BULGARIA will not receive €600 million in EU funds due to fraud and corruption, the first time the union’s commission has taken such action.

THE Government should be able to tell its EU partners in December if it will hold another referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, Foreign Minister Michael Martin has intimated.

THE opposition will strongly oppose any move to hold a second Lisbon Treaty referendum on the same day as the local and European elections next summer.

SCIENTISTS stealing research, millions of smuggled cigarettes, a crumbling bridge built with substandard materials and Chinese garlic claiming to be of African origin.

TENSIONS surrounding French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s lightning strike visit to Dublin erupted into the open last night as he was warned not to dare “dictate” to Ireland.

TEENS and kids are being ripped off by ring-tone scams according to a EU-wide survey.

IRISH smokers could soon find their regular consignment of cheap cigarettes from holiday destinations will dry up following proposals to dramatically increase the tax on tobacco throughout the EU.

EU fisheries ministers last night agreed a €600 million emergency package for the beleaguered Irish fisheries industry.

MOBILE phone companies are ripping off customers who send texts from abroad and have failed to reduce their charges despite warnings.

SMOKING kills more people than Aids, murder, drugs, road accidents and suicide combined, but governments and the EU are allowing tobacco companies to influence their policies.