Severe storms that caused destruction across southern US states have claimed at least 18 lives on a two-day sweep across the region.

Culture is a word and a concept that gets bandied around with some abandon in modern sport.

Jason Coniry last year gave thanks for surviving cancer by standing and paddling on a board for an arduous 13km from Monkstown to Cork as part of the Ocean to City Race.

The number of ministerial trips abroad for the traditional St Patrick’s Day celebrations have been cut by two thirds this year in the wake of the collapse of the Fine Gael-Labour coalition.

We can imagine plenty of letters like this could have been exchanged around the nation today.

It’s a scenes that every household in Ireland could relate to this morning - trying to juggle school, job and family life while refreshing your four/five devices for those all important Bruce Springsteen tickets.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has said he thought Tiger Woods had “actually died” after hearing reports of the golfer’s demise this week.

Some of the stranger stories from around the globe

ENGLAND: Police have been mocked on social media after appealing for information about a stolen towel.

David Sweat, one of two New York state inmates who escaped from prison three weeks ago, was rushed to a local hospital yesterday after being shot by police near the Canadian border, two days after his accomplice was killed, according to media reports.

The weather may have made it feel more like January than June for Royal Ascot trials day at Naas yesterday, but there were plenty of clues on offer for those who braved the wind and rain, not least in the shape of Anthem Alexander.

Comedian Reginald D Hunter admits his recent BBC documentary made him reassess his homeland, writes Richard Fitzpatrick.

USA: Authorities say an Orlando man panicked after robbing someone of a phone and shot himself while fleeing the scene and eventually flagged down a deputy for help.

Mario Cuomo, the son of Italian immigrants who became an eloquent spokesman for a generation of liberal Democrats during his three terms as governor of New York — but could not quite bring himself to run for president — has died.

Mario Cuomo, the son of Italian immigrants who became an eloquent spokesman for a generation of liberal Democrats during his three terms as governor of New York - but could not quite bring himself to run for president – has died.

A 17-year-old boy has died in a suspected shark attack on the coast of Western Australia.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has told the British High Court he felt like "a performing monkey" as he built up his restaurant empire while father-in-law Christopher Hutcheson was "up to no good" in the office.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has told the British High Court he felt like "a performing monkey" as he built up his restaurant empire while father-in-law Christopher Hutcheson was "up to no good" in the office.

The wife of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has told a judge of her “extremely distressing” discovery that her father and brother were “systematically defrauding” her husband.

Nearly Nama’d is fancied to beat Darwins Fox in the four-runner Le Grande Chase at Navan this afternoon.

As we move from outdoors in after a pleasant summer, we need to face the clutter that has been easy to ignore. Kya deLongchamps offers some tidy solutions.

PET PRODUCTS

FRANCE: Paris hopes to persuade couples to end the tradition of fixing padlocks to the River Seine’s ageing bridges, and instead upload hashtagged selfies to a website dedicated to enduring love-

SKELETONS IN CLOSET?

How lovely of him!

Richard Fahey has a slight worry that Weatherbys Super Sprint favourite Realtra may not be quite quick enough as his star filly drops back down to the minimum distance at Newbury this afternoon.

GAMBLE BACKFIRES

Bookmakers finally clawed back some of the losses from what had a been a punter-friendly Royal Ascot as the six races on day four of the showpiece meeting failed to produce a single winning favourite.

New York’s Michael Bloomberg had riches and a can-do spirit, but after 12 years he had outstayed his welcome, says Jim Dwyer.

A US animal rights group has filed what it said is the first lawsuit seeking to establish the “legal personhood” of chimpanzees.

Ihtimal will aim to break her maiden in today’s German-Thoroughbred.com Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket.

US authorities have accused two New York men of assembling a portable X-ray weapon that they intended to use to secretly sicken opponents of Israel.

A final decision on Magician’s participation in the St James’s Palace Stakes will be made on Sunday after the colt sustained minor bruising following a knock on Thursday, Coolmore said.

Plans remain fluid for vanquished Epsom Derby favourite Dawn Approach.

A New York woman has pleaded not guilty to five counts of child endangerment after other parents complained that she hired female strippers for her son's 16th birthday party.

The state which rushed the nation’s toughest gun control measure into law after the Connecticut school shootings is carving out an exemption to make sure film and TV producers can stage running gun battles on Manhattan streets.

Thousands of gun advocates gathered at state capitals across the US to protest against stricter limits on firearms.

After the euphoria of the Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy had the victory rug unceremoniously dragged from under him on the opening day of the Turkish Airlines World Golf final in Belek.

A two-year campaign to enforce the derelict sites act in Kerry’s county town is also targeting unfinished housing sites along with well-established eyesores.

Dawn Approach will head to Royal Ascot in two weeks, for either the Coventry Stakes or Chesham Stakes, with an untarnished record, following his 4/9 success in the listed Alfred Nobel Rochestown Stakes at Naas yesterday.