A man who was caught trying to communicate with a child for sex by a vigilante “sting” operation has been jailed for six months.

The High Court has reserved its decision in a challenge brought by a Garda Sergeant aimed at halting an internal investigation against him over his alleged homophobic treatment of a female colleague.

Five civilians and one soldier from the US-led coalition were killed when a suicide bomber attacked a military convoy as it drove through a town in southern Afghanistan, officials said today.

A lone gunman opened fire with an assault rifle inside a crowded mall in upstate New York, critically wounding one person before running out of ammunition and being subdued by employees.