RAYMOND McCORD SNR, whose son was murdered by the notorious Mount Vernon UVF unit led by RUC Special Branch agent Mark Haddock, took his campaign for the truth to Capitol Hill last Thursday (22 October) when he addressed a US House of Representatives sub-committee. The hearing, 'Concerns Regarding Possible Collusion in Northern Ireland: Police and Paramilitary Groups', was also addressed by John Finucane, the son of murdered Belfast solicitor Patrick Finucane, and the campaign group, Relatives for Justice. Free article

WITH just six weeks to budget day the flow of leaks on cutbacks planned by the Fianna Fail/Green Party coalition has become a torrent. Daily, new details of cuts are floated across 26-County media in a long-term voter mauling process. Buried within the budget leaks are proposals that will make the Irish recession the longest, deepest and hardest to recover from than any other industrialised state. Free article

A LANDMARK event, marking the first time the Policing Board have provided a forum in Belfast for Irish-speakers, was held in the Hilton Hotel in Belfast city centre last Wednesday week, 21 October. The event was the second in a series of four Policing Board meetings aimed at the Irish-speaking community in the Six Counties. Free article

DESPITE assurances from the North's Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, that "efficiency savings" in the Department of Health would not impact on frontline services, he has approved proposals to cut hundreds of nursing positions, remove beds from hospitals and drastically reduce ambulance services. There is growing anger among health and social care professionals, trade unions and the broader community as the cuts threaten to seriously erode the quality of care in the North's healthcare system and attack the rights of health workers. Free article

A NEW approach to developing the economy, one that meets the agreed aspirations of the Programme for Government, has been called for by Sinn Féin's Jennifer McCann. The west Belfast MLA was opening an Assembly debate into the record of Invest NI. Invest NI is the most recent of a series of government-led agencies tasked with supporting economic development within the North of Ireland. Free article

SINN FÉIN is appealing to supporters to come out in huge numbers for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions' Day of Action on Friday 6 November under the slogan of "Get up, Stand up - For a better, fairer way." Free article

AN upbeat, enthusiastic Sinn Féin gathering in Louth on Thursday, 29 October saw activists from across Ireland commit themselves to a renewed strategy to meet current political challenges and opportunities. The Ard Chomhairle-Plus was chaired by party Vice President Mary Lou McDonald and addressed by President Gerry Adams, Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness, Senator Pearse Doherty, General Secretary Dawn Doyle and by Caoilfhionn Ní Dhonnabháin, Director of Political Operations (26 Counties). Free article

SINN Féin President Gerry Adams has called on the Orange Order to engage in dialogue with local residents to resolve the small number of remaining contentious parades. Gerry Adams was commenting on the DUP insistence that the resolution of the Parading issue become a pre-condition to the transfer of policing and justice powers. Free article