GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were the major figures at the Afghanistan conference in London last Thursday.

IRISH political parties must keep proper books and accounts and have them independently audited, an independent report on corruption and transparency of party funding has said.

IRELAND is to send a second shipment of supplies to Haiti where shelter for thousands of homeless is now a major problem.

THE person most likely to be the next EU Agriculture Commissioner has said he favours changing the single farm payment regime, away from the historic-based payment system used in Ireland.

THERE are four presidents involved in running the EU – the presidents of the commission, of the parliament, of the rotating presidency and of the council.

SPAIN’S taking over the six-month presidency of the EU will be formally celebrated in Madrid’s Teatro Real, the royal opera house, later this week.

THE European Union faces into a new year with the Lisbon Treaty in force intended to give it the institutions it needs to accomplish its goals.

GOVERNMENTS from around the world will this week sort through the outcome of the Copenhagen climate summit as the UN prepares to try again for a binding global agreement next year.

IRISH people are so worried about the economy and jobs, they are prepared to sacrifice the environment to achieve growth.

IRISH fishermen are hoping Brussels will grant them an increase in their share of the mackerel and prawn catch after it emerged they might get just half of last year’s mackerel quota.