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President Mary McAleese and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the GPO in Dublin yesterday during the commemoration ceremony marking the 92nd anniversary of the Easter Rising.
Photograph: Alan Betson.
Taoiseach may respond to sterling disclosures this week
TAOISEACH BERTIE Ahern has said he may respond later this week to the new disclosures that emerged at the Mahon tribunal about sterling lodgements to his building society account. HARRY McGEE , Political Staff, and JOHN DOWNES report. .GPO may become setting for presidential inaugurations
THE GPO in Dublin may become the setting for future presidential inaugurations, following its transformation to accommodate a museum commemorating the 1916 Rising, The Irish Times has learned. FRANK McDONALD , Environment Editor reports.Overcrowding and lack of resources hindering teachers
PRIMARY SCHOOL teachers are struggling to implement key sections of the new curriculum because of overcrowded classrooms and a lack of resources, according to a major new report. SEÁN FLYNN , Education Editor reports.
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Education
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World
Up to 50 killed in day of violence in Iraq
IRAQ: A MINIMUM OF 48 people were killed in a day of violence in Iraq yesterday. In the worst incident, 15 Iraqi soldiers died in a suicide bomb attack in Mosul. pPro-Beijing party wins in Taiwan at time of tension
TAIWAN: WATCHING THE count of ballot papers begin
at the Rixin Elementary School in Taipei, it was clear Taiwan's
nationalist Kuomintang was going to regain by a landslide the power
the party lost eight years ago, paving the way for easier relations
with Beijing. pBhutto loyalist to be Pakistan PM
PAKISTAN: A BENAZIR Bhutto loyalist jailed for five years by Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, is due to become the country's new prime minister this morning at the head of a coalition government. pFatah and Hamas agree on reconciliation plan
MIDDLE EAST: FATAH AND Hamas yesterday signed a seven-point Yemeni-sponsored reconciliation plan and pledged to hold direct talks with the aim of restoring Palestinian Authority rule to Gaza. p
Ireland
Pope condemns violence as 'scourge of humanity'
POPE BENEDICT called in his Easter message yesterday for an end to injustice, hatred and violence around the world, including in Tibet, Iraq and Darfur. pPSNI question man on Dungannon death
PSNI DETECTIVES were last night questioning a 21-year-old man
about what police said was a vicious assault that led to the death
of a man from Dungannon, Co Tyrone. pTougher bathing water rules in force this week
NEW EU bathing water regulations come into force this week which will mean a doubling of the highest water quality standards for bathing places and may mean that some of the country's beaches will be below minimum standards. The new system is twice as stringent as the basis for the Blue Flag designation. pExpert warns port site is of vast historic importance
THE SITE earmarked for a major new port in north Dublin is of huge archaeological and historic importance and may be where St Patrick first landed in Ireland, according to one of the country's most eminent archaeologists. pMan's death prompts warning to hillwalkers
Hillwalkers have been urged to undergo training and ensure that they are well-equipped before embarking on treks in mountainous areas. pTurf cutters vent anger at ban as final season on protected bogs begins
AS TURF cutting will be banned from bogs designated as special
areas of conservation (SACs) after this spring's cutting season,
many people are angry and fear that a ban on the harvesting of peat
on all bogs may soon follow. pDepartment refuses to publish Irish Aid audits
THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs has refused to release details of seven internal audit reports carried out following visits to countries supported by Irish Aid over the past two years. pBaby emus make timely appearance
EASTER MAY have come early this year but so too did three baby
emus who were born just in time for the bank holiday festivities at
a Co Limerick visitor farm. pWoman killed and man injured in road collisions
A WOMAN has died following a road collision in Co Antrim
yesterday. The crash happened close to the Larne Road
roundabout. p
Finance
Bank of England in bid to ease lending
THE BANK of England has said that it is in discussions with other central banks about how to "ease the strains" in the financial markets, although it is not considering requiring British taxpayers to assume credit risks. pQumas refiled accounts show additional €2.65m loss
CORK SOFTWARE firm Qumas has refiled accounts for 2006 with the Companies Registration Office that show it lost $4.1 million (€2.65 million) more than first reported. A handwritten note on the new accounts says "in replacement for a/cs filed in error". pCheney in oil talks with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah
US VICE-president Dick Cheney and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
agreed at the weekend that there were structural problems in the
energy markets and discussed ways of stabilising these in the short
term, a senior US administration official said. p
Sport
Liverpool face FA rap over dismissal
SOCCER LIVERPOOL'S JAVIER Mascherano is likely to
face an English Football Association charge and an increased
suspension for his furious reaction to being sent off at Manchester
United yesterday. The midfielder was dismissed in the 43rd minute
as United won 3-0 and increased their lead in the Premier League to
five points. pGrant finds spectacular vindication
SOCCER EACH CHELSEA player clamped his hand into Avram Grant's as he departed the turf here, a bare-chested Didier Drogba offering his manager a wink as the Israeli savoured this victory. pStriking uncertainty over final league standings
GAA ON A DAY that was meant to decide the final
shakes and moves of the Allianz National Hurling League, there was
instead considerable confusion over who in fact were the winners
and who the losers, at least in Division One A. p
Price Watch
Honestly up to speed
WHAT'S THE story with new broadband advertising
rules? Pricewatch readers who last autumn got in touch to
complain about the misleading advertising campaigns being run by
some broadband providers should take a bow because your complaints
have played a significant role in bringing about a change in the
way broadband services will be advertised in the State from early
next month. p
