Brian O’Driscoll admits it would boost Ireland’s World Cup hopes if the union was able to buy Johnny Sexton out of his Racing Metro contract.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt hopes Johnny Sexton comes through Racing Metro’s Top 14 tussle with Toulouse unscathed, after confirming Keith Earls is a serious RBS 6 Nations doubt.

Racing Metro are said to be in line for a shock swoop of Munster star Conor Murray, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Former France international number eight Sebastien Chabal has revealed a breakdown in relations with coach Pierre Berbizier has led to his departure from Top 14 side Racing Metro.

TOULON target Mathieu Bastareaud is suffering from a form of depression and is no longer “psychologically able” to play for Stade Francais, according to Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal.

DANNY CIPRIANI, controversially omitted from England’s RBS Six Nations side by Martin Johnson, kicked the three penalties which enabled Wasps to pull off a 9-5 Guinness Premiership victory against Northampton yesterday.

Argentina will pay its entire €4.4bn debt to the Paris Club of lending nations, President Cristina Fernandez said, shoring up sagging investor confidence and opening the door to needed new capital as the country’s economy slows.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki today called on all countries to forgive his country’s foreign debts on the opening day of the Iraq conference in Egypt.

New World Bank chief Paul Wolfowitz praised a historic deal to cancel the foreign debt of some of the world’s poorest nations today and said he was hopeful debt relief was also on the way for Africa’s biggest debtor, Nigeria.

Cindy Sui, Banda Aceh

Only a handful of tsunami-hit countries have accepted an offer of a “breath of oxygen” from rich nations to suspend billions of pounds in debt repayments, it was revealed today.

BRITAIN’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown yesterday released details of proposals for the suspension of debt repayments by countries hit by the Asian earthquake.

THE United States, India, Australia and Japan have formed an international coalition to co-ordinate worldwide relief and reconstruction efforts for the Asian region ravaged by a deadly earthquake and tsunamis.

An agreement that would see up to 80% percent of Iraq’s debt written off has been reached, Germany’s finance minister said today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sacked Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and his Cabinet today, saying he made the move in order to reshuffle the government ahead of next month’s presidential election.

US special envoy James Baker arrived in Paris today, kicking off a European mission to win support for Iraq’s reconstruction from some of the staunchest opponents to the US-led Iraq war.

GEORGIA decided yesterday to hold an election on January 4 to replace ousted president Eduard Shevardnadze as its interim leaders sought to make a fresh start and rescue the stricken economy.

A former top official of Saddam Hussein’s Republican Guard, and cousin of the deposed leader, surrendered to coalition forces in Baghdad today, the US military said.