Rory McIlroy woke up Friday morning ready to go to work, unaware that his day job had been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

A brutal winter storm has dumped snow, sleet and freezing rain up the south-east seaboard of the United States, delivering snowy conditions some cities had not seen in decades.

A father in the UK who fought a long-running legal battle over taking his child on a term-time holiday was today found guilty over the unauthorised trip.

THE ruling by Britain’s supreme court yesterday that a man was wrong to take his daughter out of school to take her to visit Disney World will have those in the travel industry who increase prices for school holiday time periods popping the champagne corks. 

He just may be the most realistic dreamer or the most idealistic realist in Gaelic football.

Federal investigators are examining possible motives for the massacre of 49 people in a Florida nightclub - the worst mass shooting in modern US history.

Scotland: Singer Gloria Gaynor has praised the policeman who entertained a pub crowd with her hit song ‘I Will Survive’ after being called in to deal with a brawl.

A man who refused to pay a fine for taking his six-year-old daughter out of school for a family trip to Florida has won a ruling in his favour at the British High Court today.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

This will melt even the coldest of hearts.

The happiest place on earth may not live up to its name if you try to bring a selfie stick in from June 30th. Disney announced that selfie sticks will be banned from its theme parks, citing safety concerns.

ENGLAND: A millionaire US lawyer embroiled in a High Court cash battle with his fifth wife is fighting to keep his hands on his second Steinway baby grand piano.

Anyone who has been following the news should know by now that we're not going to get another Avatar film for at least a few years yet. But the next best thing might be Avatar Land.

These US pensioners got a lovely treat as their nursing home treated them to an unusual trip to Disney World.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is the most popular spot in the world to take a selfie, according to new statistics.

No one's slick as Gaston, no one's quick as Gaston...

Of all the Disney characters to challenge to a push up contest, why would you pick Beauty and the Beast’s Gaston? Why not Goofy? Or Pinocchio?

This little boy has a very special wish list.

A man accused of killing his five children was an ex-convict whose homes were visited by social workers a dozen times in the past three years.

A man recently exonerated in a 1989 New York City killing that happened while he was visiting Disney World filed papers outlining plans to seek $162m (€119m) from the city, one of his lawyers said.

A man exonerated over a 1989 New York killing that happened while he was visiting Disney World plans to sue the city for $162m dollars.

It was a state visit that changed the state of relations between Ireland and Britain for good. Here are some things we noticed along the way.

Screened in over 200 countries, Super Bowl will be lapped up by well over 100 million Americans for whom it has become as symbolic of their country as Apple Pie.

A holiday apartment building in Florida is collapsing into a sinkhole that opened up under the building.

Looking dapper in a tiny tan pinstripe suit and orange shirt, a two-year-old boy with only weeks to live served as the best man for his parents’ Pennsylvania wedding.

The inquiry into the Chile mine collapse that trapped 33 men for more than two months has ended with no charges filed, drawing angry responses from the rescued men.

Antonio Banderas will star in a movie as one of the 33 Chilean miners trapped deep underground for more than two months in 2010, and the charismatic survivor he’s playing couldn’t be happier.

Tom Cruise celebrated his daughter Suri's birthday early.

Tom Cruise thinks his children will follow in his footsteps.

Tom Cruise has hired a private jet for Suri.

Luke Donald was widely applauded a year ago in becoming the first player in a season to be number one in both Europe and the US but he’s now in absolute awe at the ease Rory McIlroy is repeating the effort this year.

Tom Cruise is planning to spend Christmas Day with his daughter Suri.

The winner of Britain’s second biggest Lottery jackpot said he joked to his wife that he had not bought any tickets.

Aspiring writers can avoid the traditionally tougher routes and publish their books themselves. Cover prices are lower but royalties can be generous, says John Hearne

ONE of the first aspects on the agenda of Horizon Sports Conor Ridge in managing the affairs of Rory McIlroy has been to curb the ‘madness’ of his client’s heavy end-of-season schedule.

World number one Luke Donald has officially withdrawn from next week’s HSBC Champions world championship in Shanghai to be home for the birth of his and his wife's second child.

MOVIEGOERS pining for a return to the lush moon of Pandora in James Cameron’s film Avatar will finally get their chance — first-hand.

David Arquette admits he acted in a “childish” way following his split from Courteney Cox.

Courteney Cox had to tell estranged husband David Arquette he didn’t have a ticket for the “ride” when he tried to hit on her.

Courteney Cox and her estranged husband David Arquette have taken their daughter to Disney World.

Michael Douglas plans to attend the Golden Globe awards next month.

The eldest son of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff was found hanged in his Manhattan apartment on the second anniversary of the day his father was arrested in the worst investment fraud in American history.

LIKE most little boys, Joseph Kirk, 7, is cock-a-hoop at flying off to Disney World in Florida for a dream holiday.

INVESTIGATORS were yesterday trying to discover the cause of a fatal crash on the Disney World monorail in Florida.

Investigators were today trying to discover the cause of a fatal crash on the Disney World monorail in Florida.

Troy Matteson used a pair of eagles to vault to the top of the leaderboard at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic after the first round today.