The founder of a popular Singapore church has been found guilty of misappropriating millions in donations to support his wife’s singing career in Asia before helping her break into the US market for evangelisation purposes.

Niall MacMonagle taught English enthusiastically for over 30 years but his determination to share the beauty of poetry is undimmed. He spoke to Sue Leonard about his anthology marking the 1916 Rising centenary.

Russia:

A Chinese boy whose eyes were gouged out has received implants at a hospital in southern China owned by a Hong Kong doctor who offered the operation for free after learning about the brutal attack.

BRITISH business confidence in the economic outlook plunged last month to its lowest level in three years, according to Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets, which said there was a 74% chance of a recession.

EVENTER Michael Ryan is optimistic of capitalising on his decision to switch from Blair Castle to Camphire this weekend.

A dog named Prince has become a singing sensation in China.

RICHARD Fahey is sending over a strong raiding party to the Curragh tomorrow for the opening day of the Irish Flat season.

Painted in red and draped with propaganda slogans, Vietnam's capital turned 1,000 years old in an extravagant ceremony meant to stoke nationalism and show the outside world how far this once war-ravaged country has advanced.

A police spokesman in California said today there will be an investigation into a mobile phone video that shows police officers repeatedly hitting an unarmed university student with batons and a Taser gun.

Three people were killed and seven others injured in a drive-by shooting outside a pizza restaurant where a motorcycle group was hosting an event, authorities in the Los Angeles area said today.

Jose Maria Olazabal has called for a “special” performance as his European team seek to overturn a five-point deficit to defeat Asia and extend their 100% record in The Royal Trophy.

Asia were in the ascendancy midway through the opening day’s foursomes at The Royal Trophy as Europe squandered early advantages.

ONCE-RECLUSIVE China commandeered the world stage yesterday, celebrating its first-time role as Olympic host with a stunning display of pageantry and pyrotechnics to open a Summer Games unrivalled for its mix of problems and promise.

FISH pedicures are making a splash as the latest must-do beauty treatment.

An overcrowded tour bus lost control on a slope and flipped over today in Hong Kong, killing 17 members of a local religious group and injuring 45 others.

A tour bus went out of control and crashed in Hong Kong today, killing at least 15 people and injuring 49.

Hong Kong’s communist leaders in Beijing said they would allow the territory to directly elect its own leader in 2017 and all its lawmakers after that, but critics warned China would still be in control behind the scenes.

A jailed Chinese reporter accused of leaking state secrets has joined a US lawsuit claiming Yahoo helped the Chinese government convict dissidents, his mother said today.

Europe’s overwhelming dominance over their Asian counterparts continued on the second day of the Royal Trophy as Seve Ballesteros’ team moved even further ahead following the fourballs at the Amata Spring Country Club.

Europe continued to dominate the Royal Trophy midway through the second day’s play as Seve Ballesteros’ team led Joe Ozaki’s Asian side in two of the four fourball pairings at the Amata Spring Country Club.

Seve Ballesteros’ European team gained the upper hand over the Asian counterparts in the early exchanges of the Royal Trophy at Amata Springs Country Club.

PHIL MICKELSON is trumping everyone here at Hoylake as top man for practice.

England’s Greg Owen, controversially denied a place in the Open last year, today claimed the early lead in the first round at Hoylake.

Police forces around the world are beginning to recognise bioterrorism as a serious threat despite sceptics who doubt that preventive measures are needed, the head of Interpol said in Singapore today.

Europe powered into a convincing 6-2 lead over Asia and need only two and a half points from tomorrow’s eight singles matches to win the inaugural Royal Trophy at a blustery Amata Spring Country Club near Bangkok.

Europe’s golfers made a strong start in their bid to claim the inaugural Royal Trophy but were faced with the prospect of a fightback from Asia this morning.

MITRA Gopaul has trouble sleeping. Eddie Ho has repeated flashbacks. And some children are still clinging to their parents more than a week after surviving the Air France crash on the runway of Canada’s busiest airport.

THEY cheered and applauded as the plane was landing, relieved to be on the ground after flying through severe weather and a frightening loss of power that plunged the cabin into a dead, dark calm.

They cheered and applauded as the plane was landing, relieved to be on the ground after flying in circles above the airport because of the rough weather.

Vu Ky, the long-time personal secretary and confidant of Vietnam’s revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh, has died, a doctor said.

Tee-off times in the final round of the Open golf championship at Royal St George's, Sandwich, Kent, England

THE Americans are promising democracy in Iraq, but at the same time they are saying that they are not going to allow a fundamentalist regime come to power there.

Thousands of volunteers in Hong Kong today began a massive cleaning campaign aimed at slowing the spread of SARS.

Former national coach Kim Ho believes South Korea can qualify from Group D if they make the most of home advantage.

Surgeons are still operating to separate eleven-month-old Siamese twins from Nepal who are joined at the head.