Europe has utterly failed to grasp the gravity of the Syrian exodus, and Lebanon is paying the price, says Éamonn Meehan

Amid calls for a cooling-off period, both sides in the increasingly fraught dispute at the Liebherr container crane factory in Killarney, Co Kerry, were yesterday considering the outcome of a Siptu ballot.

AMID all the usual defendants who appear in the dock during the normal daily business of the Dublin District Court, Seán FitzPatrick stood out like a sore banker.

The unsatisfactory report on the Mick Wallace affair is proof of the inability of the Oireachtas to get to grips with wrong-doers in its midst, writes political editor Paul O’Brien

AMID the pall of gloom that threatens to overwhelm the nation, it is indeed heartening to hear the tourism sector blowing its trumpet.

INTER MILAN are attempting to hijack Arsenal’s move for Velez Sarsfield starlet Ricardo Alvarez with a €12m bid.

There is a real urgency to take investment in renewable energy to a new plateau and Jim Barry, as he moves from NTR to BlackRock Alternative Investments, is getting an opportunity to make a new name for himself, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

AMID the simmering rivalry at Thomond Park tomorrow, Mike Phillips admits he will cast an envious eye around Munster’s own Field of Dreams.

AMID the gloom at the moment, a heart-warming conclusion to a personal emergency has helped to light up one family’s life.

AMID considerable criticism that they had escaped the worst effects of the recession, the Government has decided to cut the pensions of its retired employees by as much as 12%.

AMID growing concern about the delays in moving ahead with a €500 million project on the Shannon estuary, senior government figures have been asked to get involved.

AMID growing concerns about the delays in moving ahead with a €500 million project on the Shannon estuary, senior government figures have been asked to get involved.

AMID all the politicking surrounding the proposed new National Children’s Hospital may be we’ve lost sight of the endgame: that there are parents around the country for whom quality of care is the only relevant concern.

AMID the celebrations over the Chilean miners’ rescue, several key questions remain unanswered.

AMID much anger by motorists, clamping was halted yesterday at a popular publicly-owned city car park in Limerick.

AMID the hype and the hope, a kernel of doubt lurks in the minds of some in Down.

AMID threats to disrupt bin collection services across Dublin from Thursday, the Labour Relations Commission yesterday intervened in the ongoing dispute between SIPTU and a Dublin council over plans to outsource refuse services to a private collector.

AMID the doom and gloom in the banking and communications sectors, there has been positive news on the jobs front.

AMID tight security, thousands of Red Shirt opposition supporters paid final respects yesterday to the Thai renegade general assassinated at the height of last month’s anti-government protests.

AMID an injury crisis of unprecedented levels, and in the midst of preparations for one of the most anticipated clashes of his reign, there was finally some positive injury news for Declan Kidney last night.

AMID growing concerns about delays in moving ahead with plans for a natural gas-fired power plant at Tarbert, Co Kerry, a two-day oral planning hearing into the project begins tomorrow.

The European Commission has announced plans to come to the rescue of crisis-hit Greece and avert the growing risk of the collapse of the euro.

AMID all the recent media-driven anti-Catholic hysteria, a couple of news items stood out in stark contrast.

AMID armed Garda security, a 29-year-old Limerick man was remanded in custody at a special sitting of the District Court last night charged with the murder of bread man Daniel Treacy last week.

AMID the chaos and the carnage, a signal of hope and life emerges from the rubble and devastation of Haiti’s earthquake.

AMID the continuing freeze, Alex Ferguson may have found a solution to his chilled bones with the potential of another dousing with hot water from the FA to add further insult to the worrying manner his mis-firing team squandered the opportunity to reclaim leadership of the Premier League.

AMID the economic doom and gloom I could not help wondering about sectors of our society that are actually benefiting – even thriving – in the current economic climate. What I have noticed is the number of economic experts/forecasters/commentators who have been taking up pages in the press and a lot of airtime on TV and radio.

AMID the ever-rising numbers of people joining the dole queues, a study has exposed discrepancies in the amounts companies are willing to pay in redundancy when letting their staff go.

AMID all the scandals involving the Catholic Church we should not lose sight of the positive and respected side of the institution.

AMID all the well-deserved congratulations for our magnificent rugby players (and with the prospect of a great day for Leinster and Munster in Croke Park to come) we ought not to overlook the succession of excellent performances by our cricketers culminating in the recent six-wicket victory over Holland, which has assured qualification for the World Cup.

AMID the encircling gloom, it was a story to melt even the hardest heart: octuplets, six boys and two girls, delivered alive and well. Isn’t Mother Nature a wonderful thing, we thought? And well done the doctors, midwives and nurses for helping them all into this world safely.

AMID the Dell bloodbath of 1,900 job losses, a state job creation and tourism agency was planning a lavish “anniversary celebration” banquet — at the taxpayers’ expense.

AMID the cheers and whoops of Blackburn’s ecstatic supporters, the contented chatter of Sam Allardyce and the celebratory high-fives of his players, there was another sound just about audible in Lancashire on Saturday night: the noise of Paul Ince gnashing his teeth.

AMID all the fuss about the potential cost to the State in rescuing banks, it is easy to forget what else is going on with everyone’s money.

AMID pay talks and perceived “races to the bottom” in industry standards and pay, one would expect the trade union movement to be showing a “united” front these days.

It’s been an immense year for Kerry’s Killian Young, and the young footballer of the year has a full diary all the way to Christmas — starting with tomorrow’s county final. Michael Moynihan reports.

AMID the gloom of the health service, a legend of Irish traditional music is bringing craic to wards at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.

AMID mounting concerns at the amount of junk food being consumed by tens of thousands of young children, a school in a disadvantaged area of Limerick continues to lead the way with it’s healthy eating programme.

AMID an uneasy and highly fragile peace between Aer Lingus and its pilots, nearly all Aer Lingus flights into and out of Ireland will go ahead today.

AMID all the hullabaloo about Aer Lingus, why does anybody expect it to start acting decently now?

AMID all the weighty wheeling and dealing in the corridors of power aimed at producing a new government, politicians may overlook the plight of a brutally oppressed and voiceless minority.

AMID claims by teachers that primary schools are struggling to fund basicessentials such as heating, the Education Minister has promised to double funding per child — if her party is returned to power.

AMID the attention to the carnage on our roads, much more consideration should be given to the growing phenomenon of serious road accidents involving foreign nationals, especially driving left-hand drive cars.