Other NI News In Brief

Jenni Backs UCF Lunch

The Ulster Cancer Foundation's (UCF) annual luncheon event will this week be celebrated with special guest speaker Jenni Murray, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and is a well known broadcaster, journalist and host of Radio 4's 'Woman's Hour'. The UCF Think Pink! Luncheon continues to be the highlight of their Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign as it is a celebratory event for breast cancer survivors, their friends, families and supporters as well as a great fundraising event. It raises awareness of breast cancer and generates funds to help the charity provide care and support services for local women with the disease. Breast cancer is now the most common form of cancer amongst women in Northern Ireland. Every year there are around 1,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed with one in 11 women developing the disease before the age of 75. The Ulster Cancer Foundation’s Think Pink! Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon is on Friday 24th, at the Europa Hotel, Belfast, from 10.30am to 12.45pm.

Poll Position For NI Accent

A poll - conducted on behalf of hotel chain, Travelodge, has found that the Northern Ireland accent is deemed the sexiest in the UK. The poll said that Coleraine's James Nesbitt and local girl Christine Bleakley's Northern Irish twangs are among the UK's best loved accents. James came out third in the survey of top male celebrity accents, while Christine's Belfast brogue earned her fifth place among the females.

Poppy Man Lives!

The Royal British Legion's 'Poppy Man' is making his way around Northern Ireland.

The life-size figure, made out of poppies, is on a tour of the Province in a bid to raise awareness and money for the legion's annual appeal. The brightly coloured 'stand-in' model has been turning up in all sorts of places for pictures, among them some of Ulster's top tourist attractions, such as Stormont, the Giant's Causeway and Harland and Wolff shipyard. A symbolic representation of the help of the legion gives to serving and ex-service people and their families, the Poppy Man is highlighting this year's theme for the Poppy Appeal campaign - serving those who serve, remembering particularly the young men and women on duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year's appeal raised an unprecedented total of £30 million nationally.

Rape Probe Halted

An allegation of rape reported in south Belfast earlier this week has turned out to be false, it has been confirmed. During the early hours of Tuesday morning police were alerted to an alleged attack and rape of a 20-year-old woman in the university area of the city. The incident was reported to have taken place in the lower part of Agincourt Avenue, off the busy Ormeau Road. However, after a full investigation, a police spokesman confirmed on Wednesday: "This incident was investigated for more than 36 hours and the PSNI is satisfied that it did not take place."

(BMcC)