DUBLIN, Aug 3 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Ireland's newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy:

THE IRISH TIMES

- Irish soldiers are likely to serve with troops being sent to the Darfur region in western Sudan if a request is received from the United Nations. Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea has said the government will consider "with sympathy" any request.

- Eight years after its controversial flotation Eircom is poised to offer the government a stake in its telecoms network in return for control over public broadband systems owned by the state.

- The Irish Association of Investment Managers (IAIM) will today meet Michael Buckley, DCC's senior independent director, to discuss the Supreme Court ruling against the firm's executive chairman Jim Flavin.

IRISH INDEPENDENT

- Women are poised to take over the majority of top jobs in business, law, finance and the sciences within the next five years. And it's all because they are staying in education longer and getting better results than men. The projections are made in a joint report from FAS and the Economic and Social Research Institute which looks at the likely share-out of jobs by 2012.

- Motorists will have to drive much slower in Dublin after it was decided to cut the current speed limit from 50 kilometres per hour to 30 kilometres per hour.

- The vast majority of rape claims - 95 percent - never reach the courts. The revelation is contained in a major new study obtained by the Irish Independent which confirms that Ireland has the worst record in Europe when it comes to successfully prosecuting rape and sex crimes.

IRISH EXAMINER

- Among the more unusual names Irish parents gave their children last year were Elvis, Kylie, Setanta, Shakira and Paris. Last year Sean was the most popular name for boys and Sarah was the most popular for girls - yet yesterday's Central Statistics Office's Irish Babies' Names 2006 list reveals that Ireland is enthralled with celebrity culture.

- Thirty cases of serious food poisoning in the north Kerry area are being investigated by the Health Service Executive (HSE) amid fears that many more people may have been affected.

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