The wife of a Dublin man who has been on hunger strike for almost four weeks is calling on the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, to intervene to save her husband's life. Free article

At long last, the committee set up two years ago under the Good Friday Agreement to review the Offences Against the State Acts (OASAs) and the continued existence of the Special Criminal Court (SCC), delivered its interim report last week to the Oireachtas and UN Human Rights Committee. Free article

Two steps backwards for local democracy have been taken by Louth and Meath County council. On Tuesday, 31 July, the Meath County Manager gave planning permission to build an incinerator at Duleek, despite the thousands of letters and petitions, submissions and protests from local people saying they do not want an incinerator on their doorstep. Free article

Tháinig slua mór le chéile i mBaile Uí Thaidhg, Co Chiarraí, ar an Luain seo caite, chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar bás Sheáin Ó Leathlobhair i 1923. Free article

The bids for Eircom's fixed line business might be increasing, but at the same time the cost cutting has already begun. Eircom are proposing to close 700 of their 8,300 payphones in the 26 Counties. Free article

What is the one word not to be raised with landlords in the private rented sector? It is rent control. Mention of this leads to dire warnings of investors leaving the market, not enough supply of accommodation, no refurbishment of dwellings and just general potential chaos in the housing market. However, the beginning of August marks also the beginning of the last period of a 20-year rent control experiment in the 26 Counties. Free article