A Catholic teacher at the Protestant Boy's Model school in Belfast's Ballysillan Road was the target of a sectarian gun attack, An Phoblacht has learned. Free article

The Irish Peace Process Cultural and Training Program Act of 1998 (the Walsh Visas scheme) is to go ahead with the first visas coming on stream in October. The news was announced by Cavan/Monaghan Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín O Caoláin, who was informed today by Congressman Walsh's office in Washington DC that funding for the Scheme has been cleared. Free article

Last Friday it all started again. Primary schools closed their doors behind 858,823 children who got their two months holiday. For many of their parents it's no holiday. Free article

Sinn Féin Councillor Brian McKenna has been elected as Vice-Chairperson of Monaghan County Council. At the council's Annual General Meeting last Friday, the six newly-elected Sinn Féin county councillors took their seats for the first time. The party's representation increased from two county councillors to six in the 11 June local government elections. Free article

Some 720,000 people throughout Ireland are members of trade unions in 1999. It is a record level of union membership in the country. It is also a measure of how trade unions are failing in Ireland. In the 26 Counties, almost 520,000 people are members of a trade union, up by nearly 20,000 on 1998. In the Six Counties, the figure has risen to just over 200,000, over 5,000 up on 1998. Free article

This year's Féile an Phobail, starting 31 July, promises something for everyone - bus tours, music, mountain walks, comedy, an international food fayre, Triple FM (which goes on air next week), drama, community events, more music, street parties, the Into the West gig (featuring Status Quo), Prisoners' Day (6 August), the West Belfast Film Festival (Tel. +1232 325913 for details) and the opening day parade with Samba and street theatre. Free article

Eight men in suits. Seventeen thousand riot police. Fifty thousand activists from all over the world. It was G8 summit time again on 19 June in Cologne, Germany, a meeting of heads of state and a gathering of citizens of the world. Free article

Newly-elected councillors to Sligo Corporation didn't waste any time at all in getting down to business. A week after their first meeting, councillors called a special meeting to hear from residents about the outrageous neglect of roads in the Cartron Bay Estate. Free article

In an affidavit submitted on Tuesday, 29 July, to the High Court in Dublin, efforts to extradite Brixton escaper and republican ex-prisoner Nessan Quinlivan were described as ``fruitless''. Free article

Despite protests from various organisations, including Amnesty International, the Anti-Racism Campaign, and Sinn Féin, the Dublin government still plans to proceed to push through the Immigration Bill before Leinster House breaks for the summer this Friday. Free article