ianstone
06-22-2010, 03:11 PM
Cars burned during County Antrim racist attacks
Page last updated at 10:05 GMT, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 11:05 UK
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http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48140000/jpg/_48140318_singedhouse.jpg Police are treating the attack as racially-motivated Two cars have been set alight in a County Antrim suburb in what police are treating as racially-motivated hate crimes.
The vehicles were parked outside the homes of an Indian family and a Filipino family.
Both incidents took place in the Fernagh Avenue area of Whiteabbey at about 0130 BST on Tuesday.
The two cars were extensively damaged while scorch damage was caused to the front of a house.
One vehicle is owned by an Indian family.
The couple and their three children have been living in the area for a few years.
Racist motive The woman, a staff nurse at Belfast City Hospital, said this was the second time their car has been attacked.
She believes there was a racist motive behind the incident.
The other car belongs to a Filipino family who said they did not know why their vehicle was targeted.
The car had been parked outside the home of another Filipino family who had moved in earlier this year.
That family said they moved to the area because they "thought it was safe".
SDLP Newtownabbey councillor Noreen McClelland said: "Racism has no place in our society and racist attacks are disgraceful.
"Everybody has the right to live where they choose in peace and not have their most basic civil and human rights abused by people with a warped sense of their own importance."
Police have appealed for anyone with information about the incidents to get in touch.
Keady cross-border road closed in security alert
Page last updated at 17:04 GMT, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 18:04 UK
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http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48145000/jpg/_48145186_newarmybombvehicle226.jpg Police in South Armagh have cordoned off a five-mile stretch of road after a member of the public found a beer keg with wires attached.
The Castleblaney Road is cordoned off from its junction with Rafferty's Corner in Keady.
Six homes have been evacuated while at least one business has also closed.
It is believed a bomb warning was received on Monday. Local residents reported hearing significant helicopter activity above Keady on Monday evening.
Army experts are at the scene while Irish police are assisting the PSNI because the alert is close to the border.
Police are believed to be proceeding with "extreme caution".
SDLP Keady councillor Thomas O'Hanlon said the alert had caused "major distress" for residents, who have been told it is unlikely they will be allowed to return this evening.
He added: "The Castleblaney Road is a key cross-border route and its closure is bad for business and bad for the people of Keady who suffered enough down through the years due to pointless violence and destruction by the Provisional IRA."
Mob ransacks houses in Donegall Road area of Belfast
Page last updated at 10:53 GMT, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 11:53 UK
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http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48142000/jpg/_48142209_douthbelfast.jpg A number of houses in the Donegall Road area were attacked A mob ransacked houses in the Donegall Road area of Belfast in a series of racist and sectarian attacks on Monday.
The group of up to eight masked men forced their way into a house on Coolfin Street shortly before 2030 BST where they smashed furniture.
Minutes later they smashed up another house on the street and broke windows in a neighbouring house.
They then forced their way into a house on the Donegall Road where they assaulted a man.
The man suffered a small cut to his cheek.
A woman was also slapped in the first attack but she did not suffer any injuries.
Graffiti was also sprayed on house on Euterpe Street, though it was not sectarian or racist.
'Terrifying' The police are treating one of the attacks as racially motivated and another as sectarian.
The victims were a Catholic woman and an eastern European man, thought to be Polish.
It is understood that some of those attacked had only recently moved into the area.
Paula Bradshaw, Director of Greater Village Regeneration Trust, said there had been trouble in the area since last week.
She said tensions had been raised when carloads of young men came into the area to attack bonfires and steal flags.
She said she was "sickened" by the attacks.
The area's SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell said the people targeted must have had "a terrifying ordeal."
"Sectarianism, racism and bigotry has no place in our society and I would urge anyone with information about these brutal attacks to pass it onto the police immediately so that the thugs responsible can be brought to justice."
The police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them at Musgrave Street on 0845 600 8000.
Cannabis plants seized in Short Strand in east Belfast
Page last updated at 16:45 GMT, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 17:45 UK
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http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48146000/jpg/_48146014__47189110_pot-1.jpg Police have discovered 29 cannabis plants and "associated equipment" during searches of two houses in the Short Strand area of east Belfast.
Twenty plants were found at a house in Bryans Court during a search which began at 0945 BST on Tuesday morning.
Nine plants were recovered from another house at Harper Street a short time later.
A woman in her 30s has been arrested along with a man in his 20s. A woman in her 20s was questioned but released.
GUIDE
Road to power-sharing (http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/guides/newsid_8117000/8117168.stm)
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Northern Ireland, excellent place, fantastic people second to none.
But amongst these fine people are some of the most disgusting human beings that God gave legs they are abhorrent. There sort I hope leaves soon and that will benefit all.
Page last updated at 10:05 GMT, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 11:05 UK
E-mail this to a friend (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10373527.stm)
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http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48140000/jpg/_48140318_singedhouse.jpg Police are treating the attack as racially-motivated Two cars have been set alight in a County Antrim suburb in what police are treating as racially-motivated hate crimes.
