A round-up of today's other stories in brief
O'Loan to oversee police inquiry into UVF gang in north Belfast
Dame Nuala O’Loan is to oversee a police investigation into a UVF gang in north Belfast which carried out a series of murders and other serious crimes, writes Dan Keenan
When she was police ombudsman, Dame Nuala found that the Mount Vernon UVF was in collusion with members of the former RUC. Following her report, Operation Stafford was set up by the PSNI and it is this that she, along with lawyer Richard Harvey, are to monitor in response to the concerns.
Dame Nuala and Mr Harvey agreed to take part in the initiative following representations from the families of those killed at the hands of the Mount Vernon UVF in north Belfast.
90 volunteers for India, Kenya sought
Suas Educational Development, the Irish NGO dedicated to supporting education in under-resourced communities, is seeking 90 Ireland-based volunteers to travel to Kenya and India in 2011.
Each volunteer will be working with a Suas partner school where they will offer a meaningful contribution though teaching and sports coaching. Further information and applications are available at www.suas.ie
Five men held over theft of wine
Five men were being held by gardaí in Co Wicklow yesterday in connection with a burglary in Bray a week ago. The operation was carried out by gardaí from Bray assisted by members of the Emergency Response Unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Wine worth € 4,000 was recovered, along with two stolen trucks.
The wine was taken from Rossmore Business Park a week ago.
Ex-SF councillor to fight sex allegation
The widow of a senior IRA figure is expected to face charges of cruelty and sexual offences.
Briege Meehan, who was a former Sinn Féin councillor in Co Antrim before she was suspended by the party, has been accused by Mary Meehan, daughter of senior republican Martin Meehan, of the offences.
She claims the alleged offences took place almost 30 years ago. Solicitor Patricia Coyle told the BBC yesterday her client denied any wrongdoing and would be strenuously defending the allegations. "She remains entitled to the presumption of innocence and welcomes the trial process in order to demonstrate her innocence."
Mary Meehan said in an Irish News interview at the weekend that she was concerned about the time the investigation was taking. Ms Coyle said her client did "not intend to engage in the trial by media which had been conducted in the case to date".
