Previous Day
Pastor Larry Ovie, of the Faith Christian Fellowship, in the role of Jesus during the Good Friday pageant in Galway. He is accompanied by members of his church and parishioners of the Augustinian Catholic Church and St Nicholas's Collegiate Church of Ireland.
Photograph: Joe O'Shaughnessy
Beijing faces mounting pressure over Tibet crackdown
CHINA IS facing mounting international pressure over its violent crackdown on Tibetan protests. Clifford Coonan in Taipei reports.Minister accepts disclosures at tribunal a cause of concern
A FIANNA Fáil Minister has queried if Bertie Ahern's interview with Bryan Dobson on RTÉ in September 2006 was the best course of action for him to take, given the new information that has emerged from the Mahon tribunal since then, writes Harry McGee, Political StaffControversial firm Gama lost €45m building Ennis bypass
A CONSTRUCTION firm accused of exploiting migrant workers in Ireland lost up to €45 million on building a major roadway after underestimating the cost of labour and materials and incurring financial penalties for delays. Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent, reports.
In Focus
Motors
Every Wednesday
Refugee protection ruling
High Court asylum seeker protection ruling
Education
Full education coverage
Ireland
HSE to tell unions about measures to reduce costs
THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) is expected to tell trade union leaders on Tuesday that "active and rigorous" cost- containment measures are to be introduced following confirmation that it overspent its official budget by almost €26 million in the first month of this year. pGardaí speak to councillors over planning claim
GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING suspected planning irregularities have been interviewing members of Waterford County Council. pSpirits rise as equinox dawns at hill of the witch
A hardy band gather on the spring equinox as the rising sun
lights up an ancient tomb at Loughcrew, Co Meath, writes
Eileen Battersby . pLow-capacity design favoured for Metro North
THE RAILWAY Procurement Agency (RPA) is to go ahead with a low-capacity design for Metro North, according to briefing documents circulated to the four consortiums which are bidding for the project. Tim O'Brien reports. pMinister joins Sligo protesters
MINISTER OF State for Health Jimmy Devins joined thousands of
protesters at a silent candlelit vigil outside Sligo General
Hospital last night to express his support for the campaign to
retain cancer services there. pGarda aims to reduce Easter road fatalities
GARDAÍ ARE deploying extra resources over the weekend in an effort to reduce road-traffic incidents on what is a busy time on the roads. pRepak urges Easter egg box recycling
CONSUMERS ARE being asked to offset their chocolate munching
guilt this weekend by making an extra effort to recycle over the
Easter period. pCold wind blows as crowd follows Way of the Cross
THE WELLINGTON monument cast an early-afternoon shadow over the Phoenix Park in Dublin yesterday as hundreds of people gathered to take part in the sixth Way of the Cross procession. p€39m Ennis hospital project delayed HSE will divert funds to St Vincent's facility in Dublin
THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has decided to delay the start of a €39 million redevelopment of Ennis General Hospital and will instead divert the cash to St Vincent's hospital in Dublin where planning permission has been granted for a new cystic fibrosis unit. pMcGuinness to attend GPO Easter Rising ceremony
NORTHERN IRELAND Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will attend the official State commemoration of the 1916 Rising at the GPO tomorrow, becoming the most senior Sinn Féin politician to be present for the event. p
World
Hispanic governor gives his backing to Obama
US: SENATOR BARACK Obama has received a long-sought
endorsement from Bill Richardson, a former rival for the Democratic
presidential nomination, in a boost for his campaign after its most
difficult month to date. pCypriot leaders agree on fresh negotiations to reunify the island
CYPRUS: NEWLY ELECTED president of Cyprus Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed yesterday to launch fresh negotiations to reunify the island, divided since Turkey occupied the north in 1974. p5,000 protest in Kabul over reprinting of cartoon
AFGHANISTAN: SOME 5,000 Afghans chanted "death to Denmark" and "death to The Netherlands" in Kabul yesterday, protesting against the reprinting of a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers and a Dutch film on the Koran. pRussian journalist found strangled
RUSSIA: A RUSSIAN television journalist who had reported from the turbulent North Caucasus region was found strangled in his Moscow apartment yesterday, prosecutors said. pEverest hitch to Olympic torch journey
NEPAL: Bearing the Olympic flame up Mount Everest was meant to be the highlight of the relay. But two days before the torch is lit in Ancient Olympia the gesture appears to have backfired. p
Finance
Friends First takes major stake in five-star US hotel
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Friends First is acquiring half the equity in a five-star US hotel, which was bought last year by Irish group Claret Capital for more than €110 million. Barry O'Halloran reports. pCentral banks in mortgage securities rescue talks
CENTRAL BANKS on both sides of the Atlantic are actively engaged in discussions about the feasibility of mass purchases of mortgage-backed securities as a possible solution to the credit crisis. p
Sport
Howard ruled out of Ireland running
RUGBY: PAT HOWARD, one of the frontrunners to succeed Eddie O'Sullivan as Irish coach, can be virtually removed from the running. Four separate sources in Ireland and Australia have said the likeable and well respected former Wallabies centre and Leicester coach has ruled himself out of the equation. At the very least he will need a lot of persuasion. pWar of words as Ferguson criticises Chelsea's behaviour
SOCCER: A WAR of words broke out between Chelsea and Manchester United last night after Alex Ferguson expressed distaste about the behaviour of Ashley Cole and his team-mates during their draw at Tottenham on Wednesday. "I think the haranguing of referees we have seen is absolutely ridiculous," said the United manager. p
