Shoe-bomb plotter Saajid Badat admits he was once in the thick of al Qaida’s plans, winning a hug from Osama bin Laden for his quest to blow up a US plane in mid-air.

Fishing authorities have moved to ease fears over the presence of the world’s second largest trawler in Irish waters — the same vessel which has been banned by Australia from fishing in its waters.

It’s in Boston instead of Castlebar where a number of Kerry officials and its football greats find themselves this weekend, pressing flesh with the county’s diaspora.

IT IS a simple transaction. Men pay and women sell their bodies in towns and cities up and down this country.

TWO Danish pensioners are recovering in West Cork after a “voyage of a lifetime” almost turned to tragedy.

WHILE deriving a degree of satisfaction from winning the Irish Professional Championship for the sixth time and the third year in a row, at the European Club on Saturday, Pádraig Harrington admitted that he’s “still clutching at straws” with regard to getting his game into shape for a successful defence of the Open Championship at Turnberry this week.

A group, formed to save the coastguard station on Valentia, has launched a stinging attack on Junior Minister Dick Roche, claiming “he hasn’t a clue about marine matters”.

FINE GAEL Agriculture and Food spokesman Denis Naughten has called on the Government to take immediate steps to support the food industry.

Indonesia will establish a tsunami warning system in its most earthquake-prone region by the end of the year, a government scientist said today.

An 11-year-old's idea to clear up oil spills in the sea has been hailed as a breakthrough by experts.