There is a strong Irish presence in the Jim Clark International Rally, the second round of British Rally Championship, that begins with a stage around the streets of Duns in the Scottish borders this evening.

Little over a year ago, Irish karting was hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

STRESS — shrugged the doctor who really believes I am a hypochondriac.

A 14-year-old Dutch sailor departed from Portugal today on her quest to become the youngest person to sail around the world solo, according to her manager.

THE manager for 14-year-old Dutch sailor Laura Dekker says she will set off today on her venture to become the youngest person to make a solo voyage around the world.

A 14-year-old Dutch girl will set off tomorrow on a year-long attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

A BRAZILIAN man has been remanded in custody accused of killing Irish businessman Paul Houston in Portugal.

Williams technical director Sam Michael believes Formula One’s new rule changes have opened the door for his team to potentially fight at the front of the grid this season.

Renault and Williams today became the latest Formula One teams to take the wraps off their cars ahead of the new season.

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa cannot wait to get behind the wheel of the new F60 again after putting it through its paces around the Mugello race track yesterday.

Files from the Portuguese police investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance have helped her parents to “draw strength” because of the lack of any evidence that their daughter is dead, the family spokesman said today.

The secrets of Portuguese detectives’ investigation into Madeleine McCann’s disappearance were laid bare today with the official release of thousands of pages of evidence.

Lawyers acting for the parents of Madeleine McCann today began trawling through the Portuguese police files on the investigation into how their daughter disappeared, the couple’s spokesman said.

British police have travelled to Portugal to meet the public prosecutor in the Madeleine McCann case as the inquiry apparently draws to a close.

THE circle keeps on turning for Dean Kiely.

Giovanni Trapattoni tasted victory for the first time as Republic of Ireland boss after telling his players to dream.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI’S Irish squad lost another of its marquee names before flying out to their training camp on the Algarve yesterday.

FRIENDS of three British holidaymakers who drowned while attempting to save their children spoke yesterday of the devastation of two families.

Robert Murat, the first person to be declared an official suspect over Madeleine McCann’s disappearance, tonight broke his silence over his experience.

Tourists who stayed at the resort where Madeleine McCann went missing have been asked to provide DNA samples and fingerprints, it was reported last night.

The evidence against missing Madeleine McCann’s parents was today passed to a Portuguese judge – who could in theory bring charges against them within days.

Madeleine McCann’s parents woke up today back home in Britain, but without their missing daughter and with a cloud of suspicion hanging over them.

THE McCanns arrived as a family of five in the Algarve, but yesterday almost four months to the day, they left as a family of just four.

The family of missing Madeleine McCann flew out of Portugal today to return to Britain.

Kate and Gerry McCann were keen to portray a picture of normal family life in Portugal today despite being named as formal suspects over the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine.

Missing Madeleine McCann’s parents are awaiting the next twist today in the police investigation into her disappearance after they were both named as suspects.

THERE was something almost theatrical about the scenes outside the police station in Portimao yesterday.

Portuguese detectives today accused the mother of missing Madeleine McCann of killing her daughter.

Missing Madeleine McCann’s father arrived at a Portuguese police station today to face fresh questioning over his daughter’s disappearance as his wife Kate, who now believes she could be charged in connection with Madeleine’s death, left the police station after being interviewed separately by officers having been made an “arguida”, or formal suspect, this morning.

THE parents of Madeleine McCann fear Portuguese detectives are about to name them as suspects in their daughter’s disappearance, a family friend said yesterday.

The mother of missing Madeleine McCann issued a direct appeal to her daughter’s abductors today as she arrived at a Portuguese police station to be questioned for a second time.

Portuguese police will today re-interview the mother of missing Madeleine McCann, a family friend said.

Portuguese police have suddenly adopted a harder attitude towards the parents of missing Madeleine McCann in recent days, a source said tonight.

The only formal suspect in the disappearance of four-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann in Portugal today returned to a police station where officials said they were holding new interviews with people connected to the case.

Portuguese police got a crucial fact wrong in their description of the man thought to have abducted Madeleine McCann, a family source said today.

The parents of missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann made a personal pilgrimage to the holiest site in Portugal today to pray for a miracle.

The parents of missing four-year-old Madeleine McCann will make a personal pilgrimage to the holiest site in Portugal today to pray for a miracle.

A British man questioned by police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann was officially classed as a 'suspect' today.

Portuguese police were questioning several people tonight about missing Madeleine McCann as they searched the home of a British man.

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are interviewing a man as they searched a villa 160 yards from where she was snatched.

THE father of missing Madeleine McCann yesterday vowed his family will leave “no stone unturned” in the search for their daughter.

The father of missing Madeleine McCann today vowed his family will leave “no stone unturned” in the search for their daughter.

A businessman has offered a reward of £1m (€1.5m) for information that leads to the return of Madeleine McCann as the search for the three-year-old enters its eighth day.

Former world champion Carlos Sainz put all of his experience to good use as he won the second stage of the Dakar Rally which crossed from Portugal into Spain.