Corkwoman Mary Elmes was awarded Israel’s highest honour for saving countless Jewish children from deportation to Nazi concentration camps during WWII. Less well known is her work helping to feed over 80,000 French schoolchildren who faced near-famine conditions. In an area of southwest France the size of Munster, all of the children knew her name...

French riot police and firefighters have cleared a Paris ring road at rush-hour.

Tommaso Allan knows the routine.

Our quick guide to tonight's television.

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of northern Bilbao calling for an amnesty that would allow Eta prisoners to serve out the remainder of their sentences in their native Basque region rather than in jails further afield.

The older brother of the Toulouse gunman who killed seven people has said he is "proud" of Mohamed Merah's actions.

EVERYBODY we meet this past couple of days is interested in either a) getting to San Sebastian for Munster v Biarritz in one of the Heineken Cup semi-finals or b) getting to Toulouse for Leinster v Toulouse in the other semi-final.

French police have arrested the suspected leader of Basque separatist group ETA as part of cross-border raids, Spain’s Interior Ministry said today.

THERE’S probably quite a few rugby players who will look back on their careers filled with pride but there’s not many folks who can say that they’ve hounded and harried Frodo Baggins and Ronan O’Gara in the same breath.

FRENCH and Spanish police arrested the reputed leader of ETA’s commando units yesterday — dealing a massive blow to the armed Basque separatist group, officials said.

A senior member of the Basque separatist movement said the arrest of 23 of his fellow party members amounted to a “declaration of war” by the Spanish government.

“The guys are buzzing, getting stuck into each other (at training) as though it were the French game.”

BASQUES have always been different. Ever since they appeared in southwest France and northeast Spain 40 centuries ago they’ve been regarded with puzzlement.

BASQUE separatist group ETA yesterday declared a permanent ceasefire after almost four decades of bombings and shootings in Spain during its campaign for independence.

CAVE drawings thought to be older than those in the famed caves of Lascaux have been discovered in a grotto in western France, officials from the Charente region said yesterday.

Cave drawings thought to be older than those in the famed caves of Lascaux have been discovered in a grotto in western France, officials from the Charente region said today.

President Jacques Chirac was travelling to Airbus headquarters in southwest France today to congratulate the European team behind the maiden flight of the A380 superjumbo jet.

The Airbus’ A380, the world’s largest passenger plane, took off successfully on its maiden flight today, a milestone for aviation and for the European aircraft-maker’s battle with American rival Boeing.

Spanish police seized explosives allegedly belonging to the armed Basque separatist group ETA following a search today in the northern town of Hernani.

Two of Spain’s most wanted alleged terrorists and at least 16 other suspected members of the armed Basque separatist group Eta were captured today in a vast French-Spanish police operation, authorities said.

Police arrested five suspected members of the Basque separatist group ETA in northern Spain today, news media reported.

At least eight people were killed when a bus and a van crashed on a main road in southwest France today, officials said.

French police arrested the alleged military leader of the banned Basque separatist group ETA today, police said.

Heavy rain pounded southwest France today with landslides destroying roads and homeowners barricading their homes against flooding.

More than 100,000 people marched today to protest at Spain’s worst ecological disaster.

FRANCE'S Atlantic coast could be swamped with oil from the sunken tanker Prestige within days after high winds tore up an oil slick out at sea, authorities said yesterday.

THE arrest in France of two suspected leaders of the outlawed Basque separatists ETA significantly weakened the armed group, Spainish justice minister Angel Acebes said yesterday.

Spain was today poised to ban the Basque separatist party Batasuna, widely seen as the political wing of the terrorist group Eta.

An accused Basque terror leader escaped from a high-security Paris prison by switching places with his brother during visiting hours.

An accused Basque terror leader escaped from a high-security Paris prison by switching places with his brother during visiting hours.

CONNACHT have received a major boost with the announcement that coach Steph Nel has signed a new three-year contract.

French police say explosives, machine guns and rocket launchers found today are one of the biggest arms caches belonging to Basque separatists uncovered in 20 years.

A package bomb has exploded in southern Spain.

Two car bombs exploded today at popular resorts on Spain’s Costa del Sol, injuring four British tourists, one seriously.

A petrol powered toy car blew up after a toddler had taken it into his grandmother’s car in a Basque resort today, killing the woman and leaving the boy blind and with brain damage.

A toy car carried by a toddler to his grandmother’s car exploded in a Basque resort town today, killing the woman and injuring the child and his brother.