The usual greeting of "How was your Christmas?" as people returned to work last week was suspended this year. Instead, the main topic of conversation was the tsunami that wiped out 150,000 people in Southeast Asia on St Stephen's Day. Free article

More than 800 people participated in the march and memorial unveiling in Castleblayney, County Monaghan, on Sunday last 9 January, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of IRA Volunteer John Francis Green, who was shot by a British death squad at Mullyash in 1975. Free article

• Aceh Aceh in Indonesia, is now reporting over 100,000 dead and thousands more missing as a result of the December tsunami. Free article

West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty has accused the PSNI/ British Army of "blatant political harassment" following the detention of Omagh Council Chair Seán Clarke, Patrick O'Hagan, (the son of collusion victim Kathleen O'Hagan) and another man at a joint roadblock on the Carrickmore/Creggan Road on Monday night. Free article

Gerry Adams on Tuesday evening sent his congratulations to newly-elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The former Palestinian PM and the newly-elected leader of Palestinian party Fatah after the death of Yasser Arafat was elected Palestinian Authority president this week by a landslide. Free article

The cost of the operation which saw the PSNI guard an Orange march and escort members of the UDA up the Crumlin Road at Ardoyne on 12 July last year cost over £250,000. Free article

Nationalist politicians have hit out after it was revealed at the weekend that the Orange Order is to be exempt from paying rates on Orange halls. Free article

Commenting after a blast bomb incident at the rear of the PSNI barracks in Lurgan on Monday night, Sinn Féin Assembly member for the area, John O'Dowd, said: "Whoever was responsible for this incident last night is clearly opposed to the Peace Process and opposed to the Good Friday Agreement. Free article

Sinn Féin MLA Thomas O'Reilly (right) has highlighted recent crown forces' activity targeting the nationalist community in Fermanagh. Free article

Sinn Féin South Belfast Assembly member Alex Maskey has expressed anger that two republican ex-prisoners have been denied employment with the Simon Community. He has called for greater action to combat the discrimination faced by political ex-prisoners, not just in employment but also across a range of areas. Free article