Italy's Paolo Bettini capped a turbulent week by retaining his rainbow jersey in the elite men's road race at the cycling world championships in Stuttgart, Germany on Sunday.

Slovakia's Peter Velits won the men's under-23 crown at the cycling world championships in Stuttgart, Germany on Saturday.

THE formal ratification of Robert Splaine as chef d’equipe to the senior show jumping team may not take place until January, as the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) has not scheduled an executive meeting until the New Year.

A man who published a study that he said proved the Nazis did not gas Jews at Auschwitz was deported from the US to his native Germany today to serve a prison term for Holocaust denial, Stuttgart prosecutors said.

A FULL-TIME chef d’équipe for the senior Irish show jumping team is expected to be appointed this month.

PORSCHE plans to buy 20% of Volkswagen’s shares to prevent a hostile takeover of Europe’s largest carmaker and strengthen the companies’ partnership.

US forces stationed in Europe will increasingly shift their stance towards Africa and the former communist eastern bloc countries as they move to a more agile force countering post-Cold War threats such as terrorism, Nato’s top European commander says.

PETER USTINOV, a brilliant wit and mimic who won two Oscars in an eclectic acting career has died. He was 82.

Squeezed out of sanctuaries elsewhere in the world, Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror group may be looking to the deserts and jungles of Africa as a haven to train recruits and plan new attacks, the deputy head of US forces in Europe says.

Tight security was enforced across Europe tonight on the eve of the anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the US.

US and British warplanes bombed air defence systems in northern Iraq today in response to anti-aircraft fire within the no-fly zone.

Robbie Williams had to grin and bear it when he attended the world premiere of his new film Nobody Someday.