Ireland will not participate at next year’s World Cup after suffering an agonising defeat to Afghanistan in their all-or-nothing encounter in Harare.

A suicide car bomber has targeted a police station in north west Pakistan, killing at least five people.

PAUL CUTLER will aim this week to build on his early-season success and keep his name very much to the forefront of the minds of Great Britain and Ireland selectors as they prepare to put together the St Andrews Trophy side for later in the summer.

Pakistani security forces killed 29 militants in two troubled tribal regions near Afghanistan today, officials said, as troops pressed on with operations aimed at flushing out insurgents who have threatened the state.