Queen’s University in Belfast established a series of formal link-ups with Chinese universities today as part of a £2.3m (€2.6m) research programme.

Teen star Rory McIlroy notched two wins on the opening day of the Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy in New Zealand.

A test has shown that a Japanese animal slaughtered in August carried BSE, confirming the first known case of the deadly brain-wasting illness in Asia.