Europol is to co-ordinate a criminal investigation into the horse meat scandal

The European Law enforcement agency Europol is to co ordinate a criminal investigation into the horse meat scandal across several countries.

The European Commission has also announced the introduction of random DNA testing of processed beef products .

The commission will contribute half of the estimated €3 million cost.

The moves form part of a series of recommendations put forward after Agriculture ministers from 8 of the EU countries implicated in the scandal met in Brussels yesterday.

Farmers have welcomed the proposals.

IFA President John Bryan says tighter controls and inspections are needed and he wants food labels to be more detailed and more accurate:

Oscar Pistorius being questioned for shooting dead his girlfriend

South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is being questioned by South African police for shooting dead his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria

The body of the woman was found in the early hours of this morning at his home

South African Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius is reportedly being questioned by South African police for shooting dead his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria.

According to local media, Pistorius is understood to have shot his girlfriend in the head and arm, after mistaking her for an intruder.

Pistorius, who's known as the "Blade Runner", became the first double amputee to compete at an Olympic Games at London 2012.

Bid to stop convicted killer Catherine Nevin from inheriting husband's estate

A civil action aimed at stopping convicted killer Catherine Nevin from inheriting any of her murdered husband's estate is back before the High Court

The family of murdered publican Tom Nevin are in the High Court today to prevent her receiving any of his estate

Catherine Nevin is serving life for the murder of her husband at Jack White's pub in Wicklow in 1996.

The 61 year old maintains she's innocent and wants declarations that as his widow she's entitled to some or all of his assets under the laws of intestacy.

Family members of Tom are acting as executors of the estate are trying to stop any of it from going to her.

A woman in her 80s has been killed in a road crash in castlebar in Co Mayo.

The crash happened just after 1 oclock yesterday when she was knocked down by a HGV on the Ballinrobe to Castlebar Rd(N84) at Aughadrina

She was taken by ambulance to Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar where she was later pronounced dead.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses

Report shows austerity hasn't worked in worst hit EU countries

The survey, commissioned by Caritas, will focus on the experiences of people living in Ireland, Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

It shows high levels of poverty and deprivation as a result of austerity policies being pursued in those countries and challeneges the official discourse that the worst of the crisis is over.

It comes after a CSO report yesterday showed almost a quarter of the population here experienced two or more types of enforced deprivation in 2011.

The findings of the Caritas report will be published in full by MEP Nessa Childers at an event in Dublin later this morning.