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BBC

The government has held secret talks with the UDA leadership about the decommissioning of its weapons.

Security Minister Paul Goggins and Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde met members of the organisation’s ruling “inner council” on Monday night.

The NIO has confirmed Mr Goggins had private talks with the political representatives of the UDA and what it called “other leading loyalists”.

The BBC understands they included the majority of the UDA’s inner council

The UDA has said for years that decommissioning was “not even on its radar screen”.

However, the UDA leadership now says the issue is being discussed, but the vast majority of its members and supporters are opposed to giving up its weapons.

The government says that is just an excuse.

It wants the organisation to begin the process of decommissioning within six months and if it does not, the international decommissioning body could cease to exist.

At that point there would no longer be a weapons amnesty and any weapons found will be forensically tested and the evidence used in future court cases.

Breaking News.ie
29/07/2008

A survey into attitudes in the North has found that cross-community contact does eventually break down barriers.

The research was carried out by the University of Ulster and the University of Oxford on behalf of the power-sharing Executive.

It tracked a number of people between 2006 and 2007 to examine the effects of cross-community contact.

The key findings of the study are that such contact resulted in a reduction in prejudice over time and the sharing of personal information.

Once trust was established, people tended to be more open about their true feelings and views, which led to an understanding of different perspectives.

Irish Times

Police in Northern Ireland are today questioning a man after young Dublin footballers came under sectarian attack at an international tournament.

An under-16 and under-14 team, both from the Republic, were also being moved from their accommodation beside the University of Ulster in Coleraine for their safety.

A 19-year-old man was arrested after stones were thrown and sectarian abuse shouted at the children who were competing in the Milk Cup, one of Europe’s most prestigious youth football tournaments.

The attack happened at around 10.30pm last night at Cromore Court, near the loyalist Ballyfally estate, where Crumlin United and Cherry Orchard’s youth teams were staying.

A PSNI spokeswoman confirmed they were investigating.

“It is understood a number of stones were thrown at a property and sectarian abuse shouted at a number of people staying in the area,” she said.

“Enquiries into the incident are continuing.”

Paul Clare, manager of Cherry Orchard, said the incident has upset some
of the children.

“There was one lad who is under 15 and he was a little bit worried, he couldn’t really sleep,” he said.

“So I just had a chat with them today and told them it was only a silly drunk.” Mr Clare said one man who was drunk was singing sectarian songs while their accommodation came under attack from stones.

Both youth teams, from Dublin, are being moved to other accommodation for their own protection.

Belfast Telegraph
Tuesday, 29 July 2008

Another three men have been arrested north of the border in connection with the investigation into the murder of south Armagh man Paul Quinn last October.

The three men, two in their 50s and one in his 20s, were detained during a number of searches in the Cullyhanna and Crossmaglen areas, which were carried out at the request of the Gardai.

Earlier today, the Gardai also arrested three men in their 20s and 30s following a series of raids in Co Monaghan.

They are being held at Monaghan and Carrickmacross garda stations under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.

Mr Quinn, 21, was beaten to death by a gang of men after being lured to a remote farm near Castleblaney on October 20th.

IAIS
07/28/08 10:59 EST

Northern Ireland Alliance Party’s Naomi Long has said there has been no serious offer from the DUP or Sinn Fein about her party taking the justice ministry.

She was speaking after Sinn Fein said it would consider discussing the issue to try to break the deadlock over the transfer of police and justice powers.

Ms Long said the issue had been raised only casually when her party leadership met DUP leader Peter Robinson recently.

“There was no serious discussion about it,” she said.

“We said the same thing then that we’re saying today that if there is no serious discussion with us about it then there is no serious answer to be sought from us about it. I think that this is merely a way of the executive deflecting attention away from the fact that the responsibilities they currently have, they’re not capable of fulfilling,” Ms Long added.