Morning Ireland

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Condoleezza Rice to be named US Secretary of State

Carole Coleman, Washington Correspondent, discusses the expected appointment of Condoleezza Rice as the successor to Colin Powell

Robert Schmuhl, Professor of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame, assesses the political reshuffle in Washington

British govt to introduce diluted smoking ban

Brian O'Connell, London Editor, outlines the details of the anti-smoking measures in Britain

Rights group says Disability Bill does not go far enough

Seamus Greene, Co-ordinator of the National Parents and Siblings Alliance, says his group's members are insisting that the Government's disability proposals are seriously flawed

Cowen vows to be generous in upcoming Budget

Brian Cowen, Minister for Finance, tells George Lee, Economics Editor, that he will be as generous as he possibly can in his first Budget

George Lee says Brian Cowen's style is very different from that of his predecessor as Minister for Finance, Charlie McCreevy

Newspaper says Catholic bishop backs legal rights for gay couples

David Quinn, Religious & Social Affairs Correspondent with the Irish Independent, says the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has no problem with legal rights for same-sex couples

Taoiseach's 'socialist' comment sparks political debate

Listen to a clip of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern outlining the political fundamentals of the Fianna Fáil party on RTÉ's 'The Week In Politics'

Pat Rabbitte, leader of the Labour Party, gives his reaction to Bertie Ahern's claims that Fianna Fáil is a republican and socialist party

Investigation launched into killing of Iraqi by US marine

Listen to a report broadcast on NBC which appears to show a US marine shooting dead an injured and unarmed Iraqi in a mosque in Fallujah last Saturday

Tom Clonan, Military Analyst, says the NBC footage poses some serious questions for the US military, while Iraqi Health Minister Ala al-Alwan gives his reaction to the situation in Fallujah in an interview on BBC

Ó Cuív glad to be alive after serious car accident in Co Kerry

Éamon Ó Cuív, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, discusses the head-on collision in which he was involved yesterday afternoon