The Irish Times, Irish News Online, International, Sports & Business News

Taking the chair: Taoiseach Brian Cowen campaigns for a Yes vote in next Thursday's Lisbon Treaty referendum in Ballinasloe, Co Galway.

Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons

Taoiseach intensifies campaign to reverse Lisbon slide
TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen is to intensify his campaigning efforts in the final days before the Lisbon Treaty referendum in an effort to reverse the dramatic shift in public opinion to the No side revealed in the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi opinion poll. STEPHEN COLLINS & MARK HENNESSY report
Fine Gael slips to lowest rating in three years but Coalition holds ground
FINE GAEL has slipped back to its lowest rating in more than three years, according to the latest Irish Times /TNS mrbi poll, which shows that support for the Government parties has remained remarkably stable over the past three weeks. STEPHEN COLLINS reports
Chinese go into training for civilised Olympic cheering
IT'S SIMPLE, just follow these instructions. Step 1: Clap two times, while chanting, "Olympics". Step 2: Give the thumbs up with your arms extended upward, all the while chanting "Let's go!" Step 3: Clap two times chanting "China". Finally, step 4: Punch the air with your fists, your arms extended, shouting "Let's go!" CLIFFORD COONAN reports from Beijing

In Focus

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Education
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Ireland

Ahern says his disclosure that he paid no rent was inaccurate
MAHON TRIBUNAL: FORMER TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern paid more than €7,000 in back tax for unpaid rent when he lived at St Luke's, the Mahon tribunal was told yesterday. However, he also told the tribunal he did pay rent to the trustees of St Luke's when he lived over his constituency office. p
Judge fines Bus Éireann €2m over Navan bus crash in which five died
FINES TOTALLING €2.2 million have been imposed on Bus Éireann, Meath County Council and Keltank Ltd for breaches of health and safety legislation arising out of the fatal crash in which five Meath schoolgirls died. p
Gardaí arrest 70 suspected drug dealers in biggest operation against street sellers
GARDAÍ HAVE arrested 70 suspected drug dealers in the biggest co-ordinated operation against street-level drug dealing. p
Convoluted English adds to confusion over calculators
LEAVING CERT MATHS: ORDINARY LEVEL PAPER I: SEVERAL STUDENTS were distressed yesterday when they discovered they may forfeit marks for using unauthorised calculators. p
EU to give agency temps equal rights and pay
EMPLOYERS COULD be forced to provide temporary agency workers with the same pay and conditions as full-time staff under a draft EU law likely to be agreed on Monday. p

Finance

Aer Lingus shares fall 4.3% as agm told profit unlikely
SHARES IN Aer Lingus dropped 4.3 per cent to €1.56 after the airline said it would struggle to make a profit this year because of soaring fuel costs and weaker economies. The company said it would cut one US route this winter and reduce its long-haul seat capacity. p
Downgrading of banks to 'sell' cuts 4% from financials
IRISH FINANCIAL stocks shed 4 per cent of their value after investment bank Citigroup downgraded Bank of Ireland and Anglo Irish Bank to "sell" on concerns that bad debts on their property lending in Britain and Ireland would rise. p

World

Clinton will call on all Democrats to support Obama
US: HILLARY CLINTON will urge Democrats to unite behind Barack Obama as their presidential nominee today when she addresses thousands of supporters at a farewell rally in Washington. p
Millions at risk over Zimbabwe's pre-poll ban on NGOs
ZIMBABWE: AT LEAST two million of Zimbabwe's most vulnerable citizens have been stripped of essential support following the ruling regime's decision to ban all NGO operations in the country ahead of this month's presidential runoff. p

Sport

Spain have the capacity to thrill
SOCCER: THE DRIZZLE never stopped yesterday in Zurich, where final preparations were being made for the start of Euro 2008. p

News Features

Seeing the danger ahead
Massive flooding has displaced thousands of families in northern Mozambique. Are the camps they are living in a signal of what climate change will bring for so many poor? asks Brian O'Connell . p
The hallelujah man
PROFILE LEONARD COHEN: Reclusive, self-effacing and searingly honest, a reluctant hero of 1960s folkies and a revered icon of modern pop, he spent six years as a Buddhist monk before financial difficulties drew him back to the live stage, writes Tony Clayton-Lea . p

Weekend

The bones of the butcher boy
TV REVIEW: Arts Lives: Patrick McCabe: Blood Relations RTE1, Tuesday Sonia's Last Lap RTE1, Sunday I'd Do Anything BBC1, Saturday What in the World? Burma: The Generals' Genocide RTE1, Thursday p
A modern take on the past
When the Heritage Council bought the old Bishop's Palace in Kilkenny, they made some controversial chnages, but still kept faith with the elements of the old building, writes Frank McDonald , Environment Correspondent. p
The surprise of the unknown
Tate Liverpool's new exhibition on the work of Gustav Klimt brings us beyond the headlines and closer to the context within which this art was created, writes Aidan Dunne . p

Travel

Greece lightning?
Róisín Ingle headed for the island of Skyros for a few flashes of fiction-writing inspiration. She'll be starting her novel any day now. Really p
Dined and gone to heaven
If you're on the move around Ireland this summer, treat yourself to a meal at one of Tom Doorley 's favourite 20 restaurants outside Dublin p
Animal passions
Alan Cantrell Wood , from Co Cork, will set off on his 20th safari next year. He has 10 tips for making the most of your adventure p