What the papers say

Journalist Keith Baker takes a look at what is making the headlines in Monday's morning newspapers.

The Irish News reports on a man from the Finaghy area of Belfast, who woke in bed at the weekend to find an armed intruder pointing a gun at his face.

The paper calls this a "nightmare" and another case of what has become known as "creeper burglary".

The incident will be of some interest to PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde, who has been talking to the News Letter about a range of issues, such as similar attacks.

Mr Orde said such crimes were "awful" for the people involved, and were a "terrible problem for the community".

In an interview described by the newspaper as "frank and open", Mr Orde acknowledged the 50-50 recruitment rule discriminated against Protestants.

He said, however, it was a "necessary evil", and in general, he said he was delighted with the way recruitment had progressed.

Candidate

The Mirror looks ahead to Monday evening's meeting of Belfast City Council when councillors will be picking the new Lord Mayor to replace Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey.

One of the candidates is SDLP Councillor Martin Morgan, who has told the paper of his shame because his brother is a convicted INLA terrorist.

Damien Morgan was one of a gang who, in 1991, held Northern Ireland Conservative Dr Laurence Kennedy hostage.

Martin Morgan told the Mirror he did not support what his brother did.

He said this was a "perfect example" of how violence in Northern Ireland had divided not only communities, but families as well.

Meanwhile, the Irish News has words of praise for the outgoing Lord Mayor.

It says Alex Maskey carried out his responsibilities with "imagination, dignity and considerable determination".

The News Letter looks at problems looming for the Ulster Unionists, with hardliner Jeffrey Donaldson claiming he has the support of half the party and warning they would consider their position if things did not go their way at the forthcoming Ulster Unionist Council meeting.

"Divided"

The paper does not like the look of this: it says that for the last few months, the focus has been on republicans, with the "full weight of international opinion" bearing on Messrs Adams and McGuinness.

It says that, at a stroke, Mr Donaldson threatens to relieve that pressure and present unionism to the world as "almost pathologically divided".

Elsewhere in the News Letter, there are signs that romance is alive and well within the DUP, or at least one corner of it.

The paper reports on how Peter Robinson's son Gareth proposed to his girlfriend at the weekend.

He spread a giant banner on the grass at Stormont, reading "Vicky, will you marry me?" Then he took her up in a helicopter so she could see it.

The paper notes that Gareth is an assistant to his father, so for one day, "he swapped concern for the Union in favour of marital union".