Jail Still Closed

Due to the ongoing search at Maghaberry Prison there will no domestic or legal visits today. The Prison Service will provide details later with regard to the position over the weekend. The Co Antrim facility went to 'lock-down' yesterday as searches were carried out.

Youth Justice In Focus

Respect was the theme yesterday for a conference organised by the Youth Justice Agency. Stormont Junior Minister Robin Newton gave the opening address at the 'Restoring Respect' conference which was aimed at creating a collaborative approach to reducing extreme behaviours, violent crime and hate crime amongst young people. The conference was organised as a response to a change in the pattern of referrals to the Youth Justice Agency within recent months. The DUP MLA said: "The breadth and depth of this conference reflect the commitment and determination that exist to change the recent trends that have been emerging. I know that colleagues in the Youth Justice Agency have been concerned at the changing patterns of referrals. More young people have been engaging in anti-social behaviour, violent and hate crime and this is a trend that we all want to see reversed," he said, noting that "no single agency can take up the mantle of tackling extreme behaviours and hate crime amongst young people". He concluded: "We can no longer be satisfied with achieving quick 'fixes' but must take a longer-term, strategic view."

Back On Track

The Enterprise rail service between Belfast and Dublin is to return to normal on Monday 16 November. The service has been disrupted since a viaduct at Malahide collapsed in August and passengers have had to be bussed between Drogheda and Dublin.

Charity Taken To Book

Ulster Cancer Foundation's (UCF) shops will be stocking copies of a new book, called Country Tales, compiled by Pat McErlean and Betty Hueston. It is a collection of short stories, poems and photographs which is being sold to raise funds for UCF. Joyce Savage, Head of Appeals & Marketing, UCF said: "Country Tales is a wonderful gift or Christmas stocking filler. It is priced at just £5.75 with £1 from the sale of each book donated to UCF. Every year we need to raise almost £4m to continue our services and all money raised is spent in Northern Ireland to help local families."

Basque Terror Suspect 'Afraid'

A Belfast judge has heard claims that sending a convicted Basque terrorist back to a Spanish prison would leave him facing death. Lawyers for Jose Ignacio de Juana Chaos, 54, are fighting attempts to have him extradited to Spain over claims that he glorified terrorism. The man, who has already served a jail sentence for his role in up to 25 murders, said he was beaten repeatedly and kept in solitary confinement for 17 years during his incarceration. According to the defendant's lawyer, a medical expert had identified a disproportionate risk to the wanted man's health and life if he is extradited. However, this is thought to be in connection with a previous hunger strike that he undertook, with fears that he would repeat the extreme protest if jailed again. He is wanted over the contents of a letter read out at a rally in San Sebastian in August 2008. See: Basque Extradition Case Adjourned

Court Order DPP Woman Targeted

The wife of a well-known republican who had his assets frozen must clear her name to continue serving on her local District Policing Partnership (DPP), the DUP has claimed. Annette Hughes was named in a court order granted against her husband Sean, freezing several properties, proceeds of property deals and bank accounts with her named in the order as being the co-owner of the properties. The DUP Chair of the DPP, Williams Burns, said it would be wrong for Mrs Hughes to continue under the present circumstances.

Border Traders 'Gift' Shoppers

Shopkeepers in Dundalk, Co Louth, are launching a new gift card scheme to try to stem the flow of shoppers north. The town is among the locations worst hit since the Government increased VAT in the Republic of Ireland to 21.5% while the rate in the North has fallen to 15%. Up to 250,000 households in Ireland regularly do their grocery shopping north of the border a 25% increase on last year while off-licence sales in the North are up by 30%. Dundalk Town Centre Commerical Manager Andrew Mawhinney, said the new initiative will begin next week to encourage shoppers to stay in the town.

(BMcC/NS)