Belfast Harlequins are now three points clear at the top of Ulster Bank League Division 1B after defeating UCC at Deramore Park this afternoon.

The two clubs at the bottom of the Division 1B table provided a rousing contest at Kilballyowen Park before Bruff emerged as 22-18 winners over a determined UCC side.

Ballynahinch are the new leaders of Ulster Bank League Division 1B having come from behind to grab a share of the spoils with UCD this afternoon.

The two leading clubs in Division 1B played out a keenly-contested top-of-the-table clash at Dubarry Park where Buccaneers prevailed on a 24-17 scoreline.

Ballymena took the spoils in a rain-hit Division 1B opener against UCC at the Mardyke where centre Alisdair Frazer scored the only try.

EDINBURGH made amends for last week’s defeat to Glasgow, ending their rivals’ four-game winning run in the process.

Edinburgh 28 Glasgow 17

IF IT’S Declan Kidney’s stated intention to build a panel during his tenure, then the Ireland head coach will be satisfied with the tier of talent below his senior selection after Ireland A produced a solid performance to overwhelm Scotland at the RDS last night.

World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx moved 12 points clear in the standings and dedicated his victory at Brands Hatch to Colin McRae.

Andy Priaulx’s defence of the World Touring Car Championship got off to a good start after he qualified in third place for the opening round in Brazil.

Andy Priaulx brushed aside memories of his Brands Hatch by returning to winning ways at Oschersleben, giving new impetus to his World Touring Car Championship title defence.

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

Ex-Formula One test driver Darren Turner will join the British Touring Car Championship this year after agreeing a deal with Seat.

Philip Morris USA has challenged a $10bn (€7.8bn/£5.4bn) consumer fraud ruling, telling the Illinois Supreme Court that its ”light” cigarettes performed as advertised and that the company is not to blame if people ended up taking deeper puffs or smoking more cigarettes.

The United States intelligence community must be radically overhauled in the face of the ongoing terrorist threat, the September 11 Commission said.

Defending champion Yvan Muller went clear at the head of the Green Flag British Touring Car Championship after the latest round was completed at Mondello Park, Co Kildare.

The Green Flag British Touring Car Championship reaches the halfway point when it reaches Mondello Park in Co Kildare on Sunday with team-mates James Thompson and Yvan Muller locked in a race for the title.

Newspaper publisher Hollinger International has won a judgement from a Delaware court against its former chief executive, ex-Daily Telegraph boss Conrad Black.

Warnings of a possible terrorist attack on New York contained in an August 2001 White House briefing paper never reached City Hall, but probably would not have changed local security precautions, former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani told the September 11 commission today.

A secret US government memo released early today reveals President George Bush was told more than a month before the September 11 attacks that al-Qaida had reached America’s shores and the FBI had detected suspicious activity that might involve a hijacking plot.

Embattled newspaper baron Conrad Black has hit back at several of his biggest critics at Hollinger International, filing a lawsuit in Toronto claiming that they defamed him.

Hollinger Inc., the Toronto-based holding company controlled by newspaper baron Lord Black of Crossharbour, announced that one of its independent directors has stepped down just four days after being named to the post.

THE start of the Irish Tarmac Championship looms — beginning with the Galway International Rally — and Pirelli Tyres are the series sponsor.

Britain’s, Jonny Milner, in his Toyota Corolla WRC, will take a 35.6 second lead into tomorrow’s final leg of the Manx International Rally, a counting round of both the Irish and British Rally Championships.

Banbridge ace, Kenny McKinstry in his Subaru WRC heads the Irish challenge at the end of the first leg on the Manx International Rally, a counting round of both the Irish and British rally championships.

Former double RT2000 Irish champion, Jonathan Fildes, in his first full season of racing in Britain, won the seventh round of the Elf Clio Renaultsport Championship at Croft where fellow Irishman, Eoin

On a busy weekend for Irish drivers in various British Championships, several of the home contingent posted strong times in today’s qualifying sessions.

Andrew Nesbitt held off a late charge from reigning Pirelli British Rally champion Jonny Milner to win the Jim Clark Rally today.

After five stages of the Jim Clark Rally, a counting round of both the Irish and British Rally Championships, Derry’s Eugene Donnelly (Subaru WRC) has an 8.6 second lead over the Mitsubishi of British Touring Car champion, James Thompson.

Having finished fifth in yesterday’s round of the Renault Sport Clio UK Cup, Meath’s Jonathan Fildes

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

LEADING from the start, Derek McGarrity and co-driver Chris Patterson withstood pressure from defending champions Andrew Nesbitt and James O’Brien to take their first win in the Buy & Sell Circuit of Ireland Rally.

The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in association with Bord Fáilte, gets the green light in Mondello Park this weekend.

Michael Keohane, racing with the Carlin Motorsport team, finished fifth in today’s first race in the Avon Tyres British Formula 3 Championship in Castle Combe.

Matt Neal boosted his chances of securing his first-ever Green Flag British Touring Car Championship title with victory in at Mondello today.

England's Matt Neal boosted his chances of securing his first-ever Green Flag British Touring Car Championship title with victory in Ireland today.

Yvan Muller notched up his second win of the day at Mondello Park to move into a 27-point lead in the British Touring Car Championship.

Yvan Muller’s relentless title charge continued with a comprehensive victory in the www.theaa.com British Touring Car Championship’s first ever race outside the United Kingdom, at Mondello Park, today.