Northern Ireland News for October 2002

Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
IRA withdraws contact with decommissioning body
In a statement last night, the IRA has announced that it has disengaged from the International Independent Commission on Decommissioning (IICD). The announcement is a blow to hopes that the devolved ...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
Richardsons staff protest over severance terms
On the day that Richardsons closed down, around half the 206 workers who lost their jobs at the plant travelled down to Dublin to protest over severance terms. Among the employees grievances are the ...
Business News, Oct 31, 2002
Local firm appointed as new training providers
Sandy Arthur Training Services has become the first company in Northern Ireland to be accredited as a Construction Skills Register Provider by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). Due to ...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
Man beaten during Co Antrim armed robbery
A shop owner has been beaten during an armed robbery in Co Antrim last night. At around 7.55pm two masked men, one armed with a handgun, entered the premises on the Queens Road in Antrim town. One...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
Wrightbus goes from strength to strength
Ballymena-based bus manufacturers The Wright Group has secured an £11 million order from the Netherlands for 102 left-hand-drive buses. The order follows a major contract won earlier this year for th...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
Titanic Quarter pitch bids to attract Invest NI
The developers behind the Titanic Quarter Waterfront regeneration plan have unveiled an ambitious multi-million pound, 20-year plan that aims to create up to 20,000 jobs. However, the first step is t...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
Odyssey Arena pulls in £27m for local economy
Best known for its sell out live performances and as the home of local ice hockey stars, the Harp Lager Belfast Giants, an impact assessment has revealed that the Odyssey Arena has pulled in £27m for ...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
Mary Peters launches scheme for walkers and cyclists
Dame Mary Peters, Deputy Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB), has launched a new accommodation guide specifically aimed at providing a warm welcome for walkers and cyclists in Northe...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
Unionists not surprised by IRA statement
"Unsurprising" was the reaction amongst unionism today to the news that the IRA had withdrawn from talks with the International Independent Commission on Decommissioning (IICD). Ulster Unionist leade...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
High Court disqualifies two football club directors
Two directors of a Newry Football Club have been disqualified for a period of five years at the High Court in Belfast. The High Court disqualified Trevor Denis Warde and James Coleman Rooney, both fr...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 31, 2002
UVF linked to weapons find in north Down
Eight men have been arrested following an arms find by police in north Down last night. At around 9pm, police swooped on a house on Ballymiscaw Road, Craigantlet, after officers noticed a vehicle bei...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
Ordnance Survey agreement will 'take forward excellence'
The three agencies responsible for mapping the islands of Great Britain and Ireland today formalised their already strong links in a key document. Chief Executives of the Ordnance Surveys of Great Br...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
NI actor collects OBE from Queen
Ballymena-born actor Liam Neeson has collected an OBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The 50-year-old actor, who has starred in such films as ‘Schindler's List’ and ‘Star Wars Episode 1: The Pha...
Business News, Oct 30, 2002
Prince Charles attends International business summit in Belfast
The Prince of Wales was in Belfast today to take part in the final day’s proceedings of the Youth Business International (YBI) Summit. On arrival at W5 at the Odyssey Complex, Prince Charles joined t...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
Kennedy slammed over plans to abolish 11-plus
The minister responsible of Northern Ireland's education portfolio has pledged to push ahead with the abolition of the 11-plus transfer procedure. In answer to a written question from the UUP's Roy ...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
My war with Britain is over says McGuinness
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness has said that his "war" with Britain is over. The former Education Minister, and convicted member of the IRA, makes his comments in a frank interview with the BBC due to...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
Belfast fails to make City of Culture shortlist
Belfast has failed to make the shortlist of UK cities for the European Capital of Culture 2008 bid. Imagine Belfast 2008, which was set up by Belfast City Council to manage the city's bid, expressed ...
Business News, Oct 30, 2002
UK manufacturing remains in recession
The latest report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) claims that manufacturing throughout the UK remains in, or close to, recession. On a sector by sector basis ‘UK Economic Outlook’ reports that the ...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
Minister calls for introduction of MOT disc
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Angela Smith has announced proposals for the introduction of an MOT disc for motorists in Northern Ireland. It is hoped that the MOT disc, like the tax disc, w...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
Stormont welcome for GAA football champions
Marking the All-Ireland title wins of Armagh senior and Derry minor Gaelic football teams the Secretary of State, Paul Murphy, hosted a reception at Parliament Buildings, Stormont. Welcoming both tea...
Business News, Oct 30, 2002
EU pension regulations open to interpretation
Nearly 1.5 million people in the UK are employed on fixed term contracts, but flexibility in interpreting regulations will result in many people suffering through reduced pensions when they retire. A...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
Police come under attack in east Belfast
Police were attacked last night following a fresh night of violence in east Belfast. Gangs of youths clashed with security forces after police moved in to the area following attacks on homes in loyal...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
Mixed messages 'diminish business confidence' warns PwC
Business advisors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have warned that pressures on manufacturing and concerns about political stability may impact on investment and business confidence. PwC said that more ...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 30, 2002
Strabane family escapes arson attack
A family of four have had a lucky escape after arsonists pushed a firework through the letterbox of their home in County Londonderry. The woman and her three children were asleep in their house in th...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 29, 2002
Jury shown top secret files at Shayler trial
The jury at the trial of a former MI5 agent who publicised classified information, including files on the IRA's relationship with Libya, were shown hundreds of pages of top secret information that pro...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 29, 2002
Supermarket closure affects Enniskillen workforce
The Enniskillen branch of independent retail chain SuperValu is to close its doors in December, shedding its staff a few days before the Christmas period. The news came as the supermarket revealed a ...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 29, 2002
Kennedy calls for public support in fight against crime
Security Minister Jane Kennedy has called on the general public to help support the fight against organised crime across Northern Ireland. Ms Kennedy, who is also Chair of the Organised Crime Task Fo...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 29, 2002
Youth Business International conference underway in Belfast
Delegates from around 30 countries are in Belfast for the Youth Business International Conference currently taking place in the Europa Hotel, Belfast. The three-day conference has been organised by Y...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 29, 2002
Commons reject Sinn Féin exclusion motion
A motion to exclude Sinn Féin's four MPs from their Westminster offices was defeated in a Commons vote last night. The motion, tabled by the Tory Party with the support of the UUP and DUP, was overwh...
Northern Ireland News, Oct 29, 2002
Channel 4 report alleges police received four Omagh bomb warnings
A special report by Channel 4 has claimed that the RUC received four warnings prior to the Omagh bomb and not two – as the police have maintained. The report, which will screened tonight, (Tuesday, O...