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Minister for Finance Brian Cowen poses outside Leinster House yesterday afternoon after a press conference at which he announced his candidacy for leadership of Fianna Fáil and the post of Taoiseach.

Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins

Tánaiste formally declares for leadership of Fianna Fáil
TÁNAISTE AND Minister for Finance Brian Cowen has formally declared himself a candidate for the leadership of Fianna Fáil. He is on course to become the seventh leader of the party since 1926 when nominations close at 2pm today. Stephen Collins and Harry McGee report.
Unemployment nears 200,000 as 12,000 more sign on in March
THE LABOUR market is weakening sharply, with the latest official figures showing the biggest year-on-year percentage increase in the jobless total for 25 years. Una McCaffrey reports.
OPW seeks to curb wastage with new green energy plans
THE LAST civil servant to leave Government offices at night is being asked to switch off the lights under new policies being promoted by the Office of Public Works (OPW). Ronan McGreevy reports.

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World

Zimbabwe election likely to go to run-off
ZIMBABWE: ZIMBABWEAN PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party has decided he should contest a run-off vote against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai if neither man wins a majority in the presidential election. p
Candidates pay tribute to Martin Luther King
US: ALL THREE United States presidential candidates have paid tribute to Martin Luther King on the 40th anniversary of his assassination. p
Putin claims Nato has 'demonised' Russia
RUSSIA: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin yesterday delivered a carefully calibrated criticism of western policy towards Russia, berating the 26-member Nato alliance for what he called the "total demonisation" of his country. p
Hunger has a new face as high prices deprive the poor of food
ETHIOPIA: The urban poor rather than their rural counterparts are increasingly the victims of the latest food crisis, writes Javier Blas in Addis Ababa p

Finance

Central Bank cuts forecast for GNP growth to 1.9%
THE CENTRAL Bank yesterday cut its 2008 forecast for growth in real Gross National Product (GNP) to 1.9 per cent from 2.6 per cent just three months ago. p
Finance chiefs expect lower growth and higher inflation in euro zone
EURO-ZONE ECONOMIES face lower than expected growth and higher inflation in 2008 as the financial market crisis spills over into the wider economy. But EU finance chiefs insisted yesterday that countries using the euro would not follow the US into a possible recession. p
Profits at Goodman British firm top €21m
PROFITS AT a British arm of Larry Goodman's meat processing operations topped €21 million last year, according to the latest figures. p

Ireland

Judge says more young men 'lose minds' when drunk
IN THE Central Criminal Court yesterday Mr Justice Paul Carney remarked on the increasing numbers of cases coming before him involving people who had never been in trouble before who appeared to lose control of their minds from binge drinking and taking drugs. p
Flynn's re-entry to Fianna Fáil timely, says Taoiseach
BEVERLEY FLYNN'S readmission to Fianna Fáil was the correct decision and was taken at an appropriate time, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said. p
Cannabis impacts on boys more - study
TEENAGE BOYS who smoke cannabis are more likely to engage in anti-social activities than girls who abuse the drug, according to new research. p
Low-paid civil servants to seek 27% pay rise
CPSU ANNUAL CONFERENCE: LOWER-PAID civil servants have called on their union to seek increases of 27 per cent in forthcoming pay talks with the Government. p
National Gallery appoints Fionnuala Croke as keeper and head curator
THE NATIONAL Gallery of Ireland has appointed Fionnuala Croke as its new keeper and head curator. She succeeds Sergio Benedetti, who retired last October. p
ESB worker awarded €45,000 for 'tennis elbow'
A HIGH Court judge has awarded €45,000 damages to an ESB worker after finding the ESB breached health and safety regulations in providing an unsuitable heavy compression tool to him which caused or contributed to him developing "tennis elbow". p
Record 127 appeals on Ballsbridge scheme
A RECORD number of planning appeals have been made to An Bord Pleanála against developer Seán Dunne's plans for a residential and commercial complex, which includes a 37-storey tower, on the site of the former Jurys and Berkeley Court hotels in Ballsbridge, Dublin. p
Harry Clifton wins Poetry Now award
THE WINNER of this year's Irish Times Poetry Now award is Dublin-born poet Harry Clifton for his collection, Secular Eden: Paris Notebooks 1994-2004 . p
Majority choose college near home
THE VAST majority of university students opt for the college which is closest to their home. p

Sport

Munster can raise the bar again
RUGBY: ANOTHER MOMENT of truth then, another epic battle in their never-ending European odyssey and another season-defining game. If Munster are to go all the way this season in the Heineken European Cup and join the crème de la crème of European rugby as two-time winners, this will undoubtedly be one to tell the grandchildren about. p
Ferguson baffled by Pizarro claim
SOCCER: ALEX FERGUSON put up a robust defence of Cristiano Ronaldo last night, saying he was bewildered by the accusations of Roma's David Pizarro that the Manchester United player did "spiteful things" to humiliate his opponents. p
Wenger refuses to accept title hopes are over
SOCCER: ARSENE WENGER refuses to believe Arsenal's title hopes are over and insists he will pay no attention to next Tuesday's Champions League showdown at Liverpool when he selects his team for the Premier League visit of the Anfield club today. p