The Reclaim Fingal Alliance protest against a new regional sewage treatment plant.

Image: Julien Behal/PA Wire/Press Association Images

EVERY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the day’s biggest stories, as well as the bits and pieces you may have missed.

• Germany’s Angela Merkel has echoed Sarkozy’s comments of yesterday in announcing she will push for stronger EU measures to impose greater fiscal discipline within the EU. The chancellor said today that she would seek the negotiation of a new EU Treaty to that effect.
• Meanwhile, in our poll on the euro today, almost half of respondents said they do not believe Ireland has a future in the single currency if a treaty change is involved.
• In a case of either unfortunate timing or incredible optimism, the ECB has decided to use this week to release its celebratory video marking ten years of the euro.

Soldiers from the UK’s Scots Guards have been belatedly marking St Andrew’s Day with some Highland Games activities at Wellington Barracks in London (Photos: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/Press Association Images):

• The Republic of Ireland’s soccer team has been drawn against Spain, Croatia and Italy for Euro 2012. After the groups were announced, Giovanni Trapattoni said that “all our teams are very difficult”, before adding: “But I am confident”. You can catch up on the full break-down of this evening’s draw here.
• A 57-year-old man in Germany has been sentenced to seven years in prison after he attempted to rob a bank. The one big flaw in his plan? The branch had been closed for 17 years when he tried to rob it.
• The Taoiseach’s televised national address will be delivered before the Budget is announced. His address is to air on Sunday after the Nine News.
• And speaking of the Budget, what would you do to save €3.8 billion in Budget 2012? Check out some of the ideas already submitted to our open thread – and weigh in with your own.
• Fancy yourself as a bit of a James Bond? A job in the British intelligence service could be yours – if you can crack this puzzle.
• Michael Noonan has dropped his plans to burn Bank of Ireland’s junior bondholders after the bank announced today that it had hit its stress targets for recapitalisation.
• Zimbabwe’s prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai has divorced his wife after just 12 days of marriage, saying that there was a political “plot” behind media interest in their relationship.
• Members of the Maynooth Students Union have been occupying Fine Gael TD Anthony Lawlor’s constituency office in Naas, Co Kildare this evening as part of a protest against cuts to student grants.
• Thousands of people were evacuated from parts of Koblenz, Germany today after an unexploded British bomb dating from World War II was discovered.
• The Late Late Toy Show kicks off after the news tonight – but not everyone’s a fan. Do you remember this? Oooh, awkward…

(Video via linkman3100)

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