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It was pleasing to hear Minister Gormley voice his concerns about chewing gum and cigarette butts on our streets and his determination to clean up the mess.

On July 23rd  2007 at 8.00pm numbers of gardai confronted Roma gypsies camped at the M50 roundabout in Ballymun.

The serious flooding that is swamping much of England at the moment is a foretaste of what will happen on a regular basis; and not just in England; but here in Ireland too if Global Warming continues to accelerate at the rate predicted by most renowned and trusted meteorologists and scientists. 

We consider the proposal to build a four-lane motorway, including a massive interchange, within 1200mts of the Hill of Tara to be a crime against the culture, heritage and history of our people. The Tara landscape is an area of unparalleled and irreplaceable importance to all the people of this island.

It comes as no surprise that the 7 year struggle for people to be heard on the Tara/M3 catastrophe should culminate in arrests and prison. It is indeed a sorry day for democracy when a society fails so miserably to listen to it's own citizens that people find there is nothing left to do but physically resist the destruction of that which they care about.

On Wednesday, a colourful novelty protest calling for a ban on blood sports will be staged in front of the GPO in O'Connell Street, Dublin.

A media photograph of the recent controversial protest at Tara spoke volumes. In the picture, the workers are leering nastily at the lone protester visible.

The Swedish Trade Minister, Sten Tolgfors, who recently attended the meeting of “Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil” in Malaysia, calls for the EU removal of biofuel import tariffs from Malaysia and Indonesia. What this really mean indirectly, is that this EU Minister is encouraging the continuous expansion of palm oil plantations especially by multinational corporations in both Malaysia and Indonesia, that would include expansion in the brutally colonized West Papua, where the Genocide and Holocaust of Indigenous West Papuans still continues.

I noticed a short note in a newspaper recently stating that VB's Tonight programme on RTE 1 radio is to be discontinued.

ISME, the Independent Business Organisation, has expressed concern at the increase in late payments, which is 'crucifying' many small firms, denying them the cash flow required to properly manage and run their businesses. This situation has occurred despite legislation being in place for five years, supposedly to alleviate the situation.