Not quite free of its troika handcuffs, the Government is reasserting its sovereignty by backtracking on the privatisation of key State assets and very few, if any, are complaining.

Electricity bills could be cut by up to 10% if the ESB were allowed to drop its prices below those fixed by the energy regulator, the company said today.

The international branch of the ESB and UK firm Scottish and Southern Energy have joined forces to develop a new €575m power station in England.

The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior today again blockaded a British military port in an attempt to stop supply ships bound for the Gulf from leaving UK waters.