Other NI News In Brief

Horses Celebrated

The Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary in Antrim is having its Annual Open Day on Sunday 5th June from 2-4pm. Theodore and his mum Shananiah (pictured) are looking forward to meeting all their friends on the day that is also celebrating 'The Big Lunch' which is a very simple idea from the Eden Project with Crosskennan's event to have pony rides, refreshments, site tours, stalls, information on the sanctuary and just a day of 'good craic' with all our friends, old and new.

Rail Tragedy

A man has been killed on the railway line between Londonderry and Belfast. A spokesperson for Translink said the incident happened on Friday afternoon at Station Road in Antrim close to the Old Stone Road bridge. Police said they are investigating the sudden death and said a post mortem is due to be carried out. The line will remain closed for a number of hours and a bus substitution will be operated between Belfast and Antrim.

Dissident Suspects Held

The police have arrested five people in the greater Belfast area on Thursday night. Four men have been held in connection with dissident republican activity. The suspects, aged 28, 36, 43 and 44 are being questioned at the PSNI's Serious Crime Suite in Antrim. It has also been revealed that a woman aged 29 has also been arrested.

Iris Cleared

The way a contract was awarded by Castlereagh Council to a leading DUP politician's young lover, Kirk McCambley, didn't lead to financial loss for the ratepayers, with an independent inquiry concluding there was no evidence of impropriety. At a meeting last night, councillors were presented with the report, which was commissioned to establish if the council had suffered a loss in the granting of a café lease to the First Minister's wife Iris Robinson's former young lover. The independent Deloitte report said there was "no evidence of wrong-doing by officers of the council, or either past or present councillors within the council in Castlereagh".

Baseball Bat Attack

Police have said that an attack in Coleraine is being treated as a hate crime. They made the comment after a man was taken to hospital having been beaten with a baseball bat in his home by three masked men. The incident at a property in the Glebe Avenue area of Coleraine was reported at 11.45pm on Thursday night. The man suffered injuries to his body and hands and was taken to hospital. A woman who was also in the house at the time and was left "badly shaken".

Prison Sentences For Fraud

Four people were convicted at Lisburn Magistrates' court this wek for claiming benefits they were not entitled to. Christine Burns (37) of Summerhill Mews, Dunmurry claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £13,053 while failing to declare employment. She was given a three-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to pay court costs of £40. Joanne McMaster (37) of Avonmore Park, Lisburn claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £8,165 while failing to declare employment. She was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay court costs of £34. Linda Walker (50) of Drumard Crescent, Lisburn claimed Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Housing Benefit totalling £12,712 while failing to declare employment. She was given a 12-month probation order and ordered to pay court costs of £49. Kevin Nugent (41) of Lagmore Drive, Dunmurry claimed Rates Relief and Jobseekers Allowance totalling £4,468 while failing to declare employment. He was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to pay court costs of £58.

Quinn Reports €852m Loss

The privately owned Quinn-group has reported a major profit loss in 2009. The €852m loss is connected to Quinn Insurance Limited (QIL), which is currently under administration. In 2009, QIL incurred operating losses of €644m. The same year, turnover at Quinn (including QIL) totalled €1.6bn, a fall of €2.2bn from 2008. Chief Executive of QGL, Paul O'Brien, said the numbers were "hugely disappointing". Net assets for continuing operations were €149m in 2009, compared to €392m the previous year. Mr O'Brien said: "Following the appointment of administrators to the QIL business in March 2010, the insurance business is no longer part of our continuing operations.

"I would like to wish the new owners of QIL every success in their efforts to restore the business to full strength and thereby protect the jobs in that business. "The future of our group now lies in our manufacturing businesses, which are involved in container glass, construction products, plastics & packaging and radiators across a number of jurisdictions."

(BMcC/GK)