With apologies to Mr Shakespeare, all the world's a stage and we are merely at The Players – not the fifth major, as the PGA Tour would have the world believe, but nevertheless an elite championship in Florida with a $9.5m (£6m) purse and a first prize of $1.71m.

'Female Brucie would be a bonus'

In one of the closest fought Republican primaries to date, the polls can't split the main candidates

The race for the Republican nomination could be on the cusp of a shake-up with aides to Newt Gingrich whispering for the first time that he needs to win in two southern states voting next week or face leaving the field.

Helped by a single strand of hair, a mentally disabled man who spent nearly 30 years on South Carolina's death row for the stabbing death of a woman will go free today under a plea deal.

Polls opened earlier today in Florida, where Mitt Romney was pushing for a big win over Newt Gingrich in the race to pick a Republican challenger to President Barack Obama in November.

Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, learned to his cost last night that he is not alone among Republicans vying for the presidential nomination able to conjure righteous indignation when it matters.  Mitt Romney showed a debate audience here that he has quite the talent for it too.

FreeView from the editors at i

If Republican voters select Newt Gingrich as the party's 2012 presidential nominee they would be handing President Barack Obama a second term in the White House, the campaign for Mitt Romney claimed last night.

Cash is pouting into the Newt Gingrich campaign for the Republican presidential nomination after the stunning surge and upset victory over Mitt Romney.

Until this past weekend, Mitt Romney, the super-rich former governor of Massachusetts, had appeared to be cruising to the Republican presidential nomination, as lacklustre contestants scattered all around. Now he has a real opponent in the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich. The Republican primary season, which reaches its next stage in the ultra-swing state of Florida next week, now looks set to be longer, and more expensive, than Mr Romney or his supporters must have hoped. Not for the first time South Carolina has changed the dynamics of a US presidential race.

Newt Gingrich stormed to a shock victory over Mitt Romney in the South Carolina primary today, scrambling the race to choose a Republican challenger to President Barack Obama.

Romney flounders over tax as Gingrich piles on the pressure in South Carolina. By Rupert Cornwell

The race for the Republican presidential nomination took several twists and turns as Rick Perry dropped out, Newt Gingrich faced stunning allegations from his ex-wife and Mitt Romney struggled to maintain a shaky front-runner's standing.