UDA accused as retaliatory murders in North go on

Saturday-Sunday

The Loyalist Volunteer Force admitted murdering a fourth Catholic since the killing of its leader Billy Wright. Mr Fergal McCusker (28) was found shot dead behind a youth club in Maghera, Co Derry.

The White House said President Clinton had "full confidence" in the US ambassador to Ireland, Mrs Jean Kennedy Smith, after claims by a former US ambassador to London, Mr Raymond Seitz, that she was "an ardent IRA apologist". In published extracts from his memoirs Mr Seitz accused the White House of leaking British secrets to the IRA.

Monday

Two INLA gunmen shot dead Mr Jim Guiney (38), a senior loyalist, in his carpet shop in Dunmurry, Belfast. A Catholic taxi-driver, Mr Larry Brennan (52), was later shot dead in Belfast.

The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, emerged from a meeting with the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, warning that the latest British-Irish proposals do not offer a path to peace. The SDLP rejected Sinn Fein's claims that the document is purely internal and partitionist.

An Irish Times investigation revealed that angel dust, antibiotics and other prescription-only animal drugs are freely available in Northern Ireland. The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, pledged his Department's support in investigating the issue.

An action for damages for alleged hearing impairment taken by a former part-time soldier who had served four years with the FCA almost 30 years ago was dismissed in the High Court. Mr Justice Kelly said he regarded the action by Mr Brian Fenlon (51), a father of six, as "rather opportunistic".

Tuesday

Journalist Veronica Guerin attempted to defend herself from her killer's bullets, the Special Criminal Court was told on the opening day of the trial of the first man to be charged with her murder. Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting, said while Mr Paul Ward (33) was not one of the actual killers he acted as part of a "common design" to kill or seriously injure the journalist.

The Sinn Fein president, Mr Adams, accused the UDA-UFF of being involved in some recent killings but said their political representatives in the Ulster Democratic Party should not be excluded from talks.

The former Taoiseach, Mr Haughey, lost his High Court attempt to gain access to a confidential letter written by the Moriarty tribunal to the Government chief whip.

Boots, the British health retail giant, bought Hayes Conyngham Robinson in a £13 million deal.

Wednesday

A Catholic father of three, Mr Benedict Hughes (55), was shot dead after finishing work at a motor components store near the loyalist Sandy Row area of Belfast.

Hours later, a married man, Mr Steven Paul, was shot at his home in the predominantly Protestant Belvoir Park Estate, and Mr John McFarland, a taxi-driver working for a Catholic-owned firm was shot but not seriously hurt.

The IRA said in a statement that the recent set of Propositions on Heads of Agreement issued by the British and Irish governments was "a pro-unionist document and has created a crisis in the peace process".

Provisional Garda figures for last year showed the number of reported crimes has fallen substantially for the first time since the 1980s. The figures, seen by The Irish Times, showed a 41 per cent increase in the number of rapes reported.

Thursday

The RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, accused the UDA of being responsible for three recent murders. This prompted calls for the expulsion from the talks of the UDP, which is linked to the UDA. The latest victim of violence in the North was Mr Chris McMahon, a Catholic, who was shot on the northern outskirts of Belfast as he left work.

Dell Computer announced plans to create 3,000 new jobs in Limerick and Bray, Co Wicklow, over the next three years in a £180 million expansion plan.

The Minister for Education, Mr Martin, signalled an important policy shift on multi-denominational schooling by agreeing to buy a site for a religiously mixed primary school in Galway.

A soldier was awarded damages of £3,000 at Kilkenny Circuit Court for suffering food poisoning after consuming egg mayonnaise at an Army function while serving in south Lebanon in 1996.