Scores of Australians have evacuated their homes in mountains west of Sydney as intensifying winds fanned wildfires that have ravaged the region for days.

The red carpet has been rolled out as Down welcomed home Oscar-winning director Terry George.

The jockey struck by a horse as he went to aid a friend at the weekend admits he has received ‘plenty of stick’ from his racing colleagues since the incident.

ROBERT Emmetts’ turned up the heat in the second half, to dispatch St Gabriels in the London SHC final.

Armagh 3-15 London 3-14

The High Court in Dublin has remanded in custody a Belfast man who extradition is being sought by authorities in the North for a kidnapping that threatened the peace process.

THE daughter of Meg Walsh, whose stepfather has been accused of her mother’s murder, texted a member of his family offering to help him because she couldn’t live with not knowing what happened to her mother, a Central Criminal Court jury has heard.

The daughter of a woman whose body was pulled out a river two weeks after she went missing from the family home texted a member of her step father’s family offering to help him because she couldn’t live with not knowing what happened to her mother, a Central Criminal Court jury has heard.

The Government will not step in to help pay legal costs to the family of an Irish woman beaten to death while on holiday in Spain, it said today.

A hotel popular with wedding couples was almost totally destroyed by a fire in County Kildare last night.

NO-FRILLS airline Ryanair has agreed to repay the €4 million subsidy relating to its operations at Charleroi in Belgium that fell foul of the European Commission earlier this year.

Four players will reach virgin territory in tomorrow's semi-finals of the Magners North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

A youth involved in a 170km/h car race in which a priest and two other youths were killed on the M50 has been jailed for two years by Judge Desmond Hogan at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Ryanair carried 2.14 million passengers during May in the UK and Europe compared to British airlines' 2.05 million, the low fares carrier said today.

Ryanair, today celebrated carrying over 45 million passengers to and from Ireland since operations commenced in 1985.

Stackstown’s Mark Campbell slayed his demons to win in the East of Ireland Amateur championship at Co Louth today.

EIGHT more people have been banned from Ryanair flights for smoking on board, engaging in disruptive behaviour and criminal damage.

THE explosive photos of abuse in an Iraqi prison drive home a defining fact of 21st century life — that the pervasiveness of digital photography and the speed of the internet make it easier to see into dark corners previously out of reach of the mass media.

The explosive photos of abuse in an Iraqi prison drive home a defining fact of 21st century life – that the pervasiveness of digital photography and the speed of the Internet make it easier to see into dark corners previously out of reach for the mass media.

A man whose car racing with another man on the M50 led to the death of three men, including a priest, has been further remanded on bail for sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on July 7.

Ryanair has called on Aer Rianta to produce a contingency plan to ensure that Dublin Airport remains open at all times during future industrial action.

EIGHT people have been banned for life from all Ryanair flights for compromising passenger and crew safety by smoking on board.

IRA membership charges were dropped against four men accused yesterday of kidnapping top dissident republican leader Bobby Tohill in Belfast.

Supporters of four men accused of a thwarted kidnap attempt on a top dissident republican in Belfast applauded as they were led from the dock today.

RYANAIR carried more than two million passengers between Dublin and London this year.

STRASBOURG Airport, Strasbourg Chamber of Commerce and Ryanair yesterday lodged a request with the Court of Appeal in Nancy, France for a stay requiring the chamber to terminate its agreement with Ryanair on September 24.

Low-fares airline Ryanair has criticised the European Transport Ministry decision to impose compensation levels on low fares airlines in case of cancellations.