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Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin says his party has made "a policy decision" not to enter coalition government with Sinn Fein after Ireland's general election.Current polling shows the three largest parties - Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein - in a three-way tie. In the third of our leader interviews ahead of Friday's vote, Mr Martin told Sky News that Sinn Fein's housing strategy would "crucify first-time buyers".Politics latest: 'It's more worrying for Starmer than he thinks,' says man behind election petitionHe said: "They want to get rid of the help-to-buy scheme and the first home bridge-the-gap scheme. "If you put them together, they can give up to €80,000 to a first-time buyer.""Sinn Fein's housing policies would mean delay, disruption and higher prices at the end of the day," ...

At least six people have died in Pakistan after violence broke out during protests to free former prime minister Imran Khan.Supporters fighting for the release of Khan clashed with security services and broke through a ring of shipping containers locking down the capital Islamabad on Tuesday. Four members of Pakistan's security services and one civilian were killed when a vehicle rammed them in a street.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Another police officer died in a separate incident. Image: Four security officials and one other person were killed in a ramming attack. Pic: AP Condemning the ramming attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said an "anarchist group" was deliberately targeting law enforcemen...

Workers at a backpackers hostel in Laos have been arrested after six tourists, including a British woman, died from suspected methanol poisoning.Eight staff of the Nana Backpacker Hostel in Vang Vieng were detained for investigation. They are aged between 23 and 44. Simone White, from Orpington, Kent, was one of those who fell ill earlier this month after reportedly drinking "free shots" from a local bar and later died. Image: Simone White from Kent is one of six people who have died from suspected methanol poisoning On Friday, the 28-year-old's parents said they were "devastated by the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter".An American, two Danish citizens and two Australians have also died, following the suspect...

The government's financial sanctions watchdog has admitted it has only imposed a single £15,000 fine for evasion of Russian sanctions since they were introduced two and a half years ago.Appearing before the Treasury Select Committee, the Treasury's economic crime chief said that despite the imposition of the most far-reaching set of sanctions on any country, so far the organisation has levied only one fine. That fine, on a company called Integral Concierge Services (ICSL), was imposed in September after it was found that ICSL helped a designated person transfer and receive money. Image: The Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. File pic: Reuters Money blog: Major retailers named over questionable Black Friday dealsSo ...

A search and rescue team is "intensifying its efforts" to find 16 people, reportedly including two Britons, who are missing after their yacht capsized in the Red Sea.The 34-metre-long tourist boat Sea Story sank on Monday south of the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam with 44 people on board. Egyptian military forces, which are co-ordinating operations, have already rescued 28 people "in cooperation with a cruise ship that happened to be in the area".In a statement on Facebook, it said "the general command of the armed forces has also issued its orders to the Navy to intensify its... search operations" for 16 people who are still missing. Image: Naval forces are intensifying their search for missing passengers and crew. Pic: Egyptian Armed F...