Other NI News In Brief

Prince Edward Met 'Rifles'

Further details of last week's two-day royal visit to NI by The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward have emerged. He was a special guest of the 1st Rifles at Ballykinler at dinner on Thursday night as Colonel in Chief and then took the salute at a Junior NCOs parade next morning. This was as well as meeting around 50 Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award winners at a presentation ceremony in Hillsborough Castle on Friday, and three royal engagements to celebrate the success of the Belfast Activity Centre on Thursday with their 'Youth Building Programmes' and meeting inmates at Hydebank Young Offenders' Centre in Belfast to present Duke of Edinburgh award certificates. See: Prince Edward Presents Gold Awards

Adams 'Never in IRA'

As the Irish election campaign heats up, the Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has again rejected any suggestion that he played a part in the death of Jean McConville - a mother of 10 - who was abducted from her home in Divis Towers, Belfast, killed and secretly buried by the IRA in Co Louth in 1972. Mr Adams (pictured) who is standing for election in Louth "expressed his deep regret at the injustice that was inflicted on the McConville family by republicans". His comments came after the family of Mrs McConville campaigned in Dundalk against Mr Adams highlighting that the IRA admitted killing and burying Protestant mother, Mrs McConville, whose body was found in 2003 and Mr Adams denied ever being a member of the IRA.

Dope Factory Found

Two men have been arrested following the discovery of an alleged cannabis factory at premises of Killard Road in Downpatrick. An estimated £134,000 worth of cannabis plants and other associated cultivating equipment was seized by police investigating suspicious activity on Sunday. A 26-year-old man and a 25-year-old man were detained at the property. They remain in custody this morning assisting police with their enquiries.

Education In Focus

The NI Employment and Learning Minister, Danny Kennedy, has announced three events where the public will be asked their opinions on the development of a Higher Education Strategy to provide an opportunity for people to give their views on the Higher Education Strategy consultation. "I urge as many interested parties as possible to attend these public consultation events. Ultimately, this feedback will provide a strong basis on which to develop a Higher Education Strategy for Northern Ireland; a strategy that will shape the sector up to 2020," he said, noting that the venues are 2pm on Monday 21 February at City Hotel, Armagh, 6pm on Tuesday 1 March at City Hotel, Londonderry and 2pm on Wednesday 2 March at Park Avenue Hotel, Belfast.

Teenager Stabbed

Police in Ballymoney are investigating after an 18-year-old man was stabbed once in the abdomen after he answered a knock to his door during the early hours of Monday morning. The incident occurred at an apartment building on Union Street at around 3.20am and the victim was taken to hospital however his injuries are not thought to be life threatening. The assailant is described as in his 30s, 5'9" tall of a medium build with short hair spiked on top. He was wearing a white hoody with a blue horizontal stripe across the middle. Anyone who noticed this male in the area or anyone with any information relating to this attack is asked to contact police in Ballymoney on 0845 600 8000.

Terror Charges

A 20-year-old man has been charged with possession of a firearm and munitions and is expected to appear at Lisburn Magistrates Court later today after an earlier search in the area of Twinbrook, Co Antrim, by the PSNI Serious Crime Branch. The search was in connection with dissident republican activity.

Business Problems Highlighted

InterTradeIreland today published the results of its quarterly all-island business monitor, the largest business survey on the island. In its quarter four report for 2010, nine out of ten businesses reported that the economic downturn continues to have a moderate or severe adverse impact on their business, with those reporting a severe impact still rising. In terms of profitability, almost one third of businesses reported that they had not been able to remain profitable in the past 12 months. Export orientated companies are twice as likely to have increased sales (28%) as those focused on domestic markets (14%) and much less likely to have decreased employment. Sectors that have been hardest hit continue to be construction, leisure, hotels and catering with almost one in four of firms in that sector reducing employment levels. Commenting on the findings, Aidan Gough, Director of Strategy and Policy in InterTradeIreland, said: "While the economic indicators point to some signs of recovery, the survey shows that this is not being felt by businesses on the ground. Firms that have already been faced with reduced demand and difficulty in accessing finance, are now being hit with inflationary cost pressures and this is the new battleground."

(BMcC/GK)