Over 700,000 rural Chinese migrants are enduring ‘spartan' living conditions in Beijing according to the intenational agency, Human Rights Watch (HRW). Almost one million Chinese have migrated from rural areas to Beijing to work on thousands of construction projects ahead of this year's Olympic Games. Employers house the workers on-site in dormitory-style dwellings and provide meals for the workers at food canteens in exchange for a daily wage deduction of seven to 10 Yuan (€0.6 to €0.86). The workers earn between 50 and 100 yuan (€4.3 to €8.6) per day.

Skype, the free internet ‘phone' service, has crossed the rubicon and interfaced with landline and mobile phone networks. With low-cost calls, Skype will challenge the established players in the communications market By Malachy Browne

This year's Six Nations is as much about testing new players as getting good results. Each coach will select his squad bearing the next World Cup in mind.
By Brent Pope

Brent Pope profiles the up and coming, exciting young rugby players to watch in the 2008 Six Nations and the European Cup.

With France weakened by retirements and England inconsistent, Ireland have every chance to redress their World Cup failures. By Brent Pope

A report published today by Amnesty International says that a moratorium in Iran on the sentence to death by stoning is not being upheld. One person was stoned to death in 2007, two people in 2006, and a further 11 people are at risk of being stoned to death, according to the report. Iran's Penal Code prescribes execution by stoning but a moratorium was placed on the practice by the Head of the Judiciary in 2002.

A recent report by the Simon Community of Ireand has said that 55 homeless people under its care died in 2006; 25 in Cork, 18 in Dublin, four in Dundalk, and eight in Galway. The average age of those who died was 42, almost half of the 78-year average life expectancy of an Irish person.

The following is a diary of incidents that occurred in one estate in Moyross during the intense period of violence in mid- to late-2006 as recorded by a resident who spoke to Village.

Fr Joe Young describes Southill not as a disadvantaged community, but an “abandoned” community. That abandonment is palpable as one walks thorough O'Malley Park and Keyes Park. Unlike Moyross, there is a disturbing stillness to O'Malley Park where community life once thrived. A vast empty gulf separates the densely clustered houses from the main thoroughfare of the Roxboro Road. Few people venture outdoors casually and there are no amenities. Drugs are openly dealt from houses. One resident said that kids have two choices; stay indooors or join in anti-social behaviour.