Europe Intelligence Wire articles from June 2005

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from June 2005

400 jobs at licence centre on the line.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) NEARLY 400 jobs will be lost if plans to transfer Northern IrelandOs Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLNI) to Wales go ahead, it was claimed yesterday. East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell told the Northern...

17 BASES FACE AXE.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) SEVENTEEN police stations in rural parts of Northern Ireland are facing the axe. A confidential document obtained by DUP MLA Arlene Foster reveals that the PSNI intends to close the stations despite a continuing...

For the love of Castle Leslie.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) Since Paul McCartney chose historic Castle Leslie in Co Monaghan for his marriage to Heather Mills the grand, historic building, now a hotel, has become a favourite tourist attraction for northerners going south. Yet,...

Apply for more EU cash plea.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) PROTESTANTS were last night urged to put EU funding bodies to the test and start applying in numbers for cash from the PEACE II programme. DUP MEP Jim Allister told an information evening in east Belfast that it was...

Man, 64, jailed for molesting niece.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A PENSIONER who plied his teenage niece with alcohol before taking her to an empty house to sexually molest her was jailed for three-and- a-half years yesterday. Belfast Crown Court heard that in the aftermath of...

Samaritans welcome suicide articles.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE Samaritans yesterday welcomed a News Letter investigation showing that almost 19,000 people in Belfast have attempted suicide or self-harm in the past year. Belfast branch director Rosemary Adair said the...

Peak form - Your guide to eating out on holiday.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) EVERYONE loves to eat out, especially on holiday ETH but it can be a testing time for those trying to lose weight! Eating in restaurants, for example, can involve consuming high-fat meals. ThereOs no need to stop eating...

Why women canOt mind their Ps and Queues!
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ITOS official! Women are the worst queuers in Britain according to a national survey commissioned by Qm Group ETH the UKOs leading queue management and waiting experience experts. According to market research...

Star line-up for festival.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) HE put thousands of OFO and OCO words into the script of Springer the Opera and now Stewart Lee is booked for Belfast. Belfast Festival at QueenOs has unveiled some festival highlights before the launch of their...

Community funding plea.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) RESIDENTS of Sandy Row yesterday made an urgent plea for funding to help stage a community festival next week. So far, local businesses have donated around pounds 3,500, but one of the festival organisers, Anna...

ItOs fashionable to be mad on matrimony.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) If you think that most couples donOt bother with marriage these days preferring to simply live together then the latest statistics suggest that getting hitched could well be coming back into fashion. Bride-to- be and...

Police investigate assault on two girls.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) POLICE in Omagh are investigating an assault on two teenage girls near the townOs leisure centre by a group of other girls on Friday. The assault was initiated by two girls. One is described as being thin, with...

Pastor has cross to bear.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) BELFAST pastor Jack McKee will bear a 7ft wooden cross to walk along the Shankill Road tomorrow. This is the third time Mr McKee has taken part in the Ocross walkO to honour those who have given their lives for...

OSuper spyO may give evidence via video link.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) AN AMERICAN Osuper spyO who infiltrated the Real IRA is almost certain to be allowed to give evidence by video link when the multi-million pound Omagh bomb case is heard next year. David RupertOs life would be at...

Charge against Omagh accused dropped.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A MAN charged in connection with the Omagh bombing has been freed after the charge against him was dropped, it was learned yesterday. Anthony Joseph Donegan, 34, from Dundalk, Co Louth, in the Irish Republic, walked...

Three cleared of funding gun smuggling.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THREE people were yesterday cleared of funding a terrorist gun- smuggling ring. Belfast Crown Court judge Mr Justice Girvan said he could not be sure that Maria Brogan, Patricia OOKane and Sean Burns knew they were...

Board chief to step down.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE chief executive of the South Eastern and Library Board (SEELB) is expected to announce his resignation at a board meeting today. There has been speculation that Jackie Fitzsimons, who has been in overall charge...

Beach wear ETH day to night.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) AS the saying goes, OMad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sunO, so covering up during the hottest time of the day is a sound piece of advice when holidaying abroad and even in the UK. With the current summer...

Terrorist feud bomber sentenced to 20 years.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A TRAIN driver who planted a car bomb as part of a terrorist feud which spilled over from Northern Ireland was jailed for 20 years yesterday. Stanley Curry, 47, who has strong ties to loyalist groups in Ulster,...

Businesses left powerless by NIE.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) NIE came under pressure last night to explain why five Belfast businesses were left without power yesterday. Traders in the Royal Avenue/Academy Street area were forced to turn customers away because of a power cut...

Bard record the aim as they act it.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ITOS back to the Bard for pupils in the Province this Sunday as they attempt to smash a Shakespearean record. Winsome witches are currently conjuring their incantations of Ohubble, bubble, toil and troubleO in 18...

