A FORMER British Army paratrooper whose dog mauled a woman to death avoided jail after admitting that he kept his animal in a cage more than six inches shorter than the dog.

THE popular US clothing outlet Abercrombie & Fitch is to open a European flagship shop in Dublin this year.

The landlord of murdered Joanna Yeates remained in custody this morning after British police were granted more time to question him about her death.

Boxing manager Frank Maloney was being treated for a suspected heart attack today after finding one of the sport’s most promising young fighters hanged in his flat.

KENNETH EGAN stepped off the Olympic podium with silver, but the 26-year-old Dubliner was left with bittersweet feelings after losing 11-7 to the Chinese champion, Xiaoping Zhang, on a decision that had “hometown” emblazoned all over it.

KENNETH EGAN will meet Xiaoping Zhang of China in the light heavyweight boxing final tomorrow (8.50am), when he hopes to emulate fellow Dubliner, Michael Carruth, by winning the Olympic gold medal.

British middleweight James DeGale has acknowledged his losing run against Ireland's Darren Sutherland - but insists that it will be different this time.

The British Olympic Association has confirmed that British light heavyweight Tony Jeffries will fight Irish boxer Ken Egan as scheduled at the Olympics tomorrow.

IF YOU are one of the thousands of Irish fans who have travelled to Sunderland supporting the Black Cats in the Premiership, you may have met Tony Jeffries, the British boxer who faces Kenny Egan in an Olympic light heavyweight semi-final tomorrow night.

KENNETH EGAN will climb into the ring next Tuesday just one fight away from an Olympic medal and, like it or not, he will be favourite to take the bronze medal — at least — away from Beijing, following a very impressive 10-2 victory over the Turkish light heavyweight, Bahram Muzaffer, for a place in the quarter finals.

Actor Kiefer Sutherland was sentenced to 48 days in a US jail after being arrested for drunken driving for the second time in three years.

SUNDERLAND is a deceptive place.

Arsonists who set fire to a block of flats today may have been racially motivated, police believe.

Six people were rescued after a suspected arson attack on a block of flats today.

ANTI-WAR campaigners protested in Cork Harbour last night over visits by American warships.

Troubled rapper Lil' Kim has been slapped with another legal hassle: two songwriters claim she owes them cash.

The Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal is in talks to play the leading role in Goal! A planned trilogy of films about a young footballer’s rise to stardom.

A British schoolboy today admitted sending a letter apparently containing a deadly poison to Prince William.

AS the Avon Tyres British Formula 3 Championship enters the final third of the season at Oulton Park this weekend, results are becoming more crucial.