An Irishman has been charged in Australia with dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm after two of his friends were left seriously injured in a serious road traffic accident.

Four separatist parties in Spain’s Catalonia last night looked set to win a majority in regional elections yesterday, partial results showed, but the main one was on course to lose some seats, possibly undermining its bid to call an independence referendum.

The Catalan nationalist party CiU will win regional parliamentary elections in Spain on Nov 25, but will not gain an absolute majority, newspaper polls showed, weakening any bid for independence.