Britain’s biggest companies are beset by doubts about the future after last month’s vote to leave the EU and have slashed their investment plans, according to a survey that bodes poorly for the UK economy.

American-born Katherine Boucher Beug, tells Mark Ewart about her move into sculpture

Two powerful cyclones have hit northern Australia, knocking out power to thousands, tearing roofs off houses and prompting coastal residents to flee their homes.

Australia’s main domestic security agency has raised the terrorist threat level against police from “medium” to “high” in response to recent international attacks targeting officers.

A post office robber who held a knife to the throat of a customer and threatened to slit her throat while on bail has had his sentence increased.

St Andrew’s claimed their fourth All-Ireland Schoolboys title, their experience proving too much for Wesley College in yesterday’s final at Lisnagarvey.

Rock veterans The Rolling Stones returned to where it all began as they posed outside a recreation of the venue of their first ever gig, half a century on.

Two loyalist supergrasses were interviewed 330 times by police before their evidence was used in a trial, the North's justice minister said today.

Loyalist leader Mark Haddock was cleared today of the murder of paramilitary rival Tommy English 12 years ago.

A judge is today due to deliver his verdict in the murder trial of loyalist leader Mark Haddock and alleged members of his paramilitary gang.

Thousands of Australians were forced to abandon their homes yesterday as a record deluge swept through areas still reeling from last year’s devastating floods, claiming its first life.

OLYMPIC silver medallist Nick Willis (New Zealand) earned the coveted American Trophy for the best performance of the meet after winning the 1,500m at Cork City Sports at the CIT Stadium in Bishopstown in Cork on Saturday.

Bill Wyman has reunited with his former Rolling Stones bandmates for a new tribute album.

Strong winds and driving rain began buffeting north-east Australia today as one of the country’s biggest storms arrived.

Authorities scrambled to airlift hospital patients from the path of a cyclone roaring towards waterlogged north-eastern Australia today and urged residents to flee potentially deadly flash floods.

A strong tropical cyclone was roaring towards flood-ravaged areas of Australia today, sparking evacuations and warnings from officials that the storm could be the worst the region has ever seen.

Floodwaters washing through Australia’s third-largest city crested today just shy of levels residents had feared most but high enough to submerge entire neighbourhoods and cause damage one official likened to the aftermath of war.

Rescuers raced today to reach people trapped on roofs after a flash flood hurled a tsunami-like wall of water through Australia’s waterlogged east, tossing cars like toys, killing at least eight people and leaving 72 missing.

Military planes were flying food and other supplies toward a major city being slowly swamped in Australia’s flood emergency today, and police were increasing patrols in evacuated regions amid reports of looting.

IRELAND’S Martin Fagan will go head-to-head with Great Britain’s Mo Farah in the SPAR European cross-country championships at the Santry Demesne on December 13.

A SHERIFF has said he was pursuing criminal charges in Colorado’s “balloon boy” saga, which first sparked fear for the child, then relief and now suspicions of a hoax.

Police searched the home of the parents of Colorado’s “balloon boy” early today after the sheriff said he was pursuing criminal charges.

Two-thirds of financial chiefs among the UK's top 350 companies believe the worst impact of the credit crunch is yet to come, it emerged today.

THE managing director of The Limerick Leader newspaper, Joe Gleason, will retire at the end of April. Local man Brian Deegan will take over.

GARDAÍ yesterday confirmed they were investigating how a man escaped from custody in a garda station last week.

A PRISONER who escaped from a Tipperary courthouse managed to slip out of his handcuffs before running out of the building, chased by gardaí.

Gardaí were tonight still hunting for a convicted armed robber who has been on the run from prison for over four days.

A man who had escaped from prison guards while visiting his ailing mother in a Dublin hospice has been arrested.

Gardaí have released a photograph of the escaped prisoner they are hunting after he escaped from custody on Sunday.

PRISON officers were told to keep a dangerous criminal, who escaped during a visit to his ill mother, in handcuffs, the head of the Prison Service said yesterday.

WITH a violent criminal on the loose, it is astonishing that the authorities have not released a picture of this dangerous man.

A prisoner whom Gardaí say could be dangerous is still at large this morning after escaping from custody yesterday afternoon.

Bank of England has raised interest rates five times since November to cool a consumer spending boom that has fuelled Britain’s longest period of uninterrupted growth in at least 200 years.

Maria Mutola and Kelly Holmes will race at the Norwich Union International in Glasgow on January 24.

THE European Central Bank raised its economic growth and inflation forecasts for 2004 as higher global demand spurs a recovery in the eurozone.