TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern received warm applause and congratulations from Dáil colleagues yesterday as he signed off as EU President.

The European Parliament is debating a report today on the state of preparedness of the 10 EU accession states.

In an article in the Irish Examiner of December 2, 2003, reference was made to a dispute during the 2002 abortion referendum involving Minister for Europe Dick Roche, when it was alleged he had called Labour Party spokeswoman Liz McManus a “pro-abortionist”.

MARY HARNEY’S support of EU stem-cell research guidelines was backed by Minister for Europe Dick Roche yesterday, as he appeared to suggest some of his own Fianna Fáil colleagues didn’t know what they were talking about.

THE Convention on the Future of Europe is taking shape better than most believed.

The Minister for Europe has met a delegation from the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association to discuss it’s concerns over the Nice Treaty.

The new President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, will announce tomorrow whether he is launching a legal power battle with EU governments - less than three weeks after taking office.

British Minister for Europe Peter Hain has warned Osama bin Laden is planning fresh terrorist attacks over the coming weeks.

The British Government is under mounting pressure to provide a full account of Labour's involvement with the Hinduja family in the wake of Peter Mandelson's resignation.