Paint attack on house.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) POLICE are investigating a sectarian motive to an incident in which bottles of paint were thrown at a house in Ahoghill yesterday. The house at Brookfield Gardens was struck seven or eight times at about 1am. A...

Summer choices for a more mature figure.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THEREOS no doubt about it some older women despair when they try to find stylish clothes which cover up those saggy areas. Even I have to admit, no matter what I may write on these pages occasionally, that many of...

LifeOs a beach as five blue flags are unfurled.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE north coast turned blue yesterday with the unfurling of five coveted EU emblems confirming the high quality of the areaOs sand, water and visitor facilities. Downhill, PortrushOs east and west strands,...

Historic accord example to all.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A GROUNDBREAKING agreement which will see thousands of Orangemen parade in the West Bank of Londonderry next month was held up yesterday as an example for others involved in parading disputes. The deal was brokered...

Parade body Ounwise, ill-informedO.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ONE of the ProvinceOs leading psychologists has issued his now traditional report in advance of Drumcree Sunday. Dr Arthur Cassidy, from Portadown, has been carrying out research into the psychology behind the...

Illustrating an unsettling truth.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) In the years of bloody conflict that we call Othe TroublesO many women died at the hands of terrorists. One of them was Catholic Bernadette Martin who was shot by a friend of her Protestant boyfriendOs family. It has...

For the love of life ETH and money.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) OCOMEREO the taxi driver cheerily greeted me on the way back to the office from lunch the other day, Odid you hear on the radio that women are now going for rich men rather than good-looking ones? IsnOt it shocking?O...

Rugby hero Trevor lauds march deal.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A LEADING community relations activist yesterday encouraged people across Northern Ireland to learn from the example set by Londonderry. Trevor Ringland, chairman of the One Step Campaign, believes the deal...

Unionist communities slam police.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) UNIONIST communities hit back at the PSNI yesterday, claiming it had not been even-handed in its approach to Protestants. Some residents from the Suffolk area of west Belfast criticised the police for what they...

Council opposes crowd legislation.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) NORTH Down Borough Council has passed a motion opposing the new legislation which increases the power of the Parades Commission. Cllr Alex Easton proposed the motion which heavily criticises the Public Processions...

pounds 12m for Ulster Scots Academy.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) CULTURE Minister David Hanson yesterday announced a long-term commitment to the establishment of an Ulster-Scots Academy in Northern Ireland. Mr Hanson confirmed that pounds 12 million will be allocated for the...

Beauty Box.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) Thanks to a new product called NYCE Legs, we can get tights in a can! Available in light, medium or dark beige, NYCE Legs is an instantly dry spray which provides the look and benefits of sheer nylons (enhancing leg...

Be cool in the sun.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ItOs not just enough to feel cool in the sultry heat of mid summer, you need to look cool and also make sure you have around you the items that help you cool down such as summer weight bedding, the parasol for the patio...

LEADING ARTICLE: Closures put even more pressure on the police.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) POLICE stations in Northern Ireland are seen as an integral and very necessary part of the community, even though there has always been a minority who either for political or criminal reasons did not take this view. ...

Hain urged to take action on Zimbabwe.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE Government has been urged to take responsibility for Othe nightmare in ZimbabweO and to even consider sending in the Army. Ulster Unionist MLA David McNarry has written to Secretary of State Peter Hain MP...

Axe is to fall on 17 police basesYes.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) SEVENTEEN police stations across rural parts of Northern Ireland are to be axed. A confidential police document obtained by DUP MLA Arlene Foster reveals that the PSNI intends to close the stations, many of which...

Councillor goes back on decision to resign.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE Lisburn Ulster Unionist councillor who resigned before MayOs Local Government poll yesterday spoke publicly for the first time about why he has reversed his decision to quit politics. Talking exclusively to the...

letter from america - Uncovering a family fortune.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE old sepia-washed photo in the small, tattered album has haunted me for years. My cousin Beth and I are there in it, as are many of my fatherOs relatives. I was about 10 years old, Beth was 11. Since it was taken our...

Call of the search for a great read.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ITOS 60 years since World War II ended. Those five years of war caused tumult throughout the world and afterward spawned many films and novels giving us some idea of how people coped. Mary StanleyOs new novel...

IRA to be judged on Oactions, not wordsO.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) IRISH Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern was yesterday told that the Ulster Unionist Party will judge the IRA on Otheir actions, not their wordsO. Speaking after a one-hour meeting with Mr Ahern at UUP headquarters in...

DUP reacts to flags criticism.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) SDLP South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell has been slammed for criticising the erection of loyalist flags in the Lisburn Road and Finaghy areas. DUP councillor Christopher Stalford said the flags, which have been...

