A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Denial of citizenship challenged
A woman has begun a High Court challenge to a decision of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to refuse her citizenship on the basis that her two sons have convictions for road traffic offences.
Li Gu He (57), a widow, Moorefield Parade, Clondalkin, Dublin, is seeking a judicial review of the Minister's decision to refuse her citizenship.
Her application was refused last May and the refusal cited the fact that her 27- and 28-year-old sons, Jin Xiong Yin and Jin Hui Yin, have convictions. Jin Xiong was convicted of driving without reasonable consideration and Jin Hui has convictions for drink-driving and no insurance, it was stated.
Ms Li said she had no convictions and had not come to the adverse attention of the gardaí.
Mr Justice John Edwards granted leave to bring the challenge.
UDA stand-down welcomed
The North's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has given a qualified welcome to the announcement that the UDA is to stand down its units.
The Mid Ulster MP said the UDA's statement must be followed by the ending of its criminal and paramilitary activity.
"I am prepared to welcome the comments that were made but I am prepared to welcome it up to a point," Mr McGuinness said at Stormont yesterday. "This organisation has been involved in drug dealing, in other criminal activities, in racist attacks on newcomers to our community. All that has to be stopped."
Custody case for Supreme Court
The case of an unmarried father who is seeking the return of his two-year-old twin boys from Britain is to be heard at the Supreme Court next week.
Mr G took a successful action in the High Court against the mother of his two children who took them to the north of England without his knowledge or consent last January.
The High Court judge Mr Liam McKechnie held that the retention of the children in Britain was a breach of Mr G's custody rights and of the custody rights of the Trim District Court when Mr G made an application for custody of the children on March 9th. However, the mother, known as Ms KAO, is appealing that decision.
Lawyers for both sides were informed earlier this month that the Supreme Court hearing will take place on Tuesday, November 20th.
Cocaine worth €40,000 seized
Officers from Revenue's Customs Service at Dublin airport yesterday seized approximately 2kg of cocaine with a street value of €40,000.
The the baggage of a 45-year-old Venezuelan woman was searched and the drugs found concealed in five cans of hair spray. The woman had arrived on a flight from Madrid having previously travelled from Caracas, Venezuela.
The woman is due to appear in court today.
Truck hits boy on O'Connell Street
A teenage boy was knocked down and seriously injured in rush-hour traffic on Dublin's O'Connell Street yesterday morning.
The incident happened close to the Spire at about 8.30am, when a truck mounted the street's central pedestrian median and struck the youth, aged 16.
Architects for library selected
Cork architects Carr Cotter & Naessens have been chosen to design a €35 million library and cultural in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, it was announced yesterday, writes Fiona Gartland.
The project will include the largest library in the country, with a floor area of 7,000sq m.