Undersea telecommunications cable makes land at Portrush

The €30m ‘Project Kelvin’ fibre cable that will link Ireland to 24,000km of undersea cable linking Ireland with the US, Canada and UK came ashore at Portrush yesterday.

The fibre project, supported by €30m in public funding, was brought ashore by Hibernia Atlantic, parent company of Magnet Networks. The telecommunications cable will be connected by high capacity fibre to Letterkenny, Monaghan, Castleblayney, Dundalk and Drogheda, and it will also have points of presence in several locations across the border, reports Silicon Republic.

‘Project Kelvin’ is is a joint cooperation project between the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Belfast and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, which is part financed by the EU under the North-South cross-border cooperation programme.

Shared Neighbourhood Programme for eleven NI housing areas

Eleven housing areas across Northern Ireland have been unveiled as the latest participants in a major £1m initiative designed to support and encourage shared neighbourhoods.

Participation in the Shared Neighbourhood Programme will provide access to grants to celebrate diversity and bring together people, from all backgrounds, who live in these areas, reports build.ie. Participants also benefit from community relations training, community consultations and support to design their own Neighbourhood Charter and deliver their own Good Relations Programme.

The 11 housing areas, joining an existing five participants in the programme are Redburn and Loughview, Holywood; Suffolk and Lenadoon, Belfast; Skegoneil and Glandore, Belfast; Shandon Road & Belfast Road, Newry; Central Brownlow, Craigavon; Sion Mills Village; The Glen, Limavady; Whiteabbey Village; Castle Street/Westgate, Ballymoney; Areema, Lisburn; and Windmill/Minorca Drive, Carrickfergus.

Weekend disruptions for rail users

A security alert on the Belfast to Dublin railway line has disrupted cross-border train services.

Bus transfers between Newry and Dundalk are currently in operation due to the alert.

Meanwhile, rail users are being warned about major disruption to train services at Dublin's Heuston Station this weekend. Bus transfers will be in place for all inter-city routes into and out of the station from 8pm this evening until Sunday night. The closure is due to work on the Kildare Project, which involves the construction of new tracks and stations between Hazelhatch and Dublin.

14th Swine Flu case for Northern Ireland

A 14th case of swine flu has been confirmed in Northern Ireland.

The latest case is believed to be in a female who recently returned from the USA.

She has mild flu symptoms and is recovering at home.

Huge increase in NI unemployment rate

Unemployment in Northern Ireland showed another upward leap today and the the number of people claiming benefits is now over double what it was 15 months ago.

The number of people unemployed was 49,000 for the three-month period to the end of February, up 3,000 over the quarter and 16,000 over the year, reports breakingnews.ie.

The rate of unemployment has now hit 6.2% - 0.5% up on the quarter and 2.1% up on a year ago.

Another swine flu case confirmed in Northern Ireland

Members of the public in Northern Ireland were urged not to get alarmed today after another case of swine flu was confirmed.

The total number of confirmed cases in the North is now nine, and another six possible cases are under investigation. Breakingnews.ie reports that the latest case relates to travel outside the UK and does not involve a school, workplace or other setting in the North, the Public Health Agency (PHA) said.

The sufferer has mild symptoms and is at home and taking antiviral treatment.

NI teenagers treated for drink and drugs

More than 400 under-18s are treated for alcoholism and drug addiction in the North each year, it was revealed today.

The majority of the teenagers receiving hospital care have a drink problem, according to the North's Department of Health, reports breakingnews.ie.

Meanwhile, police caught 1,200 under age drinkers in the region last year, the youngest being only ten. In those operations 24,000 items of alcohol were seized.

PSNI investigate cash-in-transit heist

Police in the North are appealing for witnesses to the robbery of a cash-in-transit van in County Armagh this morning.

The driver of the van was approached by a man armed with a knife at a commercial premises on the Lurgan Road in Craigavon, reports breakingnews.ie. The man threatened the driver and then made off with the cash box in a light blue or grey car which was driven by a second man. The car was later found burnt out in the grounds of a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, RTE News reports that a 26-year-old man has appeared in court charged in connection with an attempted raid on a cash-in-transit van in Dublin last month.

Keith Murtagh from Lower Sheriff Street in Dublin was one of two people shot by gardaí at Foxborough Road in Lucan on 15 May. The second man, 27-year-old Gareth Molloy, subsequently died from his injuries.Mr Murtagh was charged today with the attempted robbery of a security guard at Foxborough Road and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Armagh soldiers break world record in Afghan heat

Two County Armagh soldiers have broken a Guinness World Record for running – in the blazing heat of the southern Afghanistan front line.

Major Christine Marshall, from Markethill, and Captain Nicholle Dunlop, from Lurgan, and 10 colleagues ran on a treadmill and cracked the record for the number of miles run in 24 hours by a team of 12 females, reports breakingnews.ie.

Temperatures soared to 45C during the attempt earlier this month.

Craigavon man fined for planning offence

A County Armagh man has been fined £1,000 plus £22 court costs and £78 legal costs at Craigavon Magistrates' Court for a planning offence, reports build.ie.

Raymond Pedlow of Annesborough Road, Lurgan, was fined for failing to comply with an Enforcement Notice to demolish a large shed and area of hardstanding at lands adjacent to Annesborough Road, Lurgan.

The prosecution was brought under article 72 of The Planning (NI) Order 1991.

Eight swine flu case confirmed in Northern Ireland

Another case of swine flu has been confirmed in Northern Ireland, bringing the total number of cases there to eight.

The latest diagnosis relates to a woman who had recently returned from the US. She has mild flu symptoms and is recovering at home.

The Northern Ireland Public Health Agency is arranging a follow-up of people who were in close contact with her since she developed symptoms.

Health services boost for border counties

€30m in EU funding has been secured for health services in the border region.

It will be used to finance 12 major health and social care projects, for people on both sides of the border. The money was secured from an EU programme for cross border health and social care services, according to RTE News. It will enable people living in border areas to be able to access health services in the opposite jurisdiction, which are often closer to their homes.

The allocation of the money will be managed by the Co-operation and Working Together cross border health services partnership on behalf of the Departments of Health in Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Re-examination of Omagh evidence

Evidence in the Omagh bomb case is being re-examined to establish whether there are grounds to re-try the man acquitted of the 29 murders, police said today.

The Irish Times reports that the move has come after two officers accused of lying in the Crown Court trial of Co Armagh electrician Sean Hoey (38) two years ago were cleared by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman.

Earlier this week four other men were found responsible for the 1998 bombing in a landmark civil action in Belfast High Court taken by families of the victims.

7th Swine Flu case detected in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Health Minister Michael McGimpsey (left) has said one more case of swine flu has been confirmed.

This brings the total number of Northern Ireland cases to seven, reports RTE News. The seventh case is in a male who was a contact of a previously confirmed case. He has mild flu symptoms and is recovering at home.

The Public Health Agency is arranging a follow-up of people who were in close contact with him since he developed symptoms.