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Farmers protest outside Leinster House during a visit by European Commission president José Manuel Barroso.

Photograph: Frank Miller

Barroso and Ahern urge voters to back Lisbon Treaty
THE EYES of Europe and the wider world will be on Ireland on June 12th for the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, said in Dublin yesterday on the first leg of a two-day visit to this State to promote the treaty. Stephen Collins, Political Editor, reports.
Pope faces up to clerical sex abuse and race injustice
POPE BENEDICT XVI celebrated Mass for 46,000 people at a Washington baseball stadium, confronting directly the clerical child abuse scandal that has rocked the American Catholic Church and acknowledging racial injustice in the United States, writes Denis Staunton , Washington Correspondent.
Aer Lingus €5 bargain buys turn out not to be the ticket
AER LINGUS was under growing pressure last night to honour bookings for hundreds of flights to the US that it mistakenly sold for only €5 each. Paul Cullen , Consumer Affairs Correspondent, reports.

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World

MDC calls on Mbeki to step down as mediator
ZIMBABWE: ZIMBABWE'S MAIN opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai yesterday called for President Thabo Mbeki to stand down as mediator, despite a shift by South Africa from its "quiet diplomacy" strategy to the country's electoral crisis. p
Clinton and Obama step up jibes and personal attacks
US: BARACK OBAMA and Hillary Clinton have exchanged sharp jibes at what could be the last debate of the Democratic primary campaign, as Mr Obama faced tough questions about associations that could prove embarrassing in a general election. p
Brown meets presidential candidates in Washington
US: IT WAS a case of the British prime minister Gordon Brown hedging his bets yesterday as, one by one, the three candidates for the White House trooped into the British embassy in Washington to meet him. Anxious to show no bias, he gave each of them 45 minutes and met them in alphabetical order, based on forenames. p
Suicide bomber kills 50 at Sunni funeral in Iraq
IRAQ: A SUICIDE bomber wrought havoc at the funeral of two Sunni Arab militia members in north Iraq yesterday, killing at least 50 people, and injuring another 50, amid an upsurge of attacks against anti-al-Qaeda security groups. p

Ireland

Ictu delegates vote overwhelmingly to enter pay talks
THE IRISH Congress of Trade Unions has voted overwhelmingly to take part in talks on a new national pay agreement. Martin Wall , Industry Correspondent, reports. p
Hospital contract likely to be rejected - consultants
NEW DIFFICULTIES have emerged in long-running talks aimed at securing a new contract for hospital consultants. p
Denial of rights to sperm donor is 'anti-father'
A COURT judgment that refused a biological father guardianship rights and recommended that a lesbian couple be considered as a "de facto family" has been described as being "anti-child and anti-father". p
Local elections to decide fate of PDs, says Cannon
NEXT YEAR'S local elections will be "the litmus test" that will decide if the Progressive Democrats have a future, the party's newly elected leader Senator Ciarán Cannon has said. Mark Hennessy , Political Correspondent, reports. p
Murder trial told of complaint to gardaí of assault
MEG WALSH made a complaint to gardaí about her husband less than two weeks before her disappearance, a Central Criminal Court jury has heard. p
Department opposes Clarence Hotel plan
THE DEMOLITION of the Clarence Hotel in Dublin and its rebuilding for a new design could go against both local guidelines and Government legislation, an An Bord Pleanála hearing into the development has heard. p
Dodgy kettles and rattles taken off shelves
CORDLESS JUG kettles, imitation brand toothpaste, car parts, nail varnish and toy rattles were among 32 products removed from Irish shelves last year, according to a European Commission report on "dangerous" consumer goods. p
Mixed reaction to new pipeline route
SHELL E&P Ireland's publication of a modified onshore pipeline route for the Corrib gas project in north Mayo has drawn a mixed reaction from Erris community interests. p

Sport

Golf digest
A brief round-up of golf news. p
Ireland have four Six Nations matches under lights
RUGBY NEWS ROUND-UP: AS PART of the make-over of the RBS Six Nations tournament, next season's event will include a Friday night kick-off, while two of Ireland's matches will be played under floodlights in Croke Park. p
Minimum of fuss for Chelsea
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE - Everton 0 Chelsea 1: THE FIXTURE that prompted such protest from Chelsea yielded victory with a minimum of fuss last night. Having complained long and loud over Sky's request to bring the trip to Everton forward by 48 hours Avram Grant was, for once, given precious respite here as Chelsea ensured the championship would remain a contest for at least another week. p
McGrane just one shot off lead
GOLF: EUROPEAN TOUR rookie Michael Lorenzo-Vera will take a one-stroke lead into the second round of the China Open after carding a five-under-par 67 yesterday. p

Finance

Eircom asks Government for broadband subsidy deal
EIRCOM HAS confirmed making a proposal to Government under which it would provide high-speed broadband to the nine "gateway" towns and cities identified in the National Spatial Strategy, provided the State lends some financial support. p
NTR in €63m American energy deal
UTILITY AND waste management specialist NTR looks set to seek other acquisitions in the US to follow the €63 million deal it announced yesterday. p
Musgrave profits increase 16% to €94m
MUSGRAVE GROUP enjoyed a 16 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to €94 million last year, as it recorded sales of €4.9 billion, up 6 per cent on the year before. The group paid a dividend of €16.5 million to its shareholders, most of whom are members of the eponymous extended Cork family. p
Shaky economy 'can benefit' IT firms
THE GLOBAL economy may be shaky, but it isn't in recession and offers plenty of opportunity for technology companies, say Mark Hurd, chief executive of Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer. p