Government software supplier Lagan today announced that it was included in the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards, a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Ireland. Placement is based on average percentage revenue growth over five years. Lagan grew 254 per cent during this period to record its highest ever revenue of over £15 million in the last year. The award marked the ninth consecutive time Lagan has been included in this prestigious assessment of company growth.

Two suspected cases of swine flu in Scotland have been confirmed as positive and both individuals are now recovering at Monklands Hospital in Lanarkshire.

A BBC survey of English regions published today shows that the spending cuts would affect Northern England and the Midlands most. The study conducted by Experian states that Middlesborough would face the worst impact of the spending cuts followed by Mansfield, Notts and Stoke-on-Trent.

The Home Secretary Theresa May yesterday confirmed that a panel would review Britain's extradition policies.

A panel would be appointed to explore five key areas of extradition including the controversial US-UK extradition treaty as well as the European arrent warrant. The review would consider whether other countries would be required to provide more evidence before an extradition is authorised along with whether judges should have the power to block extraditions for crimes committed in Britain.

This review could sway the fate of Gary Mckinnon, the computer hacker, who had hacked into secure US defence systems. Mr. Mckinnon suffers from Asperger's syndrome and is wanted by the US for violating their national security computer systems which could land him in jail in the US for sixty years, if he is extradited.  Currently, the Home Secretary has granted Mr. Mckinnon a temporary reprieve.

"I am fully aware that there are a number of areas of the UK's extradition arrangements which have attracted controversy in recent years," the Home Secretary said yesterday.

"This government is committed to reviewing those arrangements to ensure they work both efficiently and in the interests of justice."

The UK - US extradition treaty is considered to be unfair by many as the evidence required to extradite someone from Britain to the US is far less than when similar requests are made by UK authorities.

The Home Secretary got support from one of her predecessors, David Blunkett, who expressed concerns about the extradition treaty between the two countries.

Human Rights group Liberty welcomed the move by Ms. May.

"Britain's rotten extradition system is in urgent need of overhaul and we welcome this much-needed review," Shami Chakrabarty, Liberty's Director said.

"No one should be parcelled off to a foreign land without due process or when they could be dealt with here at home - people in the UK have been vulnerable to accusation and transportation across the globe for far too long."

First Minister Alex Salmond today set out the Scottish Government's priorities for the final year of the parliamentary term and beyond.

MEPs want the employment rate in the EU to be increased to 75% by 2020, with a particular focus on vulnerable groups.

The Social Justice and Local Government Minister, Carl Sargeant, has increased rates relief for business in Wales. From 1st October 2010 until 30 September 2011 at least half of businesses in Wales will not pay business rates.

In a cabinet meeting today, the Irish Government decided to split the Anglo Irish Bank into two parts: a Funding Bank and an Asset Recover Bank.

The European Finance Ministers in a meeting yesterday endorsed a new system of a "European Semester", which would enable a system of mutual oversight of each other's budget.  UK wins exception.

The House of Commons backed the coalition government's plan to cap redundancy pay at 12 month's salary or 15 months for voluntary redundancies by 326 votes to 244.