It is important for leaders to continue to raise human rights issues

Micheál Martin and Xi Jinping had both read Ethel Voynich’s tale of Italian revolutionaries

The episode underlines how it ignores rural sentiment at its peril

The US president is intent on gaining control of the island, but can meet strategic goals without doing so

Transformational projects like MetroLink cannot substitute for incremental annual improvements

Extreme weather trends are further evidence that climate change is happening and happening quickly

Strong figures will increase pressure on the Government to spend more and more

With big deposit books, the major lenders should have no need to increase costs to borrowers

The power sharing institutions remain in place, but they need to achieve more

Keir Starmer now seems more willing to point to the economic costs of Brexit

The actions of the US president were blatantly illegal, but others are slow to criticise

The agreement looks likely to be concluded in the coming weeks

Concerted action by the responsible bodies is essential - so is a change in mindset by drivers

While the sap has indeed sunk in many trees, by no means all of nature is hibernating now

The core importance of natural infrastructure is still not being recognised

Irishness is at the core of the appeal of a new generation of stars

As the new year dawns, there is no shortage of reasons for concern

Despite talk of progress, major obstacles remain

Kate O’Connor and a string of other athletes, swimmers and boxers show the value of proper funding and investment

The files cast new light on Anglo-Irish tensions over the Troubles in Northern Ireland