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

Malachy Byrne from Kilcurry, Co Louth, wading through flood waters in fields reserved for the vintage tractor world record attempt at Cooley Vintage Festival yesterday.

Photograph: Matt Kavanagh

Cross-Border efforts aim to stop spread of foot-and-mouth
Co-ordinated planning is proceeding in the Republic and Northern Ireland to guard against the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Britain spreading to Ireland.
Rainfall makes weekend a washout
A national steam rally, an airshow and an outdoor music festival were among the casualties of heavy rain in many parts of the country over the bank holiday weekend.
Review ordered over cancer misdiagnosis
An independent review has been commissioned into pathology services at University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) following confirmation that a woman with breast cancer was initially given two erroneously positive test results.

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Ireland

Two killed, three injured in crash near Fermoy
Two men in their 20s were killed in a single-vehicle crash at Strawhall near Fermoy Co Cork last night. p
Aer Lingus considers dropping flights from Shannon to Heathrow
Aer Lingus is to begin talks with staff and local interests about the possible discontinuation of the Shannon airport to Heathrow route. p
Gardaí uncover 'extortion gang'
Gardaí in Dublin believe they have uncovered an organised extortion racket being run by a prominent member of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) after armed officers raided a house in the west of the city on Friday evening. p
Make Dáil more accessible, says O'Donoghue
The Ceann Comhairle, John O'Donoghue, has pledged to make the work of the Dáil and the Seanad more accessible to the public. p
Bord Pleanála appeals set to reach record high
Appeals to An Bord Pleanála are expected to reach a record high of more than 6,000 by the end of this year. p
Man due to be charged in court over stabbing
A man is expected to appear in court in Dublin as early as this morning in connection with the fatal stabbing of another man in the south of the city in the early hours of Saturday morning. p
'Full investigation' into Clonmel's water problems
The mayor of Clonmel has said he is confident that the problems with the town's drinking water will be remedied in a matter of weeks. p
Speculation grows over Oireachtas appointments
There is ongoing speculation among Government backbenchers about who will fill the coveted appointments to Oireachtas committees. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has delayed making the appointments until next month. p
Two held by gardaí over murder of teenager
Two people were being questioned by gardaí last night in connection with the murder of a teenager in Co Meath last Friday. p
Two drown as boat overturns on Lough Erne
Two men drowned when their fishing boat overturned on Saturday on Lough Erne near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. p

Finance

Irish Rail to spend €800m on carriages
Iarnród Éireann, the national rail operator, plans to spend as much as €800 million on a new fleet of carriages for its suburban commuter and Dart services. p
Lioncourt raising £11.23m for new division
Investment house Lioncourt Capital is close to raising £11.23 million (€16.64 million) in equity and mezzanine finance for the development of its new home-building division in the British midlands. p
Ryanair to open two more bases
Ryanair is stepping up its attack on the Spanish market by opening two more operating bases in the country. p

World

US claims to have killed top al-Qaeda insurgent
Iraq: US forces in Iraq said yesterday that they had killed the mastermind of an attack on a Shia shrine last year which triggered the worst phase of the country's spiral into sectarian violence. p
Swirling waters claim 374 lives in south Asia
RAIN FLOODS : death toll spirals as rivers overflow in India, Bangladesh and Nepal and threaten safety of some 21 million people. p
Polish coalition in crisis as parties conduct war of words
Poland: Poland's coalition government was on life support for the second time in a month last night, with each of the three political party leaders demanding the other pull the plug. p

Sport

Waterford flex muscles
GAELIC GAMES: No lap of honour. No high fives. No garlands flung from the high seats. Waterford ended their tango with Cork in Croke Park yesterday and left it at that. Nobody needs a long memory to recall when Waterford would have jitterbugged themselves dizzy at the mere mention of going to the big dance in September. Yesterday they just shrugged and went back to working on the serene steadiness of their focus. p
Injuries hamper Chelsea's style
SOCCER: Chelsea's players may be dropping like flies, but the team's resilience remains. Jose Mourinho refused blankly to talk about specific injuries in the wake of his side's 3-0 defeat on penalties to Manchester United in yesterday's FA Community Shield, though, according to the Portuguese, "more than 50 per cent of my team was missing". Plans for a more expansive approach may have to be shelved for now; already the priority appears to be survival once again. p
Smyth dons the green jacket
GOLF: Des Smyth smiled proudly on the 18th green of the Edinburgh Course at Wentworth Club last night after the 54-year-old continued a great summer for Irish golf by capturing the Wentworth Senior Masters by two shots from New Zealand's Bob Charles. p