A sawn-off shotgun was found at the feet of a passenger in a car being driven from Blarney towards Cork City, it was claimed yesterday as gardaí objected to bail being granted to the defendant in any circumstances.

A man who got talking to an 84-year-old neighbour who was going shopping burgled his home when he was out and set fire to it — causing over €150,000 damage and destroying irreplaceable mementos of his late wife.

Two men have been remanded in custody over an iron bar attack which left a man in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

A stash of anxiety tablets were found in the bedroom of a young man who pleaded guilty yesterday to charges related to dealing the drugs.

Competition between British police forces hindered the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and have had a long-term negative effect on the case, according to the author of an unpublished British Home Office report.

Competition between British police forces hindered the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and have had a long-term negative effect on the case, according to the author of an unpublished Home Office report.

Tracton 1-18 Bandon 2-13

Punk pioneer John Lydon offered his own unique insight on the banking crisis when he appeared on current affairs programme 'Question Time'.

The UK's Scotland Yard has urged Portuguese authorities to reopen the search for Madeleine McCann today as detectives said there were 195 potential leads to finding her alive.

THE final of the Cork IHC will be a repeat of the 2007 decider after Bandon finished well to see off St Catherine’s in their semi-final at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday and set up a meeting with Fr O’Neill’s.

BANDON withstood a late Dripsey comeback before eventually prevailing at Brinny on Saturday evening.

ALAN Johnson’s ex-bodyguard is facing disciplinary action over allegations that he had an affair with the former shadow chancellor’s wife.

DOWNING Street communications chief Andy Coulson dramatically quit yesterday after admitting the News of the World phone-hacking row was making his job impossible.

Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson has quit after admitting the News of the World phone-hacking row was making his job impossible.

Chancellor George Osborne insisted that today’s VAT rise from 17.5% to 20% was a “tough but necessary step” towards Britain’s economic recovery.

IT is overwhelmingly in Britain’s national interest for Ireland to have a stable economy and banking system, British Chancellor George Osborne said yesterday.

Kate and Gerry McCann today said they have had enough of “fluffy worthless words”, calling again for a full case review over their daughter Madeleine’s disappearance.

IT WAS brisk, crisp, biting and ruthless.

Britain’s shadow chancellor appeared to take a swipe at Finance Minister Brian Lenihan today during the House of Commons debate on swingeing spending cutbacks in the UK.

Shadow chancellor Alan Johnson accused the British government of taking a “reckless gamble with people’s livelihoods” which could wreck the economic recovery.

ALAN JOHNSON was appointed to the key role of shadow chancellor in Ed Miliband’s first shadow cabinet yesterday.

In the UK, the new leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband has appointed his shadow cabinet.

Voting opens in Labour’s shadow cabinet elections today, with 49 MPs battling for a place in Ed Miliband’s top team.

New Labour leader Ed Miliband has given his strongest signal yet that he would put up taxes in order to protect public services from spending cuts.

Labour leader Ed Miliband left the door open for his elder brother David to return to the party’s front line today after the former foreign secretary dramatically announced he was quitting the shadow cabinet.

David Miliband’s campaign to become Labour leader received a boost when he was backed by another party heavyweight.

David Miliband is the first candidate to throw his hat into the ring for the Labour leadership in Britain.

Former British home secretary Alan Johnson today ruled himself out as a contender for the Labour leadership, announcing he will back David Miliband in the upcoming contest to succeed Gordon Brown.

GORDON BROWN’S crown as leader of the British Labour Party may be crumpled and tarnished but it is still highly coveted.

Negotiations between the UK political parties over the shape of the next government were reaching a heightened pitch today, with some sources expecting a conclusion before the end of the day.

GORDON BROWN said during the general election campaign: “If I couldn’t make a difference any more, then I would go off and do something else.”

Gordon Brown tonight announced he will resign as Labour leader – but offered to stay on as British Prime Minister in a potential power-sharing government with the Liberal Democrats until his party has chosen a successor.

DAVID CAMERON last night issued an impassioned appeal to voters to propel him into Downing Street, urging them to imagine a “better, stronger country” under the Conservatives.

GORDON BROWN insisted yesterday he did understand public fears about immigration as he tried to move on from his “bigot” slur.

THE Conservatives accused Nick Clegg of trying to “hold the country to ransom” after the Liberal Democrat leader spelt out some of the conditions under which he would offer his party’s support in a hung parliament.

Electoral reform was today shaping up as the key issue in determining what sort of government would emerge if the May 6 UK general election results in a hung parliament.

BRITISH Home Secretary Alan Johnson yesterday signalled that Labour would be prepared to open up discussions with the Liberal Democrats on reform of the voting system in the event of a hung parliament.

NICK Clegg’s widely praised performance in the leaders’ TV debate has catapulted the Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour in the race for the General Election, according to a poll.

A DEADLY new legal high branded Europe’s “crystal meth” has been formulated by chemists ahead of the Government’s ban on legal drugs sold in head shops.

DANCE drug mephedrone will be banned within weeks, British home secretary Alan Johnson announced yesterday.

Dance drug mephedrone will be banned in the UK within weeks, British Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced today.