They were back on familiar ground last Saturday. On a chilly evening in Sixmilebridge, Gavin O’Mahony and John Conlon were launched into Waterford Crystal Cup action as substitutes under floodlights at the East Clare venue.

The Minister for overseas aid, Joe Costello, is to lobby African government ministers for support for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).

Ireland’s minister for overseas aid is to lobby African government ministers for support for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).

THEY are used to focusing on O’Byrne Cup and Waterford Crystal Cup action in January but five GAA inter-county stars are getting set for a pre-season game with a twist next week when they play in front of 20,000 Ethiopians.

Leaders of Ethiopia’s largest opposition bloc said they have evidence of voter intimidation and vote-rigging which may lead them to reject the results of today’s national election.

MEDIA reports (March 8) which claimed large sums of money raised in the early 1980s by Bob Geldof’s Band Aid were siphoned off to buy weapons in Ethiopia have met with a furious response from the anti-poverty campaigner.

CLAIMS that aid money sent to Ethiopia was spent on weapons are “palpable nonsense”, Band Aid founder Bob Geldof said yesterday.

Claims that aid money sent to Ethiopia was spent on weapons are “palpable nonsense”, Band Aid founder Bob Geldof said today.

The Band Aid Trust will complain to the British broadcasting watchdog Ofcom about a BBC report that alleged millions of pounds raised for famine relief in Ethiopia was spent on weapons, one of its trustees said today.