36 year old Stephen McFaul, from west Belfast, made contact with his family at around 3pm.

Earlier a group of up to 25 foreign workers managed to escape from their captors. 

However a number of other hostages at the gas field are understood to have died along with some kidnappers after the Algerian army launched an airstrike on the site.

The electrical engineer has worked in various parts of Africa for the last decade. 

The Taoiseach is defending the handling of the horse meat contamination controversy.

Enda Kenny is insisting the issue has been properly handled by the Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and officials at his Department.

The Taoiseach says the matter is being dealt with very clearly and very comprehensively with the results of further tests due later today.

A Councillor has slammed a local authority for providing social housing in a mixed community to a traveller family instead, he would like all travellers to be isolated.

Donegal hotelier and Fiana Fáil councillor Sean McEniff is opposed to the purchase of a house in Ballyshannon, by Donegal County Council, at a cost of €230,000 which he claims will be used to house 13 members of a traveller family.

Cllr McEniff is also taking issue with the benefits he says are being given to travellers, alleging they are left better off than people who work and struggle to meet everyday expenses.

Cllr McEniff said that travellers should be grouped together, and given houses away from others.

Fianna Fáil has branded the special Cabinet meeting on jobs today as a "PR stunt".

Ministers are meeting to discuss job creation measures, with each Department asked to come up with specific ideas to boost employment.

It comes as workers stage a sit-in at HMV in Limerick, after the company went into administration in Ireland yesterday.

An employee is suing Dunnes Stores for a shoulder injury allegedly caused by falling on spilled olive oil.

Eileen Monahan of Beneavin Road, Glasnevin claims she's lost €143,000 in income and medical expenses as a result of the accident at the Ilac Centre in Dublin in December 2006.

The High Court has heard Dunnes Stores is fighting her claim and will argue immediate steps had been taken to clean the oil spillage from the floor and cordon off the area.

The 54 year old department manager has given evidence she returned to her job last April after two operations but has limited movement in her left arm.

She alleges that Dunnes was 'quite hostile' to her requests to be redeployed to less physical work.