This week it emerged that the banks, already bailed out by Irish taxpayers with billions of euro that they can ill afford, are set to take a leaf out of their political establishment's book and hike their charges. This brass neck approach is reflective of that of the coalition government of Brian Cowen and John Gormley. Free article

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has denounced as "inadequate" the handling by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) of the murder of Catholic schoolboy Thomas Devlin. Adams demanded "root and branch" reform of the PPS and called for greater transparency within the PPS and judicial system. Free article

The Cuban Ambassador to Ireland, Teresita Trujillo, who is currently serving her second term as her country's representative in Dublin, spoke to An Phoblacht's NIALL CONNOLLY this week on the 51st anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Free article

From unionist firebrand as the leader of the ultra-unionist DUP to the man who took his party into government with Sinn Féin, Ian Paisley's political journey has seen many twists and turns. Free article

Speaking after a meeting on Monday morning with the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott, Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey called for the full disclosure of the Stalker/Sampson reports to the legal representatives of a number of people killed during RUC shoot-to-kill operations in North Armagh in the 1980s in advance of the inquests into their deaths recommencing. Free article

Question: What economic sector has contributed most to the crisis in the Irish economy today? And what sector has received most aid and bailouts? If your answer is the Irish banking sector, welcome aboard, you have passed the reality check. Free article