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10% tax on junk food to tackle obesityA 10% tax on fizzy drinks, sweets, biscuits, crisps, and chocolate is to be recommended to the health minister as a way of tackling the country's soaring obesity problem.
Prayer vigil for fine weather as farmers queue for fodderA 24-hour prayer vigil for fine weather has been held on the Kerry-Cork border.
- WORLD
It’s technology, Jim, but not as we know it WHEN Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry first dreamed up the concept of a television show based in the unexplored universe of Outer Space in 1964, the world was a very different place.
Berlusconi’s party girls dressed as nuns, Obama Silvio Berlusconi's private disco featured women dressed not just as sexy nuns and nurses, but also as President Barack Obama and a prominent Milan prosecutor that the former Italian premier has accused of persecuting him.
- BUSINESS
IBRC delays loan valuations, saleThe valuation and sale of IBRC loans has been pushed out by six months to November and December of this year.
The smart money is always on SeánFounded four decades ago, its annual turnover is now €2bn.
- SPORT
The Terry Reilly Interview: The Godfather of GalwayOver the course of almost half a century, Liam Sammon has been in service to Galway football. Now he hopes a new generation can restore county pride.
Super Blues keep double in sightsJoe Schmidt's side won their third European trophy in successive years and gave Connacht reason to celebrate also as the Westerners gained entry to next season's Heineken Cup courtesy of their neighbours to the east.
- LIFESTYLE
Let in the seasonal lightYOUR wardrobe isn't the only thing that needs updating once the barometer starts to rise.
It’s a guy thingDid you cry with your buddy while watching Fergie say farewell at Old Trafford?
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Breaking stories
Fisher beats pain as Race hots up
England’s Ross Fisher overcame an injury scare to move a step closer to his fifth European Tour title.
By Mark Garrod
The 31-year-old slipped walking off the first tee when he resumed the Portugal Masters and feared for a while he might have to withdraw. But after a physio was called for and strapping applied to his left foot, Fisher battled on and, thanks in large part to a 22-foot eagle putt on the long 17th, added a 67 to his opening 65.
On 10 under par at halfway, Fisher leads by three from Scot Stephen Gallacher and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.
Gallacher, yet to have a bogey, is seeking only his second victory in nearly 400 Tour events, but Wiesberger has already had two this season. Fisher last tasted success at the Irish Open two years ago, a victory which helped to secure him a Ryder Cup debut at Celtic Manor.
Since partnering Pádraig Harrington to two wins against the Americans, however, he has managed only one top-five finish and finds himself down at 140th in the world rankings.
Harrington followed his opening round 69 with a 67 for 136, four shots off the leader, with Shane Lowry a shot further back on 137.
Paul McGinley’s Race to Dubai hopes suffered a major blow when he was forced to undergo minor back surgery yesterday. The 45-year old Dubliner had “a small procedure” on the base of his spine at a Birmingham hospital that could mean an early end to his 2012 campaign.
While he hopes to be back hitting balls within days, the problem forced McGinley to withdraw before the start of the Portugal Masters and, at 81st in the Race to Dubai standings, he knows his hopes of making the top-60 who qualify for next month’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai are fading fast.
Rory McIlroy needs to get back to winning form quickly with Justin Rose and Lee Westwood determined to deny him the season-ending Race to Dubai title.
Rose and Westwood each expressed the goal of trying to overhaul McIlroy in the handful of European Tour events remaining this season, following the close of the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final in Belek.
Rose, currently lying third in the standings, is buoyed after defeating Westwood to capture his richest-ever prize of $1.5m.
Rose was never behind in his match and, while Westwood managed to get within a stroke with a birdie at 16, Rose birdied 17.
Westwood salvaged some pride to birdie his last in a round of 67 to earn a $1m runner’s-up cheque.
The England pair will join McIlroy in next fortnight’s BMW Asian Masters, with Rose trailing in second place, and €637,334, on the Race to Dubai.
“The main goal now for the rest of the year is that I would now like to give Rory a run for the Race to Dubai title,” said Rose.
Westwood, who is 12th in the Race to Dubai and €1,396,592 adrift of McIlroy, is also focusing his sights on the Irishman.
“I’ve got four events left to play this year and three of those are European Tour events and one each on the Sunshine and Asian Tours,” he said.
“So if I can play well in those couple of weeks in China and play well in Dubai, and if I can keep this form up, I might have a sniff at the Race to Dubai title.”