LAST UPDATE | 19 Feb

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know to start the day. 

Corporation tax

1. Two tech companies made up 40% of corporation tax receipts in 2024 but it’s been warned that the outcome of future tech profits is “highly uncertain” and could fall sharply.

Contactless 

2. More than 60% of all contactless payments last year were made using smartphones.

Party trouble

3. Fianna Fáil ministers of State Niall Collins said it’s “regrettable” that councillors from his own party and Fine Gael are “seeking to disrupt” the work of Limerick’s directly elected mayor.

AI property photos

4. The advertising regulator has said that artificial intelligence (AI) generated images on property listings are “not likely to mislead” if properly flagged.

Board of Peace

5. Trump is today gathering allies to inaugurate the “Board of Peace,” his new institution focused on progress on Gaza but whose ambitions reach much further.

Student accommodation objections

6. The Minister for Higher Education is not happy with Sinn Féin, after leader Mary Lou McDonald reportedly objected to a student accommodation development in Cabra.

Insurrection in Korea

7. A South Korean court found ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol guilty of insurrection on Thursday and sentenced him to life in prison, saying his martial law declaration in December 2024 was a plot to “paralyse” the National Assembly.

Social Media restrictions

8. There were raised  eyebrows at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting over a leaked memo on the Government’s plans to introduce restrictions on social media use for teenagers. 

Taxis

9. Ireland’s consumer watchdog is calling for increased access to ride-hailing apps on the Irish market due to a taxi supply shortage.