The Aljazeera revelation
George W Bush's musings about bombing the leading Arab satellite TV station betray hard truths about the United States' 'war on terror', says Saleh Bechir
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Irving's own struggle
Censorship is an amusing liberal conundrum. Do you ban books that are obviously offensive or support their availability under a blanket support for freedom of speech? When you allow the sale of Mein Kampf, are you entitled to be worried if it goes to the top of the book charts as it did in Turkey this year? When David Irving comes to speak in Trinity should he be allowed to perform as you hope he will self-immolate?
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Bus of fools
Amy Tan's latest novel is set among a high powered group of Amreicans who are kidnapped by tribesmen on an Asian road trip. Review by Andrew Solomon
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Antigone: beauty over propaganda
Seamus Heaney's translation of Sophocles' Antigone paints a picture without greyness. Yet, beauty prevails. Review by Garry Wills
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Playwright takes prize and a jab at America
 The playwright Harold Pinter turned his Nobel Prize acceptance speech on 7 December into a furious howl of outrage against American foreign policy, saying that the United States had not only lied to justify waging war against Iraq but had also "supported and in many cases engendered every right-wing military dictatorship" in the last 50 years.
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Scapegoating the religious
The vilification of religious orders, such as the Christian Brothers and the Mercy Sisters, may have contributed to the scant media coverage the Nora Wall case received, writes Conor Brady
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Homeless people living in container
Homeless people in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin are being accommodated in containers due to a lack of hostel facilities in the area. The facility was started in January 2002 by Crosscare, a Catholic social agency in conjunction with the HSE and Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. It consists of two portacabins that can accommodate 22 people. The facility is funded by the HSE and the County Council through the Department of Environment and Local Government, but managed by Crosscare. The night containers are housed in the grounds of the HSE on Tivoli road in Dún Laoghaire. Initially it was a temporary project set up for two months but according to a Crosscare spokesperson, "there was a need there and it was constantly being used".
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More pressies for foodies fooeveryone
Darina Allen was sitting around her kitchen table with a young family member and her friends. They were all in a panic still so many presents to organise, no time, no money
With some time and wine, they came up with these ideas:
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Poverty and housing crisis in the midst of lavish wealth
Figures on poverty released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on 12 December are almost unbelievable. They show that last year (2004) almost one fifth of the population (19.4 per cent) were at risk of poverty, by which they mean one fifth of the population were living on household incomes of €9,680 or less (that is, €186 per week or less).
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Significance of the reflagging deal
Allowing Irish Ferries to reflag in another country is very significant. This means that once they reflag – which they most likely will do – they are not bound by the deal they struck with SIPTU on the minimum wage or any Irish legislation on labour and workers rights. The registration of an Irish Ferries ship to another nation is allowed under International law in the Geneva Convention of the High Seas 1958. Article 4 says: 'Every State, whether coastal or not, has the right to sail ships under its flag on the high seas.' Article 5 of the convention attempted to address the problem of ships registering in countries for 'flags of convenience'. It said 'There must exist a genuine link between the State and the ship; in particular, the State must effectively exercise its jurisdiction and control in administrative, technical and social matters over ships flying its flag' and that they must have documents to that effect. The UN Law of the Sea Convention 1982 also tried to address the problem of 'flags of convenience'. Article 91 reiterated that there must exist a 'genuine link' between the State and the ship. However, a recent case at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea said that the validity of a genuine link cannot be posed by another nation. This would rule out Ireland questioning whether Irish Ferries had established a genuine link with the country under which it reflags. Consequently, once Irish Ferries has reflagged, they must adhere to the laws on minimum wage and workers rights only in that country. EMMA BROWNE
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Violence: sports' omertà
On 1 November 2004, at the Dublin District Court, James McCartan was found guilty of assault causing harm contrary to section 3 of the Offences Against the Person Act. This apparently humdrum case attracted considerable media interest because McCartan had been charged as a result of breaking an opponent's jaw in the course of Gaelic football match.
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The boxer and the jockey
This column starts with a warning. It's entirely subjective. Objectivity has been kicked out the window. Sitting in Frankfurt airport last Sunday, trying to imagine what the German headline writers are saying about the World Cup draw (put the words Heidi Klum, uber-sexiness, Iran and banned in a short sentence) I got to listen to Bernard Dunne talking to Jimmy Magee. They were sitting in a little Franziskaner bar with pine from roof to ceiling and nothing on offer but mediocre tea and cold brioche. Dunne's trainer, manager, a world champion yodeller and a couple of others were watching and laughing. Bernard looks up from his paper to say, "Jimmy, I'm going to sue you for slander". Jimmy, delighted but feigning innocence, barely concealing his smile, asks: "Who, me?"
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Blatter's baby comes into its own
Liverpool have the chance to win the World Club Championship in Tokyo this week, despite criticism from the press for participating. Ken Early argues that the club is right to contest a tournament that is rising in stature
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Primal words
 John Lennon's legacy is elusive, but Harry Browne says the 25th anniversary of his murder was followed by an event that helps put the Beatle in perspective: the death of his contemporary and fellow tortured-genius, Richard Pryor.
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