Snooker legend Alex ’Hurricane’ Higgins struggled to cope with the fame and fortune thrust upon him at a young age, a memorial service heard today.

Stephen Hendry’s bid to equal Steve Davis’ record of six Maplin UK Championship titles hangs by a thread after a disastrous opening session against Mark Allen at Telford.

New Saga Insurance Masters champion Ronnie O’Sullivan paid tribute to his opponent Ding Junhui last night, after crushing him 10-3 before a raucous crowd at the Wembley Arena.

IT’S a venture into the unknown for Dubliner George Tracey, who competes in the Swedish Rally, the second round of the World Rally Championship, that begins today.

United States special envoy to Northern Ireland Richard Haass was having talks in Dublin today with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Foreign Minister Brian Cowen.

Most people will have found Ian Paisley’s personalised attack on Brian Cowen this week as offensive. In many ways we can’t claim to be shocked. Paisley has been known for outburst likes these for nearly four decades.

THE Irish and British governments last night agreed plans for an all-out push to restore the North’s power- sharing Executive.