The vehicles were parked outside the homes of an Indian family and a Filipino family.
Both incidents took place in the Fernagh Avenue area of Whiteabbey at about 0130 BST on Tuesday.
The two cars were extensively damaged while scorch damage was caused to the front of a house.
One vehicle is owned by an Indian family.
The couple and their three children have been living in the area for a few years.
Racist motive The woman, a staff nurse at Belfast City Hospital, said this was the second time their car has been attacked.
She believes there was a racist motive behind the incident.
The other car belongs to a Filipino family who said they did not know why their vehicle was targeted.
The car had been parked outside the home of another Filipino family who had moved in earlier this year.
That family said they moved to the area because they "thought it was safe".
SDLP Newtownabbey councillor Noreen McClelland said: "Racism has no place in our society and racist attacks are disgraceful.
"Everybody has the right to live where they choose in peace and not have their most basic civil and human rights abused by people with a warped sense of their own importance."
Police have appealed for anyone with information about the incidents to get in touch.
Keady cross-border road closed in security alert
Page last updated at 17:04 GMT, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 18:04 UK
E-mail this to a friend (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10382223.stm)
Printable version (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10382223.stm#)
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48145000/jpg/_48145186_newarmybombvehicle226.jpg Police in South Armagh have cordoned off a five-mile stretch of road after a member of the public found a beer keg with wires attached.
The Castleblaney Road is cordoned off from its junction with Rafferty's Corner in Keady.
Six homes have been evacuated while at least one business has also closed.
It is believed a bomb warning was received on Monday. Local residents reported hearing significant helicopter activity above Keady on Monday evening.
Army experts are at the scene while Irish police are assisting the PSNI because the alert is close to the border.
Police are believed to be proceeding with "extreme caution".
SDLP Keady councillor Thomas O'Hanlon said the alert had caused "major distress" for residents, who have been told it is unlikely they will be allowed to return this evening.
He added: "The Castleblaney Road is a key cross-border route and its closure is bad for business and bad for the people of Keady who suffered enough down through the years due to pointless violence and destruction by the Provisional IRA."
Mob ransacks houses in Donegall Road area of Belfast
Page last updated at 10:53 GMT, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 11:53 UK
E-mail this to a friend (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10373606.stm)
Printable version (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10373606.stm#)
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48142000/jpg/_48142209_douthbelfast.jpg A number of houses in the Donegall Road area were attacked A mob ransacked houses in the Donegall Road area of Belfast in a series of racist and sectarian attacks on Monday.
The group of up to eight masked men forced their way into a house on Coolfin Street shortly before 2030 BST where they smashed furniture.
Minutes later they smashed up another house on the street and broke windows in a neighbouring house.
They then forced their way into a house on the Donegall Road where they assaulted a man.
The man suffered a small cut to his cheek.
A woman was also slapped in the first attack but she did not suffer any injuries.
Graffiti was also sprayed on house on Euterpe Street, though it was not sectarian or racist.
'Terrifying' The police are treating one of the attacks as racially motivated and another as sectarian.
The victims were a Catholic woman and an eastern European man, thought to be Polish.
It is understood that some of those attacked had only recently moved into the area.
Paula Bradshaw, Director of Greater Village Regeneration Trust, said there had been trouble in the area since last week.
She said tensions had been raised when carloads of young men came into the area to attack bonfires and steal flags.
She said she was "sickened" by the attacks.
The area's SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell said the people targeted must have had "a terrifying ordeal."
"Sectarianism, racism and bigotry has no place in our society and I would urge anyone with information about these brutal attacks to pass it onto the police immediately so that the thugs responsible can be brought to justice."
The police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them at Musgrave Street on 0845 600 8000.
Cannabis plants seized in Short Strand in east Belfast
Page last updated at 16:45 GMT, Tuesday, 22 June 2010 17:45 UK
E-mail this to a friend (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10382472.stm)
Printable version (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10382472.stm#)
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/48146000/jpg/_48146014__47189110_pot-1.jpg Police have discovered 29 cannabis plants and "associated equipment" during searches of two houses in the Short Strand area of east Belfast.
Twenty plants were found at a house in Bryans Court during a search which began at 0945 BST on Tuesday morning.
Nine plants were recovered from another house at Harper Street a short time later.
A woman in her 30s has been arrested along with a man in his 20s. A woman in her 20s was questioned but released.
GUIDE
Road to power-sharing (http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/guides/newsid_8117000/8117168.stm)
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif
OTHER POLITICAL STORIES
Ruane apology over late statement (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/northern_ireland_politics/10376855.stm)
Bell declares wife as employee (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/northern_ireland_politics/10375842.stm)
DUP MP wants PSNI Facebook probe (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/10361403.stm)
NI prison review team announced (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/northern_ireland_politics/10366910.stm)
Kenny rules out SF power-sharing (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10360151.stm)
Northern Ireland, excellent place, fantastic people second to none.
But amongst these fine people are some of the most disgusting human beings that God gave legs they are abhorrent. There sort I hope leaves soon and that will benefit all.