MANY people have been comparing Barack Obama with John F Kennedy, and they are also comparing his wife, Michelle, with Jackie Kennedy.

We have long moved on from the position of unfounded allegations and speculation.

IAN PAISLEY Jnr had to resign this week as a junior minister in the Northern Executive headed by his father.

PAUL GOLDIN, the hypnotist who died this week, was greatly mourned by many people. I saw him perform in the early 1960s when I was still in secondary school. It was probably the funniest live show I ever attended.

I WENT to university in the USA in September 1963. It was a tremendous culture shock going from Tralee to Davenport, Iowa.

Ahern left himself wide open to the suspicion that he was under obligation by appointing several people to State boards after they gave him money.

THERE was much about the new EU measures to combat climate change during the week. One of the big changes for this country will be the introduction of smart electricity meters to help people measure how they consume electricity, but it would be a lot more effective if we came up with a way of measuring the competence of our public servants.

WAYNE O’DONOGHUE has paid his debt to society and should be allowed the privacy to get on with the rest of his life without publicly having to relive his tragic mistakes.

As we were once told that something had to be done because the British decided it, now we are being told it’s because the EU has decided it.

John F Kennedy had to prove that a Roman Catholic could win in 1960, but the Catholic factor has not been an issue ever since.