Sinn Féin Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin has welcomed Coleraine Councillor Billy Leonard's decision to join Sinn Féin. Leonard said he was frustrated by the SDLP's lack of direction and had decided to join Sinn Féin because the party has a vision, a strategy and a commitment that matches his political ideals. Free article

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams flew to the United States on Tuesday, where he is visiting New York and also Washington DC, where he will meet with senior US Government officials. The visit comes at a crucial point in the Peace Process and shortly before the review of the Good Friday Agreement is scheduled to start. Free article

A campaign has been launched to save this year's St Patrick's Day celebrations after Belfast City Council refused to fund the event for the eighth year in a row. Free article

The Dublin Government has been urged to use its stated aim of promoting human rights during its EU Presidency by calling for justice for the Colombia Three. The call was made at a press conference in Dublin on Monday to announce that four Irish parliamentarians will travel to Colombia next week to seek justice for the three Irishmen, awaiting a verdict after being tried for training FARC guerrillas. Free article

The delegation to Colombia next week will include Caitríona Ruane, spokesperson for the Bring Them Home Campaign and recently-elected Sinn Féin MLA. This will be Caitríona's 17th visit to the country. She has been involved from the very beginning and has witnessed every difficulty the three men have faced. She has helped co-ordinate the legal case in Ireland and in Colombia and her hard work has contributed to bringing the men's plight to the forefront of the world's media. This week, An Phoblacht's JOANNE CORCORAN met with Caitríona to hear her version of events so far. Free article

Not content to rest on their laurels after their highly-visible campaign of violence and intimidation towards ethnic minorities, the unionist paramilitary machine went into overdrive this past week - bringing Belfast city and much of its surrounding area to a standstill with a series of bomb threats. Free article

A racist attack on a 13-year-old schoolgirl in Craigavon has to be condemned by all right thinking people, Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd told An Phoblacht. Free article

The Red Hand Defenders, a cover name for the UDA, have said they were behind attacks on the homes of two prominent West Belfast republicans on Wednesday night 14 January. The homes of newly-elected Assembly member Fra McCann and Lisburn Councillor Paul Butler were attacked, with ball bearings fired at the windows. Free article

A mother from Ligoniel in Belfast, whose home has been attacked by loyalists score of times in the past number of years, has expressed disbelief at the PSNI over its refusal to give the go ahead for the Housing Executive to buy her home under the special purchase of evacuated dwellings scheme (SPED). Free article