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Front page storiesFriday, 03 November 2006

Members of the 96th Infantry Battalion of the Defence Forces parading yesterday in Custume Barracks, Athlone, Co Westmeath, before joining the 15,000-strong United Nations mission in Liberia. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA.

College fees up to €8,000 proposed in review
Students will be asked to pay college fees of €4,000 a year for arts degrees and up to €8,000 for medicine and veterinary courses, under plans now being finalised in the Department of Education, writes Seán Flynn, Education Editor.
FF strongly defends performance against charges of broken promises
Fianna Fáil, stung by charges that it has breached promises made to voters during last year's general election campaign, has issued a strongly worded defence of its first year in power, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent.
45% of voters say IRA unclear on ending paramilitary acts
Some 45 per cent of voters believe the IRA has not made clear its intention to end all paramilitary activities, with just 31 per cent believing that it has and 24 per cent having no opinion, according to the latest Irish Times/TNS mrbi opinion poll, Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent.

World

Sharon cancels visit to US after bombings
Palestinian militants made their intention of wrecking the already fading hopes of reviving the shattered Middle East peace process violently clear over the weekend, when two suicide bombers blew themselves up, killing nine Israelis. Peter Hirschberg reports from Jerusalem. p
Sharp rise in vote for Belgian far-right party
Belgium's far-right Vlaams Blok party was on the brink of a historic breakthrough last night after initial results in the federal elections indicated it had increased its support by almost a third and achieved its best result in its 25-year history. p
Brown denies opposing referendum on joining euro
The British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown, yesterday denied that he opposed holding a referendum on joining the euro as a matter of principle. p
Bombers were Moroccans, says Justice Minister
Some of the 13 suicide bombers who killed 28 people in Casablanca are Moroccans linked to a little-known local radical Islamist group and came from abroad, according to Morocco's Justice Minister. p

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Ireland

Tribunal costs hearing may be delayed
Plans by the Flood tribunal to make Mr Ray Burke and other unco-operative witnesses pay a large share of its costs have run into serious difficulty. p
Deasy calls for Noonan's return to frontbench
The Fine Gael justice spokesman, Mr John Deasy, has called for the restoration of Mr Michael Noonan to the frontbench in a bid to halt the party's sliding fortunes in the opinion polls. p
Brennan on verge of deal linking car insurance to penalties
The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday that he expects to sign a deal with at least one insurance company by June 1st, if the Insurance Industry Federation (IIF) fails to offer substantive discounts to motorists who avoid penalty points for a 12-month period. p
Special Olympians gather in Croke Park
Ireland's special Olympians, their coaches, supporters and relatives gathered in Dublin's Croke Park yesterday for a pre-competition rally. p
Trial of alleged French serial killer delayed again
The trial of the accused serial killer, Mr Pierre Chanal, is expected to be postponed yet again this morning by an assize court in Reims, France, after Mr Chanal (56) suffered a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in his lung) on Saturday night. p
Breast-feeding Bill at odds with new policy
A new Bill which improves conditions for breast-feeding employees will be out of date before it has even passed into law, breast-feeding experts have said. p
Standard school year may breach Constitution
The standardisation of the school year, promised by the Minister for Education and Science, could be unconstitutional unless it marks all religious holidays of different denominations, according to Educate Together chief executive, Mr Paul Rowe. p

Finance

Accounts at RTE show €2.1m deficit
Advertising, sponsorship and licence fee revenue were down sharply at RTÉ in the first part of the year, according to management accounts for the station, seen by The Irish Times. p
Auditors blow whistle on fraud
The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation is investigating a number of cases of suspected fraud in companies following reports given to it by auditors under whistle-blowing legislation passed last year. Barry O'Halloran reports. p

Also in Today's Irish Times

Features
Gems from a Jewish Auden
The Welsh writer Dannie Abse, who is coming to Ireland for the Bealtaine festival, has combined successful careers in poetry and medicine, writes Nicholas Wroe. p
Health
'A pain, then the lights went out' What happens to stroke victims?
At 43, Donal O'Kelly was a fit and apparently healthy barrister who neither drank nor smoked. Then he suffered a stroke without warning. Here is his graphic account. p

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