Taoiseach Leo Varadkar nailed British prime minister Boris Johnson to a form of Brexit that is about as good as we could expect, writes Fergus Finlay

The British Prime Minister should explain to the victims of historical institutional abuse why new laws granting them compensation will not be debated during this parliamentary session, an MP has said.

It is ironic but deeply valuable that the majority of the books and films, irrespective of source, dealing with the North’s Troubles have a common theme.

Relations between the FAI and Brian Kerr have been strained further after the former Ireland manager angrily rejected an offer to become a “media watchdog” for the association.

Mary McAleese has criticised groups in the North for sticking to their "red lines" while asking others to give up theirs.

Differences over the division of the unanticipated costs of the redress scheme to help those abused while in the care of Catholic religious orders have become fraught.

It is difficult to believe that the politicians we imagine, in the widest sweep of the term, to be social democrats are capable of sustaining that system, one that created more equality, more wealth, more tolerance, and a longer-lasting peace than any other political credo in history.

Democratic Unionist representative Ian Paisley has avoided the ignominy of being the first MP to lose his House of Commons seat under legislation — known as the petitions device — introduced after a parliamentary expenses scandal some years ago.

One of the ways you know that the phoney war that precedes every election is ending is that budget kite-flying begins to hint at largesse.

Your lunchtime headlines.

The DUP's Ian Paisley will be suspended from the House of Commons for 30 sitting days from September 4 following a major breach of parliamentary rules, MPs have confirmed.

The DUP’s Ian Paisley begged his constituents to retain confidence in him during an emotional apology in the British House of Commons for a major breach of parliamentary rules.

Your lunchtime bulletin...

Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O'Neill welcomed a Westminster debate, describing it as a "first step" on the road to abortion reform in the North.

The Good Friday Agreement brought the framework for peace, but it hasn’t been an easy ride. Political Correspondent Fiachra Ó Cionnaith looks back on the key moments of the first 20 years of the peace process.

A car fire which sparked a security alert in Northern Ireland was the result of a mechanical fault, police have confirmed.

Bowing out as leader of Sinn Féin, Gerry Adams’ denial of IRA involvement continues to anger many of his political contemporaries, but all acknowledge his skills in delivering a peace deal, writes Political Reporter Elaine Loughlin.

Ian Paisley accused the bloc of trying to blackmail and bully Britain as he asked an impassioned question in the Commons.

Electricity customers in Northern Ireland will save £50m (€57m) a year as part of a shake-up threatening almost 300 jobs.

At this remove, and after so much water has flowed under the bridge, the unannounced, low-key Dublin meeting between Northern Ireland prime minister Terence O’Neill and then taoiseach Jack Lynch 50 years ago today hardly seems significant much less seismic but it was all of that.

In the midst of the power-sharing difficulties in the North, Ryle Dwyer argues that people should remember how such problems were initially resolved.

Peter Robinson’s reputation for cowardice was shown up by his backfired “invasion” of a small village on the Irish border, Northern Ireland’s most senior civil servant said at the time.

A member of the DUP has indicated his party could have supported an amendment to the UK’s flagship Brexit legislation guaranteeing the rights of people in Gibraltar.

Latest: The UK should not seek convergence with EU regulations after Brexit, a senior Democratic Unionist said.

If the Taoiseach is to lead successful negotiations with the UK as well as our EU partners over Brexit he will need to show greater political maturity than he exhibited during the debacle over former tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald.

If the Taoiseach is to lead successful negotiations with the UK as well as our EU partners over Brexit he will need to show greater political maturity than he exhibited during the debacle over former tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald.

Gerry Adams has insisted that a deal can still be reached with the DUP to restore powersharing at Stormont.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire has said he does not intend to appoint ministers to take political control at Stormont as he moved budget measures with the "utmost reluctance".

Sinn Féin will not be shoe-horned into a power-sharing deal cobbled together by the Government to appease to the DUP, Michelle O'Neill has warned Tories.

The PSNI insisted chief constable George Hamilton was an invited guest and made no financial contribution at the North Antrim event hosted by MP Ian Paisley on Thursday night.

Sky's Ireland correspondent held his hands up this week with a very personal family tale of Robin Hood-style border smuggling from times past.

Theresa May's minority British Government was accused of "running scared" after allowing a second Labour-led motion to be approved by MPs.

A DUP MP has said his party could support a Labour motion in the British Houses of Parliament calling for an end to the public sector pay cap in the UK's NHS.

DUP MP Ian Paisley has said he will refer himself to the UK's Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over a report that he did not declare trips paid for by the Sri Lankan government.

The Rev Ian Paisley favoured religious fundamentalists over his DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson during the first roundtable peace talks between the main parties in Northern Ireland, records disclosed.

Theresa May is facing a fresh Brexit challenge amid reports that Dublin wants the Irish Sea to be the country's border with the UK.

The unique relationship between Ireland and the US will be to the forefront of this year’s Kennedy Summer School when it visits the ancestral home of JFK.

For Leaving Certificate French students, a morning exam featured questions in the listening test which were fairly typical and quite manageable for well-practised students.

Update 6.41pm: Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster has pledged to work in the interests of the entire United Kingdom as she expressed willingness to help Theresa May form a government.

MUSIC NEWS: Radiohead may have got some stick recently for playing in Israel, but Thom Yorke and co are back on more solid ground with the announcement of a 20th anniversary release of their classic OK Computer album.

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin.

Here's your morning news bulletin.

Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness went from mortal enemies to chuckling chums. Colm Meaney tells Esther McCarthy about portraying that unlikely friendship.

Des O’Driscoll picks five of the best events to check out this week. 

Catholics living in Northern Ireland have called for a return to direct rule to end the political chaos, a senior British Conservative MP has said.

Pope Francis will "do everything he can" to come to Ireland next year, a senior Vatican official has said.