Taoiseach Brian Cowen will travel to Copenhagen today for the final two days of the UN Climate Change Summit.

POLICE fired pepper spray and beat protesters with batons outside the UN climate conference yesterday, as disputes inside left major issues unresolved just a day before world leaders hope to sign a historic agreement to fight global warming.

US president Barack Obama lobbied Olympic leaders to give the 2016 Games to his home town Chicago, saying the US "is ready and eager to assume that sacred trust".

Madonna was lampooned on stage at the MTV Europe Music Awards as she failed to take a single prize – despite being nominated for three titles.