& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Irish PM announces resignation

ATP, Dublin
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who has come under growing pressure over alleged financial irregularities, announced Wednesday that he would stand down next month.
The 56-year-old. re-elected for a record third term last year after overseeing a decade-long economic boom, denied any wrongdoing but said he did not want the charges to distract the focus of government
"It is my intention to tender my resignation to President Mary McAleese by Tuesday 6 May, " he told a hastily-arranged press conference in Dublin.
"I know in my heart of hearts that I've done no wrong and wronged no-one," he said. "I want everyone to understand...never in all the time I served in public life have I ever put my personal interests ahead of the public good"
DunngAhem's period in office at the head of three coalition governments, the country has experienced unprecedented prosperity as a result of the so-called Celtic Tiger economic boom
With former British prime minister Tony Blair, he helped steer British-ruled Northern Ireland from decades of violence to the peace process, the landmark 1997 Good Friday agreement and the setting up of a crosscommunity power-sharing administration in Belfast
Ahem has come under increasing pressure as a result of revelations at a three-judge Mahon Tribunal investigating planning corruption and payments to politicians.
Opposition leaders planned to question Ahem about his finances when the Dail (lower house of parliament) resumes after the Easter recess onWednesday
The tribunal, which has been sitting since 1997, is investigating an allegation — strongly denied by Ahem - that he received payments from a property developer between
1989 and 1992.
The popular premier, nicknamed the 'Teflon Taoiseach' after his Gaelic title and because allegations against him have never stuck, is having to defend details of his finances and the source of payments that are being uncovered by die tribunal.
In an analysis of the Mahon hearings, the Irish Times said that the total value of lodgements and other transactions that have to date been queried by the tribunal exceeds 886,000 euros (1,387,000 dollars) in today's terms, applying the consumer price index for the period 1994 to 2006
Ahem has been leader of the centrist Fianna Fail party since 1994 and has been prime minister since June 1997.
He was first elected to the Dail in 1977 for the north city Dublin-Finglas constituency and in 1981 moved to the Dublin Central constituency, which he has represented ever since.
He has been elected 10 times in 31 years.
After his election victory last year, Ahem said that he expected his Finance Minister Brian Cowen, who he described as a man with a "brilliant mind" and a "great colleague," to succeed him
Cowen stood at Ahern's right as he had read his statement Wednesday.