London Stock Exchange vowed to press ahead with a merger with its Toronto counterpart today, despite the emergence of a rival Canadian bidder.

IT’S going to be an eventful month for Cork builders Castlelands Construction. Just as they launch new A-rated homes in three locations, at significantly reduced prices and with an increased specification and fit-out, they are also in line for two very major planning decisions.

Two convicted robbers staged a daring escape by helicopter from a high-security prison for the second time, Greek media reported today.

AIB Private Banking has launched a pan-Asian investment product offering an individual pension fund and corporate investors an opportunity to get a leg up on the Far East property ladder.

A cargo ship collided with a tanker and sank off an island near the Greek capital, leaving an unknown number of seamen missing, authorities said today.

A Cypriot airliner ploughed into a hill north of Athens today, killing all 121 people on board, Greek officials said.

PAUL NICHOLLS is keeping his options open for the skybet.com Castleford Chase, with four entries for the £50,000 contest at Wetherby on Monday.

A Greek bus with 26 people aboard was hijacked today by two men, reportedly Russians, who demanded to be taken to Athens airport, police and government officials said.

The flags of all 25 EU member states were raised together for the first time today in glorious Dublin sunshine.

IF you have been following Hehasalife for a while then he’s the last horse about which you will want to hear anything.

The floating “atomic bomb” freighter, under arrest in a Greek port with more than 600 tons of explosives on board was today reported to be Irish owned and was detained in a British harbour earlier this year.

WORK is likely to commence at the end of this month on the multi-million euro development at Cork International Airport, which has already been delayed by over two years.

Budget airlines today continued to boost flight services group Alpha Airports after shares surged on the back of a positive trading update.

A group of armed men entered a Moscow theatre tonight and held the audience hostage, the Federal Security Service said.

Space shuttle Discovery hurtled toward Earth early today, bringing the first crew of the international space station back from a four and a half month mission spent building and fixing the orbiting outpost.

Olympics organisers and a Greek bank have agreed a $72m (£50m) sponsorship deal, one of the largest for the 2004 Games.