Some may say it’s barking mad, but dog owners in Co Cork could become the first in the country to be fined for not clearing up their pet’s poo if a new DNA database is introduced by the local authority.

Lionel Asbo:The State of England

BRITISH prime minister Gordon Brown voiced outrage yesterday at the brutal abuse of a baby boy and a local authority’s failure to spot his fatal ordeal, as the case escalated into a political row.

A British headmistress who stole up to £500,000 (€715,000) from her school to fund a Champagne lifestyle was jailed for five years today.