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The DUP leader Rev Ian Paisley celebrates his election victory in Ballymena yesterday during the Assembly election count for the North Antrim constituency.
Photograph: Stephen Davison
DUP and SF gain seats in Assembly elections
The DUP and Sinn Féin have made significant gains in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections but despite these strong unionist and republican mandates the Rev Ian Paisley was last night still refusing to state whether he would agree to enter a powersharing government with Sinn Féin.Moves under way to create new court of appeal
The Government has taken the first step towards creating a court of appeal to take over much of the workload of the Supreme Court.Four Irish tycoons worth €8bn in the ranks of the super rich
Ireland's four wealthiest men now have a combined wealth of $10.6 billion (€8 billion), consolidating their place in the company of the world's ultra-rich.
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World
EU moves closer to a deal on renewable energies
EU/EU Summit: German chancellor Dr Angela Merkel
will present a compromise proposal today aimed at winning the
support of EU states for "binding" targets for the use of green
energy. pNew US commander in Iraq says there can be no military solution
IRAQ: The new American commander in Iraq said yesterday that military force alone would not end the violence without political reconciliation, adding that US troop reinforcements would probably stay "well beyond the summer". pOlmert admits war with Lebanon was preplanned
MIDDLE EAST: Preparations for Israel's war in Lebanon last summer were drawn up at least four months before two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Hizbullah in July, Ehud Olmert, the prime minister, has admitted. pPöttering warns against reneging on constitution
EU/President's address: The president of the European Parliament warned EU leaders not to renege on their commitment to the EU Constitution yesterday as several states signalled their opposition to the draft treaty. p
Ireland
Applications for teaching courses increase by 27%
Student demand for places in teaching courses is booming with an
increase of 27 per cent in the number applying to the Central
Applications Office. pIncrease in use of cocaine highlighted by report
Cocaine use is continuing to rise, crossing all social strata and affecting every region, according to a new report. pSecondary schools exclude foreign nationals, says Begg
Many secondary schools appear to have a policy of excluding foreign national students from enrolling in them, the general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu), David Begg, said yesterday. p€250,000 for garda with stress disorder
The High Court has awarded €250,000 compensation to a Garda who was "immeasurably" traumatised as a result of finding the bodies of a young garda and soldier in Derrada Wood near Ballinamore in Co Leitrim in 1983 after a shoot-out with the kidnappers of supermarket boss Don Tidey. pMotorola confirms closure of Cork plant
American-owned electronics and mobile phone company Motorola confirmed yesterday it is to close its Cork operation with the loss of 330 jobs, following a consultation process with workers. pBCI ban on Trócaire ad 'surprising' - Minister
The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland's (BCI) ban on a Trócaire advertisement opposed to violence against women was "surprising" and "in an ideal world" should be lifted, Minister of State for Development Conor Lenihan has said. p470 inmates released early from Cork Prison
Some 470 prisoners were released early from Cork Prison last year, it has emerged. pDUP and Sinn Féin on track to make significant gains
Overview: The DUP and Sinn Féin were last night on track to make significant gains as counting resumes this morning in the Assembly elections. pDurkan queries election of some TDs to Dáil
There were TDs who should never have been elected to the Dáil, Fine Gael environment spokesman Bernard Durkan claimed yesterday. p
Finance
ICG considers €471m offer
Irish Continental Group (ICG) is set to be taken private following a decision by the ferry operator's independent board members to recommend a €471 million cash offer from its chief executive Eamonn Rothwell and four other members of the management team. Ciarán Hancock reports. pECB raises lending rate by 0.25%
The cost of servicing a mortgage rose again yesterday following
the decision by the European Central Bank (ECB) to increase its key
lending rate by one-quarter of a percentage point. The latest
increase, the seventh since December 2005, brings the ECB's key
"main refinancing rate" to 3.75 per cent, writes
Marc Coleman , Economics Editor p
Sport
Familiarity has yet to dull Crown's lustre
RUGBY/Six Nations Championship: How to
put a tilt at another Triple Crown in perspective? In the context
of Irish rugby, winning a third Triple Crown in the same
generation, never mind in just a four-year span, would be a unique
achievement, given there have never been more than two in the same
decade. pNewcastle take control
SOCCER/Uefa Cup Round of 16, first leg/Newcastle 4 Alkmaar 2: It is stating the obvious to say that Newcastle United would gladly have taken this scoreline if offered it before kick-off. But having seen the limitations of AZ Alkmaar at close quarters Newcastle were left wondering last night how they could be so clearly superior and yet concede two goals that give the Dutchmen hope if not expectation in the second leg next Thursday. pRoe calls for lenient suspension for Casey
GAELIC GAMES/National Football League News: Offaly manager Pat Roe has called for his player Ken Casey to be spared a lengthy suspension for what he described as "a misinterpretation". Roe was commenting on the decision of the Central Competitions Control Committee to uphold Longford's objection to the player's participation in the recent National Football League Division Two A match between the counties and strip Offaly of the point earned in the drawn encounter. p
