Other News In Brief

Snoop Dogg Set To Bring UK Tour To Belfast

Snoop Dogg is set to bring his UK arena tour to Belfast next year.

The American rap legend announced the six UK dates on Wednesday off the back of his 17th album, I Wanna Thank Me.

He will perform at the SSE Arena on Friday 10 April following a night in Dublin's 3Arena.

Tickets go on general sale next Monday, 07 October, at 9am.

Climate Action Conference To Take Place In Co Down

A Climate Action Conference is set to take place in Castle Ward, County Down later this week.

The event on Friday 04 October will give people the opportunity to engage with policy advisors, leading environmental academics and campaigners.

South Down MP Chris Hazzard will host 'Beyond Politics: Climate Action Now' alongside Martina Anderson MEP.

The Sinn Féin MP explained: "Beyond Politics: Climate Action Now is a one day conference workshop opened to the public, free to attend, and will hopefully be the start of an interactive conversation between the local South Down community and leading academics and campaigners as to what we can do to help play our part in building a better world.

"As a coastal constituency with many environmentally sensitive areas, South Down has a rich and vibrant community who care very deeply about the world around us. Indeed there are many local campaigns and activists who are playing a leading role in making the case for an alternative way of doing things in order to help save our local community, our beautiful island, and ultimately our planet.

"Friday's conference workshop will provide a great opportunity to hear first-hand from climate activists who have taken governments and big business to court; stood against the destructive fossil fuel industry; led mass demonstrations against large-scale polluters and academics who are enlightening the minds of a new generation of environmental campaigners."

Major Belfast Sewers Upgraded In £5m Project

A £5 million project from NI Water has seen a number of major sewers upgraded across Belfast.

The project has officially reached completion, following works in the Ormeau Avenue/Lower Ormeau Road, Dublin Road, Bruce Street, Sandy Row and Joy Street areas of the city.

This scheme will play a major role in facilitating further development within this area of Belfast City Centre. It will also reduce the risk of out of sewer flooding, minimise blockages within the existing sewers, while improving water quality in the River Lagan.

Sara Venning, NI Water CEO, said: "We are delighted to have completed this significant investment within this area of Belfast City Centre. This has been a challenging project and we are pleased to have delivered the benefits of reduced flood risk and environmental improvement, whilst also providing additional capacity to support economic development within this area of the city.

"Just last week, we called for further investment in our water and sewerage infrastructure. The growth of Belfast City, the primary economic engine of Northern Ireland, will struggle unless the £1bn investment in strategic drainage, under the Living with Water Programme, is supported. The City Deal risks not realising its full potential. Put bluntly, no drains means no cranes. The Ormeau project is an excellent example of what can be done when the necessary funding is in place."

Welcoming the investment, John Finucane, Lord Mayor of Belfast, added: "It will help our city to flourish and allow for an increase in development which is essential for the future economic development of our city. We support NI Water in its quest for continued investment in our sewerage infrastructure, which will help the population, the economy and the natural environment thrive and develop over the next 25 years."