E-commerce sales now account for 25% of Glanbia’s US-branded sports nutrition sales, more than keeping pace with its sales in specialist sports stores.

The boss of oil giant Shell announced more bumper profits today but said he will quit the group next year in search of a “change in lifestyle”.

Electricity transmission company Eirgrid has announced plans for a second connection to the UK grid, as a €600m connection remains mired in technical difficulties.

The €600m east-west interconnector project has been completely shut down as workers return to fix problems with the largest single piece of infrastructure completed since the construction of the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric dam in 1929.

The largest single piece of energy infrastructure built in Ireland since Ardnacrusha opened in 1929 — the €600m East West Interconnector — has not been operational since the Taoiseach switched it on in September.

A Co Galway couple have been restrained by the High Court from interfering with a receiver appointed by a bank to take over their five-store retail development.

Motherwell have fully backed Steve Jennings amid an investigation by bookmakers into the red card he received during Tuesday night’s defeat by Hearts.

The Scottish Football Association have confirmed that the Association of British Bookmakers is investigating irregular betting activity regarding the red card shown to Motherwell midfielder Steve Jennings in Tuesday night’s SPL defeat by Hearts at Fir Park.

Stocks pared their losses today after President Barack Obama and Republican lawmakers promised to seek a compromise before the end of the year on extending Bush-era tax cuts.

Investors endured another see-saw session today as heavyweight BP took more punishment and worries over a bank tax hit financial stocks.

A GLOBAL pharmaceutical firm is to set up its new headquarters in Co Louth, creating up to 200 jobs.

ONE of two Swiss businessmen held in Libya for 19 months amid a diplomatic row between the two states left for home yesterday, as the other man emerged from his country’s embassy to serve time in jail.

The man suspected of a workplace shooting that left four people dead and five others injured was believed to be among the victims, police said.

A DISGRUNTLED worker embroiled in a pension dispute with his company walked into the plant and opened fire yesterday, killing three people, wounding five and sending frightened co-workers scrambling into closets and to the snow-covered roof for safety.

Global eye care giant Bausch & Lomb is to shed 120 jobs at its south-east plant as it looks to cut costs and shift part of its Irish operation to the US.

Union representatives are due to meet management at the ABB Transformers plant in Waterford this morning to discuss the planned closure of the facility.

COMPONENTS producer ABB has become the latest manufacturing company to shed jobs due to a downturn in demand.

Workers at a long-standing manufacturing plant in the south-east today became the latest casualties of the collapsing labour market, now at its worst level for 12 years.

A manufacturing firm is to close a factory which has been in business for 58 years with the loss of almost 180 jobs, it emerged today.

SIEMENS is expanding its business in Ireland despite announcing huge job cuts worldwide.

ELECTRICAL network builder ABB, was chosen as a partner for a project, worth more than €300 million, to develop cables linking the British and Irish power grids.

FBD Holdings today said it participated by way of buy-back in today’s placing on the market by KBC of its entire 22.1% shareholding in FBD.

A mining firm’s deal with one of the world’s biggest emerging economies helped the sector lead a bullish performance by the London market today.

The FTSE 100 Index was testing levels not seen since early May today as falling oil prices and a rally by mining stocks cheered investors.

Shell unveiled a key boardroom appointment today as the troubled oil group battles to shore up confidence following its reserves crisis.

The mastermind of a deadly rampage that killed five belonged to a Saudi opposition group in London, according to officials in the Saudi industrial town of Yanbu today.

Saudi Arabia’s US ambassador told Americans in the oil-rich city of Yanbu: “Go home. We cannot protect you”, following the terror attack that killed six foreign workers.

The westerners killed in a gun attack in the Saudi city of Yanbu on Saturday were named today.

Western oil industry workers who lost five colleagues in a Saudi Arabian shooting rampage finalised plans today to pack up and leave the kingdom.

Two Britons were feared dead today after gunmen opened fire indiscriminately on staff at an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, a company official said.

Gunmen opened fire today at an oil refinery co-owned by Exxon Mobil and the Saudi company SABIC in north-western Saudi Arabia, killing at least two Britons, three Americans, an Australian and a Saudi, company officials and diplomats said.

ABB Wessel is to close its Dublin facility with the loss of 120 jobs, to be phased in over the next 12 months.

Five times Irish tarmac rally champion, Austin MacHale has acquired a Ford Focus WRC03.

DUNDALK is set to become the technology hub of the north east following its designation as a gateway for investment.

Dublin's ISEQ index followed the gloomy worldwide trend and closed 23.54 points lower at 4,055.34.

ABB’s chief executive and chairman Jurgen Dorman admitted there had been a breakdown in internal reporting procedures that encouraged managers to underestimate the firm’s financial problems.

THE London market ended a quiet session slightly lower yesterday as sharp falls from oil shares weighed on trading.

Ruhrgas AG, Germany's largest gas provider, is to pay roughly €400m for ABB Metering, a unit of ABB Ltd, reported tomorrow's edition of the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, citing stock market sources.

David Walker likes the Greenore course.