British schoolgirl April Jones remained missing today despite a third night of extensive police searches and a desperate plea from the five-year-old’s distraught mother.

An Irish company that had signed up to a deal with ESB in 2010 to develop 50 megawatts of geothermal electricity in Ireland has abandoned its plans — and the country — because the Government has not yet legislated to support the clean energy technology.

A student who mocked footballer Fabrice Muamba on Twitter after he collapsed during a match was jailed today for inciting racial hatred.

PEOPLE with breathing difficulties may benefit from riding in a roller coaster – or at least that is what one of the winners of this year’s silliest science awards has suggested.

Golf clubs have been forced to work harder and think smarter to avoid being swallowed whole by the recession. Some top-end clubs may not survive but those that can will be all the better for it. Tony Leen, Charlie Mulqueen, Therese O’Callaghan and Donal Hughes look at the state of the Irish golf industry.

Heinz officials are to meet farmers’ market representatives who are urging a boycott of one of the company’s soup brands.

SHOPPERS are flocking to farmers’ markets as they turn their back on supermarkets in their quest to buy local fresh produce like vegetables, cheese and meat.

The Ordnance Survey Killarney International Rally of the Lakes, the third round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, has been won by Dungannon’s, Kris Meeke and his Swedish co-driver, Jonas Andersson.

Manx born, Mark Higgins and his Letterkenny co-driver, Rory Kennedy (Subaru WRC) have won the Easter International Rally in Derry.

Today’s eights stages of the First Choice Flooring Galway International Rally, the opening round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship featured a terrific duel between World rally ace, Finland’s Marcus Gronholm (Ford Focus WRC) and the Subaru WRC of Derry driver, Eugene Donnelly.

The final round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, the West Cork Hotel Fastnet Rally in Skibbereen, was won by Cavan’s Patrick Elliott and his co-driver, Paul Goodman.

British rally champion Mark Higgins and his Letterkenny co-driver Rory Kennedy in the Fitz Samuel Insurance-backed Subaru WRC have won the Cork 20 International Rally, the final round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship.

Derry driver, Eugene Donnelly and his Sligo co-driver, Paul Kiely in their Toyota Corolla delivered a double victory in Armagh.

The first leg of the Philip White Tyres Ulster Rally, a round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship and the Tesco 99 Octane British series has concluded with Eugene Donnelly at the top of the leader board.

Kenny McKinstry (Subaru) heads a strong Irish contingent at the end of the first leg of the Manx International Rally, a vital round of both the Irish and British Rally Championships.

It was a day of changing fortunes for the competitors in the Letterkenny-based Shell Donegal International Rally, the fourth round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship.

Kevin Lynch and Allan Harryman in a Subaru WRC lead the Shell Donegal International Rally at the end of the opening leg.

Meath’s Tim McNulty and co-driver Anthony Nestor gave a faultless display in their Subaru WRC today en-route to a first ever victory in the Ordnance Survey Ireland/Gleneagle Hotel Killarney International Rally of the Lakes.

At the end of the first leg of the Ordnance Survey Ireland/Gleneagle Hotel Rally of the Lakes, Meath’s Tim McNulty and his Limerick co-driver, Anthony Nestor (Subaru WRC) have a lead of 47.5 seconds over the Toyota Corolla WRC of Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely.

Eugene Donnelly and co-driver Paul Kiely now enjoy a substantial lead in the Meteor Electrical Circuit of Ireland Rally as the second leg concluded in Derry this evening.

In a rich vein of form that has seen him deliver wins in the Galway International and Rally Ireland already this season, Eugene Donnelly has a commanding lead at the end of day one of the Derry based Meteor Electrical Circuit of Ireland Rally.

Eugene Donnelly and Paul Kiely in their Esker Toyota Corolla secured back-to-back victories on the First Choice Flooring Galway International Rally, the opening round of the Pirelli Irish Championship.

Eugene Donnelly’s defence of his Irish Tarmac Champions crown has begun well and at the end of the first leg of the Galway International Rally his Toyota Corolla WRC is 26.5 seconds ahead of the Subaru WRC of Tim NcNulty with Eamonn Boland (Ford Focus) 39.8 seconds behind in third.

Irish driver Kenny McKinstry will have to wait another year to win the Manx International Rally as the Banbridge driver crashed out midway through the final stage of this evening’s second leg.

Welsh-based and Manx-born driver David Higgins (Ford Focus) managed to keep a strong Irish challenge at bay on this evening's first leg of the Total Manx International Rally.

Derry driver Eugene Donnelly and co-driver Paul Kiely have won the Shell Donegal International Rally for the second year in succession.

It was a day of high drama on the second leg of the Shell Donegal International Rally where Eugene Donnelly and co-driver, Paul Kiely (Toyota Corolla WRC) hold a one minute and 10.9 second advantage over the Subaru WRC of Tim NcNulty/Eugene O’Donnell (Subaru WRC) who regained second at the expense of Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan.

Back in competitive action following an eight-month absence, Armagh’s Andrew Nesbitt has lost none of his pace.

A TOP Northern Ireland farm yesterday launched a probe to find out how a potentially cancer-causing drug was found in some of its chickens.

Andrew Nesbitt (Subaru WRC) continues to dominate the Shell Donegal International Rally.

By Ryle Dwyer

On all but one of today’s six stages Andrew Nesbitt has dominated the time sheets and after he reeled in early leaders, Peadar Hurson and Eamonn Boland, he went on to accumulate an overnight advantage of 28 seconds over the similar Subaru WRC of Derek McGarrity with Eugene Donnelly, also in a Subaru, third – a further second behind.

Derek McGarrity (Subaru WRC) set the pace on the opening stage and overnight, he leads the Buy & Sell Circuit of Ireland by some 25.5 seconds from the Subaru of Eugene Donnelly with Austin MacHale, also in a Subaru, third, just 2.2 seconds adrift.

Derek McGarrity, in a Subaru WRC, is the early leader of the Buy & Sell Circuit of Ireland Rally that began in Enniskillen this morning.

FIONN McLoughlin, son of Gerry (Ginger), the renowned Ireland Triple Crown-winning prop in 1982, is a replacement on the Caerphilly team to meet Munster in the final group qualifying match of the Celtic League at Thomond Park tomorrow night (7.30pm).

England got off to a winning start in their bid to qualify for the European Championships in 2004, but the victory was marred by violence.

Celtic League title hopefuls Llanelli had to work hard to resist a brave Caerphilly fightback after storming into a 26-point lead this afternoon.

More than 97% of online retailers were hit by credit or debit card fraud during the past year, according to new research.

Banking giant Abbey National today dismissed reports that it was preparing to find a replacement for under-pressure boss Ian Harley.

Banking group Abbey National today shrugged off concerns about the economic slowdown after revealing profits were ‘‘comfortably’’ up on last year.