Electoral Boss Announced

The Secretary of State Owen Paterson has announced the appointment of Graham Shields as the new Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland. Graham Shields succeeds Douglas Bain, who is due to retire in October 2010. The appointment will be for a five-year term. Announcing the new appointment, Owen Paterson said: "The Chief Electoral Officer plays a vital role in ensuring public participation and confidence in the electoral process in Northern Ireland. I am delighted that we have found someone of Graham Shield's calibre to succeed Douglas Bain."

Irish Slammed Over Trafficking

DUP Assembly Member for East Belfast, Robin Newton, has demanded that the Irish Republic does more to combat child trafficking. The Stormont Junior Minister said last week: "The Irish Republic must do more to tackle the scourge of child trafficking. In the recent EPCAT report it has only been graded as having made 'some progress' towards combating child trafficking and highlighted that Ireland 'has also been identified as a transit point for children trafficked to the UK'." He commented that traffickers have found direct routes into Britain and said that while efforts have been made to maximise protection measures for Northern Ireland, "the Irish Republic must take action to bring itself up to the standards of other European countries".

Eating For Ulster

One of Belfast's quirkiest walking tours, designed to literally give a 'Taste of Belfast', is being relaunched for the summer months, due to popular demand. Belfast City Council teamed up with Kabosh Theatre Company to create 'Belfast Bred', a mouthwatering and dramatic new walking tour of the city centre that introduces visitors to the very best of local produce offered in Belfast, as well as the culinary history. The tour is led by loveable rogue 'Barney', a chef on the Titanic, who has two and a half hours to complete an ingredient hunt in contemporary Belfast and recreate the famous ship's launch menu. The tours will take place every Friday and Saturday, until the Taste NI Garden Party on 18 September. Tickets cost £20 per person and can be booked at the Belfast Welcome Centre.

Irish Credit Rating Downgraded

Ireland's international credit rating has again been downgraded by an influential international ratings agency. Moody's is a major ratings agency informing outside investors on investment risk. The agency has downgraded Ireland's sovereign bond rating from Aa1 to Aa2, possibly harming Ireland's ability to attract investment from overseas. In its findings, published at the end of last week, the agency blamed banking liabilities, weak growth prospects and a substantial increase in the debt to GDP ratio for the downgrade. The banking bailout, including the transfer of loans to the National Asset Management Agency, was also cited as a key factor in the rating downgrade.

(BMcC/KMcA)