The Waste Land - - Bord Snip, Irish Public Spending Transparency and the motto "Never do anything for the first time"

Irish Exchequer Returns deficit in first half of 2009 surges to €14.7 billion - - up from €5.6 billion in H1 2008

Markets News Afternoon: Johnson & Johnson in $1.5bn deal with Elan; Shares surge in Dublin but ISEQ in red; Stocks down sharply in Europe and US

Moody's downgrades Ireland's debt; Will monitor plans to cut public spending

US job loss of 467,000 in June higher than expected; Unemployment highest since 1983; Broad measure of unemployment rose to 16.5%

Trichet says ECB will begin purchase of €60 billion of covered bonds from next week

Eurozone unemployment rate rose to 9.5% in May 2009 -highest rate since 1999; Netherlands at 3.2%; Denmark at 5.7%; Ireland 12%; Spain highest at 18.7%

European Central Bank keeps benchmark rate at 1%; Trichet to address press conference

Markets News Thursday: European shares fall; Goldman Sachs on track to pay average of $700,000 per employee in 2009 - - nearly double 2008 level

European Central Bank expected to keep interest rate unchanged at 1% today; Benchmark may remain fixed until late 2010

Thursday Newspaper Review - Irish Business News and International Stories - - July 02, 2009

Cowen says dole claimants will rise to 500,000 by Christmas; Irish unemployment to remain elevated for extended period

IMF approves bond sales to member countries for first time to support bailouts; World Bank increases support 54% in 12 months to June to counter financial crisis

Global manufacturing economy in recovery mode led by China

OECD Health Data 2009: Percentage of foreign-trained doctors tripled in Ireland and Finland between 2000 and 2007

Markets News Afternoon: Smurfit Kappa to cut 140 jobs in Cork; US firm Bausch & Lomb to move 120 jobs from Waterford to New York; Stocks rise in Europe and US

US manufacturing sector contracted again in June but pace of decline is slowing

US construction spending fell in May;  US home sales contract signings slightly increased

US nonfarm private employment decreased 473,000 in June

Irish Live Register rises 11,400 in May to 413,500 in June; Monthly increase of 2.8% down from 3.5% in May; Unemployment rate rises to 12%