IN this week's An Phoblacht, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP MLA says that, following a process of consultation and discussion, particularly with victims and victims groups, Sinn Féin has concluded that the best way forward on this issue is through the establishment of an Independent International Truth Commission. Free article

The financial crisis that has gripped the US since July last year, described by the International Monetary Fund as the worst since the Great Depression, reached disastrous new international proportions in the past fortnight as major banks and financial institutions toppled like dominos. The White House appears to have suspended its devotion to the 'free market' and stepped in to nationalise huge losses using taxpayers' money. Free article

THE Dáil returned for its autumn session this week in political and economic conditions that have changed dramatically since the start of 2008. Bertie Ahern has been replaced by Brian Cowen as Taoiseach. The Progressive Democrats are about to disappear. Above all, the economy has been plunged into a recession. Free article

St Michael's Estate and O'Devaney Gardens families in limbo as redevelopments in Dublin stall. "The whole thing is unclear and we don't know yet if the new bidder will go ahead with the development - we could be back to square one. It's very worrying for us" - Mother-of-three Natasha Farrell Free article

PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde has been told by a high court judge to hand over reports into the killing of Pearse Jordan. The IRA Volunteer was unarmed when an undercover unit of the RUC rammed the vehicle he was driving and shot him dead in 1992. Reports by the investigating officer at the time have been requested by Coroner John Leckey. Leckey asked for the documents ahead of a reopening of the repeatedly-delayed inquest into the Jordan killing scheduled for early next year. Free article

SINN FÉIN Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has launched the party's submission to the Garda Policing Plan for 2009 and has urged the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner to focus on drug and gun crime and to redeploy fully-trained Gardaí from administrative duties into the fight against crime. Speaking at a press conference in Dublin on Tuesday, Deputy Ó Snodaigh said that, in the context of rising crime and recession, An Garda Síochána simply cannot afford to misdirect their spending. He said that a number of examples of monies wasted by the gardaí had been highlighted by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Free article

THE Fermanagh District Council by-election last week was won by Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster for the DUP with Sinn Féin's Debbie Coyle increasing the party's vote to come in second to the DUP's 'big hitter'. After transfers, Foster polled 3,165 votes and Debbie Coyle 2,383 but the first-preference vote gap was much narrower, Foster polling 1,925 and the republican candidate 1,816. Free article