• Gay Byrne to tell tribunal how he turned down £1m

  The longest-running show in town, the Flood tribunal, gets a new star turn tomorrow when Gay Byrne makes what is expected to be a brief but colourful appearance.

• Claims for the autistic may cost millions

  The Department of Education could be facing a multi-million pound liability after the High Court directed it to provide free primary education to a 23-year-old autistic man. Mr Jamie Sinnott and his mother, Kathryn, of Ballinhassig, Co Cork, were awarded £255,000 for the breach of their constitutional rights after the court found the State had failed to honour its commitments to provide his education.

• Arafat delays initialling new ceasefire pact with Israel

  The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak, and the Palestinian Authority President, Mr Yasser Arafat, last night reached, but by press time failed to sign a "limited" ceasefire agreement, aimed at putting an end to a week of fighting. The conflict has cost the lives of at least 50 Palestinians, 10 Israeli Arabs, three soldiers and an Israeli Jew.

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