Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney cruised to victory in the Nevada caucuses today, notching a second straight triumph over a field of rivals suddenly struggling to keep pace.

The doctor charged over Michael Jackson’s death will make an initial court appearance today with Los Angeles police preparing to deal with crowds of the singer’s fans.

A US state proposal to levy a $5 tax on sex acts in brothels died in a state Senate committee.

Barack Obama literally came out swinging as he took centre stage at a Las Vegas baseball stadium in a bid to woo voters in the key battleground state of Nevada.

Nevada regulators have shut down Silver State Bank, in the 11th failure this year of a US government-insured bank.

The number of US homes heading towards repossession more than doubled in the first quarter from a year earlier, as weakening property values and tighter lending left many owners powerless to prevent them from being auctioned to the highest bidder, a research firm said today.

Republican Mitt Romney won Nevada's caucuses today, while John McCain and Mike Huckabee competed in the South Carolina primary, two races likely to reduce the crowded field of US presidential rivals.

WASHOE, a female chimpanzee believed to be the first non-human to acquire human language, has died of natural causes at a Washington state research institute.

A British team in the US will try to break the speed record for electric-powered cars weighing more than 2,200 pounds, using a vehicle that has 52 batteries and no mechanical gears.

Just five teams remain in the Nevada Bobs Inter-Society match play tournament for the Cork area. Wellington Road, Stryker Howmedica and Dennehys Cross are into the semi- finals and await the winners of the Flannery’s Bar/Novartis B tie.

Mike Tyson will be granted a Californian boxing licence without a hearing, paving the way for his projected double-header with Lennox Lewis on June 21 in Los Angeles.

Northern Irish electricity group Viridain has sold its 50% stake in telecom business Nevada tele.com to its partner in the joint venture Energis, which now owns 100% of the business.

Mike Tyson’s lawyers will pore over the legal implications of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s decision to deny the former world heavyweight champion a licence to fight in Las Vegas.

Data Electronics is to acquire the complete assets of the Wolfe Group.

The High Court yesterday approved the appointment of accountant Aidan O'Connell of Deloitte & Touche as provisional liquidator of the Wolfe Group.