News

Shoes and eggs have been pelted at Tony Blair as he attended his first book signing in the Dublin.

PRESIDENT Mary McAleese yesterday led the tributes to a renowned German-born sculptor who was honoured at a special ceremony for her contribution to arts in Ireland.

AS CHARITY lunches go, this was a high-viz fashion one.

THE chef and restaurateur, Richard Corrigan yesterday spoke about the tough times that the business is going through after he pulled out of a popular restaurant.

FORGET Planet Bertie. The daughter of the former Taoiseach has created her own virtual world for fans to explore.

IT'S not the done thing, really. Former heads of government are supposed to disappear quietly into retirement. Bertie's keeping his head under the parapet and George W Bush has vanished.

THE number of homeowners getting emergency aid from the Government to pay their mortgages has doubled in the past two years, new figures obtained by the Irish Independent show.

Gardai have planned a relatively low-key security operation to protect former British prime minister Tony Blair during his book signing at Eason's shop on O'Connell Street, Dublin, today.

Negotiations to extend the contract to build the controversial €350m Poolbeg incinerator were ongoing last night.

ARCHBISHOP of Dublin Diarmuid Martin yesterday refused to be drawn on the Pope's decision to reject the resignations of two bishops named in a report on cover-ups of paedophile clerics.

THE creation of an Irish 'superbrand' and establishing a global media hub are among five ideas on the shortlist for a lucrative job-creation prize.

HE took a break from grabbing the microphone for almost two years, but even in a recession Taoiseach Brian Cowen can't resist a sing-song.

MEET the small boy with the very big swing who has teed off with the best in the world.

RESIDENTS of a coastal commuter town have threatened to disrupt work on one of the country's largest energy projects over safety concerns.

WOMEN are outnumbered six to one in the Dail, leaving Ireland at the bottom of the political league when it comes to equal representation, writes Aine Kerr.

AN IRISH firm has been hailed as a model of how to cope with the recession after confirming an ambitious multi-million euro expansion plan.

AN internal FAS investigation has uncovered evidence of "suspected malpractice" with the running of a number of its training courses, the Irish Independent has learnt.

The Institute of Technology Tallaght has introduced a new course targeting unemployed graduates.

A major state job creation agency has won back just a fraction of the 50 staff it lost over the past two years.

JUSTICE Minister Dermot Ahern was accused of back-tracking yesterday after a storm of protest blew up over his proposals to charge customers for withdrawing their own money from automated teller machines (ATMs).

THE Irish film industry is celebrating after it was announced that a new drama inspired by the story of 'Peter Pan' and boasting more visual effects than 'Avatar' will be shot here.

MORE THAN 3,600 contacts were made to Amen, the support organisation for male victims of domestic abuse, last year.

For Paddy, the domestic violence started on his honeymoon but he always hoped and believed it would stop.

TEN cheerleaders from Texas are due to arrive in Ireland in the next fortnight . . . and they're all looking to meet Irish men.

GET out there and make the most of it -- the Indian summer is about to vanish off into the sunset.