UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today pleaded with the world's leaders to use their power to meet UN goals to help the poorest by 2015.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern is due to meet Northern Secretary Peter Hain this morning as the Irish and British governments begin their latest push for progress in the North.

Plans to disband three Northern Ireland-based battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment in a major shake up of security could cost the North’s economy £60m (€88m) every year, it was claimed today.