In Short

Other stories in brief.

Other stories in brief.

Owner of Rottweilers fined €90

A woman whose Rottweiler pups wandered into a young family's house has been fined €90. Two pups of Aishling Neville, Kilcorral, Castlebridge, wandered into their neighbour's house on March 11th, 2006.

Garda Charlie Gaule said the pups had strayed from the Nevilles's back garden. Their licence had expired the previous January.

READ MORE

Tim Cummings, defending, said now if the pups strayed past a cordon around the house, a shock is administered through a leash, making the animals back off. The dogs are now licensed.

Ms Neville said she never renewed the licence for the pups, given to her as a gift by her husband, because she had had a baby in January.

Woman jailed for smuggling cocaine

A woman who was arrested at Cork airport last September, after Customs officers discovered more than €62,000 worth of cocaine hidden in a beehive- style wig, has been jailed for three years.

Det Sgt Jason Lynch told Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday that Tonette Andu (20), from Chicago in the US, was a US national who had spent much of her life in Nigeria. She initially flew from Nigeria to Amsterdam before taking a connecting flight to Cork.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said it was important to give the message that importing drugs was taken seriously in this country. He jailed Andu for three years, suspending the last 18 months.

Man fined for stag night indecency

A man who rubbed his backside against a female pub singer's leg on his stag night has been fined €350.

Jimmy Maloney (29), Kilmeague, Kildare, was in Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, for his stag night in April last year when he was caught with his pants down.

Maloney and his friends went into a pub and sat near where Emma Sutherland was singing.

Supt John Roche told Wexford District Court: "As the songs went along Mr Maloney interfered with and obstructed the band. He pulled down his trousers and rubbed his backside against her leg."

Supt Roche said Maloney had had a lot of drink. Patricia Redmond, defending, said her client was mortified by his actions.

French media company may locate in CorkThere was speculation in Cork last night that media telecommunications giant Vivendi is considering locating in the city with the creation of up to 500 jobs.

It is understood the French company is currently in advanced talks with the IDA about setting up a base in Cork.

Vivendi ranks as one of the world's leading media and telecommunications firms - controlling everything from France's most popular TV stations to the Universal Music Group.

Vivendi also has major interests in fixed-line and mobile phone operations in France and Morocco while Vivendi Games owns the rights for successful franchises such as Diablo and Scarface.

Shell to Sea complaint rejected

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission has rejected a complaint from the Shell to Sea campaign that a Prime Time programme broadcast by RTÉ on the Corrib gas controversy was impartial and misleading.

The programme was broadcast from Mayo last November and it included the results of an opinion poll.

Dr Mark Garavan of the Shell to Sea campaign lodged a formal complaint afterwards, primarily because one of the survey questions was excluded from the programme.

The key finding from that question was that 44 per cent of those surveyed preferred an off-shore processing option.

However, the Broadcasting Complaints Commission found that "the subject matter was treated fairly and that the programme-makers produced a balanced and unbiased broadcast".

£130m needed for NI police college

British chancellor Gordon Brown is to be asked to provide at least £130 million (€193 million) to build a new integrated college to train Northern Ireland police recruits, firefighters and prison officers.

However, it is expected Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain will use a speech to an international policing conference in Belfast today to say he believes he has found a way around the funding problem for a new police college.