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Green Party TD and deputy leader John Gormley speaking to the media yesterday outside Government Buildings where talks took place for the fifth day on forming a coalition government with Fianna Fáil.

Photograph: Albert Gonzalez/Photocall Ireland

Plan could pave way for high-rise in Ballsbridge
Dublin City Council officials are backing a rezoning plan for valuable Ballsbridge sites that could pave the way for high-rise buildings and benefit a number of developers.

Lunchtime deadline for FF and Greens as talks stall
Negotiations between Fianna Fáil and the Green Party on forming a coalition government will resume early today, following some signs that progress had been made during last night's session.
Unions to seek urgent action on rising inflation
The trade union movement is to urge the Government to increase the level of mortgage tax relief to homeowners or to reduce the rate of Vat as part of an urgent action plan to tackle inflation.

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World

Leaders agree compromise deal on climate
G8 SUMMIT: Chancellor Angela Merkel won a partial success in a climate change deal at the G8 summit yesterday with an aspirational agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions by "at least half" by 2050, writes Derek Scally in Heiligendamm p
Children among 39 secret US detainees, says report
US: Amnesty International and five other human rights groups have identified 39 people who are believed to have been held in secret US custody and whose current whereabouts remain unknown. The list also names relatives of suspects who were themselves detained in secret prisons, including children as young as seven. p
Pistol versus politics: Eta ceasefire looks set to explode into violence
SPAIN: Basque terrorism casts its shadow across the Spanish political landscape again, writes Paddy Woodworth . p

Ireland

€100m drug seizures by Garda in 2006
The value of illicit drugs seized in the State reached almost €100 million last year, new Garda figures reveal. p
Solicitor claims Lowry not involved in Doncaster deal
A solicitor who acted for businessman Denis O'Brien in Britain told the Moriarty tribunal that she did not believe former communications minister Michael Lowry was involved in Mr O'Brien's purchase of Doncaster Rovers soccer club in England. p
Date set for RTÉ case against Flynn
The RTÉ bankruptcy case against recently elected Independent TD for Mayo Beverly Flynn will come before the High Court on June 18th. The proceedings arise over her alleged failure to pay any of the €2.84 million legal costs arising from her unsuccessful libel action against the station and its chief news correspondent, Charlie Bird. p
EU roaming fees could be capped as early as August
EU telecom ministers yesterday agreed to European Commission plans to cap the price of mobile phone calls abroad, with this summer's holidaymakers likely to benefit from the consumer-friendly law. p

Finance

Carroll moves to increase stake in Greencore
Multi-millionaire property developer Liam Carroll is moving to increase his stake in Greencore, the food company that has significant land assets in Carlow and in Mallow, Co Cork. Arthur Beesley , Senior Business Correspondent, reports. p
O'Brien to oppose IN&M rule change on disclosure
Businessman Denis O'Brien is set to oppose a resolution to strengthen rules on the disclosure of beneficial interests in Sir Anthony O'Reilly's Independent News & Media (IN&M), in which he now holds an 8.35 per cent stake. p
Markets fall further over fears of interest rate rises
Stock markets tumbled again yesterday, hit by a rise in bond yields and deepening concerns over the outlook for interest rates in both Europe and the United States. p

Sport

Ivanovic has designs on Henin's crown
TENNIS/French Open: It was as expected, artillery from the backcourt, Maria Sharapova screaming like a banshee and 19-year-old Ana Ivanovic meeting the Russian force with her own weapons-grade returns, her forehands bringing the most pained expressions to the famous face of the world number two. p
Real bid to take Robben to Spain
SOCCER: Real Madrid last night said they have opened talks with Chelsea in an attempt to sign the winger Arjen Robben. The Spanish club's president, Ramon Calderon, said he was optimistic the Dutchman will be at the Bernabeu next season. p
Clarke and Lynch are called up by Down
GAELIC GAMES: Down make two changes for this weekend's Ulster senior football championship quarter-final against Monaghan in Newry. Dan McCartan and Paul Murphy are troubled by injury and their places are taken by John Clarke and Jack Lynch at corner back and centrefield respectively. Seán Moran reports. p

Opinion

When power goes Green
For more than a decade the Greens have been a party of government in several European countries. Jamie Smyth , European Correspondent, examines their record p
Put consumers before public sector workers
Right-of-centre ideas have driven politics in recent decades. So what advice is there from that perspective for the Irish left? Cormac Lucey steps forward p

Features

A childhood of killing and war
There are 300,000 child soldiers fighting in more than 30 countries in the world, with most dependent on drugs and their AK-47s. Ishmael Beah was one such teenager. He tells his story to Rosita Boland. p