US presidents vary between authoritarian figures and nappy changers, writes Olivia Kelleher

Donald Trump isn’t the first wealthy person to run for the Oval Office. But, if elected, unique conflicts of interest could arise due to his way of doing business, writes Timothy L O’Brien

The announcement, more than half a century and 11 White House presidents in the making, that Barack Obama has decided that America will end its aggressive economic isolation of Cuba and restore diplomatic relations, ends a tyranny that diminished America by sustaining poverty— and facilitating human rights abuses in Cuba — is a victory for pragmatic decency and considerable political courage.

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Miley Cyrus has got a new tattoo in memory of her dead dog.

Millions of young people have had their futures stolen by the foolishness of our political and business leaders. At a critical time for our planet, it’s time our youth let their voices be heard, writes David Puttnam.

IT was thought, until recently, that virtually all of the world’s large animals had been discovered.

JOHN Muir, the “father of the National Parks” who “saved the American soul from total surrender to materialism”, died a century ago this year. 2014 will be marked by Muir celebrations in the US and his native Scotland. April 21 has been designated John Muir day.

Abercrombie & Fitch plunged the most in more than 21 months after forecasting profit for the current quarter that was less than analysts estimated amid declining traffic at its stores.

CELEBRATING the workers’ rights activism of Cork-born firebrand, Mary Harris, The Spirit of Mother Jones Festival takes place in the Shandon area of Cork city from Jul 30-Aug 1.

Superstitious about the number 13? You’re not alone, writes John Daly.

Named after Theodore Roosevelt in 1902, the cuddly toys are still going strong. I’ve had mine for 50 years, says John Daly

US fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch is to open its flagship store in Dublin on Nov 1.

We should use the banking crisis as an opportunity for a change of mind, says Paddy Woodworth

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt

When he died 100 years ago today, the Irish writer had not received due recognition for creating our favourite vampire, says Robert Hume

MAYBE the parallel universe exists where Joe Montana is an out-half, and not a quarterback, or where William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry is a loose-head prop rather than a defensive lineman.

US PRESIDENT BarackObama has written a book for children about inspirational Americans which is set to be released later this year.

The Democratic-controlled US Congress has approved historic legislation extending healthcare to tens of millions of Americans who lack it and cracking down on insurance company abuses.

THE controversial healthcare bill at the heart of US president Barack Obama’s domestic agenda looked set to go through late last night.

President Barack Obama lauded the US Senate’s passage of sweeping healthcare legislation and said providing coverage to most Americans would represent the country’s most important social legislation since the 1930s.

IRELAND’S co-operative movement has honoured Sir Horace Plunkett, one of its founding fathers, with the publication of a book on his life, and his immense influence on the development of Ireland’s agricultural sector.

THE challenges that Ireland faced when Horace Plunkett helped establish the co-op movement are replicated today in the current unprecedented economic downturn.

THE decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama so extraordinarily early in his presidency — less than nine months after he took office — was as unexpected as it is unprecedented.

President Barack Obama today won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

In the ‘show me’ State, actions speak louder than words, reports John Breslin in St Louis, Missouri.

RAPPER P Diddy is trying to drum up support for John Kerry with a “Vote or Die” clothing line.

WITH the American presidential election campaign about to start officially on Monday, the nightmare of Vietnam looms ever larger.

AS FORMER US President Bill Clinton rushes to finish his memoirs, he faces the more pressing task of writing a book deemed worthy of all the attention, an accomplishment no president has pulled off since Ulysses S Grant.

THE reel of the story is well-worn now, but Aidan O’Rourke’s face still lights up when reminded of the message left at each bedroom door of the Armagh team on the morning of the All-Ireland final.

With Saddam Hussein defying the American demand to quit his homeland, thousands of US and British troops, armoured vehicles and trucks advanced toward the Iraqi border today, positioning themselves to invade on short notice.