A Boeing 737 airliner crashed in the Russian city of Kazan yesterday, killing all 50 people on board and spotlighting the poor safety record of regional airlines that ply internal routes across the world’s largest nation.

A wealthy Russian banker was in a coma under armed guard in hospital tonight after being gunned down in a suspected assassination attempt.

BERNARD DUNNE just can’t wait for Saturday night’s version of the Odessa File when he touches gloves with Ukrainian southpaw Yuri Voronin at the National Stadium.