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A giant human hand is formed by 200 in London's Covent Garden to visually illustrate Dupuytren's contracture, a progressive and debilitating hand condition. David Parry/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Daily Fix

The Daily Fix: Wednesday

A roundup of the day’s main news – as well as the bits and pieces you may have missed.

EVERY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you a roundup of the day’s main news – plus any bits and pieces you may have missed.

  • Finance Minister Michael Noonan has revealed that his department was informed in August 2010 about the €3.6 billion accounting error in the Irish national debt. Speaking in the Dáil earlier, he blamed “human error on behalf of one individual” for the mistake.
  • Also in the Dáil today, Opposition TDs staged a walk out in protest at the lack of debate over today’s €700 million payout to Anglo bondholders.
  • Four-year-old Calvin Ellard has died this afternoon following a house fire in Cork which also claimed the life of his little brother Cian on Sunday. The boys’ mother remains in a critical condition in hospital.
  • Gardaí investigating the abduction of Ciarán Noonan from East Wall in Dublin are searching lands in county Meath for any sign of his whereabouts.
  • Figures published by the Exchequer today have shown that Ireland’s tax take for the first ten months of 2011 is about €184 million short of its target. The deficit has also blown up to €22.2 billion as a result of payments made to recapitalise Irish banks.
  • Former Anglo Irish Bank finance director Willie McAteer was released without charge by Gardaí this morning. He was arrested yesterday as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the bank.
  • Runners and walkers are being asked to take part in a special run in the dark on 16 November to help raise funds for a project being undertaken by Mark Pollack, a blind adventurer who was recently paralysed from the waist down.
  • There will be some happy Googlers in Dublin today as Google Ireland confirmed plans to build an in-house swimming pool for employees in its new building in the Docklands area of the city.
  • It is just 52 (!) days until Christmas so to help you avoid that gift-buying panic, the Toy Show Experience has predicted the top ten toys your little ones will want this year. This shot of London’s Oxford Street, after its lights were turned on yesterday, should be enough to get you into the festive spirit.

  • WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lost his bid to prevent extradition to Sweden,where he faces questioning over sexual assault allegations.
  • Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway may be getting public bicycle schemes similar to the popular and successful Dublin Bikes.
  • Organisers of Oxegen have denied reports that the music festival is packing up and moving camp to the Phoenix Park. The event’s promoters confirmed to TheJournal.ie that this morning’s newspaper speculation was untrue.
  • Here’s another surprising –  and unusual - fact about Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi – he had a pen pal in Brooklyn, New York. While ruling the North African country, the strongman exchanged multiple letters and Christmas cards with a Jewish florist.
  • It has been a busy couple of days for mystery mommas and pappas. Hugh Grant, 51, has become a father for the first time but the identity of the baby girl’s mother remains a mystery. Meanwhile, teen idol Justin Bieber has had to deny that he fathered a child with a 20-year-old fan after an alleged backstage liaison.
  • Yes, it’s that time of the week again. Champions League Wednesday is up and running and Niall over at TheScore.ie has all the goals and other action from tonight’s eight games.
  • We have all heard about free-hug schemes but would you pay for a hug from an alligator? Mike Sturgill, or Gatorman Mike as he prefers to be called, has just set up business in Tin City in Florida, charging US$5 a hold. Here are two happy customers from 2009, before he established the business legitimately:

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