Northern Ireland News for July 2004

UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
Government gets tough on 'animal extremists' reign of terror'
The police are to be given new powers to "put a stop to the animal extremists' reign of terror", according to Home Office Minister Caroline Flint. The tougher stance is designed to deal with animal r...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
MPs critical of muddled ID card scheme
The government's ID card policy is in a muddle and the public, whilst supportive in principle, has "little enthusiasm" for paying the kind of fees being suggested, according to a powerful committee of...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
14 killed in Belgium gas explosion
At least 14 people have been killed and more than 200 injured following a gas explosion in Belgium this morning. The blast occurred in the Ghislenghien industrial park near the town of Ath, 20 miles...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
Action will be taken if militias are not disarmed, UN warns Sudan
The UN Security Council has voted today to take action against Sudan if it does not disarm the Arab militias accused of "indiscriminate murders, rapes and other attacks" against civilians in the troub...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
Multiple murder accused appears in court
A 34-year-old man has been appeared before Harrogate Magistrates Court this morning charged with the murders of four people in north Yorkshire. Mark Hobson has been charged with the murders of 27-yea...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Three die in separate road accidents
Three people have died following two separate road accidents in counties Down and Londonderry. A 22-year-old man and 17-year-old girl died following a crash on the main Dublin Road near Newry. Two p...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Inquiry set up into Dublin/Monaghan bombings
The Irish government has announced it is to set up a commission of inquiry into the Dublin and Monaghan bombings in 1974. The UVF claimed responsibility for the atrocities, which killed 33 people and...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
Children exposed to 'dangerous pesticides', claims report
Scores of British children are being exposed to "potentially dangerous levels of pesticides just from eating a single apple or pear" every day, according to a leading environmentalist group. The res...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Body of man found on outskirts of Belfast
The body of a man has been found at a flat in the outskirts of Belfast, it has emerged today. The discovery of the 47-year-old's body was made at the flat in the Rathcoole estate, Newtownabbey, short...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Murder victim close to being identified
Police investigating the murder of a Chinese woman in Belfast have travelled to China in an effort to identify her. Two detectives have travelled to the Far East to try to find the family of the woma...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
Annan condemns murder of Pakistani hostages in Iraq
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has today reiterated his condemnation of all hostage-takings and acts of violence against innocent civilians following the killing of two Pakistanis in Iraq yesterday. ...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Major renewal initiative to benefit deprived areas
Around 250,000 people living in the most deprived parts of Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a major new strategy for neighbourhood regeneration, Social Development Minister, John Spellar has s...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Work to begin on £80m water mains
The recently announced £80 million Water Mains Project, to upgrade water mains throughout Northern Ireland, will start in Craigavon on Monday. The scheme involves upgrading approximately 76km of pip...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Food and drinks processing sector worth £2.4bn
Northern Ireland's food and drinks processing sector is believed to be worth £2.4 billion, it has been revealed today. The annual report, ‘Size and Performance of the Northern Ireland Food and Drinks...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
Fine enforces gain wider powers of search and entry
Officials recovering court fines will be able to use reasonable force if necessary to enter property and search an offender for dangerous weapons, such as knives, when executing warrants to enforce fi...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
Jarvis posts £246m annual losses
Jarvis, the engineering firm which accepted liability over the Potters Bar rail crash which killed seven people in 2002, has posted annual pre-tax losses of £246 million. In its preliminary results ...
UK National News, Jul 30, 2004
Heatwave safety advice could save lives
The Chief Medical Officer has outlined measures to keep people safe in unusually hot weather this summer – and avoid the 2,000 'excess deaths' in England during last August's heatwave. The contingenc...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Emigration lecture to highlight New Zealand links
Links between Ulster and New Zealand come under the spotlight this week as the University’s Institute of Ulster-Scots Studies hosts a lecture on the career of Limavady-born William Ferguson Massey, Pr...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Trading Standards issue scratchcard warning
Trading Standards officials have issued a warning against scratchcards which ask people to call a premium rate hotline number to collect a top prize. Usually distributed in newspapers and magazines, ...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 30, 2004
Glentoran to take on Swedish side in Uefa Cup
Glentoran will face Swedish side Elfsborg in the first leg of the Uefa Cup second qualifying round. Friday's draw follows the Belfast's side 4-3 aggregate win against Finnish opponents AC Allianssi ...
UK National News, Jul 29, 2004
Consumers smash £1 trillion debt barrier
The credit boom has reached a new high, with British consumers now owing more than £1 trillion on their credit cards, mortgages and loans, it has emerged today. According to the Bank of England, cons...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 29, 2004
Woman arrested following body find
A woman has been arrested after the body of a man was found in Londonderry last night. The body of the 49-year-old man was found at a house in Elaghmore Park, Galliagh, shortly before 7pm on Wednesda...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 29, 2004
Toddler dies in hospital after blaze
The two-year-old boy who was rescued from a housefire by binmen on Wednesday has died in hospital. Nathan Rafferty from Fort Street, off the Springfield Road, was rescued by the refuse workers after ...
UK National News, Jul 29, 2004
GPs gain £108m 'improved pot' for surgery refurbishments
GPs across England will share a new £108 million 'improvement pot' to help refurbish and develop their surgeries, the government has announced today. The cash boost is in addition to the £1.19 billi...
UK National News, Jul 29, 2004
Two-thirds of Britons happy with jobs, says survey
More than two-thirds of Britons are happy with their job and their pay is less important to them than contentment in the workplace, according to a new report by an independent research team. The Work...
UK National News, Jul 29, 2004
Bangladesh's children face epidemic threat: Unicef
Millions of children in Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka are facing an increasing risk of potentially fatal diseases as sewers mix with the floodwaters that have devastated the south Asian country, ...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 29, 2004
BMA warns NHS trusts over junior doctors' hours
With the deadline for legal limits on junior doctors' hours only three days away, the BMA today warned that it is ready to support overworked doctors who decide to take legal action. This Sunday the ...
UK National News, Jul 29, 2004
UK provides further military backing to Sierra Leone
The MoD has pledged £4.5 million worth of technical assistance funding for trucks and communications equipment to Sierra Leone over the next three years, it has been announced today. The move is in r...
UK National News, Jul 29, 2004
Government makes greenhouse gasses pledge as 'summer smog' hits England
The UK has today joined a US-led partnership that seeks to cut global methane gas emissions - on the day that the south east of England was warned to take precautions over the summer's first ozone smo...
Northern Ireland News, Jul 29, 2004
Belfast firm wins multi-million pound MoD missile contract
A Belfast-based firm has won a multi-million pound contract to supply the UK's frontline forces with advanced air defence 'Starstreak' missiles. The MoD's contract with Thales Air Defence Ltd will se...