FREEMASONS from Grand Lodges and Grand Orients of eight countries came together for what was described as “an unique gathering in the world” by EU president Herman Van Rompuy.

THE EBS Building Society may be asked to curtail its business activities as part of its restructuring plans to justify keeping the €875 million it received from the state.

THE economic crisis is taking its toll on Irish people with fewer feeling happy compared with four years ago.

THE prime minister of the country fast becoming the new master of the universe, China, called off his joint press conference with the EU in Brussels during the week, when they refused to ban a number of journalists from attending.

BANKS are under-taxed in the EU, but new proposals to levy their activities could raise as much as €25 billion a year, the European Commission says.

FORMER EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has resigned from the board of a fledgling British bank after being told it would conflict with his old role in Brussels.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has not ruled out revisiting the Croke Park agreement, but he indicated that he will wait and see if the deal yields the kind of public sector savings he needs before revisiting it.

FORMER Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy’s new career as a banker is being investigated by the European Commission to see if it is conflicts with his previous job in Brussels.

THE battle lines have been drawn.

GERMAN MEPs stepped up the pressure on Ireland over its corporation tax rate insisting that it would have to double if the country needed a bailout.