Councillor urged to drop complaints over parade.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) DUP MLA Mervyn Storey has accused Ballymena SDLP councillor Declan OOLoan of compromising his wifeOs position as Police Ombudsman by criticising the PSNIOs handling of Monday nightOs mini-Twelfth parade in the north...

Attacks adding to tensions ETH MP.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) NIGEL Dodds yesterday urged the Government to address the serious and growing community tensions in north Belfast. Speaking in the Northern Ireland Grand Committee at Westminster, Mr Dodds said recent attacks had...

Patten honour from university.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE man who drew up the controversial blueprint for policing reform in Northern Ireland was honoured by the University of Ulster yesterday. Chris Patten ETH now Lord Patten of Barnes ETH received an honorary degree,...

Buying fake goods is funding terrorists.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A QUARTER of people in Northern Ireland buy fake goods, despite them often funding terrorists, according to new research. People in the Province were yesterday given a stern reminder that the purchase of fake or...

Survey set to reveal what lies beneath.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ULSTER folk who have wondered what lies beneath the surface of the soil may soon find answers to their questions. For the first ever aerial survey of Northern IrelandOs geological resources is being launched today...

US predicts IRA arms statement.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) SENIOR Irish American figures are expecting the IRA to produce a definitive and credible statement on ending paramilitary and criminal activity, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain said last night. Following...

McBrideOs mother fails in MoD legal bid.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE mother of a man murdered by two soldiers in Belfast 13 years ago yesterday vowed to keep on fighting until his killers are thrown out of the Army. Jean McBride was speaking outside the High Court after losing a...

Public confidence boost for the PSNI.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) PUBLIC confidence in the police in Northern Ireland is on the increase, according to a report set to be published today. A total of 83 per cent of respondents had some, a lot or total confidence in the PSNIOs...

Medical experts meet in Province.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) FOR the first time today almost 150 European experts will gather in Northern Ireland to put disease causes and medical cures under the microscope. Some of the worldOs top experts on medicines will attend the annual...

RepublicanOs bug claim.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A BUGGING device has allegedly been uncovered in the home of a prominent republican in Londonderry. Andrew McCartney, who lives in the branch area of the city, said a Olistening deviceO with two aerials, a...

Celebrity Frank lends hand to EAGLE project.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) WEATHER watcher Frank Mitchell was at the Park Centre, Belfast yesterday to help launch the EAGLE project as the shopping centreOs chosen charity of the year. Apparently the UTV personality was at a school around...

Rioter jailed after police threatened.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A DRUNKEN rioter who threatened to kill police just before two of them were peppered with shotgun pellets was jailed for seven-and-a- half years yesterday. Jailing 29-year-old Ernest Dickson, Belfast Crown Court...

Petrol bomb OmistakeO theory.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A TEENAGER believes she may have been singled out by petrol bombers because she was mistaken for a Catholic. Roisin Orr, 19, and her fiance Ryan Robinson, 21, escaped injury after a petrol bomb was thrown at their...

To the Beat of the Drum - Lambegs to fore as Burnside host parade in Antrim.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) LAST Wednesday saw Burnside Accordion as hosts in Antrim town, and was witness to Lambeg drums entertaining the awaiting crowd. The parade was led by Castledawson FB, followed by a selection of local bands, along...

Braidside kids write the headlines.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE News Letter has some new competition in the readership stakes and itOs all our own fault. Published in Ballymena yesterday, each and every copy of the full colour first issue was snapped up within minutes of...

university of ulster - jordanstown - Toasting the health of science graduates.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) FACULTY OF LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Pass Brian Thomas Campbell Shelley Alexandra Crawford Kenda Elizabeth Crozier Sinead Mary Eccles Jennifer Jane Elliott Rodney...

university of ulster - jordanstown - UniversityOs salute to successful students.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) MASTER OF SCIENCE IN GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING Pass Sylvia Buet Gonzalez MASTER OF SCIENCE IN LEARNING AND TEACHING Pass Marjorie Crooke MASTER OF SCIENCE IN LIFELONG LEARNING...

Driver who caused death is spared jail.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A WOMAN driver who killed a pensioner was freed yesterday after the victimOs grieving relatives said they did not want her jailed. Freeing Dorothea Boston, Belfast Crown Court judge Patrick Lynch said, while it was...

Fans snap up 55,000 L8 tickets.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THOUSANDS of extra tickets for the star-studded Live 8 concert were snapped up in less than two hours, organisers said yesterday. Music fans camped out in the streets for their last chance to be at the event in...

Public schoolboy butchered parents.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A PUBLIC schoolboy who led a fantasy life yesterday admitted killing his elderly parents before using their credit cards for a pounds 30,000 spending spree. Brian Blackwell, 19, who bludgeoned the couple to death...

Tories claim ASBOs are failing to combat yobs.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ROCKETING numbers of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders were condemned as a Osticking plaster over an amputationO by the Conservatives yesterday. Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said Asbos ETH which rose in number by...

