Latest Bomb Scare Ends

A weekend security alert in Lurgan, Co Armagh has since ended. It began when a suspicious object was found on the railway line at Lake Street on Sunday morning. It was subsequently declared a hoax. The PSNI helicopter assisted in a related search operation. Bus and train services were disrupted for a time. Meanwhile, a leisure centre in Maghera was closed for a time in another alert. An object found near the police station was later declared an elaborate hoax. A charity cycle race - to raise money for the Olympic cyclist Wendy Houvenagel - was disrupted by the incident on Sunday. Ulster Unionist MLA Billy Armstrong has condemned the "cowards" behind the hoax.

Newry Violence

A car has been set on fire and several others damaged in south Down. The incident was in Newry city and happened in the Barcroft Park area of the city at about 4am on Sunday. The five other cars had their windscreens smashed and paintwork scored, according to a police spokeswoman.

Mannion Quits Aer Lingus For 'New Ideas'

Aer Lingus Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dermot Mannion has handed in his resignation with immediate effect this morning. The airline's Chairman, Colm Barrington, is to step in until a successor is appointed. The resignation of Mr Mannion who joined the airline in 2005, has come as a major surprise after he weathered several stormy incidents and has recently enjoyed a period of relative calm. In a statement issued this morning Mr Mannion said: "My decision to step down will allow a new CEO to bring fresh thinking and new ideas to the business." The troubled airline made a loss of almost €120m in 2008, and is facing another loss this year.

Paramilitaries Get High Level Praise

First Minister Peter Robinson has praised loyalist paramilitary leaders for not allowing their organisations to become engaged in tit-for-tat violence. This was response to recent dissident republican violence which saw two soldiers and a policeman murdered in Antrim and Craigavon. He said that he has been holding talks with loyalist leaders and noted "they had acted wisely", however, he also urged them to make progress on decommissioning their weapons.

Council Reforms In Public Spotlight

Members of the public were this week invited to give their views on local government transition committees that will manage the implementation of council reforms. NI Environment Minister Sammy Wilson launched proposals to give transition committees, which have already been set up in the 11 new council areas, the powers in statute to ensure the local government reform programme is being implemented in their areas properly. As he launched an eight week consultation on the proposals, Mr Wilson observed: "The public expect to see modern, efficient services, including those being transferred from central to local government, in place as soon as possible after the reorganisation of local government in 2011."

Man The Lifeboats, Says McGuinness

The Stormont Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has launched the 'David Gray' Lough Neagh Rescue lifeboat which is named in honour of the co-founding member of the lifeboat Service whose son David was drowned on the Lough in 1989. Speaking at the launch at the Lough Neagh Rescue, Battery Harbour base in Ardboe, Co Tyrone, Mr McGuinness said: "This rescue service has its origins in a personal tragedy, the death of David Gray, in 1989. The donation of the first lifeboat by his family and the subsequent development of the Lough Neagh Rescue Service has ensured the safety of 171 people who have been taken aboard the boats and over 400 people who have received assistance to return to shore."

Larne Hosts North-South Meeting

The sixth meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in Transport sectoral format was held in Larne last week. Meeting on Friday, it was hosted by the DUP's NI Environment Minister Sammy Wilson and was also attended by Sinn Féin Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy and Dublin Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey TD. The Council met to discuss cross-border co-operation in relation to Strategic Transport Planning and Road Safety. Conor Murphy said: "This meeting on an all-island basis involved discussions on the major A5 (Aughnacloy to Derry) and A8 (Belfast to Larne) road projects which have achieved the first significant milestone - preliminary route corridor assessment - ahead of schedule and are on target to meet the second significant milestone - preferred option - by mid 2009."

(BMcC/JM)