Bee Gees' star is still in coma

FRIENDS and family of Bee Gees star Robin Gibb (below) have been playing him music while he lies in a coma in a bid to bring him round.

His brother and bandmate Barry even sang to the former chart star when he went to visit him in hospital in London, according to Robin's wife, Dwina.

The 62-year-old has been in a coma since late last week after suffering pneumonia following intestinal surgery. He has suffered a number of health issues in recent months, including cancer of the colon.

NAMA to ask court for help

NAMA will ask the Commercial Court next week to order developer Treasury Holdings to provide security for costs of its forthcoming challenge to the agency's decision calling in loans of more than €1bn and appointing receivers over its properties here.

Security for costs is being sought in circumstances where the developer is insolvent with overall debt of some €2.7bn. NAMA acquired some €1.7 bn of its loans in 2010 and the loans called in by it amount to over €1bn.

Outbreak sparks cholera probe

Health officials are investigating what could be a new cholera outbreak in the northern Dominican Republic, where one woman died and more than 200 people have sought medical attention, Health Minister Rojas said.

He cautioned that only six of the more than 200 cases have been confirmed as cholera, including that of a 64-year-old woman who died.

The remaining patients exhibit cholera symptoms but are awaiting confirmation through laboratory tests, he said.

Inmates freed after 10 years

Two men from China who have been held without charge at the Guantanamo Bay prison for nearly a decade have been released in El Salvador.

The Pentagon and a lawyer for one of the men say the government of El Salvador agreed to allow them to settle in the Central American country.

They are ethnic Uighurs from western China.