SPANISH police investigating the disappearance of Amy Fitzpatrick have asked her family for DNA samples.

SPANISH police questioned the mother and stepfather of missing Dublin girl Amy Fitzpatrick twice for several hours yesterday.

SPANISH police have scaled down their search for missing 15-year-old Dublin girl Amy Fitzpatrick after they failed to uncover any clues following two days of intensive investigations.

THE search for missing 15-year-old Dublin girl Amy Fitzpatrick will resume this morning for a second day and will concentrate on the area where she was last seen in the Costa del Sol.

CONVOYS of jeeps roared away from the football pitch where two helicopters with thermal censor cameras were ready to take off.

POLICE, helicopters and sniffer dogs will carry out a huge search today of the area in Malaga where 15-year-old Amy Fitzpatrick was last seen eight days ago.

IRELAND retains most of its 2007 fish quota for next year despite the European Commission seeking a 25% reduction in a deal that has been criticised by conservation groups who say it will further deplete fish stocks.

BEEF imports to the EU from Brazil will be severely restricted and reduced from early 2008 after veterinary experts agreed that the South American producers were not meeting EU standards.

THE EU’s border and passport-free Schengen area stretches as far as Russia, Ukraine and Belarus from midnight last night as eight of the new member states join the zone.

VODKA drinkers should know exactly what their tipple is made from in future following agreement at EU level on a new spirit drinks regulation.