09."

(BMcC/GK)