Presidential hopeful Barack Obama picked up momentum in the tight Democratic race today as he got the support of an influential backer of rival Hillary Clinton and another prominent civil rights leader openly discussed a switch.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the White House has suffered another blow with one of her congressional black supporters switching allegiance to rival Barack Obama.

Up to 80 jobs will be created by the establishment of a new global research and development centre in Belfast, it was announced today.

HEN HARRIERS are in the news. As Gordon Deegan reported in The Irish Examiner last week, the developers of a €10 million windfarm in Co Clare have been asked by the Department of the Environment to incorporate measures to protect harriers.

The experienced Irish hockey trio of striker Gordon Elliott and goalkeepers Wes Bateman and Nigel Henderson have all announced their international retirements.

IRELAND have arrived in Rome ahead of their European Nations Trophy campaign which begins on Sunday.

The US army swept through the Iraqi city of Mosul today after after an insurgent strike on a military base killed 22 people and injured 72 in one of the deadliest attacks on American troops since the war began.

The US military launched an investigation today into the cause of a devastating blast in a mess tent at a base in northern Iraq which killed 22 people and injured 72 in one of the deadliest attacks since the start of the war.

IRELAND’S new senior men’s hockey coach sees no reason why World Cup and Olympic Games qualification cannot be realistic goals during the coming four years.

Channel 4 deputy chief executive David Scott today announced he was leaving his post.

IRELAND have been relegated to Division B of the European Junior Ladies’ and U21 Men’s Championships for 2005 and 2006 following the conclusion of their respective championships at the weekend.

IRISH coach David Scott has to plan without his U-21 talent, but will welcome the return of five experienced internationals for a three-game series with Belgium in Brussels later this month.

DSS has won the contract to supply Dublin Institute of Technology with its infrastructure requirements on the HP platform for the next three years.

CORK Church of Ireland had an unexpected reversal of fortunes at the European club championships in Prague yesterday when they went down 3-2 to the Ukrainian side Kolos Vinnitsa in their opening game.

A homeless man has been murdered after he was attacked while he slept rough in the doorway of an off-licence, police said today.