Gloucester 17 Stade Francais 25: Gloucester let an early 10-point lead slip to go down to Stade Francais at BT Murrayfield as they failed to impose themselves in the European Challenge Cup final.

That an election is coming soon is no secret. All that is now a secret is exactly when it will happen.

I have just fulfilled a lifelong ambition to visit the great forest which stretches from eastern Poland deep into Belarus. The huge expanse of broadleaved and conifer trees, known as Bialowie´za, is now a national park and a Unesco World Heritage site.

In the ‘30s, up to 40% of the New York Police Department (NYPD) was Irish or of Irish descent. Now that figure has fallen to under 100 Irish immigrants. One of them, Finglas man Luke Waters tells Cormac O’Keeffe what it’s like on one of the toughest beats in the world

USA:

The wife of US secretary of state John Kerry is in critical but stable condition in a hospital in Massachusetts.

The global food giant Heinz, which famously makes beans and tomato sauce, has been bought for $23bn (€17.2bn) by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and Jorge Paulo Lemann’s 3G Capital

AT THE height of the Roman Empire, herds of wild cattle roamed Europe.

A professional poker player from Germany has won an $8.7m jackpot in Las Vegas.

The Foxes Come at Night, Cees Nooteboom. Maclehose Press, £12.

DUNDALK are heading for Bulgaria next Thursday after seeing off CS Grevenmacher at Oriel Park last night to book a Europa League second qualifying round tie against Levski Sofia.

BOOKS on friendship and bonding are important for the very young who have begun mixing with their peers at pre-school.

TWO men were charged in connection with an attack on a retired couple living on the banks of the Shannon.

BUSHRANGER, a trifle unlucky at Royal Ascot, was taken from 9-2 to 7-2 in the Dubai Duty Free Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh yesterday and did the business in fine style.

Heinz officials are to meet farmers’ market representatives who are urging a boycott of one of the company’s soup brands.

Alex Ferguson has reported a clean bill of health for Manchester United’s top-of-the-table clash with Bolton tomorrow.

DANDY MAN confirmed he is the best sprinter this country has produced for a while with a scintillating display in the Listed King Of Beers Stakes at the Curragh yesterday, writes Pat Keane.

Troy beauty Diane Kruger has reportedly struck up a romance with Gwyneth Paltrow's ex-boyfriend and ketchup heir Chris Heinz.

A war of words has broken out between Jamie Oliver and the makers of Heinz baked beans.

Alex Ferguson could be forced to give Gabriel Heinze his Manchester United debut at Bolton on Saturday even though the Argentinian has not met most of his new team-mates yet.

CELTIC have been warned the value of Marek Heinz has doubled following his success with the Czech Republic at Euro 2004.

Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner claimed his team did not want to be given the tag of tournament favourites as they prepare for tomorrow’s Euro 2004 quarter-final with Denmark at the Estadio do Dragao.

Teams for Holland v Latvis and Germany v Czech Republic

Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner is set to rest some of his biggest names for tomorrow night’s Group D clash with Germany in Lisbon.

Czech Republic 3 Holland 2

Holland coach Dick Advocaat left out Rafael van der Vaart and Bolo Zenden from the team which drew with Germany on Tuesday in their opening Group D match.

Czech Republic 2 Latvia 1

Czech Republic 2 Latvia 1

SOCCER star Roy Keane’s personal fortune has jumped from €29 million to €37m in the last year, while Chelsea’s Damien Duff is now worth €9m.

Hearts defender Alan Maybury is the surprise choice in the Republic of Ireland side which line up for the friendly against the Czech Republic at Lansdowne Road tonight.

WITH a surname straight from the heartland of Ireland, most Americans could have been forgiven for thinking that Senator John Forbes Kerry of Massachusetts is another in a long line of Irish-American politicians who have made it big in Boston.

THE growing popularity of low-carbohydrate diets such as Atkins has hit sales of Heinz frozen foods.

ONE COOL CAT stamped himself a very exciting juvenile with an effortless success in the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

ANTONIUS PIUS, backed as if defeat was out of the question, got a delightful drive from Michael Kinane to land the Group Two Anheuser Busch Railway Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

THE Arrows team has announced it is parting company with lead driver Heinz Harald Frentzen and this could open the door for the German to return to the Jordan team next year.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen has quit the Arrows Formula One team due to the “uncertainty” surrounding the cash-strapped team.

Geri Halliwell says she feels like a real woman now and much better than she did as a Spice Girl.

Heinz has cut its forecast for second-quarter earnings per share.

Eddie Jordan has defended his sacking of the man he rates as one of the nicest guys in Formula One.

The Schumacher brothers today ganged up on Eddie Jordan as they came out in support of compatriot Heinz-Harald Frentzen following the German’s shock sacking.

Eddie Jordan today quashed speculation surrounding the future of driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen by confirming he will race for his Silverstone-based team next year.