The organisers of the Greater New Lodge Community Festival are determined that loyalist gun gangs won't stop an annual festival that brings colour, entertainment and good old fashioned craic to their community. Free article

On the night of 2-3 December 1984, 40 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC), hydrogen cyanide, mono-methyl amine and other lethal gases began spewing from Union Carbide Corporation's pesticide factory in Bhopal, India. Free article

The decision of the Dublin government to refuse to acknowledge the result of the Nice Treaty referendum was labelled "an attack on democracy" by Irish delegates to the Celtic league AGM in the Isle of Man earlier this week. Free article

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Science and Education, Seán Crowe TD, attended a rally in Dublin on Tuesday in support of students' opposition to the 69% increase in capitation fees introduced by the Education and Science Minister Noel Dempsey. The protest took place on the Liffey Boardwalk, off O'Connell Bridge. Free article

Ógra Shinn Féin activists from throughout Ireland attended a series of public meetings in the Rural College, Ballinascreen, Co. Derry at the weekend. Issues discussed included the political context in which sectarian attacks led by the UDA are increasing across the Six Counties as well as the recent atrocities carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people. Free article

THE SECOND Treaty of Nice campaign, cutbacks in health and education, privatisation, negotiating the difficulties being created by unionism and securing all-Ireland representation in Leinster House are just some of the challenges immediately facing Sinn Féin's newly expanded team in the 26-County Parliament. But who are they and what do they intend to do? Free article

Speaking as around 2,000 people marched in Dublin on Wednesday to save Monaghan Hospital, Sinn Féin Dáil leader and Health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin called for the direct intervention of the Minister for Health and Children Mícheál Martin TD. The Monaghan TD was joined on the demonstration to the Department of Health headquarters at Hawkins House by his colleagues Arthur Moorgan and Seán Crowe. Free article

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Consumer Affairs, Arthur Morgan TD has described the Tánaiste's new rules for motor insurance renewals, announced on Monday, as "window dressing, which will do nothing to stop motorists being ripped off by the insurance industry in Ireland". Free article

Sinn Féin Vice President Pat Doherty MP has announced that the party is to set up an all-Ireland Rural Development and Agriculture Department to coordinate party initiatives in Councils, the Assembly, Executive and Leinster House. Doherty, who has recently joined the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee in the Assembly, will head up this Department. Sinn Féín public representatives, including Gerry McHugh MLA and Martin Ferris TD, along with representatives from the five Cuigí regions, met in Carrickmacross last Friday for the inaugural meeting of the Department. Free article

Michael Haughey Free article