THE teenage waitress disappeared one night after her shift. After a police hunt that gripped France, her severed limbs and head were found in the waters of an abandoned quarry.

AA patrol staff in the UK are to stage a series of 48-hour strikes from May 2 in a row over pensions in what will be the first walkout in the motoring organisation’s 105-year history, it was announced today.

National secretary of IMPACT, Peter Nolan, is today warning of significant disruption to public services throughout next year if the Government cuts public-sector pay.

French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand is facing calls for his sacking over a growing scandal involving an old admission that he had paid for sex with boys.

THE Taoiseach yesterday said the best way to face the health service’s “complex challenges” was through the Health Sector Forum — but health professionals said he must primarily accept the failures of the HSE.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was today preparing to fly back to the country for an emergency security meeting on the escalating Paris riots that have injured scores of police.

Mourners marched silently through the neglected Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois today to mark the deaths a year ago of two teenagers that ignited three weeks of riots in largely immigrant housing projects across France.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern conceded yesterday there was “no appetite” within State agencies to decentralise.

Aer Lingus workers may now go on strike if moves to privatise the airline go ahead after a two-hour meeting of Aer Lingus employees was held last night at the airline's headquarters

PLANNING applications are set to become more expensive as the Government attempts to boost local authority coffers without resorting to politically damaging household taxes such as water charges.

A survey conducted for the trade union Amicus shows that a majority of people are in favour of risk equalisation in the health insurance industry.

A dozen members from young Fine Gael made the long walk from Galway to Ennis today to raise funds for suicide awareness.

CIVIL servants who are denied promotion or moved into inappropriate jobs as part of decentralisation will not be slow to take industrial action, their union has warned.

Peace has broken out in the row over reforms of the health service.

THE Taoiseach and Tánaiste yesterday played down suggestions of a roll back on the Government's decentralisation plans.

Political uncertainty and financial panic swept India today as the stock market shutdown after its worst-ever plunge and two powerful communist parties refused to join a proposed new government under Sonia Gandhi.

THE GAA are to raise the national profile of handball with the appointment of a Promotional Administrator.

Workers at Permanent-TSB have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action as part of a dispute over pay, holidays and flexible working hours.

Union leaders say P&O Trans-European is facing its "last chance" to avert a drivers' strike.