Slugger O'Toole

It has taken most of the week for some clear background to come out on this story. Henry McDonald talks to residents, police and paramilitries to get the bottom of this gruesome case. He finds it was not simply a sectarian ‘beating’: “The UDA’s south Belfast brigadier denied that McCartan was attacked solely because he was a Catholic. ‘Listen to the silence from republicans. Their silence is deafening because they know joyriders have tormented their own people over there.’” McDonald …

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Sir George Quigley’s proposal to split the Parades Commission into two bodies to deal separately with adjudication and mediation is meeting with some opposition, primarily from nationalists who feel that the current body is working perfectly well. As Alex Attwood said before the publication of the proposals on Thursday, “Our position is that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.” Unionists have not been happy with the working of the current body, the second such set up to deal with …

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Brian Walker reports Tony Blair’s current hardening stance on paramilitaries, and his continuing focus on Sinn Fein: “Let me make it clear that the activites of the loyalist paramilitaries are not just totally and completely contrary to law but contrary to any decent sense of humanity,” he said, adding, “The only difference is that that loyalist paramilitaries are not connected to political parties and government, that is why we have a different situation here. But in terms of paramilitary activity, …

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TENSIONS were rising in loyalist areas of Northern Ireland today after a close associate of Johnny Adair warned that the UDA was moving towards a new feud. More. Update: Rumours of a renewed feud. Adair remains defiant. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Here’s the BBC report. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Interesting educational resource on a little recollected event of the 19th Century; the Fenian invasion of Canada. Thanks to Smoke Signals. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Paul Dunne at the Shamrockshire Eagle blog has a review of two articles on the Stormont spy story. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Paul Murphy was reported in fairly direct terms in today’s FT: “The time is up in many ways. The transition period is over where you can get a situation where the democratic political parties work in a system and at the same time having paramilitary activity accompany it.” Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

The Belfast Telegraph has a slew of letters from various Unionists on the vexed subject of the Orange Order’s block vote with the ruling council of David Trimble’s UUP. This discussion has been in play for some time now. Indeed a seminar on the subject is to take place shortly. Three are pro- breaking the link. Young Unionist, Newry suggests that it harks back to a golden age of Unionism that cannot be part of the future. MJ Wilson points …

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There have been major changes in the IRA’s controlling body for the first time in five years. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

The report on the Parades Commission chaired by Sir George Quigley has just been published. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Journalist of the moment, Ed Moloney, has been sacked from his job on the Sunday Tribune newspaper, so reports the subscription only Irish News: “Mr Maloney, who has reported for the paper for 16 years, said he was “shocked” when a letter from the paper’s outgoing editor Matt Cooper, terminating his contract, was delivered to his New York home. Speaking to the Irish News from New York, Mr Maloney last night said “basic natural justice” had been ignored and that …

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IN review of the book in this month’s Fortnight magazine, Newton Emerson of the Portadown News, says of his subject : “David Ervine played a key role in delivering the loyalist ceasefire. He negotiated directly with Albert Reynolds to secure promises essential in securing the Good Friday Agreement promises which have been kept. He humanised unionism before the American political establishment. He stopped Mo Mowlam undermining the consent principle. He did all this under fire from mainstream unionism and under …

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500 chief executives of NI companies were polled for BBC by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. It confirms the impression that business people are amongst the strongest supporters of the devolved institutions: “…almost 80% saying an assembly was the best option for running the economy – while two thirds also favour closer ties to the Republic of Ireland’s economy.” Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Another, as yet unnamed, suspect has just been arrested. This case first claimed media attention as a result of the PSNI raid, which kicked off the current political crisis. Update: Apparently the person concerned worked in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister. From Reuters. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

In his first substantial interview as Secretary of State, Paul Murphy tells Chris Thornton that we are at the stage when paramilitaries must be taken out of political life: “We’ve seen no end to the violence amongst paramilitary groups. I mean, this crucifixion (of 23-year-old Harry McCartan in Dunmurry) is such an obvious example of savagery and brutality that everybody must see this as being something which really has now to stop. That of course was on the loyalist side. …

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Newshound has now made Brian Feeney’s article available. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Stephen King asks whether the decommissioning body has credibility without powers of sanction. “…why have they been so unsuccessful? De Chastelain gives the answer: ‘We are in a somewhat difficult position because we have no means of coercion.’” Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

This week’s edition of the Portadown News. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.

Assembly members to lose £10,000 from their salary. Slugger O'TooleA general account used for the daily threads and other things.