Irish peace-keepers in Chad will find themselves on the frontline of a vicious internecine conflict. Can they succeed where countless others have failed and bring calm?
An Irish human rights campaigner travelled to Colombia recently – and returned with an alarming picture of a society where activists face the constant risk of murder by paramilitary gangs.
There was an uniquely contemporary symbolism to the decision taken at the national congress of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) to break links with SIPTU and explore a new relationship with the employers’ body, IBEC.
With reports of President Robert Mugabe’s demise having proven premature, the ongoing oppression of the Zimbabwean people has resulted in worse levels of homelessness and poverty than ever before.
Anyone who’s been living in Dublin for the last decade may recall the moment of shock when they heard that the scruffy kids who used to sing tunelessly outside HMV on Grafton Street now had a record deal. The 747s should inspire similar thoughts, as lead-men Ned Crowther and Oisin Leech used to hawk their wares to drunken punters under the Bewley’s clock at one in the morning every weekend.
It’s a bit late in the year for this to become a summer anthem, which is a pity, as Neosupervital has delivered an excellent tune to whet appetites for an upcoming debut album. The synths and the drum machines are cheap and nasty and just perfect for the plastic vocals.
This first solo offering by longstanding Jurassic 5 turntable maestro Cut Chemist has been eagerly awaited (hearing the latest Chemist-free J5 album was a telling reminder of how skilled a producer he is). Although it’s not a knockout performance, The Audience’s Listening delivers enough quality to satisfy most listeners.
In order to further understand the African AIDS crisis, Bell X1, ardent supporters of Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, travelled to Tanzania for eight days this month.
Ten years ago, Paul Weller’s influence permeated the atmosphere of British rock like a bad smell, but The Rifles by-pass the tortured retro-rock of his Wild Wood incarnation and go straight back to Weller’s most popular and palatable era as The Jam's frontman.
A Liveline caller who allegedly libelled a government adviser on air has opened a can of worms for RTE. But can the broadcaster successfully tap the caller for damages?
Jurassic 5 have been one of the most consistent acts in hip-hop since their classic debut was released in 1997. So it’s sad to report that their fourth album doesn’t come anywhere near the standards set by previous efforts like Quality Control and Power In Numbers.
