23% of the 26-County population are at risk of poverty, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) that shatter coalition government claims about the level of poverty in Ireland today. Children, pensioners, the disabled, ill and unemployed all registered high poverty figures in the new CSO Income and Living Conditions survey. Free article

Former republican POWs are calling on the British Government to admit that it used deadly CR gas during riots in Long Kesh in 1974, when republican prisoners torched the notorious prison camp. Free article

Sinn Féin Communications spokesperson, Seán Crowe TD has called on the management of An Post to "pull back from the brink and immediately reinstate the 68 workers that were suspended on Monday" in the ongoing SDS crisis and for the Minister to intervene. Free article

This week, Sinn Féin will unveil the first in a series of major initiatives to advance the party's all-Ireland agenda and advance preparations for Irish re-unification. The launch of Aontú (Uniting), the Sinn Féin strategy group for cross-border integration, will take place in the Clinton Centre, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, on Friday 28 January. It will be followed in February with the launch of the party's Green Paper for Irish Unity. Free article

Sinn Féin Councillor for North Belfast, Carál ní Chuilín, has welcomed the withdrawal of an invitation to the PSNI from a community safety event for the elderly held this week at St Kevin's Hall in the New Lodge area. Free article

Derry city will play host to Comhdháil Náisiúnta Ógra Shinn Féin 2005 this coming weekend. The congress will commence on Saturday 29 January at 9pm and will coincide with events planned for the Bloody Sunday weekend. Free article

The southern electricity company, the ESB, currently supplies electricity to Lisanelly British Army Barracks in Omagh as well as to other British Army installations throughout the Six Counties. The 'contract' involves supplying 24 British Army bases throughout the Six Counties with electricity and is worth £7 million a year. Free article

It was with great sadness that republicans from South Antrim and South Derry learned of the death of Marie Cushenan (age 64) following a short illness on Monday 27 December. Free article