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A hapless motorist abandons his car after getting stranded in flood water on the N1 near Lusk. Many parts of Dublin, Kildare, Laois and Tipperary were flooded after heavy overnight rain.
Photograph: Photograph: Crispin Rodwell
Same-sex unions to get many benefits of marriage
THE GOVERNMENT is finalising legislation on civil partnerships that will extend many of the same benefits and legal obligations of marriage to same-sex couples, writes CARL O'BRIEN , Social Affairs Correspondent.Opposition repeats claim of landslide victory in Zimbabwe
AS OFFICIAL results continued to trickle in yesterday, Zimbabwe's main opposition repeated its claim the party had secured landslide victories in last Saturday's presidential and parliamentary elections, writes BILL CORCORAN in Johannesburg.U2 sign new promotional contract worth over $300m
U2 FOUND what they were looking for yesterday, and probably more, when they signed an estimated $300 million-plus contract with Los Angeles-based entertainment group Live Nation, writes CIARÁN HANCOCK , Business Affairs Correspondent.
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Ireland
Greens and PDs to accept limited Ahern Dáil speech
THE GREEN Party and the Progressive Democrats are unlikely to raise concerns about Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's decision not to deal directly in the Dáil tomorrow with conflicts between his evidence and that given by a former secretary about sterling lodgements. pAer Lingus unrest fear as deal rejected
THE POSSIBILITY of further serious industrial relations trouble at Aer Lingus re-emerged last night after about 1,800 Siptu members, who mainly work in ground operations, voted decisively to reject a deal on the introduction of new work practices. pNumber of homes with broadband doubles in a year
THE NUMBER of Irish households with a broadband internet connection has more than doubled in a year, and now stands at almost 31 per cent of all households. pCatholics benefit more from peace, survey finds
CATHOLICS HAVE gained more than Protestants from the peace process in Northern Ireland, new research says. p
Health
First spouse-to-spouse transplant takes place
A HUSBAND and wife from Co Tipperary have become the first couple in the Republic to be involved in a spouse-to-spouse kidney transplant. p
Finance
Mortgage demand growing at slowest rate for 14 years
THE DEMAND for residential mortgages is now growing at its slowest annual rate for 14 years, according to statistics released yesterday by the Central Bank. The weakening demand for mortgages has been mirrored in a decline in housing sales. pPaulson outlines plan to reform US regulation
US TREASURY SECRETARY Hank Paulson conceded yesterday that it could take "many years" to overhaul the US system of financial regulation as he outlined details of an ambitious plan to rework a framework that has been in place since the Great Depression. pEurozone inflation highest in 16 years
Eurozone inflation has soared to its highest level for almost 16 years, data published yesterday showed, creating a fresh dilemma for the European Central Bank (ECB) as it pumps extra overnight funds into money markets. pO'Brien declines to respond to Independent's criticisms
BUSINESSMAN DENIS O'Brien was in Dublin yesterday for the official signing of Today FM's second 10-year radio licence with the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. p
World
Tories confident Johnson can oust Livingstone
BRITAIN: CONSERVATIVE CHALLENGER Boris Johnson has
a 10-point lead over Labour's Ken Livingstone with just a month to
go to polling day in London's mayoral election. pTurkish courts to put party on trial
TURKEY: TURKEY'S TOP court voted yesterday to hear a case calling for the ruling party to be closed down, in a move that looks set to open the bitterest bout yet in a 50-year war pitting popularly elected governments against the secular establishment. pSecurocrats seek to bolster Mugabe
ZIMBABWE: As Zanu-PF reels from scale of election
defeat, security chiefs are key to how regime responds, writes
Alec Russell pWhere water and toilet paper are privileges
CUBA: Carol Williams describes a day in the life of a detainee at Guantánamo's detention centre pGore wants 10 million to lobby on climate
US: AL GORE yesterday launched a drive to mobilise 10 million volunteers to force politicians to act on climate change - twice as many as the number who marched against the Vietnam war or in support of civil rights during the heyday of US activism in the 1960s. p
Sport
Le Roux to head home next month
RUGBY: OLLIE LE ROUX is set to return to South
Africa next month at the end of his one-season deal with Leinster
to coach the Cheetahs' forwards as assistant to his former
team-mate Naka Drotské. It is understood that in addition to
the highly promising 20-year-old prop Cian Healy, Leinster have
lined up an international prop as well as a couple of other notable
overseas' captures. pDrop in DRA cases hints at body's success
GAELIC GAMES: THE NUMBER of cases being taken to the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA) have tailed off steadily in the three years of its existence. According to DRA secretary Liam Keane, the workload has reduced by five-sixths since the body was established in May 2005 to address the frequency with which GAA decisions were being challenged in the courts. pCech's withdrawal big blow to Chelsea
SOCCER: CHELSEA'S CHAMPIONS League hopes suffered a
setback yesterday when Petr Cech, the first-choice goalkeeper, did
not travel to Istanbul for tomorrow night's quarter-final first leg
against Fenerbahce. p
