An IRA killer freed from prison in the North under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement tonight had his early release licence revoked by the Britsh government after being found guilty of attempted murder in the Republic of Ireland.

Britsh government plans to improve the efficiency of public services will encourage only cosmetic change and will fail to stamp out poor practices, a business group said today.

The Britsh government wants elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly to go ahead, Ulster Secretary Paul Murphy insisted today.