A teacher who spoke out about teacher pay at a school board meeting in the US was handcuffed by a law officer as she screamed on the floor while the officer tried to gain control of her in a brief struggle.

Shares in CRH rose 3% after the building-materials giant announced it was to buy a leading US cement manufacturer for $3.5bn (€2.93bn).

US president Donald Trump has renewed his attacks on e-commerce giant Amazon, saying the company is "doing great damage to tax paying retailers".

US technology companies are bringing automation and robotics to the age-old task of battling mosquitoes in a bid to halt the spread of Zika and other mosquito-borne maladies worldwide.

At least 20 people have died after violent storms and tornadoes tore through south-eastern US states.

It is estimated internationally that 6% of the wells the frackers bore through the rock will leak, writes Victoria White.

On Wednesday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny walked the streets of Dublin’s north inner city.

Investors searching for the next big thing are increasingly being drawn to the US commercial marijuana business.

A fox owner in the US has posted a heart-breaking tribute to his beloved pet after he passed away.

Former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm walked out of a Dublin court smiling yesterday after he was released on bail pending his fraud trial.

In light of the defeat of a bill in England, the debate concerning assisted death for terminally ill people shows no signs of being resolved any time soon, writes TP O’Mahony.            

Van Morrison has celebrated his 70th birthday with once-in-a-lifetime concerts on the east Belfast street he immortalised in his masterpiece Astral Weeks.

THERE are too many cormorants on the Columbia River between Washington State and Oregon, say US federal officials. Richard Collins says there's no need for a cull.

Canada’s highest court has unanimously struck down a ban on doctor-assisted suicide for mentally competent but suffering and “irremediable” patients.

Pope Francis says it is OK to smack your children to discipline them – as long as their dignity is maintained.

With over 700 inmates on death row, San Quentin warden Jeanne Woodford argues it’s time to remove the death penalty, writes Bette Browne

Not so long ago, someone who said they were off to vape with their bae while discussing the indyref would have been accused of talking gobbledegook.

The 15ft, 1,000lb beast is the largest ever killed in the state and had to be lifted with a digger.

A hard-hitting attack by a UN monitoring body on cannabis legalisation in Uruguay and within the US has been criticised by a drug law campaigner here.

A woman arrested in Pennsylvania for murder claims she has killed more than 20 people in several US states.

I urge the people of Ireland, especially country people, to resist fracking to the death, because if they frack a small island like yours there will be no water to drink.

Ireland is to recognise same-sex marriages formalised in six other countries.

THE Pecan Yellow finally has to go in the bedroom. It’s only been three, short, frenetic years.

The Christian Brothers has been urged to mediate settlements with survivors of historic sexual abuse instead of fighting cases in the courts following a landmark deal in North America.

Events celebrating marijuana in the US this weekend are expected to draw tens of thousands as crowds test the limits of new laws permitting its use by adults.

Big Tobacco is proving notoriously hard to stub out but legal changes, excise hikes and the illicit trade are hurting it, writes John Hearne

Authorities in two US states are wrestling with the practicalities of legal marijuana use after voters approved historic legislation for recreational use.

A leading US financial services company is to more than double its workforce at its Mid-West operation.

President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney are embarking on a travel-heavy week through battleground US states, with both campaigns wrangling over unrest in the Middle East and who is best equipped to rejuvenate the economy.

Republican presidential hopefuls are preparing for the crucial Super Tuesday primary and caucus votes in 10 US states.

A nine-year-old boy has appeared in a US juvenile court accused of accidentally shooting a classmate.

Rhythm & blues legend Etta James has been remembered at a service attended by hundreds of friends, family and fans as a woman who triumphed against all odds to break down cultural and musical barriers in a style that was unfailingly honest.

WITH another breeding season in the offing, Horse Sport Ireland chairman Joe Walsh has reiterated calls for the greater use of thoroughbred blood.

WITH another breeding season in the offing, Horse Sport Ireland chairman Joe Walsh has reiterated calls for the greater use of thoroughbred blood.

PEOPLE with weak immune systems or underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of infection from fish pedicures, British experts have warned.

RAW milk has also become controversial in the US.

AN Irish woman in the final stages of multiple sclerosis has been effectively blocked from travelling to Switzerland with a close friend following claims she was seeking to die by assisted suicide.

IRISH whiskey is the fastest growing brown spirit in the world with global sales growing 10% each year.

Severe flooding has hit three US states, with emergencies being declared in Arizona, California and Nevada.