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

Cardinal Seán Brady is greeted with petals, thrown by well-wishers, as he arrived home to Armagh last night.

Photograph: Frank Miller

Foreign banks may come to the rescue of ISTC
A group of international banks including US group Goldman Sachs may step in to rescue International Securities Trading Corporation (ISTC), the Dublin-based finance house facing collapse with debts of €871 million. Simon Carswell and Mary Carolan report.
HSE was advised not to review breast ultrasounds
The Health Service Executive was advised against doing its controversial review of breast ultrasounds at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise, it has emerged. Eithne Donnellan , Health Correspondent, reports.
Call for law outlining liability limits for good Samaritans
A law should be introduced outlining the duty of care of good Samaritans and volunteers, and the limits to their liability for negligence, according to the Law Reform Commission. This would mean a person who caused an injury in the course of giving assistance to someone in an emergency could not be sued unless he or she was grossly negligent, writes Carol Coulter , Legal Affairs Editor

In Focus

Head2Head
Do we need more detailed food labelling?
Business poll
Will Hibernian pay a price for offshoring some of its customer service operations?
Education
Full education coverage

Ireland

Donation to Ahern was not personal - O'Connor
The former managing director of NCB Stockbrokers said it was "offensive and absolute nonsense" to suggest that he sought to hide a personal donation to the Taoiseach by making a payment through his company. p
Chaplains make scathing attack on prison system
Catholic prison chaplains have voiced scathing criticism of the "dysfunctional" prison system in their annual report just submitted to Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan. p
President praises 'remarkable new days of transition' in NI
President Mary McAleese has praised political developments in Northern Ireland over the past year under the leadership of Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness. p
Cork mother of three died from cocaine use
A coroner warned of the dangers of taking cocaine and other controlled drugs after a young mother of three died after returning home from a night out with friends during which she had taken a line of cocaine. p
Nine out of 10 drunken drivers are men
Nine out of 10 drivers found to be be over the limit at Garda random alcohol checkpoints are men, and one in five "morning after" fatal road crashes is alcohol-related, according to new figures realeased by the Road Safety Authority (RSA). p
Ruling that award must wait
A High Court judge has ruled that broadcaster Paddy O'Gorman should get the costs of his aborted two-day libel trial if he is successful in any retrial. p
Irish students above average in science
Irish second-level students have performed significantly above average in science, according to a respected international league table from the OECD. p
IN FOCUS: award for series on cancer patient
Kate Geraghty has won Australia's major photographic award for the second year in a row. p

World

Teacher in Sudan teddy bear case gets 15 days
SUDAN: Before Gillian Gibbons's trial, a man sentenced to life for murder was dealt 20 lashes in front of onlookers, writes Rob Crilly in Khartoum p
Musharraf to end military rule in two weeks
PAKISTAN: Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf promised last night to lift emergency rule by December 16th, hours after he was sworn in for a second five-year term. p
Giuliani and Romney clash on immigration
US: Republican presidential candidates stopped attacking Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton and turned their fire on one another in a debate on Wednesday that saw the sharpest exchanges of the campaign so far, notably on illegal immigration. p
Berezovsky given prison sentence in his absence
RUSSIA: A Russian court yesterday sentenced self-exiled Russian businessman and Kremlin critic Boris Berezovsky in absentia to six years in prison for embezzling millions of dollars from Aeroflot airline. p
Two-state solution crucial for Israel's future, says Olmert
MIDDLE EAST: Failure to negotiate a two-state solution with the Palestinians will sound the death knell for Israel, prime minister Ehud Olmert warned yesterday. If the Palestinians begin to demand a single state with equal voting rights, Israel will not survive as a Jewish state, the Israeli leader told the daily Haaretz. p

Finance

Ecocem in €27m factory venture with ArcelorMittal
Irish green cement group Ecocem has signed a €27 million joint venture with ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steel producer, to establish a large cement-making factory in the south of France, writes Ciarán Hancock , Business Affairs Correspondent. p
Fall in confidence hits seasonal shopping
The early Christmas crowds in shopping centres and city stores have thinned since last year, reflecting a fall in consumer confidence to close to its all-time low this month. Laura Slattery reports. p
'Manor' ups bid for Clontarf golf club
Manor Park Homes is offering Clontarf Golf Club members €125,000 each in a bid to see off rival Capel Developments in the race to buy the organisation's property in Dublin. Barry O'Halloran reports. p

Sport

Scott and Immelman in share of the lead
GOLF: Australia's world number six Adam Scott overcame problems on the greens to grab a share of the lead with South African Trevor Immelman after the first round of the Sun City Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club yesterday. p
FAI to meet recruitment panel in London today
SOCCER/Ireland team manager: The FAI last night confirmed that board members will today meet the recruitment panel established to help hire the new manager of the Irish football team. p