THE West Cork pensioner who is calling for a one-day boycott of Mass tomorrow has said anyone who agrees with her sentiments but doesn’t feel comfortable staying away from Mass could wear a green armband to church to show support.

A massive ice shelf anchored to the Antarctic coast by a narrow and quickly-deteriorating ice bridge could break away soon, the European Space Agency warned.

Airbus announced a record number of jet orders for 2005, unexpectedly beating Boeing’s tally for a fifth straight year. But the European plane maker fell behind its rival on order value as sales of its larger planes failed to keep pace. Airbus announced a review of its long-range A340 airliner in the wake of disappointing orders.

Europe and the US moved closer to a world trade showdown over plane subsidies, as Airbus said it had received “legally binding” government funding pledges for its newly-launched A350 jet programme.

The French parliament opened a debate today on what is expected to become a new law that would allow terminally-ill patients the right to die.