This week marked the 13th anniversary of the assassination of solicitor Pat Finucane. Since his death, he has been well served by his family and friends. Today, the demands for a full independendent public inquiry into the circumstances of his killing are stronger than ever. Free article

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams this week dealt again with the need to include unionists in the new dispensation Free article

The latest referendum on abortion takes place on Wednesday, 6 March and the campaign kicked off proper this week, with rows in Leinster House over which party was more pro-life and the launch of campaigns for Yes and No votes by a number of campaigns. An Phoblacht offered space in this week's issue to four groups campaigning, alternatively, for and against the referendum. The Mother and Child Campaign, which is advocating a No vote, the Pro-Life Campaign, which is asking voters to say Yes, and the Alliance for a No Vote, all responded with position papers outlining their respective positions. We had intended to run two pieces advocating a Yes vote but bizarrely, despite repeated assurances and the launch of their campaign the same day, the Fianna Fáil press office could not even manage to fax over their publicity material, never mind provide a written article, by the time we went to press. Free article

A Strabane taxi driver says he stared death in the face after he was confronted by a number of gunmen in the small loyalist village of Artigarvan last Sunday, 9 February. Free article

"We are living under siege here," said the woman resident of Longlands in the aftermath of yet another weekend of attacks in which loyalists bombarded the small estate with bricks, bottles and a barrage of skyrockets. Free article

Dublin City Council's Law Department last week began issuing letters threatening legal proceedings against the thousands of householders who have not paid the bin collection charge which was re-introduced by Labour, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Green Party Councillors at November's estimates meeting. All four Sinn Féin councillors voted against the charges. Free article