Bandon’s Phil Healy gets Irish interest underway at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade today and she, like the rest of the Irish team, will need to be at her best to advance past the first round.

Ireland has one realistic medal chance as 567 athletes from 49 countries line up for the 34th European Indoor Championships, which start tomorrow in Belgrade.

Youghal’s Aoife Cooke was surprised with an excellent victory at the GloHealth Novice and Uneven Ages Cross Country Championships in St Augustine’s College in Dungarvan yesterday.

Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin will renew their battle for World Championship gold this afternoon after the pair cruised into today’s 200 metres final (1.55pm Irish time, live on BBC2).

The DUP has retained its position as the largest party in the North, but the UUP is arguably celebrating harder after landing two surprise wins in the General Election.

The wife of the North's First Minister Peter Robinson has been found guilty of a "serious breach" of a politician's code of conduct over her business dealings with a teenage lover.

Bullets have been sent to the homes of two political representatives in Northern Ireland.

Bullets have been sent to the homes of two political representatives in the North.

Police in the North are treating the death of a 91-year-old man in a house fire in Co Down as a suspected arson attack.

Kelly Proper was the star of the Woodies DIY national track and field championships taking three gold medals in Santry Stadium.

Police are hunting criminals who racked up bills of more than £10,000 (€11,700) by hacking the phones of Northern Ireland businesses, it was disclosed today.

More attacks have been carried out on the non-sectarian Alliance Party during a night of violence in the North.

The Irish women’s 4x400m relay team got a timely boost on the eve of the European championships when they dominated the women’s 400m in Nivelles, Belgium, at the weekend.

George Best Belfast City Airport has dropped an application to extend its runway, airport authorities said.

Derval O’Rourke’s glory shot at the World Indoors in Istanbul ended in the semi-finals of the women’s 60 metres hurdles – not even a season’s best could progress the former world indoor champion to the final.

This weekend's World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Istanbul are surely going to whet the appetite in terms of what lies ahead for the rest of the year.

New technology that examines in forensic detail the movements of Derval O’Rourke as she scales hurdles has allowed the Cork woman to highlight an injury that affected her performance at the recent Irish indoor championships, while also giving her the best possible preparation for the upcoming world indoor championships in Istanbul (March 9-11).

A man's body has been recovered from Belfast Lough today.

Derval O’Rourke had a grin of satisfaction after reclaiming her 60m hurdles title at the Woodies DIY Irish indoor championships at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast yesterday in 8.21 secs — modest by her standards.

Pop star Rihanna got her marching orders after a farmer in the North objected to her peeling off her clothes while filming a new video on his land, it was disclosed today.

ONE of the major drawbacks facing a TV sports reporter was once revealed to me by Stephen Watson from the BBC.

Two young girls have been rescued in North Down after they became stranded on rocks.

HOUSE prices in the North continue to tumble, with the average value of a house dropping below £150,000 (€175,616) for the first time in five years.

FORMER Northern Ireland international Keith Gillespie has been declared bankrupt, it was revealed yesterday.

Skin cancer rates in north Down are more than double those in other parts of the North, it was revealed today.

Reg Empey is expected to stay on as Ulster Unionist leader following a meeting of senior members tomorrow.

Peter Robinson received unanimous backing from Democratic Unionist members of the Northern Ireland Assembly today following the loss of his East Belfast Westminster seat.

THE leaders of Northern Ireland’s two main unionist parties were last night fighting for their political lives after the DUP’s Peter Robinson and the Ulster Unionists’ Reg Empey suffered humiliating defeats.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s only MP resigned from the party today and announced her intention to stand in the general election as an independent.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s sole MP Lady Sylvia Hermon today said she will “weigh up her options” after refusing to fight the next election under a joint banner with the Conservative Party.

THE hockey season kicks back into gear tomorrow with the Irish Senior Cup looming into view for most clubs, after an enforced month-long absence.

Unionist voters in Northern Ireland were told today they could strengthen ties with Britain by backing the Conservative Party’s new political platform in the region.

The chairman of an Ulster Unionist association in the North is joining the DUP, he announced today.

The North’s first 50-metre Olympic-sized swimming pool will be heated by burning waste wood dumped on council amenity sites in North Down, it was revealed today.

Ratepayers in the North could reported be facing a 10% hike in their rates bills in the next financial year.

A former policewoman has been awarded £55,000 (€69,402) compensation after claiming she was victimised by senior officers, it was revealed today.

US President George Bush’s one-day trip to the North cost British taxpayers more than £300,000 (€376,000) in policing costs, it emerged tonight.

Cricket Ireland have this afternoon released a squad of 13 for their InterContinental Cup clash with the Netherlands next week.

ATHLETICS action at the weekend centred on the 46th running of the KitKat Tailteann Schools’ Interprovincial Championships in Santry on Saturday and the Woodie’s DIY Junior and U23 Track and Field Championships yesterday in Tullamore.

A man was critically injured last night when he was struck by a train.

A man was critically injured tonight when he was struck by a train in the North.

TRACES of precious metals such as gold and platinum have been discovered in Northern Ireland, a geological study of the country’s natural resources has found.

Northern Ireland could be sitting on a goldmine, geologists revealed today.