TO say security was tight for today’s EU-US summit at Dromoland Castle would be an understatement.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern will tomorrow raise the issue of prisoner torture with President George W Bush and urge him to do all he can to restore public confidence in the behaviour of US troops.

THE world’s two largest trading blocs, the United States and Europe, will be urged at their summit meeting in Co Clare on Saturday to work towards eventually creating a barrier free transatlantic market.

Iraq has launched a new currency as US-backed authorities work to stabilise the country.

PRESIDENT George W Bush is moving swiftly to revamp his economic team, with California financier Gerald Parsky among those under consideration for treasury secretary and former Goldman Sachs chief Stephen Friedman set to become White House economic adviser.

The US economy is likely to grow by between 2.5% and 3.5% this year, avoiding a slide back into recession, National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) president Martin Feldstein said.

A commercial artist who claims he created a new look for McDonald's promotional characters such as Ronald McDonald and Hamburglar is suing the fast food chain.