In Short

A round up of today's other stories in brief...

A round up of today's other stories in brief...

PSNI defends handling of Derry riots

Police in Derry have defended their handling of a riot involving up to 70 people, many of them children, on the Creggan estate on Easter Monday.

Trouble started when police attempted to stop what was described as an illegal republican parade organised by dissidents at the town's City Cemetery. While the violence was short-lived, it was among the worst in Derry in many years.

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Three crates containing 40 petrol bombs were recovered. Two teenagers were arrested and have been released. One eyewitness claimed that the police response was heavy- handed and that children as young as eight were photographed and questioned.

Local SDLP councillor, Jim Clifford, said that young people in the area knew police would be at these parades. "They are just waiting for what people call recreational rioting," he said.

Second held over Dungannon death

A second man has been arrested in connection with the murder of shop manager Shaun Fitzpatrick (32) in Dungannon at the weekend.

Mr Fitzpatrick's brutally beaten body was found early on Sunday morning in an alleyway near his home.

A 24-year-old man was arrested Monday in connection with the murder. On Sunday a 21-year-old man was taken in for questioning.

Finucane report challenge

The decision to withhold a police report on security force collusion in Northern Ireland paramilitary murders could be challenged in court, it was stated yesterday

A coroner investigating the 1989 murder of Catholic solicitor Pat Finucane (38) by loyalists has been given access to the dossier while his family has been left partly in the dark.

Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir John Stevens has completed the report on the shooting of Mr Finucane in front of his three children in his Belfast home.

The former director of the Committee for the Administration of Justice, Maggie Beirne, said: "There are bound to be legal challenges to the fact that the coroner has seen this material, which is considered very relevant to the inquest, but the legal teams for the families will not be able to have access to the same material."

Sir John investigated allegations that elements within military intelligence and the Royal Ulster Constabulary's Special Branch were colluding with loyalist assassination squads.

Anniversary visit to Lourdes

More than 400 people with disabilities are on a pilgrimage to Lourdes this week, accompanied by Bishop Christopher Jones of Elphin and Bishop Dermot O'Mahony, retired Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin.

In all 1,120 people are on the pilgrimage, which includes doctors, nurses, carers and chaplains who are looking after the 431 guests with disabilities.

This year Lourdes celebrates 150 years since the apparitions there.