Thailand’s army chief has just announced a military takeover of the government, saying the coup is necessary to restore stability and order after six months of political deadlock and turmoil.

The Kings of Leon have been named as the third headline act of this year’s Isle of Wight Festival.

Electric Picnic organisers have today revealed which bands would be playing on each day of the festival.

Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis said he still feels lucky to host the festival, as the weekend of music gets under way today.

Organisers of the Electric Picnic music and arts festival have tonight announced more acts for this year's event.

PEACE may be about to break out in the ongoing naming row over Dingle/An Daingean.

Richard Holbrooke, a long-time US diplomat who was the architect of the 1995 Bosnia peace plan and served as President Barack Obama's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, has died at the age of 69, an administration official said.

PRESIDENT John F Kennedy’s sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who carried on the family’s public service tradition by founding the Special Olympics and championing the rights of mentally disabled people, died early yesterday surrounded by relatives at a Hyannis hospital. She was 88.

The 88-year-old sister of President John F Kennedy was fighting for her life in hospital today.

PEACE has seemingly broken out between the leading shareholders in Independent News & Media (INM), with Denis O’Brien welcoming the prospect of Gavin O’Reilly becoming the new chief executive of the group and hailing yesterday’s wide-reaching board change proposals as “the beginning of a new era” at INM.

THE Campaign Against the EU Constitution — formed in 2005 — is a broad coalition of progressive and left-wing political parties, organisations, trade unionists and individuals committed to democracy, peace, justice, Irish neutrality and equality.

PEACE has brought economic prosperity to the North, but the threat from dissidents hasn’t gone away.

The British presidency of the European Union has recommended that €200m be allocated to peace and reconciliation funds for the North, it was claimed today.

Policy-makers across the entire island must work together to reap the benefits of a €100bn investment in infrastructure over the next 10 years, it was warned today.

West Bromwich Albion are set to cut their first-team squad from 31 to 25 players following the arrival of new boss Bryan Robson.

PEACE needs to be secured in the North to help stop the advancement of global terrorism, Senator Hillary Clinton warned last night.

PEACE activists held a protest outside the Israeli Embassy in Dublin yesterday to call for a nuclear whistleblower to be granted asylum in Ireland.

A PEACE plan aimed at resolving a border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea remains stalled.

The PEACE group is seeking songs for its 10th song contest for peace. The closing date is December 3.

PEACE (Prayer Enterprise and Christian Effort) is seeking poems of peace from Irish Examiner readers.

A PEACE conference between the Israelis and Palestinians, organised by Glencree, was postponed yesterday after the Israelis refused to let one of the Palestinian delegation travel to Ireland.

Political Reporter

I INVITE readers to nominate people for the Peace Person Of the Year Award 2003. The nominee must be working to promote peace and reconciliation in Ireland.

MORE than 500 foreign military planes landed in airports in this country in the past year and almost 2,000 military aircraft flew in Irish airspace.

IN JUNE 2001, in a free, fair and democratic referendum, the Irish people voted to reject the Nice Treaty.