LOYALIST witnesses appearing before the inquiry into the killing of Portadown Catholic Robert Hamill on 27 April 1997 continue to display the kind of casual contempt that characterised the sectarian murder at the time. Free article

REACTING to news that the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) will take part in a one day work stoppage closing all 3,200 primary schools across the 26 Counties on 30 March as part of protests against the pension levy Sinn Féin Education Spokesperson Senator Pearse Doherty called on the Taoiseach to re-engage with the social partners and build a resolution based on ICTU's ten point plan. Free article

A BELLMULLET, County Mayo, court last week sentenced Shell to Sea spokesperson Maura Harrington to 28 days in prison for allegedly assaulting a garda at Pollathomais Pier on 11 June 2007. Free article

THE blockade of Gaza must be ended and its borders opened by Israel, Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty said in London this week after a meeting with Gaza Independent MP Jamal Al Khodari at Westminster. Mr Al Khodari was in London to speak to MPs and groups about the situation in Palestine. Free article

BELFAST Recorder's Court ruled on 9 March that Basque nationalist Iñaki de Juana Chaos is eligible for extradition to Spain. He has been paroled until May when he will appeal the decision at a further hearing. Free article

SINN FÉIN President Gerry Adams was in Counties Westmeath and Longford last week with local election candidates Cllr Paul Hogan, Sorcha Clarke, Mick Kenny, Cllr Brendan Farrell, Conor Nolan, and Ciarán Grimes to see at first-hand how the recession is hurting Midlands counties. Free article

LAST WEEK'S climate change conference in Copenhagen where nearly 2,500 of the world's leading scientists declared that the most serious warnings on climate change are coming true and called for "immediate action" further discredits the position of DUP Environment Minister Sammy Wilson, Sinn Féin MLAs have said. Free article

THE case of two convicted loyalists who walked free from court despite admitting their role in the possible planning of murder has been referred to the Attorney General. Free article

AFTER almost 20 years, the work of the human rights watchdog British Irish Rights Watch (BIRW) has been recognised with a new European award organised by the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Human Rights Prize. Free article

THE head of Sinn Féin's European Department, Seán Oliver, last week travelled to northern Italy to carry out a series of speaking engagements at community and left-wing events. The invitation came from the Communist Refoundation Party (Partito della Rifondazione Comunista, PRC). Free article