An elderly couple in Articlave, County Derry had their car burned just days after the householder challenged youths erecting loyalist flags outside his Fairview Park home. Free article

AIDS killed some 2.8 million in 2005 and infected another 1.4 million. The figures, although showing a decrease from 2004, when 4.9 million people were newly infected and 3.1 million died because of the virus, illustrate the pandemic proportions of HIV/AIDS. Free article

IRA Volunteer and Hunger Striker Joe McDonnell from Lenadoon in Belfast passed away at 5.15am on Wednesday, 8 June after 61 agonising days on the Hunger Strike. His wife, Goretti had maintained an almost constant vigil by his side but with a callous act of disregard for her feelings when he died, the RUC called her in ostensibly to identify the body. Free article

Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness met the senior political leadership of the Tamil Tigers last Monday in the rebel controlled north of Sri Lanka. McGuinness' visit had not been announced in advance of this meeting but has the support of the Sri Lanka President. Free article

Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris has described the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006 as "a gross infringement of the principle of Irish Neutrality." Speaking at a Peace And Neutrality Alliance (PANA) press conference in Dublin on Tuesday, Ferris said Sinn Féin had "serious reservations" about the legislation which was rushed through the Dáil on Tuesday to enable 26 County defence forces participate in controversial EU Battle Groups. Free article

Palestine, Bolivia and Cyprus Free article

What a week for the Irish tax system, first was the record €109.6 million garnered from tax defaulters in the first three months of 2006 while 43 people who earned over €1million in 2002 paid less than 5% tax on their income. Free article

Tar éis ionsaí Iosrael ar Ghasá na Palaistíne, is léir go mbaineann an beart seo níos mó le díoltas ar mhuintir na háite ná le tarrtháil a dhéanamh ar shaighdiúir Iosrealach a sciob míleataigh Phalaistíneacha. Níl mórán airde á tabhairt ag meáin chumarsáide an Iarthair ar na híospartaigh shoineanta, idir pháistí, mhná agus fhir neamhthrodacha, atá á marú ó na haer-ruathair agus ó na gunnaí móra i gceann de na háiteanna is plódaithe le daoine ar domhan. Ta tuairim is milliún go leith duine ina gcónaí sa dúiche faoi na coinníollacha maireachtála is crua agus is fíochmhaire dá bhfuil ann. Tá easpa uisce, leictreachais, bia agus bonneagair bhunúsaigh d'aon chineál ar nós scoileanna, leighis, taistil agus aon nithe riachtanacha. Free article

It was with sadness that republicans from Counties Monaghan, Louth and Armagh and from further afield learned of the death of Kathleen Quigley. This was particularly the case with the people from Kathleen's own community of Inniskeen in South Monaghan. Free article

The week's news in brief Free article