A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Workers at Argos to strike today
A one-day strike at the retailer Argos is to go ahead today despite a recommendation by the National Implementation Body (NIB) that management and the trade union Mandate should engage in further talks, writes Martin Wall.
Mandate assistant general secretary Linda Tanham said last night that the NIB - the main troubleshooting body under social partnership - had recommended talks at the Labour Relations Commission based on a Labour Court finding which members had already rejected. She said pickets would be placed at Argos outlets today.
Argos, in a statement, said its stores would remain open for business as normal this weekend despite the industrial action.
Airline dispute process extended
A process overseen by the National Implementation Body (NIB) aimed at resolving a dispute at Aer Lingus over a controversial €20 million cost-cutting plan has been extended, writes Martin Wall.
The NIB intervened last month in a bid to avert a threatened strike by Siptu over the company's plans to implement the plan. It was scheduled to give its finding early next week.
Rights official greets poll plan
The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights has welcomed the proposed referendum on child protection and children's rights at the end of a five-day visit to Ireland during which he assessed a wide range of human rights issues, writes Mary Fitzgerald.
Thomas Hammarberg told The Irish Times he had focused on the issue of children's rights during his visit because he "wanted to have an input" in the proposed constitutional change.
"It is essential to establish that the principle of the best interest of the child must be a primary consideration in all decision-making affecting the child," he said.
Jailing means UDA now 'spent'
The UDA in north Belfast is now a spent force, senior police officer said yesterday after so-called leading loyalist Andre Khaled Shoukri was jailed for a total of nine years for a catalogue of offences including blackmail, intimidation and acquiring criminal property.
Det Insp Mark Brown claimed the police operation to bring 30-year-old Shoukri and two others to justice "has had the effect of dismantling the leadership of the UDA in North Belfast".
Five arrested after airport incident
Five people were questioned by gardaí in Shannon last night following a disturbance yesterday afternoon at Shannon airport.
The incident occurred at about 3pm when four men and one woman, all from Lithuania and with addresses in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, allegedly presented themselves in an intoxicated state at a check-in desk prior to their scheduled flight to Kaunas, Lithuania.
Airline staff refused to allow them board the aircraft.
A Garda spokesman confirmed last night there had been a public order incident at Shannon. The group was later arrested under the Public Order Act.