METRO Monday, November 30, 2009 D Viva la Visa card VISA is predicting today will be the busiest day ever for online shopping in Ireland as consumers do their shopping on the internet in time for Christmas. More than 318million is likely to be spent by Europes Visa card holders, 13 per cent more than last year, the company said. Dart schedule irks rail users group A RAIL commuter group has criticised Iarnrd ireanns 2010 timetable, claiming it promises slower and fewer services next year. Rail Users Ireland said they are dismayed at a number of changes on the 2010 timetable, including a reduction in peak-hour Dart services. The timetable on the Dart service is a welcome development but merely restores the Dart plans of 1984, the group said. But an Iarnrd ireann spokesman said the new timetable had introduced consistency, with Darts running every 15 minutes and additional services during peak times. MENU the Home Digest .................... 4 Guilty Pleasures Celebrity gossip..................8-9 World Digest .................. 10 MetroLife Arts and Entertainment.... 12-13 60 Second Interview Gerry Adams...................... 14 Letters & Puzzles ...... 16-17 TV ............................. 14-15 Classifieds .................... 18 Sport .............19-20, 22-24 Help keep Dublin clean and tidy for everyone by taking your Metro with you and recycling it Zoos warning of mass extinctions ZOOS around the world are urging governments to agree CO2 limits to prevent the extinction of wildlife as a result of climate change. The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums president Dr Mark Penning said: The urgent protection of ecosystems, which act as natural carbon sinks, is vital if we are to avoid the fate of runaway climate change. Meanwhile, Stop Climate Chaos is appealing to Dubliners to join a mass demo happening simultaneously in cities across the world on December 5. Kicking off at the Custom House, participants are asked to wear blue to represent the upsurge of public opinion for a deal in Copenhagen. Laughter is the meDicine Blair warned iraq would be illegal TONY BLAIR was warned the war in Iraq would be illegal eight months before the invasion began, according to reports yesterday. The former UK prime minister received a letter in July 2002 from then Attorney Gen Lord Goldsmith stating that deposing Saddam Hussein would breach international law. The top law official was bullied into keeping quiet about it, according to The Mail On Sunday. The revelations follow testimonies by senior civil servants who have questioned the legality of the war. Although the Cabinet expected a backlash it never came and it is now looking to extend the net to the un- der-23s. Those aged 23 and over will not be affected, as they are consid- ered more likely to have dependent children. This is just one of the social welfare cutbacks being considered by the Government, which met for four hours over the weekend to discuss the Budget. The rent supplement scheme is also facing further cuts, with the Govern- ment likely to adjust payouts to match continually falling rents. Another highly likely change is a reduction in the amount of people claiming several different social wel- fare payments, as recommended by An Bord Snip Nua. There are nine days to go before what is expected to be the harshest Budget in the history of the State with most of the big decisions being signed off by the end of this week. under-23s face a 20% welfare cut UNDER-23s may have their social welfare payments cut to 160 per week, it was revealed yesterday. The Government is understood to be planning to reduce job-seekers al- lowance for unemployed people un- der the age of 23 by 20 per cent as part of the 1billion worth of social welfare cutbacks in the Budget due to be published on December 9. Apart from the millions of euro it will save, the plan is aimed at incen- tivising young people to enter train- ing programmes, and those that do will be allowed stay on their current rate of 204 per week. In last Aprils mini-budget, the Government reduced jobseekers al- lowance for teenagers to 100 per week, saving 26million annually. BY ROSS McDONAGH greening from ear to ear Anna Bernstad from Sweden, Johanna Zilliacus from Finland and Josephine Gustafsson, also from Sweden, at the Green Dragons Den event, where green business ideas are pitched to enterprise and environment experts Picture: Marc OSullivan IRISH comics are appealing to desperate young men not to see suicide as a way to solve their problems. Dara OBriain, Ed Byrne and Colm Murphy, who perform in a charity gig next week, told those at risk to share concerns instead. No matter how desperate things may seem, no problem is too big to work through, said Ed Byrne. The Console Comedy Classic will take place in Vicar Street on December 7. Ed Byrne: Talk about problems TODAY: Mainly dry, bright and cold. Light winds. Max 7c TOMORROW: Rain spreading to all parts, strong winds. Max 7c METRO Weather Abu Dhabi offers rescue deal to Dubai OIL-rich Abu Dhabi hosted a meeting of senior Gulf officials to discuss its plans for a rescue package for its cash-strapped neighbour Dubai yesterday. The crisis which erupted after state-backed Dubai World asked to delay payments on its $60billion (40billion) debts, sending shockwaves around global markets on Thursday, with shares in Irish bank AIB, falling by more than ten per cent at one stage and the Iseq index down by almost three per cent, before recovering on Friday. Abu Dhabi will not be writing a blank cheque for its neighbour, officials said, adding that Dubais commitments would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Dubai Worlds own investments range from the QE2 cruise liner, the Emirates airline and the Travelodge budget hotel chain. As many as 6,000 Irish people are thought to have invested in property in Dubai in the last ten years, with the Dubai Action Group, fearing they may have lost up to 20million. LOTTERY SATURDAYS LOTTO 2 8 11 24 34 38 Bonus: 10 Plus 1: 5 8 14 23 25 42 Bonus: 6 Plus 2: 3 5 7 10 25 38 Bonus: 16 FRIDAYS EUROMILLIONS 5 8 13 15 33 Lucky Stars 8 9 COMPULSORY unpaid leave for public service workers has emerged as a possible alternative to public service pay cuts. The question of unpaid leave emerged in talks between the Government and public sector unions, which were continuing late last night at Government Buildings. A further national stoppage by public service unions is still scheduled for this Thursday. Garda representative bodies are set to hold their own meeting as soon as finer details have been thrashed out. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html24.html25.html26.html27.html