Parents of hundreds of missing teenagers aboard the stricken ferry off the coast of South Korea hired rescue boats to join the search overnight as hopes of finding survivors faded.

A ferry carrying 459 people, mostly high school students, has sunk off South Korea, leaving at least three people dead and nearly 300 missing.

Conservation experts released a list of the world’s 100 most threatened species and warned that only a changed public and government mindset could save them from imminent extinction.

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger will take a five-shot lead into the final round of the Ballantine’s Championship after carding a second straight seven-under-par 65 at Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, South Korea.

GARETH MAYBIN has wrapped up his Tour card early for a second year running after finishing joint second in the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON will make his first appearance in the European Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship for three years at Wentworth from May 20-23.

Four birdies in three holes around the turn pushed defending champion Thongchai Jaidee hot onto the heels of battling leader Tano Goya of Argentina at the Ballantine’s Championship on Jeju Island.

Thongchai Jaidee has won the Ballantine’s Championship following a play-off after the tournament at Jeju Island’s Pinx Golf Club ended in a three-way tie.

Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen described today’s third round at the Ballantine’s Championship as “unplayable and unfair” despite maintaining a two-shot cushion at the top of the leaderboard with one day remaining.

Ireland’s Graeme McDowell has not yet given up the defence of his Ballantine’s Championship title despite suffering a poor start to this year’s event today.

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Mark Brown continued their fine form to take an early one-shot lead at the Ballantine’s Championship at the Pinx Golf Club on Jeju Island today.

Last year’s winner Graeme McDowell endured a difficult return to the Ballantine’s Championship, firing three bogeys in his first nine holes at the Pinx Country Club on Jeju Island. before hitting three more on the way back in.

Mark Brown shot a seven-under-par 65 to hold a one-shot lead over early morning pace setter Kang Kyung-nam as the Ballantine’s Championship got under way at the Pinx Golf Club on Jeju Island today, but there was a poor start for 2008 winner Graeme McDowell.

Graeme McDowell believes he faces a much sterner challenge this year as he sets out to defend his Ballantines Championship title at the Pinx Golf Club on Jeju Island.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell will have to finish ahead of Ernie Els and Lee Westwood if he is to successfully defend his Ballantine’s Championship title in South Korea in April.

The best golfers in the world are in Miami this week – and Colin Montgomerie has to beat all but three of them to qualify for next month’s Masters.

Graeme McDowell is determined to make up for lost time and use his victory in the Ballantine’s Championship as a springboard for Ryder Cup qualification.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell emerged victorious in a play-off with India’s Jeev Milha Singh to win the Ballantine’s Championship.

Paul McGinley lauded the standard of the European Tour as “incredible” following a sensational third round at the Ballantine’s Championship which saw low scoring and a jam-packed leaderboard.

Graeme McDowell finished with a double-bogey six to lose the outright lead at the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea.

Graeme McDowell extended his lead to five strokes as Damien McGrane and Englishman Oliver Wilson charged up the leaderboard during the third round of the Ballantine’s Championship.

A sensational eight-under-par 64 fired Graeme McDowell into the clubhouse lead at the Ballantine’s Championship – and he revealed he gained some extra help from playing partner Thomas Bjorn who also moved into contention with a 66.

Paul McGinley thrived in blustery conditions with a bogey-free five-under-par 67 to take a share of the clubhouse lead on nine under at the Ballantine’s Championship on Jeju Island, South Korea.

Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and Australia’s Tony Carolan shared the lead following the opening round of the Ballantine’s Championship after five-under-par rounds of 67.

Ireland’s Graeme McDowell was well placed after a four-under-par opening round in the Ballantine’s Championship at the Pinx Golf Club.

Padraig Harrington has welcomed the European Tour’s global expansion as he aims to kickstart his season in East Asia this week.

Padraig Harrington aims to kickstart his season with victory in the Ballantine’s Championship on Jeju Island after a frustrating beginning to the year.

Colin Montgomerie will be in Florida rather South Korea next week after being offered a place in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

The two Koreas today called for an international agreement under which North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear weapons programmes to be “implemented soon,” but South Korea failed to get a firm commitment from the North to return to six-nation arms negotiations.

South Korea today urged North Korea to resolve a stand-off over its nuclear ambitions, describing ongoing international nuclear disarmament talks in Beijing as a historic opportunity to end the dispute.

Pacific Rim finance officials have warned that sustained high energy prices risk economic growth.

Padraig Harrington remained in contention at the Korean Golf Championship on Jeju Island today, five shots behind leader Miguel Angel Jimenez after the third round.