Two masked men spotted near a bar in Twinbrook, West Belfast may have been British soldiers involved in an undercover operation. Free article

Drumcree rector Reverend John Pickering has finally distanced himself from the violence which accompanied Orange Order protests in Portadown this summer. A joint statement from his select vestry and the rector condemned ``unruly elements who exploited a legitimate peaceful protest''. Free article

Farmers on both sides of the Louth Border came to a meeting this week, organised by Louth Sinn Féin councillor Arthur Morgan, about brucellosis in cattle, which is at an all time high in the South Armagh area. The authorities in Armagh over the past two years have failed to notify, as required by the law, the adjoining farmers in Louth of the incidence of brucellosis on a neighbouring farm. There have been 41 cases of brucellosis in the last 12 months in Armagh. Free article

The Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland held its annual conference last week in the pleasant seaside spot at Inchydoney, the multi-million tax relief hotel and health resort near Clonakilty in Cork. Pat Rabitte was amongst the many councillors who signed in, and then perhaps withdrew to the health facilities in the hotel. Free article

The Dublin government has been urged to resist calls for further tax cuts for the wealthy and to use its massive budget surplus to provide better health, education and childcare services. The call came from Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin. He said that the coming Dáil term ``will inevitably be a stormy one'' and that Sinn Féin was prepared for a general election at any time. Free article

``We have found that directives and regulations agreed in Brussels can often seriously impinge on our identity, culture and tradition. The bureaucracy of Brussels does not always respect the complexities and sensitivities of member-states.'' Free article

Hats off to the Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrat coalition. They have squared the circle this week in showing just how to squander the Irish people's natural resources. The resource in question is the vast quantities of natural gas underwater off the west coast of Ireland. Free article

Last week, Fianna Fáil Health minister Mícheál Martin announced his plans to improve the health system. Apart from daily soundbytes, guess what? He is to set up another committee, an advisory group, to talk with health agencies about how to improve the service, and a delegation is to visit India and Pakistan next month in the hope of recruiting anaesthetists. Free article

The curtain went up on Ireland and South Africa's history at Dublin's SFX Theatre last weekend. The final performance of the DubbelJoint/JustUs production of Brenda Murphy's play Forced Upon Us was preceded by a colloquium, organised by the theatre company, featuring Robert McBride from the African National Congress (ANC), civil rights activist Bernadette McAliskey and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams. Free article

A West Belfast woman was awarded £5,000 damages against an RUC raiding party after they broke her door down in 1997. Free article