Jon Walters has been handed the captain’s armband as Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill makes seven changes for the friendly clash with Poland in Poznan.

Luis Suarez was the inspiration as Liverpool cruised into the final qualifying round of the Europa League — and it seems Joe Allen is about to provide further cheer for the Anfield faithful.

Elliot Perlman’s historical fiction The Street Sweeper depended on Robert Nowak’s conversations with Holocaust survivors, says Caroline O’Doherty

Poland’s government insisted yesterday that rail travel is safe in the country despite a train collision on Saturday that killed 16 people.

Two trains collided head-on in southern Poland, killing at least 15 people and injuring 54, in one of the worst rail disasters in the country in recent years.

A CHARITY single for an Irish baby born without eyes and who is facing surgery every three to four months is now available for download on iTunes.

The United Nations’ torture investigator blamed Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe for banning him from entering the country today.

The United Nations torture investigator said he was barred from Zimbabwe and sent back to South Africa after a night in Harare airport.

A couple rocketed into the public eye by the antics of a former astronaut are to get married, a lawyer said.

Nasa has released more than 200 pages of emails related to the bizarre case of an astronaut accused of trying to kidnap her romantic rival.

FORMER astronaut Lisa Nowak, 44, consented to a police search of her car after she allegedly confronted a romantic rival, and she appeared in control during an interview with police, a detective testified yesterday.

A FORMER astronaut accused of trying to kidnap a romantic rival is to plead temporary insanity to the charges, according to a US court document.

FORMER US astronaut Lisa Nowak yesterday came face-to-face in court with the romantic rival she is accused of attacking after allegedly driving half-way across the United States wearing a nappy.

America’s space agency has been rocked by reports of astronauts drunk before flying and a NASA worker sabotaging a computer bound for the international space station.

A FORMER US astronaut charged with trying to kidnap the girlfriend of a space shuttle pilot did not wear nappies during her 1,500km trip to confront her romantic rival, her attorney said yesterday.

US prosecutors charged an astronaut today with trying to kidnap a romantic rival, but they declined to file an attempted murder charge against her that had been recommended by police.

A Nasa astronaut accused of trying to harm a romantic rival has entered a written plea of not guilty to a charge of attempted murder, according to court records.

The arrest of an astronaut on an attempted murder charge has not distracted the crew of an upcoming space shuttle mission, even though she had been scheduled to be part of the flight’s ground team, the shuttle’s commander said.

A former Nasa flight surgeon said today the woman astronaut accused of trying to kidnap and murder a love rival had suffered “mental anguish”.

Nasa is reviewing its psychological screening process in the aftermath of allegations that a female astronaut plotted to kidnap and kill a love rival, it announced tonight.

Freddy Adu has been warned off a move to Manchester United by his club coach in the United States.

Torture in Iraq may be worse now than it was under the regime of Saddam Hussein, the United Nations’ chief anti-torture expert said today, describing a situation where militias, terrorist groups, government forces and others disregard rules on the humane treatment of prisoners.

It was moving-in day today for the crew of Discovery, which planned to unload thousands of kilos of supplies and cargo from the US space shuttle to the international space station.

Discovery’s crew used highly sensitive cameras attached to a 15-metre boom today to carefully examine the space shuttle for any signs of damage from the previous day’s launch.

The Irish Government must search US planes landing at Shannon Airport to establish whether they are carrying terrorist suspects, an United Nations expert on torture said tonight.

THE bodies of four Polish men killed in a horrific road accident in Cork at the weekend are expected to be released by the authorities today following a fast-tracked inquest yesterday.

THE BODIES of the four Polish nationals killed in a road accident near Cork at the weekend are expected to be flown to Poland for burial on Thursday.

The UN’s torture investigator today urged America’s European allies to push Washington to close the detention centre in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Torture by authorities remains widespread in China, although it appears to be becoming less prevalent in big cities, the United Nations said today after a groundbreaking visit by a special investigator.

The European Commission said today it will investigate reports that the CIA set up secret jails in eastern Europe to interrogate al-Qaida captives.

China has agreed to allow a fact-finding mission by a top United Nations official who investigates allegations of torture.

UN human rights experts seeking to visit the US base at Guantanamo Bay said yesterday they have reliable accounts that suspected terror detainees being held there have been tortured.

CARDINALS meeting in Rome to discuss the issues facing the Catholic church ahead of next week's conclave to elect a Pope have signed a petition to accelerate the beatification of John Paul II, a report said yesterday.

Former Big Brother housemates have been arriving at hospital today to visit fellow contestant Nush Nowak, who is recovering from two leg fractures after being attacked by a mugger.