Peace Watch Ireland, a US-based human rights group, has denounced the British Government's Police Act as `RUC Lite' and called on President Bill Clinton to use his Irish visit to build support for the Patten report. Free article

Sinn Féin councillor Marie Moore has told the RUC to ``wise up'' after being contacted by Turf Lodge residents incensed at receiving an `RUC Customer Satisfaction Survey' in the post. Free article

Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin welcomed on Tuesday the announcement by President Clinton that the United States administration will not proceed with deportation proceedings against nine republican former prisoners currently residing in the USA. Free article

The BSE crisis in the beef market is sorely troubling EU ministers, but the Dublin government has not been slow to use the opportunity. Far from worrying about collapse in beef prices or Irish beef exports markets, the government has seen the panic as a heaven-sent occasion to argue the case for incineration. Free article

The vote on the Dublin Corporation Book of Estimates, held up because of most councillors' reluctance to introduce waste charges, was to be taken on Monday, 11 December, and all last week the group leaders were haggling away with the mayor and the city manager. But by Monday's meeting there was still no consensus and the Estimates weren't passed. Free article

There is an orchestrated campaign of ethnic cleansing being waged against Catholics living in Dunmurry, local Sinn Féin councillor Paul Butler has said. The Lisburn councillor was speaking after the latest in a series of sectarian attacks against Catholic-owned businesses in the County Antrim village. Free article

Friday night, 8 December, saw a moving tribute in Belfast to the Four Martyrs, Rory O'Connor, Liam Mellows, Dick Barret and Joe McKelvey, executed by Free State forces on 8 December 1922. Organised by the Belfast National Graves Association, the commemoration was held in the Tom Williams room in the Rodaí McCorley clubrooms. Free article

Sinn Féin representatives who attended a major Human Rights Conference in Dublin Castle last Saturday, 9 December, were critical of the government's controversial decision to appoint to the new Human Rights Commmission a panel significantly different to that orginally recommended. Free article

In a echo of the 1970s, British police have been told to regard all Irish people living in their areas as potential `terrorist' suspects. Free article

A biting cold wind on Sunday last failed to deter the hundreds of republicans who turned out for the annual Liam Mellows commemoration in Castletown, County Wexford, one of the biggest attendances in recent times. The crowd, led by a large colour party from South Wexford and the Volunteer Hugh Hehir Republican Flute Band, marched from the Golden Anchor car park to Castletown cemetery, where the republican leader, executed during the Civil War, is buried. Free article