Britain’s economy could fall back into crisis if the government abandons its austerity programme, finance minister George Osborne said yesterday as he raced against the clock to finalise the latest round of departmental cuts.

The Brian Lordan-trained newcomer Outlawed Tunes hinted that a bright track career lies in wait by destroying the opposition in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at yesterday’s Waterford Foxhounds point-to-point meeting at Lisselan outside Tramore.

The British Army has apologised to the family of a man shot dead 40 years ago.

BRITAIN’S army said the death of an Iraqi detainee in Basra had cast a “dark shadow” over its reputation, after an inquiry found he suffered “gratuitous violence” at the hands of soldiers.

BASRA took a step towards self-rule yesterday after British troops asked a local tribal leader to set up a body to lead the population. The local sheikh, who has not been named, has been enlisted