Spain's recession is deepening according to new figures which also show that the initial downturn was steeper and began earlier than first thought.

AN anti-depressant prescribed almost 200,000 times a year in Ireland has been directly linked to 118 deaths in Britain.

UK manufacturing has recovered strongly in the first quarter of 2004 with growth in the domestic and exports markets.

BRITISH inflation slipped in February after shops offered discounts on clothes, toys and electronic goods, suggesting the Bank of England has time to wait before it raises interest rates again.

Britain's consumer price inflation (CPI) rose by less than expected in February, mainly because clothing prices failed to rebound sharply from the turn of year sales.