Northern Ireland News for January 2013

UK National News, Jan 31, 2013
Plan To Scrap GCSEs Heavily Criticised
MPs have strongly criticised government plans to scrap GCSEs in key subjects in England. The government said it was "making major changes to ensure we have world class exams that raise standards". H...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
Pipe Bomb Thrown At Police Patrol
A pipe bomb has been thrown at a police patrol around 22.00 on Wednesday at the junction of Oldpark Road and Rosapenna Street, in what has been described as a “reckless” attempt to kill officers. Chi...
Business News, Jan 31, 2013
Seminar Launches For Businesses To Benefit From City Events
A special seminar is taking place in Belfast soon for businesses wanting to benefit economically from big events in the city this year like the World Police and Fire Games (WPFG). Belfast City Counci...
Recruitment News, Jan 31, 2013
10gen Announce 60 New Posts
10gen, the MongoDB company, is looking to hire 60 people as part of its plan to set up a customer and technical support centre at its EMEA headquarters in Dublin. The five year plan will effectively ...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
Belfast Met Has Deficit Of £2.5m
Belfast Metropolitan College (BMC) has recorded deficit of £2.5m for 2011-12. The Audit Office, the public spending watchdog, found in the six years since it opened the college has run an overall def...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
30 News Jobs In Portadown Following £6m Investment
A £6m investment at an engineering firm in Portadown, County Armagh will leadto the creation of up to 30 new jobs. JW Kane Precision Engineering, who make makes parts for aeroplanes for clients inclu...
UK National News, Jan 31, 2013
Man Guilty Of Supplying Gun To Mark Duggan
30-year-old Kevin Hutchinson-Foster has been found guilty of supplying a gun to Mark Duggan, who was shot dead by police. Officers in Tottenham, north London, shot Mr Duggan on 4 August 2011 and a gu...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend Heads To L'Derry
BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend will return in May, heading to L'Derry and for the first time will be extended to three days. The extravaganza will kick off on Friday 24 May, where there will be a day focu...
UK National News, Jan 31, 2013
Women Jailed For Life Over Pensioner Torture And Murder
Two women have been found guilty of the torture and murder of retired bus conductor, 67-year-old Barry Reeve. Drug addicts Jodie Barnes, 31, and Kelly Barnes, 32, were convicted at Norwich Crown Cour...
UK National News, Jan 31, 2013
Only Third Of Hospitals Share Crime Data With Police
Only a third of areas in England are following through on a government pledge to make hospitals share violent crime data with police, an audit has shown. The results of the Department of Health audit...
UK National News, Jan 31, 2013
Lewisham A&E Downgraded In Cost Cutting Measure
Lewisham hospital’s A&E department is to be downgraded to an "urgent care" ward as part of cost-cutting measures. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced in the Commons that a smaller ward would conti...
UK National News, Jan 31, 2013
Low-Income Families Could Be Hit By Council Tax Increase
New research suggests that most councils in England pass on a 10% benefit funding cut to households, who will see a rise in council tax. From April a typical council tax bill could rise by between £1...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
Bullet Sent To Lagan Group Chief Executive
The chief executive of the Lagan Group has received a bullet in the post. Addressed to Kevin Lagan a note accompanying the bullet made reference to Lagan Group's recent discussions about a possible j...
UK National News, Jan 31, 2013
Public Forests Not To Be Sold
Publicly owned forests in England will not be sold, the government has announced. They also announced that new public body will be created to hold in trust the nation's forests for future generations...
UK National News, Jan 31, 2013
Other News In Brief
HMV Cut 190 Jobs Some 190 staff have been let go from HMV, across their head office and distribution network, administrators have announced. Deloitte, appointed to run HMV on 15 January, say ...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
SDLP Hits Out At SF Double Standards On Police Murders
SDLP Policing Spokesperson Conall McDevitt has said that Sinn Fein's credibility on reconciliation will be seriously questioned after the party sought to differentiate between the murder of Gardai and...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
New Cervical Screening Test Will Benefit Women
Testing for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) will bring real benefits to women. That was the message from the Health Minister as he announced that a test for HPV has now been incorporated within the N...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
House Damaged In Petrol Bomb attack
A house in Larne has been damaged in a petrol bomb attack, according to police. It happened on Church Way at around 10.30pm on Wednesday. A man was in the house at the time but was unhurt. Minor da...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
No Jail Time Served For Fuel Smuggling In 10 Years
In the last decade no-one has been jailed for fuel smuggling in Northern Ireland, a senior customs officer has revealed. Assistant director of criminal investigation for HMRC, John Whiting, made the ...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 31, 2013
Other News In Brief
Contractors Appointed For A2 Scheme Minister Danny Kennedy has confirmed the appointment of Graham Construction as contractors for the A2 Shore Road Greenisland improvement scheme.
The p...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 30, 2013
Police Release Images Linked To Ongoing Protests
Detectives from the Operation Dulcet Investigation team are today releasing 19 images of people they want to speak to in connection with their enquiries into recent serious public disorder in East Bel...
UK National News, Jan 30, 2013
Petrol Market 'Working Well' - OFT
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has said little action is needed, following a study looking at the UK petrol and diesel market. The report states: "The evidence gathered by the OFT suggests that at ...
Recruitment News, Jan 30, 2013
Minister Visits NIE Training Centre
Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry, today visited the Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) Training Centre at Campsie to tour the facility and meet with ApprenticeshipsNI participants S...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 30, 2013
Sports Journalist Malcolm Brodie Dies
Renowned former sports editor of the Belfast Telegraph, Malcolm Brodie, has died. Mr Brodie began his career at the Portadown News, before moving to the Belfast Telegraph in 1943, where he worked for...
UK National News, Jan 30, 2013
Cumbria County Council Veto Nuclear Waste Facility
Cumbria County Council has rejected a proposed £12bn underground nuclear waste store. The council vetoed any further investigation, “Stage 4”, of sites for the radioactive waste facility. “Stage 4” ...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 30, 2013
Tesco Drop Burger Supplier Silvercrest
Tesco has pulled out of its contract with Irish food supplier Silvercrest, after horse DNA was found in burgers. The contract is allegedly worth around €15 million a year to Silvercrest. Tim Smith, ...
UK National News, Jan 30, 2013
Convicted Bomb Hoaxer 'Researched Explosives' Jury Hears
A jury at the Old Bailey has heard that a man, previously jailed for preparing acts of terrorism, began researching bombs again soon after leaving prison. 27-year-old Nicholas Roddis was jailed in 20...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 30, 2013
18% 'Embarrassed' To Visit Doctor After Noticing Cancer Symptom
According to a study involving academics at Queen's University Belfast over a third of people surveyed in Northern Ireland (34 per cent), do not present to their doctor immediately on noticing a cance...
Northern Ireland News, Jan 30, 2013
Boy Critically Ill In Car Accident
An eight-year-old boy is critically ill in hospital after he was hurt in a car accident in west Belfast. It happened on the Grosvenor Road at around 3pm on Tuesday. The crash involved a 4x4 vehicle ...
UK National News, Jan 30, 2013
Marathon Runner Had Banned Stimulant In Her Waterbottle
A 30-year-old woman who died while running last year’s London marathon had the now-banned stimulant, Jack3d, in her waterbottle. An inquest into the death of Claire Squires heard from her boyfriend o...