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Taoiseach Bertie Ahern with British prime minister Tony Blair addressing both houses of parliament at Westminster yesterday

Photograph: Eric Luke

Taoiseach warns MPs of need to sustain NI advances
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has cautioned members of both Houses of the Westminster Parliament that Britain and Ireland's mutual relations will require continuing priority at the highest political level.
Donegal gardaí investigate deaths of mother, daughter
A postmortem is to be carried out today on a young mother and her daughter following the discovery of their bodies in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, yesterday afternoon.
Nursing unions consider new offer aimed at ending dispute
Proposals aimed at resolving the dispute involving 40,000 nurses, which has been running for nearly seven weeks, were being considered by union leaders last night.

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Ireland

Anti-arthritis drug withdrawn from sale
A drug used by thousands of Irish patients was ordered to be withdrawn in the Republic yesterday after it was linked to liver failure in nine patients, three of whom have died. The drug is sold under brand names such as Aulin, Mesulid and Mesine. p
Travellers settle action to secure suitable caravan
An elderly Traveller couple in poor health living in a "temporary" decrepit caravan on a halting site for seven years have settled their legal action aimed at securing a centrally heated and plumbed caravan. p
Promotions feature in Defence Forces ombudsman cases
Grievances about non-selection for promotion, career courses and overseas service accounted for most of the cases investigated by the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces last year. p
'14,000 pensions delayed' due to IT problem
Up to 14,000 people have had to wait up to six months to begin receiving their contributory old age pension as a result of problems with a €27 million computer system at the Department of Social and Family Affairs in Sligo, a public sector union has claimed. p
Shell refuses to move gas project
The site of the proposed Corrib gas refinery near Rossport in Co Mayo, the focus of a bitter dispute for years, will not be moved, Malcolm Brinded, the Royal Dutch Shell executive in charge of exploration and production, told the annual general meeting of the company yesterday. p
Future of rural pubs under threat, group warns
Rural pubs are closing down at the rate of one a day because of the smoking ban, drink-driving laws and high running costs, the president of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, Paul Stephenson, claimed yesterday in Monaghan. p
Centre reports 3.5% rise in rape and abuse calls
The number of people reporting rape and sexual assault to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) increased last year, according to the centre's annual report. p
Adams denies claim on McCabe killing
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has denied a claim by the widow of murdered Garda Jerry McCabe that he only condemned her husband's killing for the first time yesterday. p
False reports demoralise gardaí - ex officer
The senior officer in charge of the Donegal division during the Richie Barron investigation has said false allegations demoralise gardaí and undermine public confidence in the force. p

World

Portuguese police focus on forensic analysis
Portugal: Portuguese police hunting for Madeleine McCann said last night that they were concentrating their efforts on forensic analysis of materials taken from the villa where the only formal suspect in the investigation lives. p
EU plans clampdown on employers of illegals
Europe: Companies and individuals who hire illegal workers could face tough criminal and civil penalties under a new EU law to be proposed today. The European Commission also wants to offer temporary residence to skilled workers from Asia and Africa to help curb illegal immigration and address labour shortages in Europe. p
Chirac urges French to have pride in 'great nation'
France: President Jacques Chirac bade farewell to the people of France last night in a brief televised address. Wearing a grey suit and striped tie, against the backdrop of French and European flags and the gardens of the Élysée Palace, Mr Chirac exhorted his "dear compatriots" to have pride and confidence in their country. p
New York mayor 'ready for €1bn solo campaign'
The US: New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is prepared to spend $1 billion of his own money to run for president as an independent next year, according to a US newspaper report. p

Finance

Complaints to financial ombudsman rise by 21%
Complaints to the Financial Services Ombudsman have jumped by 21 per cent in the first four months of 2007, according to the ombudsman Joe Meade. p
Tribunal urges AIB to adopt hybrid pension
AIB's board of directors will decide next week if the bank should accept the recommendations of an independent tribunal and set up a hybrid defined benefit/defined contribution scheme for staff based in the Republic. p
Extra 80,000 jobs but slowdown likely
Some 76,800 extra jobs were created in the year to February, the latest quarterly national household survey (QNHS) shows. p

Sport

Fitzgerald replaces Staunton in tour party
RUGBY: Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has decided to redirect Wasps outhalf Jeremy Staunton to the A squad preparing for the Churchill Cup in England rather than take him to Argentina as originally planned. Instead Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald will take Staunton's place with the senior party. p