THOUGH his term of office as Taoiseach was one of the shortest, the contribution made by former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who has died at the age of 81, to the making of an enduring peace on this island will go down in the pages of Irish and British history as one of the most important achievements of our time.

According to Goodbody Stockbrokers, no new austerity measures will be required in the next budget for the Government to hit its deficit target of less than 3% of GDP.

The beheading of an American reporter by Islamic fanatics is a chilling reminder of the danger experienced by journalists in the world’s war zones.

Plans by British retailers to change the specifications of beef they are willing to buy could have serious consequences for Ireland’s agriculture industry. The price farmers get for beef has already fallen by €200 per animal in the past year.

Today is “Earth overshoot day” — the ever-earlier date on the calendar that marks the point in the year when we have consumed all of the resources the planet is capable of producing in a full year. 

The EU directive that gives everyone living in Europe a right to access to a bank account must be welcomed. That it will give consumers a better opportunity to compare bank fees will make it even more welcome. How easy it will be to avail of the most advantageous rates remains to be seen.

"A riot," said Martin Luther King, "is the language of the unheard."

Now that third-level college places have been offered to more than 40,000 students the scramble for accommodation approaches a climax. Competition is fierce and rents are daunting. Securing student accommodation represents a considerable burden for some families, especially those who have to fund more than one child at more than one location.

When, in September, 2005 a Danish newspaper published cartoons depicting Mohammed and offended many Muslims there were violent protests and needless deaths around the world. The cartoonist was the subject of death threats.

No other issue is as divisive as abortion. You either, even if reluctantly, regard the procedure as a right or maybe a last option in extreme circumstances. Others regard it, and it seems that they always will, as an abomination — many people consider it an affront to their religious and social beliefs. There may be shades of grey on the issue but the middle ground is hardly less populated on any other issue.