Northern Ireland News for February 2013

UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
Councils Admit Local Tax Could Be Unworkable
Some 84% of people on low incomes are expected to refuse to pay council tax after being caught in the net by benefit changes this April, and local authorities have admitted there is little they can do...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
'Gay Cure' Bus Ad Ban 'Deep Threat' To Democratic Freedom
The High Court has ruled the banning of a 'gay cure' bus ad was a "deep threat" to democratic freedoms. Christian group Core Issues Trust, which tries to help people overcome gay urges, created the a...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
20 Years For Tenerife Beheading Murderer
The Bulgarian man who beheaded Jennifer Mills-Westley in a Tenerife supermarket has been detained 20 years in a secure unit in Spain. 22-year-old Deyan Deyanov was convicted last week of the attack o...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
Trial Hears Derby Fire Accused 'Rehearsed The Act'
The trial of the three accused of starting a house fire that killed six children, has heard that they rehearsed the act six weeks earlier. Nottingham Crown Court heard from a witness that the alleged...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
Payday Loan Stores Fastest Growing Retail Business
Almost 1,800 high street stores closed in 2012, a new report has shown. A report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Local Data Company showed the net number of store closures rose by 174 from 2011. ...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
Thousands Of Medical Students Have Job Offers Withdrawn
Thousands of final year medical students have had their first hospital job offers withdrawn following the discovery of "scoring errors" in a critical final year exam. Some 7,200 students were contact...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
Disable Children Comment Councillor Unlikely To Stand In Next Election
A Cornwall councillor who yesterday apologised over comments he made regarding disabled children, has resigned. While talking to a member of a Disability Cornwall at a stall at County Hall in Truro i...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
RBS Report Over £5bn Pre-Tax Loss
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has reported its fifth annual loss since receiving a government bailout in 2008. The bank blamed a "series of charges" when it reported a pre-tax loss of £5.17bn. It lo...
Recruitment News, Feb 28, 2013
Ecocem Opens Facility At Dublin Port
Ecocem Ireland announced today its plans to create 61 jobs as part of a new three year, €19m investment programme coinciding with the official opening of its new facility at Dublin Port. The plant wi...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Ulster Bank Reports Over £1bn Loss
Ulster Bank has reported an annual loss of more than £1bn. The bank blamed challenging economic environment across the island of Ireland and said it had a significant impact on its financial performa...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
Net Migration Falls By A Third
UK net migration fell by a third in year to June 2012 new immigration figures have shown. 163,000 more people came to live in the UK for 12 months or more than left, compared with 247,000 the year be...
UK National News, Feb 28, 2013
Other News In Brief
Sports Direct Buys Republic Clothing Chain Sports Direct has bought the Republic fashion chain, in a move that administrators say "safeguard over 2,100 jobs" and secure a future for the Republ...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Foster Welcomes Runkerry Golf Course Decision
Tourism Minister Arlene Foster has welcomed today's decision by the High Court to grant planning permission for a golf resort at Runkerry. Arlene Foster said: "Today's decision is great news for tour...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Pipe Bomb Blast In East Belfast
A pipe bomb has exploded in east Belfast. The explosion went off at an empty house in Kenilworth Place, off the Newtownards Road, at around 8.30pm last night. Community worker Jim Wilson told the BB...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Queen's Announce £32m University Medical Centre
Queen’s University has appointed O’Hare & McGovern as the main contractor for its £32m Centre for Experimental Medicine (CEM). At the peak of construction the building of the Centre will support 400 ...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Fish Discards Agreement Welcomed
Fisheries Minister Michelle O’Neill has welcomed the agreement to ban the wasteful practice of discarding unwanted fish, starting in January 2014 for certain types of fish. Following the agreement th...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Call For More Support In Nursing The Elderly
University of Ulster nursing expert Professor Brendan McCormack has warned that Ireland will not be able to cope with its ageing population if current threats to the nursing profession continue. Prof...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Ulster Dancing Pug Becomes YouTube Sensation
A video of an east Belfast pug has gone viral, reaching over 3.5 million views. Loca, became a Youtube hit when her owner captured her on tape trying to run. A voiceover sings: “Well hello, my nam...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Passengers Make Healthy Pit Stop
Restaurateur Michael Deane has put passengers on the right track to kick-start healthy eating habits at a special Translink event held in association with Diabetes UK Northern Ireland. Lynda Shannon,...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
X-Factor Tour Draws In The Crowds For Second Night
X-Factor fever is set to take over for the second night in a row as the tour continues in Belfast's Odyssey Arena. TV talent show winner James Arthur will again take to stage with this years' finalis...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 28, 2013
Other News In Brief
High Air Pollution Monitored In Northern Ireland High levels of air pollution (particulate matter) are currently being monitored in the Newry area, with moderate levels in the Armagh, Belfast,...
Business News, Feb 28, 2013
Co Down Firm Agrees Deal With Supplies Team Solutions
Peninsula Print and Design, the commercial printing business in Newtownards, Co Down, has agreed a deal with Supplies Team Solutions, which could be worth over £500,000 over the next few years, for th...
Recruitment News, Feb 28, 2013
Call For Hammond Not To Proceed With Job Losses
SDLP East Derry MLA John Dallat has written to the Under Secretary of State for Transport, Stephen Hammond calling on him not to proceed with any job losses at the Motor Vehicle Licensing Centre in Co...
Business News, Feb 27, 2013
Guidewire Software Creates New Positions
Guidewire Software, a global provider of software solutions to the general insurance industry, is creating 75 new positions in 2013 to add to the existing 50 employees already employed at its Global S...
UK National News, Feb 27, 2013
Badger Culls Set To Go Ahead
Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has announced that badger culls will go ahead later this year. Ministers have called for the culls in an effort to stop the spread of tuberculosis to cattle, howev...
UK National News, Feb 27, 2013
ITV Report 6% Pre-Tax Profit Rise
ITV have reported pre-tax profits of £348m in 2012, a rise of 6%. It is the third year of “double-digit earnings growth” for the broadcaster, chief executive Adam Crozier said. Having ended the year...
UK National News, Feb 27, 2013
Mobile Company Develop Technology To Analyse Voice Calls
Technology that listens in on personal calls to draw up a psychological profile of a speaker according to their tone of voice is being developed by owner of the O2 mobile phone network, Telefónica. D...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 27, 2013
Literary Encyclopaedia Project Begins
The University of Ulster is currently developing the province’s first dedicated Ulster-Scots Literary Encyclopaedia - the first of its kind to draw together and make accessible information on Ulster-S...
Northern Ireland News, Feb 27, 2013
Loyalists Arrested Over Flag Protests
Leading members of the loyalist union flag protests in Belfast have been taken into custody. Spokesmen for the Ulster People's Forum Jamie Bryson, 23, and Willie Frazer, 52, were arrested earlier. T...
UK National News, Feb 27, 2013
Over A Third Of UK Employees Opting Out Of Pension Scheme
The governments plan to boost workers retirement savings could be undone as research carried out for Aviva reveals more than a third of UK workers would opt out of any pension they are automatically e...