Sometimes, sports stars are never more in peril than when they’ve stepped away from the action. From the gruesome to the outlandish, brace yourself for some of the more unusual injuries of the sporting year

Ireland suffered a disappointing start to the Home International Championship at Ganton, suffering a narrow 8-7 defeat at the hands of a below strength England side.

As Irish bonds extend their rally, the gains for investors may be disguising a different story.

The economy may have contracted for a third consecutive quarter in the first three months of the year, as consumers held back on spending and the euro-region debt crisis curbed export growth.

The Government may need to make more budget savings this year to reach its deficit target as growth prospects deteriorate, said David Haugh, a senior economist at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

BRITAIN’S coalition government descended into a war of words over immigration policy yesterday, with the junior Liberal Democrats attacking Tory Prime Minister David Cameron’s hardline rhetoric.

INTEREST rates are expected to begin rising again by the end of next year or early 2011, at the latest. However, Ireland is not likely to see GDP growth for another two years, according to one leading economist.

A PANEL of legal teams will be offered by the Department of Health to the surgeon from St James’ Hospital who is due in court shortly in a controversial alleged medical negligence case.

A BRITISH firm that has refused to provide insurance cover for obstetricians was accused yesterday of using patients and consultants as pawns in their row with the Department of Health and Children.

OVER €32 million was paid in claims against consultants last year, according to the Medical Defence Union’s annual report.

If the current difficulties between the British-based Medical Defence Union (MDU) and the Department of Health are not resolved, it is the patients of this country who will ultimately suffer most.

THE latest decision by the British-based Medical Defence Union to stop providing secure cover for consultants in private practice drew an angry response from the Department of Health yesterday.

THE Government is under pressure to bail out the Medical Defence Union (MDU), which is now threatening to leave consultants financially exposed to negligence claims.

CONSULTANTS have been warned they may not be covered for new and existing claims after the Medical Defence Union (MDU) withdrew from talks with the Department of Health.

AN insurance scheme which the Government plans to introduce in January could leave some obstetricians in private practice without cover.