Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has strongly endorsed Business Minister Heather Humphrey's criticism of Maria Bailey over her 'swing-gate' personal injuries case.

Britain will be blocked from taking part in the upcoming EU elections, one of Europe's most influential politicians has suggested.

Ben Hirschler For Christophe Weber, the boss of Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical, securing a $62bn (€52bn) deal last week to buy drugmaker Shire at the fifth time of asking was the easy bit.

"At the moment, in terms of lighting, the trend is definitely for mid-century design, featuring polished brass metalwork combined with a painted finish."

Almost all chief executives here say they are planning to expand their businesses in 2017, despite the threat of Brexit, and over half have a strategy worked out to deal with the UK fallout, according to Deloitte survey.

Men die six years younger than women and are more often victims of suicide. Rita de Brún meets the Australian trying to change all that.

The rules-based Western system of government is flawed, but we must persuade people that it’s better than the alternative, says Ana Palacio.

Broadcasters paid big money for exclusive rights to air the Olympics and measures were put in place to protect those rights, including a ban on gifs.

Despite the lack of basic medical equipment and drugs in his native Senegal, neurosurgeon Seydou Badiane treats everyone he can, says Rita de Brún

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Fashion designer Don O’Neill; Cork-based Irish furniture designer Joseph Walsh; and art historian and author Nicholas Fox Weber were conferred with honorary doctorates at a ceremony in the Aula Maxima at UCC yesterday.

Conversations at Davos typically focus on the thousands of wealthy and powerful folk who trek to the Alps every January for the World Economic Forum.

Crawford Gallery, Cork

Barclays chief executive Antony Jenkins and HSBC chairman Douglas Flint said the financial system’s safety has improved in the past five years, splitting delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The risk of a lurch to the right in May’s European elections is vexing global chief executives, who worry the vote will make the bloc harder to govern just as they want it to reform.

Investors don’t care about retweets, they only care about making money. So what's next for Twitter after the second-largest tech IPO in history?

Competition from international firms will ensure that the Irish financial services sector consolidates even further, according to Brian Weber, head of the Irish operations for the international private client business, Quilter.

West Cork Chamber Music Festival broke attendance records for its 37 concerts over nine days in Bantry, says Declan Townsend

An injured Irish climber was recovering in hospital today after being rescued by helicopter from Alaska’s Mount McKinley.

With Jean Claude Trichet preparing to step down as president of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, an Italian banker with more than enough experience, is the person likely to step into his office, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

AN ECB interest rate hike of 0.25% in April is a distinct possibility while the money markets have priced in two further increases before the year end.

ECB officials edged back from a threat to raise interest rates, saying markets have over-reacted to their change in tone on inflation.

Vince Vaughn has become a father, it has been announced.

IRELAND’S rescue programme is a good one and will bring stabilisation to the country, according to the European Central Bank (ECB).

GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel is proving, as if needed to be proven, that there is no such thing as a free lunch but let us all fervently hope that the bill will not include another referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Frankfurt: European Central Bank council member Axel Weber said the ECB should help banks through end-of-year liquidity tensions before determining in the first quarter when to withdraw emergency lending measures.

AIB could place its 22.5% stake in US bank M&T with institutional investors if it fails to secure a purchaser.

THE head of Germany’s Central Bank has expressed serious doubt over the potential effectiveness of the proposed European Stabilisation Fund, which is aimed at reducing future failings in the international banking sector.

Michael Schumacher is to sensationally come out of retirement to race for Ferrari in the absence of the injured Felipe Massa.

The Cliffs of Moher have gotten through to the shortlist for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

Vince Vaughn is apparently engaged to his long-term girlfriend Kyla Weber.

European Central Bank policy makers Axel Weber and Lucas Papademos said the bank may need to raise interest rates further if the inflation outlook deteriorates.

INFLATION concerns have let two leading ECB officials to warn the next move in European interest rates could be upwards.

A father and daughter team showed “callous disregard” for thousands of British victims in a £35m (€45.6m) fraud scam, US authorities said.

DAVID HILL kicked Bristol to the most notable win in their Heineken Cup history as tournament favourites Stade Francais suffered a surprise Pool Three defeat.

THE Great Wall of China, Rome’s Colosseum, India’s Taj Mahal and three architectural marvels from Latin America were among the new seven wonders of the world chosen in a global poll.

The new seven wonders of the world have been chosen after 100 million people voted.

The Great Wall of China, the Colosseum in Rome and Peru’s Machu Picchu are leading contenders to be among the new seven wonders of the world, as a massive poll draws to a close.

AS Europe heads into its fastest growth period in six years, the euro’s rise could put an end to the party even before it gets into full swing.

FURIOUS Egypt says a contest to name the new seven wonders of the world in which the ancient Pyramids of Giza must now compete with sites like Stonehenge, is a “disgrace”.