Northern Ireland News for March 2004

UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
Council urges vigilance from British Muslims
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has written to the leaders of Islamic institutions urging vigilance against illegal activities – as some organisations "misleadingly" associate Islam with terrorism...
UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
Polish serial rapist receives life sentence for girl's murder
Polish-born Andrezej Kunowski has received a life sentence for murdering a 12-year-old girl at her west London home in 1997. The 48-year-old from Acton in west London had denied the murder of schoolg...
UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
Gay couples to gain legal recognition through civil partnerships
Same-sex couples will gain formal legal recognition of their relationships by entering into a civil partnership, under proposals outlined to Parliament today. At present same-sex couples have no reco...
UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
Five Coalition soldiers killed in Iraq bomb attack
Five Coalition soldiers have been killed in an area west of Baghdad today when the vehicle they were travelling in was destroyed by a roadside bomb, it has been reported today. The nationalities of t...
Business News, Mar 31, 2004
1,500 jobs and fifth of artist roster to go at EMI
The record label EMI has confirmed that it is to cut 1,500 jobs from its global workforce and reduce the number of artists on its books by a fifth, as part of restructuring plans designed to save arou...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Police question men over dissident republican activity
Police are questioning three men in connection with dissident republican activity in the North West. The men were arrested shortly after 1am on Tuesday in the vicinity of the Limavady Road in Londond...
UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
Progress in cutting hunger has 'ground to a halt'
With more than 36 million people dying every year from hunger, progress in eliminating malnutrition has "virtually ground to a halt", according to the UN. UN Special Rapporteur Jean Ziegler told the ...
UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
Standard Life considers demutualising as 1,000 jobs cut
Stricken insurer Standard Life is to cut around 1,000 by the end of the year and will demutualise as part of an ongoing strategic review. The company said that the UK Life and Pensions business is to...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Minister announces new air links for Londonderry
Enterprise Minister, Ian Pearson has today announced the introduction of new direct air services between City of Derry airport and Manchester and Birmingham, commencing this summer. As with the Paris...
UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
Teen spray paint ban set to cut graffiti 'eyesores'
Under-16s will be banned from buying aerosol paint spray cans from today as part of a government crackdown on graffiti. New measures in the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 coming into force today will...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Customs tobacco seizure success
Customs officers have seized half a million cigarettes and 14 kilos of tobacco during a series of operations in Antrim and Londonderry and at Belfast's airports. The five-day operation, which ended o...
UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
Crisis hit Mayflower set to call in administrators
High Wycombe-based specialist truck and bus manufacturer Mayflower has confirmed that talks with lenders have broken down and is in discussions with administrators. Yesterday the board of Mayflower r...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Queen's to unveil plans for £40m library
Queen's University are to unveil plans for a new £40 million library at a major conference in Belfast later this week. The University's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir George Bain, will tell more tha...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
British and Irish Sign Languages now official
Both British and Irish Sign Languages are now officially recognised in Northern Ireland. Secretary of State, Paul Murphy last night announced the news during a special reception at Hillsborough Castl...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Civil Partnership Bill ensures equality says Minister
Equality proposals will mean that same-sex couples in Northern Ireland will be treated in the same way as couples throughout the rest of the UK. The proposed Civil Partnership Bill, which is publishe...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Healthier school meals on the menu
More than 100 schools are to serve up healthier school meals as part of a pilot scheme designed to examine methods of implementing new nutritional standards. The scheme is part of the Department of E...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Lottery sports boost for schools and local communities
Local schools and communities across Northern Ireland were celebrating today after more than £500,000 in lottery funding was allocated to boost PE and sport facilities. Twenty schools and communities...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Minister calls for Roads Service to enforce parking laws
NIO Minister, John Spellar has called for new legislation to allow the Roads Service to enforce on-street parking restrictions in Northern Ireland. Following a consultation process last year, the pub...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 31, 2004
Rare Titanic artefacts go on display in Belfast
As Belfast prepares to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the maiden voyage of the world’s most famous ocean liner, one of the most extensive displays of Titanic memorabilia outside the United States...
UK National News, Mar 31, 2004
UK welcomes seven new countries to Nato alliance
The Foreign Office is hosting a reception today to welcome the accession of seven new member states to Nato. Ambassadors and defence attaches from the seven states - Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithua...
UK National News, Mar 30, 2004
Eight arrested in anti-terror raids
Eight men have been arrested and more than half a tonne of ammonium nitrate has been seized during a series of anti-terror raids on addresses across London and the Home Counties this morning. Two peo...
UK National News, Mar 30, 2004
Tories turn screw on Minister over alleged migration 'scam'
The Opposition has turned up the pressure on Home Office Minister Beverley Hughes after publishing what they claim are leaked emails from civil servants which "shows yet further incompetence" in the g...
Business News, Mar 30, 2004
Marine life killed off by industrial waste 'dead zones': UN report
'Dead zones' in the world’s oceans and seas, areas starved of oxygen through the overuse of agricultural fertilizers and dumping of industrial waste, could threaten the survival of many marine animals...
Business News, Mar 30, 2004
Virgin Express reports 19.6m euro loss
Virgin Express has revealed a 19.6 million euro net operating loss for 2003 - which the Brussels-based airline has blamed on "heavy ticket discounting". Executive Chairman David Hoare also pointed to...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 30, 2004
Orde hits out at 'lenient' judges
PSNI chief constable, Hugh Orde has hit out at judges in Northern Ireland for being too lenient in sentencing convicted paramilitaries. Mr Orde made the comment during a speech to members of the Nat...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 30, 2004
DoE criticises WW2 airbase demolition
The Department of Environment has described as "reprehensible" the decision by a local landowner to destroy the only intact World War Two airfield in Northern Ireland. Demolition work began at Saint ...
UK National News, Mar 30, 2004
Strategy set to target UK's 5,000 'hardcore' offenders
The Prime Minister has announced plans to target a hardcore of persistent offenders – around 5,000 people who are believed to be responsible for nearly 10% of all crime. Tony Blair said that while t...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 30, 2004
Fewer beds in Northern Ireland hospitals
Northern Ireland’s hospitals now have 704 fewer beds than six years ago. This is according to DHSSPS figures published in response to a House of Commons question tabled by David Lidington MP, Shadow ...
Northern Ireland News, Mar 30, 2004
Firefighters 'taken aback' by beheaded pet rabbits
Firefighters in Co Antrim have expressed their disgust after finding the remains of two beheaded pet rabbits when they were called to deal with a burning car. The rabbits were stolen from hutches at ...
UK National News, Mar 30, 2004
New agency set to take on organised crime
The Home Secretary has unveiled plans to make the UK "one of the most difficult environments in the world" for organised crime, through the creation of a serious crime agency similar to the US' Federa...