There has been a near 50% increase in the space of 12 months in the number of people using their mobile phones to browse for purchases online.

A referendum on an Irish Language Act should be held in the North this summer, three former Belfast Agreement negotiators have said.

A report has revealed a slowdown of growth in online sales in Ireland in August.

Britain: An orangutan called Rocky has outperformed Sylvester Stallone in the movie of the same name by displaying an ability to emulate human speech.

He stands in the northbound lane of Vietnam’s Highway 1, traffic swirling around him, horns honking.

Not for the first time this decade, Tipperary are setting themselves up to be the feelgood story of the football season.

Tipperary showed tremendous composure to finish strongly and book their place in a first ever Eirgrid All-Ireland U21FC final.

Ciarán Ó Lionáird believes he has nothing to lose going into the 1500m showdown for a plane ticket to Zurich at the GloHealth National Track and Field Championships in Morton Stadium this weekend.

When Michael Cusack founded the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1884 he had two main aims: to re-establish hurling as the national game and to promote athletics throughout the country.

’SELFIE’ BAN

Ballyboden St Enda’s advanced to the to the Dublin SFC quarter-finals following a controversial win over Kilmacud Crokes on Saturday.

Nothing was going to derail Robert Heffernan’s goal of winning the world 50km race walk title yesterday — not even his own team-mate knocking him down while driving behind him on a 40km walk at a high altitude training camp in Ifrane, Morocco back in April.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has hit out at republicans who have refused to give evidence at the Smithwick tribunal into IRA-Garda collusion.

Government funding cuts, inability to reclaim Vat and restrictions on bulk buying force schools to rely more on parents to stay open, school managers have said.

Dublin 3-12 Kerry 1-10

Dublin advanced to the semi-finals of the All-Ireland MFC following a facile 11-point victory over Monaghan at Páirc Esler, Newry last night.

Dublin will aim to record successive provincial titles when they encounter near neighbours Meath in the Electric Ireland Leinster MFC final at Croke Park tomorrow (2pm).

Laois may have accounted for initial favourites Dublin in the first round, but very few outside their own camp are giving them any chance of overcoming Kilkenny.

Strong wind at Santry Stadium played a telling factor on Day One of the 2012 Woodies DIY National Track and Field Championships today.

Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness will meet the Queen of England next week and shake hands in an historic first for the North's peace process, the party confirmed.

Cork City Sports chairman Tony O’Connell yesterday described the entry list for next month’s event as “shaping up to be the best” in the event’s history.

It may be the Olympics but don’t expect the world.

THE splendour of their performances in Leinster led many to attach All-Ireland-winning credentials to this Dublin minor football team and in Portlaoise yesterday they offered more persuasive evidence they can this year land the county’s first national crown at this level since 1984.

Old Belvedere 25 St Mary's 19

UK O2 Arena guru David Campbell is to join forces with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone in the new year.

Tottenham and West Ham today became the official would-be tenants of the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games.

CLONTARF followed Cork Constitution’s lead in the AIL Division 1B at Castle Avenue on Saturday, defeating nearest rivals Buccaneers to retain leadership of their section.

DIVISION 1A: St Mary's College 53 Shannon 0

Outgoing Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey today formally confirmed he will step down as the party’s figurehead next month.

Hurdling star Derval O'Rourke warmed up for her Barcelona bid by securing her eighth national title in the 100m hurdles on the final day of the Woodie's DIY National Senior Track & Field Championships in Santry.

PAUL HESSION will open what he has described as his “big year” in an unusual setting for a sprinter when he lines up for the 100m at the Great City Games on a specially laid track on the streets of Manchester’s Deansgate on Sunday week.

DICK HOOPER, Ireland’s Marathon Man, will be at his old stomping ground, St Anne’s Park in Raheny, tomorrow to present the prizes for the Dublin City Council/BHAA road races when the programme will be comprised of a men’s four-mile race and women’s two mile race.

PORTUGUESE detectives failed to ask for any follow- up investigation after a girl resembling Madeleine McCann was caught on CCTV in New Zealand, it emerged yesterday.

DERVAL O’ROURKE continued her preparations for this month’s world indoor championships in Doha with a season’s best in Norway on Saturday.

Two Balbriggan cousins who launched a violent attack on their uncle and his partner in front of the couple’s young children have been sentenced to three years in jail, with 18 months suspended.

DAVID CAMPBELL makes a quick return to competitive running in Germany next Saturday when he lines up for an onslaught on the 1,000m.

THOMAS CHAMNEY is named on the Irish team in both the 800m and 1,500m for the world athletics championships in Berlin, ruling out arch rival David Campbell, who had been hoping for the 800m berth.

ASK any successful writer how they got their first book deal and you will hear a different story.

Paul Hession, the big draw on the second and final day of the Woodie's DIY Senior Track and Field Championships in Santry, was forced to withdraw from the 100 metres today due to illness.

David Gillick warmed up for the forthcoming World Championships by claiming the 200 metres title at the Woodie's DIY National Athletics Championships at Morton Stadium this afternoon.

MIDDLE distance fans could be in for a double treat at the Woodies DIY national track and field championships at Santry’s Morton Stadium tomorrow with the possibility of a head to head between Thomas Chamney and David Campbell in both the 800m and the 1,500m finals.

THE race may not have lived up to its billing but Ireland’s David Gillick won’t complain about that after finishing third behind the Olympic champion, LaShawn Merritt (USA) in the 400m at last night’s Super Grand Prix meeting in Monte Carlo.

ALISTAIR CRAGG last night delivered a lacklustre performance when finishing last in the 3,000 metres at the IAA Golden League Track and Field Meeting in Paris.

PAUL HESSION may have lost his winning streak but he maintained his form in Lucerne last night where he finished fifth in the 200m in 20.75 secs.