Detectives were continuing today to question a 48-year-old man arrested following a siege in central London.

Police snipers and heavily armed officers put several blocks of central London’s shopping district into lockdown after a man allegedly armed with gas canisters entered an office building and threatened to blow himself up.

One of Britain’s busiest shopping streets was closed today as a man wearing gas canisters stormed into an office and threatened to blow himself up, it was reported.

Steven Spielberg is set to direct a film about Moses.

PRESIDENT Barack Obama welcomed the Dalai Lama for White House talks yesterday, risking fallout in China over the meeting, as well as his statement in support of the preservation of Tibet’s identity and human rights.

OF THE four remaining teams in tomorrow’s Tipperary SHC semi-finals, one stands out. In what many will see as the main event, champions Toomevara continue their Kerry-like run through the back door, take on Drom & Inch, the only divisional champions still standing.

Two women arrested in connection with the alleged abduction of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews in England have been granted police bail, West Yorkshire Police said.

Fiji's military ruler today said he was expelling New Zealand's top diplomat, sending relations between the two South Pacific nations spiralling even lower.

LOYALIST terror groups were last night urged to follow the lead of the Loyalist Volunteer Force following its declaration that it was standing down its military units.

THE leadership of the Loyalist Volunteer Force last night ordered all its military units to stand down.

A LOYALIST paramilitary feud which claimed the lives of four people in Belfast this summer could erupt again, the IMC report warned.

A loyalist paramilitary feud which claimed the lives of four people in Belfast this summer could erupt again, a report monitoring terror groups warned today.

Northern Ireland’s most senior policeman Hugh Orde was today challenged to acknowledge his officers made mistakes in allowing loyalist paramilitaries to take over a Belfast housing estate where families were forced to flee their homes.

Detectives investigating the loyalist paramilitary murder of a father-of-three will tomorrow set up vehicle checkpoints in the area where he was gunned down a week ago.

Loyalist paramilitary killers locked in a deadly feud are switching their sights to innocent victims because police have disrupted assassination attempts, a top Belfast officer said tonight.

LOYALIST paramilitaries who assassinated a delivery driver outside a south Belfast shop have pledged to intensify their onslaught against rival terrorists, it was claimed last night.

Booming demand for metals in China sparked a flurry of interest in mining stocks and helped the FTSE 100 Index to advance today.

UK leisure group Rank has started making plans to demerge and float its film business in a move that could value the division at around £600m (€863m), it was reported today.

A senior director of newly merged ITV today announced his resignation from the group’s board after less than a year in the job.

The prospect of a fresh revolt over “fat cat” pay receded today after a major investor group pledged to support a deal for ITV boss Charles Allen worth £24m (€36.3m) over four years.

Leading shareholders in ITV will examine the pay deal awarded to former Carlton boss Michael Green after being told yesterday that he was legally entitled to his controversial £15m (€22.10m) payoff.

Shares in ITV plc made their debut on the stock market today, following the merger of Granada and Carlton to create Britain’s largest commercial broadcaster.

Shareholders in Carlton today overwhelmingly approved the group’s £4.5bn (€6.5bn) merger with Granada to create a single new ITV company.

CARLTON Communications chairman Michael Green is set to receive a £1.4 million pay-off when the group merges with Granada despite not having a formal contract.

Carlton Communications chairman Michael Green is set to receive a £1.4m (€2m) pay-off when the group merges with Granada, despite not having a formal contract, it emerged today.

THE investment community have certainly been rolling out the red carpet for James Murdoch, BSkyB’s chief executive designate.

GRANADA boss Charles Allen could yet become a victim of last week’s shareholder coup which forced Carlton boss Michael Green to relinquish ambitions of running a single ITV, it was reported yesterday.

Carlton boss Michael Green’s hopes of surviving a shareholder coup over who runs an enlarged ITV company were dealt a potentially fatal blow today.

ITV group Carlton could face the prospect of a shareholder vote to oust chairman Michael Green if he does not agree to go, it emerged today.

THE chairman of ITV company Carlton has threatened to call off its planned merger with Granada if the two groups are forced to sell their

ITV broadcasters Carlton and Granada today shrugged off the referral of their proposed £2.9bn (€4.3bn) merger to competition watchdogs.

Broadcasters Granada and Carlton have agreed to merge in a deal that paves the way for a single ITV company.

ITV broadcasters Carlton and Granada today announced they are in advanced talks to merge in a move which would pave the way for a single ITV company.

Granada and Carlton have revealed plans to merge, paving the way to a consolidated ITV.

ITV chairman Leslie Hill is quitting the company.

Poor technology caused the failure of ITV Digital, according to one of its founders.

The slump in ITV advertising is continuing to batter Carlton's performance, and the group is to cut a further 100 jobs.