A prosperous the North needs locally-elected ministers taking key economic decisions in a stable devolved government, Bertie Ahern insisted today.

Nationalist residents groups cast doubt today over their involvement in a conference on the Northern Ireland parades issue after two of their leading spokesmen received death threats from a renegade loyalist group.

A frantic rescue operation to free casualties from a car crash in which three people were killed was hampered by attacks on police, fire chiefs said today.