Prayers were said in the Scottish Highlands today for four climbers who were swept to their deaths in an avalanche.

Tropical Storm Rafael has lashed the eastern Caribbean with heavy rains which are expected to unleash floods on islands around the region.

Tropical Storm Rafael has formed over the eastern Caribbean Sea, and warnings have been issued for numerous Caribbean islands.

Aidan O’Brien, who has won the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at the Curragh 11 times in the past, including with the likes of Septimus, St Nicholas Abbey and 12 months ago with David Livingston, looks like launching another powerful assault on Sunday’s 1 mile race for two-year-olds.

A potential hurricane is posing a threat to next week’s Republican National Convention in Florida, which culminates in the nomination of Mitt Romney for presidential candidate.

The Turf Club announced yesterday that, following a course inspection at Tipperary, the sprint course was unfit for racing due to waterlogging.

Flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee is being blamed for two deaths in Pennsylvania and numerous water rescues and road closures around a soggy north-eastern United States.

JOANNE CUDDIHY was in distinguished company at the world championships in Daegu yesterday when she false-started in her semi-final of the women’s 400m less than an hour before reigning Olympic and world champion, Usain Bolt, made a similar exit from the men’s 100m final.

Ken Bates has become the major shareholder of Leeds in a move that ends the mystery over the ownership of the club.

KEN BATES yesterday insisted there would be no issue surrounding the ownership of Leeds should they get promoted — and suggested a House of Commons select committee should be worrying about more important things.

Hurricane warnings went out across a large part of the Caribbean today as a major storm grew in force.

Boyzone star Ronan Keating has separated from his wife Yvonne after 12 years of marriage, it was announced today.

JUST when you thought our sleaze-splattered banking sector could hardly get much murkier, up pops a money mystery worthy of Hercule Poirot.

GOODBODY Stockbroker routed its clients’ money through a Caribbean tax haven in an effort to save millions of euro in stamp duty, according to the Financial Regulator.

THE Financial Regulator is being called in to a Dáil committee tomorrow to explain how it dealt with irregular share dealing involving AIB and Goodbody Stockbrokers.

MONEY-LAUNDERING allegations involving multi-million sums of AIB shares were not communicated to the Department of Finance, who remained unaware that a Garda investigation was taking place into the dealings.

WHAT does the Financial Regulator have in common with one of the world’s most famous dress designers, a bishop of France’s Grand Siècle and Scary Spice?

THE Central Bank reported AIB and Goodbody Stockbrokers for suspected money laundering in 2001 and was not involved in any cover-up, the Financial Regulator has said.

A GERMAN beer company’s name was used as a front for the extraordinary handling of millions of euro belonging to AIB shareholders which was routed through tax havens in South Pacific and Caribbean islands, it was claimed yesterday.

Although he failed in his bid to become the first Irishman to qualify for an Olympic sprint final since Bob Tisdall in 1932, Paul Hession was still happy with his lot as he stood trackside in the Bird's Nest Stadium.

Donal Hickey looks at mountain biking in Ireland

Dwain Chambers failed to win the world indoor 60metres title by just 0.03seconds as Nigerian favourite Olusoji Fasuba took the title in Valencia.

Hurricane Dean is heading towards Caribbean islands today with 100mph winds.

IF YOU wanted to pick a year in which modern environmentalism got started you could do worse than opt for 1971.

A musical mystery today surrounded Scotland's highest mountain after a piano was discovered near its summit.

WORLD 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell will take on Olympic champions Justin Gatlin and Shawn Crawford as well as world sprint champion Kim Collins in a world-class 100m in Rome on July 8.

World 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell will take on Olympic champions Justin Gatlin and Shawn Crawford as well as world sprint champion Kim Collins in a world-class 100m in Rome next month.

DENIS O’BRIEN’S Digicel mobile operation scored a major coup yesterday as it snapped up the Caribbean business of American mobile giant Cingular Wireless.

A new report by women in 150 countries concludes that many women all over the world are worse off today than they were 10 years ago and accuses governments of failing to keep their pledge to achieve equality of the sexes.

Michael Hughes is adamant Northern Ireland should not be written off ahead of their latest World Cup qualifying campaign.

GARY RYAN’S Olympic qualification hopes were boosted yesterday when he was granted a place in the 200m in Saturday’s Meeting de Madrid 2004 - an IAAF Super Grand Prix - and then in Monday’s meet in Thessalonika.

Sunderland goalkeeper Michael Ingham has been included in Northern Ireland’s 20-man squad for their tour to the Caribbean at the end of the month.

World sprint champion Kim Collins has accused America of covering up positive drug tests in their athletics team.

Northern Ireland will participate in a three-match tour of West Indies this summer after all.

Olympic 100 metres gold medallist Marion Jones and men’s world 100m champion Kim Collins will compete at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace.

More than 1,130 passengers are safe after their cruise ship ran aground in the Caribbean.