Bolivia's neo-liberal political parties have regained control of the South American country's Congress after a general strike put an end to the government of President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada. The parties agreed to formalise Sanchez de Lozada's resignation, his exile to Miami and the election of Vice President Carlos Mesa as the country's new president.

One of Ireland's biggest religious orders clashed today with an organisation representing victims of child abuse after denying it has been responsible for widespread abuse.

When journalists and photographers wake up to a 7am announcement of an election date, there can be no denying the palpable buzz of excitement this creates. And when this happened on Tuesday and more of the day's events began to unfold, it did indeed look as though front pages the following day would read along the lines of `Historic Tuesday for the North'.

The IRA apologised today to the families of the ``disappeared''.

It was confirmed on Monday that the remains found at Shelling Hill beach in County Louth were those of Jean McConville, who was killed by the IRA in 1972. Despite the IRA's efforts, the remains of six others who suffered a similar fate have never been recovered.

The IRA said it was sorry for the grief caused to family members for so long. It also insisted it had re-examined all available information and even revisited burial sites, in an attempt to find remains.

The IRA said it had acted in good faith and would continue to do so. The statement said: ``Our intention in initiating our investigation has been to rectify this injustice, for which we accept full responsibility.

``During the course of all of these searches we have continued to process all information that might assist in any way. So far the remains of four people have been recovered. We will do all that we can to bring closure for the other families.

``If further information comes to light we will assess and process that information,'' the IRA said.

A spokesman for Gen de Chastelain's Independent International Commission on Decommissioning confirmed the general and his fellow commissioners would resign if forced to reveal the extent of IRA arms moves without its agreement.

There was further pressure on a government TD last night after the Mahon tribunal heard claims he took a 2,000 pound bribe in the bar of the Irish parliament.

Efforts resumed today to rescue a deal with the potential to revive the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, with the Irish and British governments coming under pressure from both Sinn Féin and the Ulster Unionists.

Two separate petrol bomb attacks on prison officers' homes have benn blamed on unionist paramilitaries.

Senior Irish police ignored a clear warning about the 1998 Omagh bomb to protect an informer, according to a Sunday newspaper report.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has paid tribute to veteran republican John Kelly who has announced that he will resign from the party and not seek re-election to the assembly.

Certainty, and the lack of it, is concerning nationalist and unionist negotiators as the ingredients of a potentially historic deal to bring about the full and final implementation of the Good Friday Agreement are being put in place.