US president Barack Obama waves after delivering a major policy speech on Afghanistan at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York last night. Photo: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Enoc pledges support for Dragon Oil07:20Company pledges not to sell its shares in Dragon Oil until at least December 31st, 2011
Islamist rebels claim train bombing09:57Bomb derailed Nevsky Express in Russia killing 26 people and injuring hundreds last Friday

Editor's choice

US to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan06:16President says escalation is temporary and that US troops will start leaving by July 2011
Talks on public pay to resume07:29Government set to modify €1.3 billion cuts plan in order to secure a deal with trade unions.
Iran releases detained Irish sailor06:35Five sailors were detained after their racing yacht inadvertently strayed into Iranian waters
Australian climate bill rejected07:19Legislation to set up a greenhouse gas emissions trading system defeated
Funeral mass for heritage chief07:03Founding director of Limerick Civic Trust, Denis Leonard (62), died following short illness
Hospital sees increase in eye condition after Knock 'visions'A GALWAY eye surgeon has described as “unprecedented” the rise in the number of cases of an eye condition which he says can be directly attributed to people staring at the sun during recent events at the Knock shrine.

THE RATE at which people are diagnosed with HIV more than doubled in Europe between 2000 and 2008, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported yesterday. That long-term trend is also reflected in the continuing rise in infection rates in recent Irish experience – figures this week from Dublin’s St James’s Hospital record the highest number of new cases in a year on record, a 20 per cent increase in positive diagnoses.

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Images of the day

Well-wishers pray for the fast recover of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand December 1. Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej will appear in public on Saturday at Bangkok's Grand Palace on his 82nd birthday, but his traditional birthday eve address has been postponed indefinitely. Photo: Chaiwat Subprasom/REUTERS
The Russian Soyuz space capsule carrying European Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne of Belgium, Russian cosmonaut Roman Romanenko and Canadian astronaut Robert Thirsk lands in the steppe near the town of Arkalyk, in northern Kazakhstan, December 1. Photo: Shamil Zhumatov/REUTERS
A man feeds birds at Kandawgyi park in Yangon, Myanmar December 1. Photo: Soe Zeya Tun/REUTERS
Sale advertisements are displayed at a retail shop in Tokyo, Japan December 1. The Bank of Japan said on Tuesday it would introduce a new operation to provide funds for three months at a fixed interest rate of 0.1 percent, after it held an emergency policy meeting. Photo: Issei Kato/REUTERS
Members of French association 'AIDES' hang up a red ribbon on the Republic statue at Place de la Republique in Paris, France December 1, to show their support in the fight against AIDS on World AIDS Day. Photo: Charles Platiau/REUTERS
Workers install scaffolding at the construction site of a viaduct in Wuhan, Hubei province, China December 1. Photo: Stringer/REUTERS
University students hold red ribbons at a photo opportunity during an HIV/AIDS awareness rally on World AIDS day in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, December 1. Photo: Stringer/REUTERS
Displaced Afghan men queue to receive winter aid from the World Food Programme during a distribution for the needy in Kabul, Afghanistan December 1. Photo: Omar Sobhani/REUTERS
The coffin of Warrant Officer Class One Regimental Sergeant Major Darren Chant of the Genadier Guards is carried out of the Guards Chapel on the Wellington Barracks after his funeral, December 1,in London, England. Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images
A close up photograph shows figures from Antony Gormley's 'Amazonian Field, 1992' on display at the Royal Academy of Arts 'Earth: Art of a Changing World' exhibition on December 1, in London, England. Photo: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

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Education »

Sumatran Tiger Sigra with one of two cubs born in May. As few as 400 of these magnificent creatures are in survival in the wild.

TY's captive audience

At Dublin Zoo, Transition Year students have been learning about the role of zoos and the impact humans have on the environment

Consumer »

A tale of two booms

THE NOUGHTIES: As the first boom ended in 2002, we examined our souls – for about a millisecond. The pity is we didn’t gaze a little longer before restarting the party

Living Today »

My Decade

SARAH WEBB, Novelist: TEN YEARS ago, I was working full-time at Eason’s as the children’s book buyer and marketing manager, and living with my young son, Sam. But in 2000, my first novel, Three Times a Lady, was published. I’d already written three non-fiction children’s books, but this was my first attempt at a novel – I wrote three chapters and sent them to Poolbeg, who offered me a three-book deal.

Sport »

Blatter is a 'loose cannon' - Brady

INTERNATIONAL SOCCER: A MATTER of hours yesterday before the organisation’s chief executive Jerome Valcke made it clear there is no chance of the Republic of Ireland team being allowed into the World Cup by way of a back door, Liam Brady labelled Sepp Blatter “a bit of a loose cannon and an embarrassment to Fifa”.