Other News In Brief

Two Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

Two people have been convicted at Antrim Magistrates' Court for claiming benefits they were not entitled to.

Douglas Lavery, 67, from Antrim was found to have claimed Pension Credit totalling £4,752 while failing to declare an occupational pension. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay court costs of £31.

In addition, 23-year-old Annmarie Bingham of Firmount Drive, Antrim, claimed Income Support and Housing Benefit totalling £4,179 while failing to declare employment. She was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay court costs of £34.

Both also have to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Social Security Agency.

£300,000 Road Scheme For Omagh

Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy has announced that a £300,000 improvement scheme on the B48 Gortin Road in Omagh is scheduled to start on Monday 3 March 2014.

The scheme will include the resurfacing of the Gortin Road carriageway between Glencam Road and Gortnagarn Road. Work is expected to be complete by Saturday 15 March 2014.

Mr Kennedy said: "This scheme will greatly improve the strength and surface quality of the carriageway on this main route between Omagh and Gortin."

To help ensure the safety of road users and contractors it will be necessary to close the B48 Gortin Road to through traffic from 7am until 5pm each day from Monday 10 March to Saturday 15 March 2014.

Diversions will be in place at Edenbrack Road, Old Mountfield Road, Mountjoy Road with traffic diverted via B48 Sedan Avenue, B48 Derry Road, A5 Beltany Road, B46 Plumbridge Road, B46 Killymore Road.

Sedan Avenue traffic will be diverted via B48 Drumragh Avenue, B48 Dublin Road, A5 Gt Northern On Slip, A5 Gt Northern Road, A5 Beltany Road, B46 Plumbridge Road, and B46 Killymore Road.

Omagh bound traffic will be diverted via C614 Gortnagarn Road, A5 Beltany Road, B48 Derry Road, and B48 Sedan Avenue. Local access will be maintained during the scheme.

Ulster Bank Commitment Welcomed

Finance Minister Simon Hamilton has welcomed the RBS Group's commitment to its Ulster Bank's Northern Ireland operations.

On Thursday, RBS Group Chairman, Philip Hampton, announced the findings from their strategic review of the business including their plans for the future of Ulster Bank's Northern Ireland operation.

Commenting on the news, Minister Hamilton said: "I welcome the fact that the Ulster Bank brand is to remain and the Northern Ireland operation is to have a closer alignment with RBS operations in the rest of the UK as part of its Personal and Business Bank Division.

"This ensures that customers here will have full access to all of the RBS Group's services and for both business and personal customers this is very good news.

"It is clear too however that the coming months will be a time of restructuring and considerable change at the RBS group, including local Ulster Bank operations, will be smaller at the end of that.

"Following on from my discussion with Ross McEwan in early February, I have already had conversations today with local management about ensuring that Ulster Bank can continue to meet customers' needs during this time and that any downsides from the necessary restructuring are carefully implemented."

Aurora Borealis Lights Up NI

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, lit up the Northern Ireland sky on Thursday night.

Usually, the phenomenon is typically seen in the Arctic circle, but due to a strong magnetic storm, residents in Ireland and the UK were able to catch a glimpse of the light displays.

Usually only northern parts of the UK get a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, but a surge in geomagnetic activity led to them appearing much further south.

The display occurs when explosions on the surface of the sun throw large amounts of charged particles into space. Of those that surge towards Earth, they are captured by the planets' magnetic field and towards the geomagnetic polar regions. The charged particles then collide with gas molecules in the atmosphere, and as a result, the energy is dispersed as light, the British Geological Survey explained.

(JP)