Dundee, Hull, Leicester and Swansea Bay have been named as the four cities left in the running to become the UK’s next City Of Culture. They are competing to receive the title for 2017, following this year’s chosen city, Londonderry.

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Hofesh Shechter’s ‘Political Mother Derry-Londonderry Uncut’

A Bloody Sunday – but a beautiful 2013 as City of Culture Derry hosts this year's Turner Prize

Derry is this year’s City of Culture, but the nerve centre of the celebrations will forever be associated with its troubled past

Win a family surfing break in Cornwall

Courtesy of Dove® Men+Care

Pedro lifts pressure on Spain with only goal in Paris against France

World Cup qualifiers round-up

A view of the conditions at Windsor Park

World Cup qualifier: Northern Ireland v Israel match preview

A look ahead to tonight’s World Cup Qualifier at Windsor Park, Belfast

Lough Erne will be host to leaders including Obama, Merkel and Putin

Bomb defused near G8 summit resort

A car bomb was made safe in Co Fermanagh this weekend not far from the luxury Lough Erne golf resort in Northern Ireland where this June's G8 conference of world leaders is due to be held. Dissident republicans were last night considered the prime suspects.

Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier postponed again

A second attempt to play Northern Ireland's World Cup qualifier against Russia has been aborted due to bad weather in Belfast.

Fabio Coentrao scored after an Israeli goalkeeping error

Israel 3 Portugal 3 match report: Fabio Coentrao comes to Portugal's rescue in World Cup Qualifier

Fabio Coentrao scored with only seconds left to keep Portugal’s World Cup qualification hopes alive with a dramatic draw in Tel Aviv.

London Irish on Channel 4

London Irish: C4 comedy about Ireland's binge-drinking diaspora accused of 'racism'

A new Channel 4 comedy series which depicts London’s Irish population as binge-drinking, English-haters suffering from a permanent hangover has been accused of “racism” by members of the community.

A golf course is hit by the weather

Weather chaos hits sport: Northern Ireland v Russia postponed

The game will now take place tomorrow

The Leinster centre will miss three crucial games for his club

Brian O'Driscoll escapes with three-week ban for stamp

If Brian O'Driscoll did not exactly have the book thrown at him by an independent Six Nations disciplinary panel – his bid for a fourth consecutive British and Irish Lions trip to the southern hemisphere remains wholly intact – the three-week ban he received for stamping on the Italian flanker Simone Favaro in Rome last week may have serious ramifications for those around him.

<b>2022 World Cup</b><br/>
It's yet to happen, but when it does, surely the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will take some beating for a strange place to play the most prestigious sporting tournament in the world. Temperatures during the summer reach 50 degrees and the tiny alcohol restricted state will have to find some way to accommodate beer swilling fans from around the world.

Premier League remains opposed to winter World Cup, despite calls to switch 2022 tournament in Qatar

Summer heats in Qatar pose huge problems for football's greatest tournament

Drones will be used to boost security at G8 summit

Each police helicopter costs about £7m to buy. By contrast, the drones cost around £1m

Brian o’Driscoll: The Irish centre will make his last appearance in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico today

Sergio Parisse lauds Brian O’Driscoll as centre’s likely final Six Nations game dawns

The Italy captain, Sergio Parisse, has praised Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll as one of the greatest centres in the history of the sport, ahead of today’s Six Nations game at the Stadio Olimpico.

Diesel laundering operation smashed after dawn raids north and south of Irish border

Detectives have smashed a massive multimillion-euro diesel laundering plant in one of the biggest cross-border operations of its kind in Britain or Ireland.

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Babies behind bars

A Palestinian fertility doctor has become an unlikely hero by helping women conceive – even though their husbands are in jail
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Space in cities at a premium so architects are learning how to make less, more...
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The story of Sir Mervyn King's reign at the Bank

After four 'nice' years as Governor of Bank of England, things turned decisively nasty
Zombie nation: Our enduring fascination with a world full of death and destruction

Zombie nation: Our fascination with death and destruction

A new season of shows on Radio 4 is inspired by dark tales of future dystopias. Meanwhile, zombies are marauding in the multiplexes...
Martin Stephen: 'Ofsted says comprehensives are failing the most able but teaching bright children isn't rocket science'

'Teaching bright children isn't rocket science'

It doesn't take a selective system to nurture the best minds, says a former head of St Paul's boys' school.
The retail empires strike back: Can new technology lure us back to the high street?

Can technology lure us back to the high street?

The high street has been bruised and battered by online firms but in-store technology is helping to enliven the retail experience...
The 10 Best new smartphones

The 10 Best new smartphones

Photos, films, music, apps and browsing - the latest mobiles can do it all
Jenson Button: Downbeat driver cannot wait to put season behind him

Jenson Button: Downbeat driver cannot wait to put season behind him

McLaren man admits 'failed gamble' with car has left him pinning hopes on 2014 campaign
James Lawton: Firmer fist will be required to win Champions Trophy final battle with stouter foe

James Lawton

Firmer fist will be required to win Champions Trophy final battle with stouter foe
'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong': The true effect of the badger cull

The true effect of the badger cull

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong'
Theatre review: Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's The Cripple of Inishmaan

First night: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's comedy
Girls Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

After 103 years, organisation changes oath to welcome 'all girls, of all faiths, and none'
Steve Tongue: Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago

Steve Tongue

Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago
Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Bradley Wiggins' exit

Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Wiggins' exit

Sky's lead rider says he is in fantastic form for the Tour and happy pecking order debate is over