Forget being tired in the ring, Ireland’s newest world champion, Limerick boxer Andy Lee, must be exhausted with his seemingly endless homecoming.

Chinese film director Zhang Yimou and his wife have paid more than $1.2m in fines for having three children in violation of China’s strict family planning rules.

Track and field is an all-consuming sport to compete in at a high level.

Rebecca Adlington, former Westlife star Kian Egan and 'EastEnders' actress Laila Morse are among the contestants taking part in this year's 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'

An Irishman was crowned world Speedgolf professional champion on Sunday at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon.

It’s been a week of contrasting fortunes for Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan.

The United Nations has cancelled a planned marathon in Gaza after the Palestinian territory’s Hamas rulers banned women from participating.It was a new attempt by the Islamic militant group to impose its ideology inside the crowded coastal strip.

The former chief executive of the Food Safety Authority, Patrick Wall — who was prominent in the recent burger horsemeat controversy — is to become chairman of Horse Sport Ireland.

Jimmy’s winning matches with incremental marginal gains

It’s a long way from the cop on the bike to the electronic beat on the street — or maybe it’s just a shift in gear.

BEFORE there was a Twitter, camera, or even a telegraph, the results of the Olympics were transmitted via carrier pigeon.

'The Simpsons' will broadcast a special Olympics episode.

SIXTY IRISH Olympic athletes will participate in London this summer.

European cross-country champion Fionnuala Britton has secured her second Olympic 'A' standard for London 2012 by beating the 10,000m mark by 16 seconds.

AM I the only one who is slightly losing track of the allegations and counter allegations being made at the top of world football?

KENYAN Olympic marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru died in a fall from a balcony after a domestic dispute involving his wife and another woman, police said.

Kenyan Olympic marathon champion Sammy Wanjiru died in a fall from a balcony after a domestic dispute involving his wife and another woman, police said today.

Lewis Hamilton is to work with a new full-time trainer over the course of the forthcoming Formula One season.

China is considering an emergency plan to tackle a traffic jam crisis enveloping the capital Beijing.

UCC DEMONS are next in line to attempt to break 11890 Killester’s stranglehold on the Nivea for Men Superleague, but they will have to do it without the services of Niall O’Reilly when they host the defending champions at The Mardyke Arena on Sunday.

IRISH boxing fans will see Ken Egan as they never saw him before when he lines out for Miami versus Los Angeles in World Series of Boxing (WSB) clash tonight.

Usain Bolt will only step up to the 400metres if it is what he needs to become an athletics legend – but is in no danger of losing his hunger for shorter sprints.

THE father of tragic Olympic boxer Darren Sutherland says he can’t see any reason why his son would take his own life and is waiting for answers from a London coroner’s report.

IF YOU are one of the thousands of Irish fans who have travelled to Sunderland supporting the Black Cats in the Premiership, you may have met Tony Jeffries, the British boxer who faces Kenny Egan in an Olympic light heavyweight semi-final tomorrow night.

Irish fencer Siobhan Byrne has qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics by winning the silver medal at the European qualifying tournament in Istanbul this evening.

CHINA will be stricter on foreign performers after Icelandic singer Bjork shouted “Tibet! Tibet!” at the end of her concert in Shanghai this week, the government said.

Mia Farrow has praised Steven Spielberg's decision to leave his position as artistic director for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

IRISH property company China Real Estate Opportunities Limited has seen its property holdings in China increase in value to €872.4 million, an increase of €70m in just six months.

There was double disappointment for Irish boxers in the early hours of this morning after Darren Sutherland and John Sweeney bowed out of the 2007 AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers at the last 16 stage at the University of Chicago in Illinois.

The top US diplomat in Burma was summoned today for rare talks with the hardline government a day after its leader announced a conditional offer to meet detained democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

Richard Gere today called for China to address its human rights record ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The Irish men’s lightweight four (M4-) of Paul Griffin (Muckross), Richard Archibald (Lady Victoria), Eugene Coakley (Skibbereen) and Cathal Moynihan (Neptune) placed sixth in their semi-final of the Rowing World Championships in Munich this morning to progress to Saturday’s B final where they will race for Olympic qualification.

The Irish men’s heavyweight four (M4-) of Alan Martin (NUIG), Sean Casey (Muckross), Cormac Folan (NUIG), and Sean O’Neill (St.Michael’s) placed sixth in their semi-final of the Rowing World Championships in Munich this morning to progress to Saturday’s B final (places seven to twelve) where they will race for Olympic qualification.

Backpacks, caps and other products for the 2008 Beijing Olympics are being made in Chinese factories that use child labour, a report said.

China’s ruling Communist Party, reeling from a corruption epidemic that has seen senior party chiefs jailed around the country, warned today that the fight against graft was a long way from being solved.

IRELAND’S top female triathlete has been tragically killed while training in France.

Work on a shooting range for the 2008 Beijing Olympics has been suspended after the discovery of imperial-era tombs on the site, newspapers and an antiquities official said today.

Steven Spielberg will join filmmaker Zhang Yimou in designing the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Ireland men’s coach Dave Passmore has been appointed high performance director for the Irish Hockey Association.

Simon Lewis

Two of Ireland's top athletes, Alistair Cragg and Gillian O'Sullivan, will be missing from August's World Championships in Helsinki due to injury.

IRELAND’S showjumpers climbed out of the relegation zone in the Samsung Super League yesterday, when placed fourth in the Nations Cup at Rotterdam.

A Chinese airline will sign an order for five Airbus A380 superjumbos on Friday.