The Manhattan skyline provides the backdrop to this week’s showpiece event on the North American circuit as the fourth staging of the the Rolex Central Park Horse Show gets underway at the Wollman Rink today.

Ireland are set to field their strongest show jumping team of the season so far for the Swedish Nations Cup at Falsterbo on Friday.

Ireland’s show jumping manager Rodrigo Pessoa was understandably disappointed after last Friday’s seventh-place finish in the five-star Nations Cup at St Gallen in Switzerland, even though it was one of the dispensable ones in his calendar.

The securing of maximum points is the target of manager Rodrigo Pessoa as Ireland’s show jumping team begin their competitive season in the five-star Nations Cup at La Baule, France this Friday.

"If he falls down, I’m gonna help him.”

Recently released CCTV footage shows the moment inmates in a Texas jail broke out of their cell - to raise the alarm that a guard had collapsed.

An investigation has been launched after a man in his 70s died after the boat he was on with a fishing party capsized, leaving 10 people in the sea for five hours.

In the years that it took to develop the submarine as a weapon of war, many military strategists thought the idea fanciful.

USA: A 40-year-old woman tackled a 20-year-old man fleeing from police in Washington state, then taunted him about being taken down by a grandmother.

Yes, that is Pharrell Williams. And he was very 'Happy' to meet our lads (sorry).

Hostile spectators cursing, shouting and weeping behind them, 15 crew members from a sunken South Korean ferry appeared in court to enter pleas on charges of negligence and failing to save more than 300 dead or missing passengers.

The first Irish equines exported to China under a ground-breaking protocol signed last July arrived last Monday.

South Korea’s prime minister resigned yesterday over the government’s handling of a ferry sinking that has left more than 300 people dead or missing and led to widespread shame, fury and finger-pointing, blaming “deep-rooted evils” in society for the tragedy.

Man saved by firefighters with just seconds to spare - this is like something out of a movie.

It is strange that so much publicity has been given to An Post’s mistake in issuing a stamp with the wrong image of Capt. Jack White, one of the founders of the Citizen Army.

US soldier Bradley Manning took the stand during his sentencing hearing for leaking classified material to WikiLeaks and apologised for hurting the United States and others.

For most riders, the thrill and examination provided by the cross-country is the main attraction in eventing, and Vittoria Panizzon is not alone in finding that the dressage element lacks the same excitement.

A supermarket employee wearing military clothing opened fire at the store early today, killing two of his colleagues then himself.

Cian O'Connor brought his Olympic bronze medal winning horse Blue Loyd out for this evening's Longines Grand Prix climax to the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show, and took home €30,000 for a third place finish.

A shortlist of 10 riders and 11 horses has been put together for Olympic consideration by Team Ireland Equestrian’s eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot.

A huge fire on Kenya’s tallest mountain is stampeding big game animals down the slopes to safety.

The cemetery where Whitney Houston was laid to rest has been closed to the public indefinitely.

The search for survivors of the cruise ship disaster was suspended today as the vessel shifted on its rocky perch off the Tuscan coast.

Passengers rescued from the cruise liner that crashed into rocks off Italy spoke today of their shock as the ship’s captain was placed under house arrest.

The Costa Concordia death toll rose by two tonight – as the captain of the stricken vessel blamed the navigation systems for the grounding.

An Irish couple who were on board the stricken cruise ship that ran aground off the Italian coast have described the terror that unfolded as the liner keeled over.

The best way to go into 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' is to think of it as the first film in a brand new franchise; a franchise in which mermaids love men, zombies won't eat you and a Fountain of Youth exists, but all laws of logic, reasoning and competent storytelling don't.

A NUMBER of inquiries have been launched after three men were injured when a passenger ferry being loaded on to a cargo ship fell 40 feet into the water.

A gun in a US student’s backpack went off when he dropped the bag, wounding two students at his high school, police said.

Billy Twomey chalked up his second win at Barcelona's five-star show today in the fourth competition of the weekend.

CAPTAIN GEOFF CURRAN and eventing high performance manager Ginny Elliot are confident the Army officer’s mount, The Jump Jet, will be fighting fit for the Alltech World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

A flotilla of US and South Korean warships led by a nuclear-powered supercarrier have begun the military exercises that enraged North Korea.

The vote winner in Iraq’s parliamentary elections said today he wanted to negotiate with all parties to form a government that can restore Iraq’s place in the Arab and Muslim world.

The US airline crew that overshot their destination by 100 miles had no idea anything was wrong until one of the cabin crew told them, investigation papers released today reveal.

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has named the Irish squad for the European Eventing Championships in Fontainebleau, France.

Two Co Armagh soldiers have broken a Guinness World Record for running – in the blazing heat of the southern Afghanistan front line.

French forces captured 11 pirates in a raid on a supply ship off the coast of Kenya today as attacks and counterattacks raised tensions in one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

Pirate hostages were feared at risk of a violent backlash from their captors today in the wake of the successful freeing of an American merchant captain.

Cork is set for a new ferry link with Britain from early June, it was claimed today.

DESPITE a comprehensive nine points triumph over Laois last weekend, the Cork senior football selectors have made a number of changes for Sunday’s NFL Division 2 clash with Wexford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

A pilot guided a light plane and his five passengers to a safe landing in shallow waters in northern Australia today – and walked away with his baggage.

Details of the calm manner in which the Hudson River jet crash captain handled the emergency were revealed today.

Jessica Kurten made her visit to the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show more than worthwhile today when she scooped the €42,000 first prize in the Longines Grand Prix with Lady Georgina Forbes's mare Castle Forbes Libertina.