SINN FÉIN President Gerry Adams described Monday's meeting with EU President Nicolas Sarkozy as useful saying that while the process of setting up the meeting was imperfect it was worth noting that Sarkozy "did what the Irish Government has failed to, he has met with and listened to those who campaigned against the Lisbon Treaty." Free article

TENSIONS were high on Kilmore Quay, County Wexford on Tuesday evening as hundreds of people gathered to welcome back fishing trawler The Emer Jane. Free article

MEMORIES of the British judicial system's brutal treatment of Irish people came into sharp focus again this week with news of the death of Sarah Conlon. Free article

HOMOPHOBIC remarks by Iris Robinson sparked a protest in Belfast City centre on Monday of this week after the DUP MLA described homosexuality as "vile" and equated homosexuals with paedophiles. Free article

PRIVATE HEALTH insurer Bupa has won an appeal in the 26 County Supreme Court last week that aimed to prevent the introduction of risk equalisation in the private health insurance market. Free article

THE Central Statistics Office has released figures revealing the true scale of downturn in employment in the construction sector in the 26 Counties. The figures are worse than were originally expected with 15% less people working in construction than this time last year. An estimated 40,000 builders have lost their jobs in the past 12 months. Free article

IN FEBRUARY this year, newly-elected Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd did what former conservative PM John Howard refused to for his 11 years in power - he said sorry to the Aboriginal people for the past 'assimilationist' practice of removing Aboriginal children from their families. Free article