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Fire-fighters putting out a blaze at the Baily Waste recycling plant at Greenogue, Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Environmentally-friendly disposal of Christmas trees there caused a thick-smoke fire yesterday.

Photograph: Bryan O'Brien

Late and comical equaliser cannot mask awful truth
Nightmare on the cold mountain. Halfway up Titano on a chill February night, Irish soccer found a new low last night.

Health sector faces paralysis before election
Some 27,000 health service workers are to be balloted on industrial action in May unless the Health Service Executive (HSE) addresses a range of issues affecting their day- to-day working conditions.
Austrian police break up worldwide child-porn ring
Austrian police have broken up a worldwide child-pornography ring involving 2,300 people in 77 countries "from Algeria to Venezuela" in the largest operation of its kind to date.

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Ireland

EU orders car makers to cut CO2 emissions
The European Commission has ordered car manufacturers to cut CO2 emissions by 18 per cent over five years to help tackle climate change. p
Garda inquiry after death of student in custody
A Garda inquiry was under way last night into the death of a university student who fell into a coma and died while in Garda custody in the early hours of yesterday morning. p
Dublin bus driver said 'it just took off'
The driver of a bus which hit and killed five people outside the Clarence Hotel in Dublin city centre three years ago was supposed to be on a day off, but was doing overtime to pay for his daughter to go on holiday. p
Motorists warned to take care
Road users have been warned to exercise extreme caution when driving today with Met Eireann predicting overnight snowfall. p
Undisclosed damages for brain injury at birth
A High Court judge has described a severely disabled woman with cerebral palsy who is now pursuing a law degree as "the most remarkable, extraordinary young lady" he has ever met. p
Postmasters to run in general election
The Irish Postmasters Union (IPU) is to run candidates in up to 10 constituencies in the general election to highlight what it described as a crisis facing the post office network. p
Some southside pubs offering free drink to rugby supporters
Offering free drinks to rugby fans if they return to their usual post-match pub on the Southside is not in breach of alcohol legislation, according to a senior counsel. p
Concern over suicidal Castlerea inmate
The Prison Inspectorate has expressed concern about a prisoner in Castlerea prison who has tried to kill himself three times. p
R na G criticised for ending news show
Fine Gael and Labour TDs in Galway have expressed concern over Raidió na Gaeltachta's decision to drop a key current affairs programme from its schedule four months before the general election. p

Finance

Government urged to tackle rising cost base
The Government must act to tackle a rising cost base and weakening productivity if the economy's competitiveness is to be protected, a top-level report has recommended. Marc Coleman , Economics Editor, reports p
Cullen appoints Mulcahy as chair of RPA and DTA
The Government has appointed former AIB chief Tom Mulcahy chairman designate of the Dublin Transport Authority (DTA), the powerful new body which will be responsible for all road, rail and light rail transport in the greater Dublin area, writes Arthur Beesley , Senior Business Correspondent p
NI house prices rising fastest in Europe - report
Northern Ireland's house prices are rising faster than anywhere else in Europe, according to a report published yesterday. p
Anglo Irish opens Jersey branch
Anglo Irish Bank has opened a full branch in Jersey in an effort to source cash from non-bank intermediary clients there in a market worth some €250 billion. p

World

Hamas leader pledges to reach an agreement
PALESTINE: Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas held crisis talks with Hamas in Saudi Arabia yesterday in an effort to forge a unity government and end internecine violence that has killed scores since December. p
Seventh letter bomb prompts nationwide alert
BRITAIN: Police have put companies and the public on nationwide alert about a letter bomb campaign after confirming that seven explosive devices have been posted in England and Wales in the last three weeks. p
Bremer admits mistakes after Iraq invasion
US: Former US civilian administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer has admitted that he made mistakes in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion but defended the decision to drive former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party out of public service as "a good plan poorly implemented". p
Pessimism as nations gather for talks on N Korea
CHINA: Delegates have gathered in the Chinese capital for the latest round of tortuous negotiations on North Korea's nuclear programme, with most envoys pessimistic about a speedy resolution to what are expected to be tough talks. p

Sport

Ireland plays get out of jail card
SOCCER/Euro 2008 Group D, San Marino 1 Rep of Ireland 2: It's funny how these things sometimes occur to you afterwards but in all the excitement of the build- up to last night's European Championship qualifier in San Marino none of the travelling press corps ever thought to ask Steve Staunton whether, were it offered, he would have taken a-one goal win. Emmet Malone in San Marino p
Staunton finds new level of ineptitude
SOCCER: Jesus wept. Homer nodded. Nero fiddled. Stan just shook his head. His Irish team huffed and puffed in front of him for a full 90 minutes worth of exquisite embarrassment in San Marino, writes Tom Humphries in San Marino p
Discipline is the name of the game
GAA: The speeding up of investigations, a reduction in the various appeal processes, fewer "technicalities" and increased use of video evidence are some of the main features of the GAA's new disciplinary procedures, which were outlined in Croke Park yesterday. Ian O'Riordan reports. p