The Irish in Britain, including those of Irish descent, make up a significant part of the UK population. Here, you will find news, entertainment, events, sports and features from the local Irish Post newspaper.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he expects to hold his first formal meeting with new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown this month.

Speaking recently in Dublin Mr Ahern said he was looking forward to working with Mr Brown and to building on the bilateral relationship built up during the Blair years.

He said he hoped Mr Brown would maintain Britain’s interest and commitment to Anglo-Irish relations and the peace process in the North and said he expected to hold his first talks with the new Prime Minister at an up-coming British-Irish inter-governmental conference.

New Charity

Leading charity Changing Faces, which supports people living with disfigurement, has launched in the North of Ireland to help people deal with the psychological and social challenges of disfigurement.

Among the methods the charity uses to help people are life-skills workshops and regional days, counselling and self-help guides and it also advises schools and employers on behalf of people who have disfigurement.

Last year Changing Faces put up posters showing children with facial disfigurement on the London Tube network to change the way people treat those with the condition choosing the network as it said people with disfigurement often get stared at or avoided on public transport.

Minimum Wage

The minimum wage in Ireland has increased by 35c from €8.30 to €8.65, making it the second increase this year and the sixth since the minimum wage was first introduced in April 2000.

Minister for Labour Affairs Billy Kelleher said the increase will benefit low-paid workers in society in particular part-time and younger workers.

But business lobby group ISME has said the increase is another blow for many small businesses.

Cork Investment

About 170 new jobs are to be created over the next four years through a €50million investment at the Tyndall National Institute, the country’s biggest information and communications technology research centre based in Cork.

The Tyndall Institute was established by University College Cork (UCC), the Department of Enterprise and Science Foundation Ireland just three years ago and already employs 330 people, of which almost 100 are PhD students.

The institute brings together researchers from UCC, Cork Institute of Technology and the National Microelectronics Centre and Tyndall undertakes research work for some of the world’s leading technology companies including Intel, Analog Devices and Hewlett Packard.