Sinn Féin MLA for North Belfast and party spokesperson on policing, Gerry Kelly, has welcomed the upcoming closure of Girdwood Barracks and Oldpark PSNI Barracks. Following the announcement on Wednesday, Kelly said that Sinn Féin had been pushing for such moves in negotiations before December. Free article

Haiti is by far the poorest country in the Americas. Once, as Saint Domingue, it was the richest of all the colonies. It generated more wealth for France than the North American colonies did for England. The fine city of Bordeaux owed its wealth to the slavery and sugar of Saint Domingue, rather than to wine. Free article

Twenty community activists from West Belfast travelled to Berlin earlier this month to join a demonstration calling for human rights for the Iranian people. Free article

Sinn Féin Lagan Valley representative Councillor Paul Butler has welcomed reports that significant parts of Long Kesh Prison will be developed as a part of an international conflict transformation zone within the development of the site. Free article

Sinn Féin's Francie Molloy is calling for an investigation into the running of the electoral office after the conviction, at Dungannon Crown Court last week, of former deputy returning officer Alastair Patterson (59) from Castlecaulfield, County Tyrone. Free article

Sinn Féin has given a cautious welcome to new powers that will allow the Parades Commission to ban 'loyalist hangers on' from accompanying Orange Parades through contentious areas. Free article

West Belfast Sinn Féin Councillor Tom Hartley has spoken out about an incident in which a Filipino nurse was racially abused on the Falls Road last month. The nurse, who works at the Royal Victoria Hospital and lives nearby, is said to be very frightened and traumatised after she was racially abused by a gang of youths. Free article

Joe Reilly, flanked by Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams, braved arctic conditions on Wednesday morning to get to Trim to hand in his nomination paper for the Meath by-election. Free article

A mother whose South Belfast home was petrol bombed in the early hours on Monday 21 February by members of the UVF said she and her five children are lucky to be alive. Free article

Justice Minister Michael McDowell is facing legal proceedings for libel after he refused to withdraw remarks about the new pro-nationalist newspaper, Daily Ireland. McDowell refused to withdraw his accusation that Daily Ireland is a "Provo front", saying "I will see them in court". Last month, the Justice Minister issued a statement on his Department's website claiming that the paper had the backing of the Provisional IRA and comparing it to a Nazi propaganda paper. Free article