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A student brushing clay away from a skull on an archaeology dig at the Kilteashen project near Knockvicar, Co Roscommon, yesterday.

Photograph: Cyril Byrne

Bush's military tribunals violate US law
In a stinging rebuke to president George Bush's conduct of the fight against terrorism, the US Supreme Court has ruled that military tribunals used to try inmates at Guantánamo Bay violate American law and the Geneva Conventions.
British-Irish partnership planned if no deal on devolution
New "British-Irish partnership arrangements" will be put in place if the North's political parties fail to agree a deal to restore the Northern Executive by November 24th, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair warned yesterday.
Drugs and guns seized in Garda raids in Limerick
Two members of Limerick's biggest armed drugs gang were in Garda custody last night after a series of raids across the city resulted in one of the biggest single seizures of firearms in the State in recent years.

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Finance

ESRI urges less spending, more taxes
The Government should consider increased road tolling, the introduction of incineration charges and evaluate the case for metered water charges, according to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). p
US markets surge as Fed raises rates as expected
The US stock market surged yesterday after the Federal Reserve, as expected, raised interest rates for the 17th time in two years. The 0.25 per cent increase brings US interest rates to 5.25 per cent and many analysts expect a further rise in August. p
Regulator contacts 26 credit unions to spur examination of bad debts
The Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority has asked the boards of directors of 26 credit unions to examine whether they should take "remedial action" to deal with high levels of bad debt in their loan books. p

World

Hamas condemns arrest of government ministers
MIDDLE EAST: Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has accused the US of giving Israel 'the green light', writes Michael Jansen p
Dutch cabinet set to resign over row
THE NETHERLANDS: Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende will tender his government's resignation to Queen Beatrix after a party quit the ruling coalition in a row over the immigration minister, Dutch media reported last night. p
Zapatero authorises start of dialogue with Eta
SPAIN: The peace process that began almost exactly three months ago when the Basque separatist movement Eta declared a "permanent" ceasefire having held firm, the Spanish prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero yesterday announced he was authorising the start of a dialogue with the terrorist group. p
For Sunnis, a first among equals
UNDER THE CRESCENT: The faces of Islam A key but increasingly controversial figure in the Sunni world, Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi speaks to Mary Fitzgerald in Cairo p
Autopsy reveals stepsisters were strangled
BELGIUM: The two Belgian schoolgirls who were found dead on Wednesday were strangled before their bodies were dumped beside a busy railway line, preliminary autopsy results revealed yesterday. p

Ireland

Officials in Siptu oppose national agreement
Officials in the State's largest union, Siptu, are calling on members to reject the new national pay agreement, "Towards 2016", in a move which could collapse the partnership deal. p
Priest pleads guilty to sex abuse of pupils
A former spiritual director and bursar of Gormanston College, Co Meath, who sexually abused four pupils there some 30 years ago, has been remanded for sentence by Judge Desmond Hogan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. p
Harney acknowledges hep C catastrophe
The Government acknowledged in the strongest terms that the infection of people with contaminated blood products was catastrophic for them and their families, Minister for Health Mary Harney told the Dáil. p
Burial of man who died during game
A large crowd gathered for the funeral yesterday of Liam O'Regan (18) in the tiny chapel of St James in Ballinora, near Ballincollig, Co Cork. The church overlooks the pitch where Mr O'Regan died on Monday night as he played a minor league hurling match. p
Cork baby injured in collision dies in hospital
The 10-month-old boy who was critically ill following a horrific car crash earlier this week died yesterday. p
Check-in failure causes chaos at Dublin airport
Hundreds of Aer Lingus passengers waited in long queues and flights were delayed at Dublin airport yesterday after the check-in computer crashed for nearly four hours. p
Men under 20 least likely to take HIV test, gay health survey shows
Gay men are less likely to have HIV tests now than in 2000, according to a survey assessing sexual health experiences and attitudes of gay men in Ireland. p

Features

Packing up their Troubles
Withdrawal of troops from south Armagh is an acid test for policing normalisation, writes Tom Clonan , as he watches the British army return its hilltop posts to nature. p

Sport

Pessotto clings to life as tribunal begins
SOCCER: As the most important tribunal in Italy's footballing history opened yesterday, the executive manager of Juventus, one of the clubs at the centre of the case, was clinging to life after a suspected suicide attempt. p