An appeal brought by Brian Kearney against his conviction for the murder of his wife Siobhán at their family home will be heard by the Court of Criminal Appeal later this year.

Brian Kearney tonight began a life sentence for the murder of his wife Siobhan with her family saying in an emotional statement he ceased to be human when he killed her.

A Rottweiler mix who was stranded on an ice flow in a New Jersey river has been adopted by one of the firemen who came to his rescue.