1.   The breakdown in July of all-party talks on the future of the province was followed in August by a fresh outbreak of sectarian killings throughout Northern Ireland.

2.   In Northern Ireland sectarian killings continued.

3.   But it had all the signs of a sectarian killing.

4.   WEST Belfast MP Dr Joe Hendron has called on the security forces to step up their patrols in loyalist areas of Belfast in a bid to halt sectarian killings.

5.   Billy Hutchinson, also a Progressive Unionist and a former Protestant paramilitary who served time for his involvement in a sectarian killing, chilled many in the Assembly.

6.   Even in recent days, Sharif, under pressure over the sectarian killings in Lahore, has reverted to this device.

7.   For all these gains, Pakistan is also a country with serious problems, as the sectarian killings showed.

8.   If that had happened, the fragile cease-fire in the province may have crumbled as well following a spate of sectarian killing in recent weeks.

9.   It was the third sectarian killing in the province in a week and prompted expressions of fear along with the customary calls for calm.

10.   Northern Ireland has long been tormented with sectarian killings.