David Davis has accused Brussels and its chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier of having a "silly" approach to the talks on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union.

News reports say Malaysia’s prime minister has accepted responsibility for his ruling coalition’s recent poor election results and will hand over power to his deputy after December.

SAUDI ARABIA’S six-year-old ban on Irish beef was not lifted during Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s week-long visit to the Middle East, but there was better news in Moscow, where Russian threats to ban all EU meats have been averted in an agreement secured by the European Commission last week.