ROBBIE McNAMARA, who celebrated his 18th birthday last week, has made a tremendous impression since joining the Dermot Weld yard.

FRAN BERRY drew level with Michael Kinane at the top of the jockeys’ championship when taking his total for the campaign to 28 aboard Spirit Of Age in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Handicap at Tralee last night.

Tribal commanders fighting al-Qaida troops in Afghanistan’s White Mountains said today they had abandoned another plan for bin Laden’s men to disarm and surrender.

US airstrikes have intensified dramatically and Afghan tribal fighters have launched a new ground assault against trapped al-Qaida forces.