Evidence from a Burma army defector has deepened suspicion that the country’s military leaders have nuclear ambitions.

Fighting between ethnic rebels and government troops continued for a third day today as activists warned that the violence which sparked a refugee exodus from Burma could escalate in the aftermath of contentious elections.

Burma’s exiled prime minister today continues his Irish visit with a scheduled meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern.

Burma’s exiled prime minister will today begin a series of meetings in Dublin following the regime’s crackdown on democracy protests in his native country.

Burma’s exiled prime minister is in Dublin and Belfast this week to meet politicians and attend public events.