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

The centre of the low pressure system (top left) off the west of Ireland yesterday. The Irish Coast Guard has appealed to the public to avoid exposed coastal areas.

Photograph: EUMETSAT/Dundee University

Major tax shortfall to hit Budget reliefs
The 2008 Budget will be stiffer than expected due to the emergence in recent weeks of a surprisingly large shortfall in this year's tax receipts. This shortfall will make it much more difficult for Minister for Finance Brian Cowen to deliver any substantive reliefs to taxpayers in next Wednesday's Budget. Paul Tansey , Economics Editor and Stephen Collins report
Pope says materialism and science are not the answer
Man cannot be redeemed simply by creating a favourable economic environment, Pope Benedict declares in a major new encyclical published yesterday. Patsy McGarry , Religious Affairs Correspondent, reports.
Trinity remembers eternal student 'Matt the Jap'
Gardaí are liaising with Interpol and the Japanese embassy to contact relatives of Matteo (Masahiso) Matubara, one of central Dublin's most familiar characters, following his death last month. Paul Cullen reports.

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

£5,000 donation 'to fund Ahern's office'
The former financial director of NCB Stockbrokers told the Mahon tribunal yesterday that the company's managing director did tell him a £5,000 contribution to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was to cover his constituency expenses. p
Bill to outline civil partnership rights
New protection for cohabiting couples, civil partnership rights for same-sex couples, and provision for remedies if such relationships break down will be provided for in the new Civil Partnership Bill - the outline of which will be published next March. p
Prison officers protest over new measures
The national executive council of the Prison Officers' Association (POA) is to decide on Tuesday whether to escalate the dispute with prison service management over new security measures which staff maintain will lengthen their working day. Martin Wall , Industry Correspondent, reports. p
Clontarf GC members agree to sell course
Clontarf Golf Club's 670 members will be paid €100,000 each after voting last night to sell the course to Capel Developments. p
Warnings as huge waves and winds due to hit west
State agencies have warned surfers, sea and shore anglers and people walking near the west coast to take "no risks" this weekend, due to a high seas warning issued by Met Éireann. Lorna Siggins , Marine Correspondent, reports. p
Man jailed for life for murder of Kilkenny postmaster
The man who was convicted of the murder of a Kilkenny postmaster has been given the mandatory life sentence after a victim impact statement by a brother of the dead man. p
1.5m people earn less than Taoiseach's pay rise
Almost 1.5 million people earn less than the €38,000 pay increase awarded to Bertie Ahern, it has emerged. Paul Cullen reports. p
Catholics oppose condom stance
A poll has found that 79 per cent of Irish Catholic adults oppose church teaching prohibiting the use of condoms for any reason, including the prevention of HIV and Aids. Patsy McGarry , Religious Affairs Correspondent. p
Aids response must focus on young - Ahern
With more than 1,000 children becoming infected with HIV every day, young people must become more central to the global response to HIV/Aids, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said. Ruadhán Mac Cormaic reports. p

World

Defence Forces play down Chadian rebel 'war' threat
CHAD: The Defence Forces have played down the threat posed by a Chadian rebel group that yesterday declared a "state of war" against French and foreign military forces in an apparent warning to the forthcoming EU deployment to Chad. p
Muslim peer to seek teacher's release
SUDAN: Baron Ahmed, Britain's first Muslim peer, is due to meet Sudanese president Omar el-Bashir today in an effort to secure the release of a primary school teacher jailed for blasphemy. p
Brown black and blue after debacle of donations
BRITAIN: As scandal follows cock-up, Labour is beginning to look as hapless as the Major and Callaghan administrations, writes Frank Millar , London Editor p
Tutu deplores Mbeki's failure to tackle Aids
SOUTH AFRICA: Nobel laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has called for a new sort of leadership to tackle the HIV/Aids crisis in Africa. p

Finance

Cowen has his work cut out as economy falters
Housing slowdown will constrain Minister for Finance's Budget options, writes Paul Tansey p
Private-sector lending continues to slow
Growth in private-sector lending continued to slow in October, with the increase in lending by credit institutions dropping a percentage point to an annual rate of 18.5 per cent. Laura Slattery reports. p
Hopes of Fed cut prompt market advances
Dublin dealers breathed a sigh of relief yesterday as the Iseq index of Irish shares put in a stellar performance, outperforming its European peers on the upside, and adding €3.3 billion to its value. Claire Shoesmith reports. p

Sport

Leinster sing in the rain
RUGBY/Munster 3 Leinster 10: A horrible wet night in Cork may have ruined what had been a mouthwatering game as a spectacle, but Leinster won't spill a tear over that. Few victories this season will come sweeter than this one, their first competitive win in Musgrave Park since 1985 and their first on Munster soil since 1998, and if anything the conditions only helped give this utterly deserved win more kudos. p
O'Driscoll ankle injury is not a big concern
RUGBY: Initial soundings from the Leinster camp suggest they are not unduly concerned about the ankle injury which forced captain Brian O'Driscoll to leave the field after half an hour last night although they await a full diagnosis today. p
Howe rules out taking appointment decision
SOCCER: Don Howe said yesterday he believed the decision who to appoint as next manager of the Republic of Ireland team should be taken by the FAI. The former England coach - who, along with Don Givens, was formally identified by the association yesterday as a member of its recruitment panel - was adamant he and the Ireland under-21 manager would be confined to helping with the selection process. p