A man who stole almost €54,000 from the shop he worked in by awarding himself fake Lotto wins has been given a chance to repay the money to avoid jail.

Gardai have taken more than 300 statements in relation to the death of gangland murder victim Paul Kavanagh. 

Cork Chamber has welcomed news that one of the country’s leading insurance companies will look at reinsuring flood victims after its representatives came to view flood defences in Co Cork.

Gardaí predict that a powerful criminal outfit will seek revenge for the gangland murder of Gary Hutch in southern Spain on Thursday.

Gardaí are investigating if yesterday’s gangland murder on Dublin’s northside is related to a violent feud between major drug gangs, which have tentacles here and abroad.

BT has revealed that its pension deficit has swollen to £7bn as it agreed a 16-year recovery plan that will include £2bn in payments over the next three years.

President Michael D Higgins has arrived in Beijing to begin his week-long state visit to China.

Business people and householders may have differing views on Cork City’s €50m flood defence plans, but they’re united in one respect — the Government must ensure insurance companies offer all flood victims renewed cover once the works are completed.

An interim examiner has been appointed to the company which operates six United Colors of Benetton stores in the Republic.

Assembly members in the North are today poised to vote through a controversial bill barring ex-prisoners guilty of serious offences from becoming special advisers to Stormont ministers.

A regency rent table is among the feature lots at Hegarty’s sale in Bandon on Sunday week (Apr 7) at 4pm. The auction will feature a collection from Ummera House, Timoleague, home to the Cresswell family. It was amassed over two generations.

House buyers may be able to get a mortgage, but without house insurance the banks won’t release the funds, as Laurie O’Flynn reports

Many people in the upper echelons of Fianna Fáil, including then taoiseach Albert Reynolds, were aware of a £50,000 donation to former minister Pádraig Flynn which was never put in Fianna Fáil’s coffers.

KILLARNEY Plastics has created 15 jobs at its Kerry factory on foot of growth in sales of its Tricel waste water treatment systems in Ireland, Britain and France.

A UK health and safety instructor has been suspended after he fell off a ladder.

Prince Albert II of Monaco wished the Government every success tackling economic woes as he strolled through Dublin with his fiancée on a three-day State visit.

Prince Albert II of Monaco has arrived in Ireland at the start of a three-day state visit.

An Irish diplomat has been selected to head up a special body dedicated to driving reform of the United Nations, it was revealed today.

A CO Waterford bus driver, who was reported and caught drink driving after being reported to the gardaí by anxious passengers, has been sacked.

An Ulster Bank porter who stole €75,000 from the bank to repay debts he ran up in a "fanciful and unrealistic scheme" of exchanging Irish ‘punts’ for Sterling ‘pounds’ at a loss to himself, has been ordered to carry out 240 hours work in the community.

British computer games maker Eidos saw its market value slump 17% today as it moved to cool speculation about the price of a potential takeover deal.

Supermarket group Morrisons today cheered the London financial sector with news that converted Safeway stores were reaping the benefits of their change to the Morrisons format.

THE Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has confirmed that it has short-listed just two bidders for the licence to run a rock music station in Dublin.

SOME of the biggest names in Irish music have emerged as the backers of a bid for a radio licence in Dublin.

AN insurance broker who made a tax settlement of over €6 million with the Revenue Commissioners says he will sue AIB bank after “they hung me out to dry”.

Banking giant Barclays today reported a strong start to 2004 with first quarter profits up “significantly” on the same period a year earlier.

COMIC RELIEF chiefs in Britain were involved in urgent discussions yesterday following revelations that donations were given to an organisation run by a former IRA bomber.

MANAGEMENT of the Dublin hospital at the centre of an organ retention scandal has been accused of underhand dealings after it emerged that blanket indemnity had been sought for staff prior to an inquiry.