Spain to tackle wife-beaters.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) SPAIN launched a crackdown on domestic violence yesterday, with new courts and prosecutors focusing exclusively on a crime that left 72 women dead last year. The measures stem from a bill that Parliament approved...

Taliban suspect as US helicopter shot down.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A US Chinook helicopter that crashed in eastern Afghanistan may have been shot down by the Taliban, and the fate of 17 American service members aboard was unclear, the US military said yesterday. If confirmed, the...

Plumbers slammed.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) PLUMBERS are the worst value for money and provide the worst overall quality of service of any tradesmen, a survey claimed yesterday. Builders are seen as the worst timekeepers, according to website...

Death row Scotsman to learn of his fate.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A BRITON on death row in the United States will be told today if he is to be released or retried ETH 19 years to the day after his alleged crime. Edinburgh-born Kenny Richey was sentenced to death for the killing...

Work on new school under way.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) THE first sod was turned yesterday on the site of the new pounds 12 million Lisneal College on LondonderryOs Cresent Link. The ceremony heralds the start of construction on the school, which was formed as a result...

School looks to future with one eye on past.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A CO Tyrone listed school building is the toast of the town after a new pounds 300,000 extension was officially opened. Churchhill Primary School in Caledon, which dates back to 1852, caters for 60 children and was...

Wheel turns on new era for park.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) A PIECE of public art has made a OwheelO entrance at a newly refurbished park in south Belfast. The bronzed Belfast Wheel was unveiled at King William Park at the junction of Lisburn Road and University Road. ...

Board Oplaying with childrenOs livesO ETH claim.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) OFFICERS from the Western Education and Library Board were verbally pelted at a special meeting of Omagh council for Oplaying with childrenOs livesO as they unveiled a cash-cutting scheme. WELB chairman Harry...

Flower fest heaven OscentO for charities.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) HUNDREDS of people from across Ulster turned out for the weekend flower festival at Colebrooke Park in Co Fermanagh. The event was hosted at the 17th century stately house, home to Viscount and Viscountess...

Taking the bus full of boyhood dreams.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) IT was a bright, cold September day in 1975, and a tall, blond student with an expression of baffled optimism about him was standing at a bus stop in Feldkirch, a little town high in the Austrian alps. The night...

Airline gripe sheets just laughable.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) AFTER every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form called a gripe sheet, which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems and document their repairs on the form, then pilots...

Full marks for top teachers at awards.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) HAILED as Oordinary people doing an extraordinary jobO, Northern IrelandOs top teachers have been honoured at a gala ceremony in Belfast. The sixth annual Teaching Awards, which took place at the Waterfront Hall...

If youOre blind to the obvious, say nothing.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) FROM devoted reader Keith Maxwell, hereOs a test to see if your mindOs going, and in which direction. Below are four questions and a bonus question. You have to answer them instantly, so no slacking in this unique...

Despite their vast numbers, Germans were pushed back.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) In the fifth extract from his book, The Irish on the Somme, STEVEN MOORE tells of how the 36th (Ulster) Division faced the German onslaught of March, 1918 ETH the Second Battle of the Somme WHILE the Germans were...

City tunes in to strong gains at ITV.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) BROADCASTER ITV led the FTSE 100 Index to a positive close yesterday despite conflicting signals over the likely path of interest rates. ITV shares were the biggest blue-chip riser, bouncing 6% after regulator...

City is set to host retail conference.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) BELFAST has the opportunity to showcase itself to the movers and shakers in the retail and shopping centre industry, it was revealed yesterday. Up to 2,000 delegates will attend the industry annual conference at...

platform - Health Service needs to change.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) IS our health and social care system working? Is it fair? Are patients treated efficiently? Does it enjoy the full confidence of the public, and the professionals who work in it? A day in the life of the Health and...

SainsburyOs vow to stock pounds 250m worth of Ulster food.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) SAINSBURYOS last night pledged to stock its shelves with more than pounds 250 million of Northern Ireland produce during the next 12 months. The supermarket giant said it wants to source an additional 20 per cent...

Chopper hunts for gold in hills.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) OMAGH and north Fermanagh residents could be forgiven for thinking Big Brother is watching them this week as low flying helicopters take to the skies. But the choppersO mission is much more hi-tech. Equipped...

Female staff OpunishedO for having babies.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ONE million women workers face being sacked, demoted or bullied over the next few years just for having a baby, a new report warned today. Research for the Equal Opportunities Commission revealed that seven out of...

Henry stands up for race award.
June 30, 2005... (From Newsletter) ARSENAL striker Thierry Henry has received a major media award for standing up and speaking out against racism. A documentary about Ron AtkinsonOs on-air blunder in his ChampionsO League commentary also picked up a...