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

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern with US president George W Bush and speaker of House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, on the steps of Capitol Hill in Washington after the St Patrick's Day lunch.

Photograph: Yuri Gripas/Reuters

US interest rate cut expected in bid to calm turbulent markets
FEARS OF a severe credit crisis and a global sell-off in financial markets is expected to lead to a cut of more than 1 per cent in the main United States interest rate today. The Federal Reserve already cut a key interest rate by 0.25 per cent on Sunday.
Amnesty for illegal Irish in US 'not on', says Taoiseach
IRISH PEOPLE living illegally in the US will not qualify for an amnesty and they will have to return home before lodging new visa applications, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said.
University heads warn of crisis through lack of funding
IRISH UNIVERSITIES face a funding crisis and risk falling well behind international competitors, according to the leaders of the State's two leading colleges.

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Ireland

From bread vans to mardi gras, but some things never change
Laughing at ourselves in green suits and leprechaun hats is one tradition we should never give up, writes Róisín Ingle . p
'There were mushrooms growing in the corner of the room'
MATT BYRNE, an outreach worker with the Vincentian Refugee Centre, says that he is continually shocked at the state of rented accommodation in Dublin's north inner city. p
Asylum judicial reviews costing State €20m
JUDICIAL REVIEWS of Refugee Appeals Tribunal decisions which are settled without a hearing are costing the taxpayer an estimated €20 million, The Irish Times has learned. p
Pipe bombs defused in Crumlin
A SECOND pipe bomb has been discovered in the Dublin suburb of Crumlin, less than half a kilometre from where a similar device was disarmed by an Army bomb disposal team early on Sunday morning. p
Tax figures highlight wealth imbalance across State
FURTHER EVIDENCE of a massive regional imbalance in the collection of State revenue has emerged in figures supplied by the Department of Finance. p
Minister urges Dublin to adopt Paris system of bike rental
MINISTER FOR Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Éamon Ryan has urged Dublin City Council to adopt the Parisian model for its city bicycle rental scheme. p
AGSI against plans for gardaí to carry arms
GARDA SERGEANTS and inspectors are calling on Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy to abandon plans that would see uniformed gardaí carry firearms in their Garda vehicles for the first time. p
Former Blair aide reveals detail of negotiating process prior to Belfast Agreement
AT THEIR first Downing Street meeting the then British prime minister Tony Blair asked Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams if he could tell his people "there was no possibility of a united Ireland". p
Tribute paid to retiring comptroller
RETIRING COMPTROLLER and Auditor General John Purcell has been described as "fearless and forensic" as well as totally impartial in his approach to the job. p

World

Chinese set deadline in move to end protests
TIBET: AFTER DAYS of street fighting and protests by Tibetans seeking independence, Chinese authorities yesterday moved to clear Lhasa of the last independent witnesses ahead of a midnight deadline for demonstrators to surrender. p
Kosovo Serbs clash with Nato and UN in Mitrovica
KOSOVO: KOSOVO SERBS attacked United Nations police and Nato troops with guns, grenades and petrol bombs in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica yesterday, in clashes that injured more than 100 people and fuelled fears of further violence. p
Clinton claims Iraq war will cost taxpayer $1 trillion
US: HILLARY CLINTON claimed yesterday the Iraq war may cost Americans $1 trillion (€641 billion) and add strain to the buckling US economy as she made her case for a prompt troop pull-out from a war "we cannot win". p
Mills awarded €31 million in divorce settlement
UK: FOR A woman who had just been awarded more than £24 million (€31 million) - and who insisted she was thrilled with the "incredible result" - Heather Mills still had a few scores to settle when she emerged onto the steps of the high court in London yesterday. p

Finance

€3.5bn wiped off Iseq as financials hit hard
ABOUT €3.5 billion was wiped off the value of Irish shares in Dublin yesterday as the market felt the chill wind blow in across the Atlantic from the fire sale of US investment bank Bear Stearns. p
Profits at CityJet increase by 8.3%
PROFITS AT Dublin-based airline CityJet, which is wholly owned by Air France-KLM, soared by 8.3 per cent to €23.5 million in the year to the end of March, according to accounts just filed. p
Powerflute dips despite robust full-year results
SHARES IN UK listed company Powerflute, which is headed by Irishman Dermot Smurfit, fell by 4.6 per cent in London yesterday in spite of a strong set of inaugural full-year results. p

Sport

St Vincent's weather late Nemo storm
GAELIC GAMES/ALL-IRELAND CLUB FOOTBALL AND HURLING FINALS/St Vincent's 1-11 Nemo Rangers 0-13: AT THE END of a match that despite itself went down to the wire, the Andy Merrigan Cup eventually ended up making one of its shortest possible journeys, over to St Vincent's clubhouse in Marino. p
Keegan finally gets Owen's point
SOCCER/ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE/Birmingham 1 Newcastle Utd 1: FOR MUCH of his time on Tyneside, Michael Owen has been more of a hindrance than a help to Newcastle's cause but last night the England international provided a timely and crucial reminder of his innate ability to turn matches. Watched by the England manager Fabio Capello, Owen struck his seventh goal of an underwhelming season to secure Newcastle the point that should restore a modicum of stability to St James' Park until Saturday. p