Revenue officers have seized nearly 23,000 cigarettes after stopping and searching a car in County Tipperary.

The Donegal/Derry combination of Donagh Kelly/Kevin Flanagan (Ford Focus WRC) continued their dominance of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship with a facile victory on the Deebert House Hotel Circuit of Munster Rally that was based in Kilmallock.

Donagh Kelly - the dominant driver in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship - will again be the one to beat in Sunday’s fourth round Circuit of Munster Rally.

The Dunlop National Rally Championship will be decided tomorrow, with the nine-stage Downings Bay Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally determining whether reigning Dunlop champion Declan Boyle, current leader Clonmel’s Roy White (MG ZR) or Welsh ace Hugh Hunter (Subaru WRC) will win the prestigious Vard Memorial Trophy.

On his first forest rally in some three years Donegal’s Donagh Kelly, driving the McGeehan Motorsport Mini WRC, won the Samdec Security Lakeland Forest Rally in Enniskillen.

Boosted by their podium finish on Rally Finland, Tyrone’s Kris Meeke pictured and his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle will push for another big result on the ADAC Rallye Deutschland that begins today in Trier.

Few, if any, drivers have more experience of the terrain within the Cartell.ie International Rally of the Lakes than Denis Cronin, himself a winner of the Killarney spectacular in 2010.

The magical world of the gastronomical lab can render taste buds stunned, says Joe McNamee, but is it really where the future of food lies?

Nearly €100,000 worth of cigarettes were seized by customs officers supported by armed gardaí when they stopped a Ford Transit van on the outskirts of Cork City yesterday morning.

AS a cash-strapped Europe scrambles to woo China’s support for a financial rescue package, human rights groups and dissidents are warning that in taking such help, the West will sacrifice some leverage over China.

Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao has offered his country’s support for Europe and its common currency amid the eurozone’s debt crisis.

One-time World Cup star Paul Gascoigne is facing jail today after he admitted driving while more than four times the legal limit.

Japanese car manufacturers swept the board in a major reliability survey published by Which? Car magazine today.

JAPANESE car manufacturers swept the board in a major reliability survey published by Which? Car magazine.

A Chinese manufacturer won its British High Court battle today over one of the most famous names in British motoring history.

A long-awaited report into the collapse of car giant MG Rover is expected to reveal that four bosses took more than £40m (€45.7m) in pay and pensions from the troubled firm.

Irish driver Phillip Morrow and his co-driver, Daniel Barrett, in a Mitsubishi, finished fourth overall in the Carlisle-based Pirelli Rally, the first round of the British Rally Championship, today.

THAT was a lopsided and poorly-researched feature article on classic cars in Ireland (‘Classic symptoms’, January 25). I’m afraid it’s this sort of misconceived sentiment and mythology that helps keep the use and appreciation of such cars fixed in the bargain-basement of our consciousness.

Former Ireland international footballer Ronnie Whelan today pledged his support to fighting a debilitating disease that struck his own daughter.

Sebastien Loeb begins tomorrow’s final day of the Wales Rally GB on the verge of his fourth successive World Rally Championship title.

Car production at the former MG Rover factory in Longbridge will start again in June, a council leader claimed today.

Nanjing Automobile, the Chinese car maker that bought MG Rover two years ago, today launched production of MG model sports cars, seeking to revive the historic brand in China and overseas.

China’s oldest car manufacturer plans to build a US assembly plant in southern Oklahoma to help revive the MG automotive brand.

British Touring Car champion Matt Neal scored his first win of the season at Mondello Park.

A “landmark” deal opening the way for car production at the site of the collapsed Rover car business was signed today.

The new owners of MG Rover today announced a deal with a British team of designers to develop a new range of cars.

Workers at MG Rover were today hoping more jobs would be created at its Longbridge, UK factory after Chinese firm Nanjing bought the collapsed carmaker.

A British bid for the MG division of the stricken MG Rover Group is expected to be formally offered today.

Business trouble-shooter David James is expected to file a £40m (€58m) bid for MG Rover within 48 hours, it was reported today.

The company troubleshooter who rescued the Millennium Dome is bidding to take over collapsed car group MG Rover, it emerged today.

Administrators organising the sale of MG Rover today refused to comment on claims the collapsed car giant sold one of its key assets – the MG TF sports car - to the Chinese firm SAIC by accident.

Would-be buyers of parts of collapsed car group MG Rover have moved a step nearer to making offers, it emerged today.

MG and Rover enthusiasts today turned out in force to show their support for workers at the threatened British car giant.

British Chancellor Gordon Brown today indicated that claims MG Rover bosses made millions may be part of a future investigation into the ailing car group.

Administrators at the collapsed MG Rover car group are seeking to reopen discussions with Chinese manufacturers SAIC to revive a deal which could keep the company’s Longbridge plant open, it was confirmed today.

Car giant MG Rover today suspended production at its UK factory, blaming “isolated” component supply problems.

German cars are among the most likely to develop faults or break down, according to a survey of owners published in Britain today.

MG Rover has entered into a strategic relationship with China’s biggest car manufacturer, it emerged today.

English car manufacturer MG Rover is to halt production for three days this week to “balance” dealers’ stocks in the face of falling sales, it was reported today.

Flying Finn, Tapio Laukkanen, leads the Trackrod Rally in Yorkshire where Dubliner, Austin MacHale (Subaru WRC) is fourth after the opening three stages.

British champion Jonny Milner leads the Scottish Rally after two of today’s five stages as previous leader Tapio Laukkanen suffered a puncture.

Ireland’s Austin MacHale and Brian Murphy (Subaru WRC) are fifth at the end of the first leg of the

Green Flag British Touring Car Championship leader Yvan Muller has his sights set on another Vauxhall clean sweep at Thruxton this weekend.

THREE members of the same family died when they got out of their car after it stopped in the fast lane of the M25, police said yesterday.