The Irish Times, Irish News Online, International, Sports & Business News

Fine Gael's Richard Bruton, Philip Hogan and Enda Kenny with Labour's Pat Rabbitte and Joan Burton arriving at yesterday's Fine Gael/Labour press conference to launch their agreed agenda on tax and jobs.

Photograph: David Sleator

Baggage handler locked in hold on US-bound flight
A baggage handler at Dublin airport was locked into the cargo hold of a transatlantic aircraft as it taxied down the runway.

Labour and FG promise radical changes to stamp duty
Fine Gael and Labour have promised to introduce radical changes to the stamp duty regime if elected to government - including the abolition of the tax for first-time buyers on houses up to €450,000 - "as a priority" and "in one fell swoop" when budgetary conditions are right.
All-island electricity deal will not benefit consumers
Consumers and businesses in the Republic will not benefit from cheaper electricity when an all-island market is introduced here in November.

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Ireland

Nurses plan to escalate work stoppages
There will be morning and afternoon work stoppages by nurses at hospitals and mental health facilities across the State next week. p
Rachel Kiely's killer given longer sentence
A young man jailed for the rape and manslaughter of beautician Rachel Kiely in Cork in 2000 has had his sentence increased from eight to 12 years, after the Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday agreed with the DPP that the original sentence was unduly lenient. p
Almost 2,600 oppose Poolbeg incinerator
A public hearing by An Bord Pleanála into the proposed municipal waste incinerator at Poolbeg in Dublin, which is the subject of almost 2,600 objections, began in Croke Park yesterday. p
Borrowers pay money lenders interest rates of up to 188%
Borrowers are paying interest rates of up to 188 per cent to licensed moneylenders while having no idea of the charges they are paying, according to a report from the Financial Regulator. p
Harney described as best paid in Europe
Psychiatric nurses have welcomed Mary Harney to their annual conference in Ballybofey, Co Donegal, as "the best-paid minister for health in Europe". p
Greens claim water pollution is widespread
Water contamination problems are not confined to Galway and problems with cryptosporidium and E-coli pollution have been widespread for a number of years, the Green Party said yesterday. p
Gardaí urged to co-operate with ombudsman commission
Association of Garda Superintendents annual conference: Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has urged members of the force to co-operate fully with the new Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in order to avoid being arrested for questioning during the course of the commission's investigations. p
DUP man shown coat Collins died in
Ian Paisley jnr leaned forward and looked at the coat Michael Collins was wearing when he was killed in 1922. "There's still mud on it. He was wearing it when he was shot?" he asked in an interested fashion. p
Visa office worker took €30 bribe
A worker at a Government office sought a bribe to give an immigrant a place in a queue for visas, a court heard yesterday. p

World

US media to limit airings of Cho video after complaints
US: Stung by a backlash from victims' families and police, US television networks have promised to limit the airing of a video recorded by Cho Seung-Hui, who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech university on Monday. p
Cameron accuses Labour Party of bullying Scots over union
BRITAIN: British Conservative leader David Cameron has accused Labour of seeking "to cow and bully Scotland" into remaining part of the United Kingdom. p
French presidential race still looks open
FRANCE: The official campaign for the first round of the French presidential election will end at midnight tonight. The leading candidates held their final rallies last night: Nicolas Sarkozy in Marseille; Ségolène Royal in Toulouse, as is socialist tradition; François Bayrou on his home ground in Pau, and Jean-Marie Le Pen in Nice. p
Meteorite has message for humans, say scientists
RUSSIA: ET may have already contacted humans through messages contained in what is believed to have been a meteorite that hit earth almost 100 years ago, Russian scientists claim. p

Finance

Dublin Port set to sign $900m Aceh deal
Dublin Port Company is in advanced negotiations with the government of the Indonesian province of Aceh over a proposed joint venture to develop a major deep-water port on the northern tip of Sumatra , reports from Indonesia indicated yesterday. Colm Keena , Public Affairs Correspondent, reports. p
IRFU profits up fourfold to more than €3m
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is on course to post profits of more than €3 million this year thanks to new sponsorship deals and increased revenues from Six Nations games hosted at Croke Park, according to chief executive Philip Browne. Ciarán Hancock reports. p
China's red hot economy burns other markets
Global markets wobbled yesterday after figures showed China's economy went into overdrive in the first quarter, heightening the prospect of further rate rises and monetary tightening, write Richard McGregor and Dave Shellock in Beijing and London. p

Sport

Ireland team supply DNA samples
CRICKET: The Ireland cricket team have supplied statements, fingerprints and DNA samples as part of the police investigation into the murder of the Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer. p
Concussions force Quinlan to retire
Northampton and Ireland centre David Quinlan has been forced to retire from rugby with immediate effect, thereby missing out on a chance to play in Sunday's Heineken European Cup semi-final against London Wasps. p

Features

A new seam of language
Liam Ó Muirthile's latest collection might be lighter in tone, but the old darkness is still there, he tells Catherine Foley p
Empty promise of dream homes
Thousands of Co Leitrim houses might be empty, but developers are ploughing ahead with residential schemes, fuelling fears that the county's villages are overdeveloped, writes Rosita Boland p