THIS MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know before you sit down to your Christmas Eve brekkie.
1. #HEALTH SCARE: Prince Philip, the husband of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, has undergone heart surgery in England for a blocked coronary artery. Last night, the 90-year-old was rushed to hospital from Norfolk where the royal family were celebrating the holidays.
2. #EMIGRATION: Enda Kenny has told emigrants travelling home to Ireland for Christmas that he wants to create job opportunities for them here but warned there was no easy fix. The Irish Examiner reports that the Taoiseach said he was frustrated by the “wasted years” Ireland is suffering from because of the waves of young people emigrating.
3. #WARRANT: Interpol has issued a warrant for the arrest of Jean Claude Mas, the founder of the firm responsible for faulty breast implants that were used in tens of thousands of cosmetic surgeries around the world. The 72-year-old Frenchman is wanted in Costa Rica for “life and health” offences, said the international police agency.
4. #RETAIL: The Department of Finance has said that the 2 per cent hike in VAT coming into effect next week will not have a major impact on the value of retail sales next year. Estimated figures show that sales will fall by about 1.8 per cent next year as a result of the increased rate. Meanwhile, retailers have been relieved by a more successful Christmas shopping period, noting an increase in consumer spending for the first time in four years.
5. #LIBERTY HALL: SIPTU has submitted a new planning application to revamp the 17-storey Liberty Hall building, including proposals to make it five stories higher. The union says its offices need upgrading but some objections have been heard from groups who wish to preserve the building because of its status as Ireland’s first skyscraper, reports the Irish Times.
6. #CLERICAL ABUSE: In their annual Christmas message, Irish bishops have offered another apology to the victims of child abuse that have “felt hurt, betrayed and shaken in their faith”. Recognising recent years as being “especially difficult”, the bishops said that “no expression of regret could ever suffice”.
7. #NO SNOW: There certainly will not be any White Christmas this year with Met Éireann predicting temperatures about 26C warmer than last year. The weatherpeople forecast temperatures of between 11 and 13 degrees for Sunday, which could make it the warmest Christmas Day since records began.
8. #FOR ONE DAY ONLY: Eleven Poor Clare nuns at an enclosed convent in Ennis have spoken to the Irish Independent about how they will take a short break from their lives of chosen austerity to enjoy a full Christmas dinner tomorrow, as well as a glass of wine and the box set of Downton Abbey.
9. #CHRISTMAS NO.1: Unsurprisingly, X Factor winners Little Mix have taken the coveted Christmas No. 1 spot in the charts with their version of Damien Rice’s Cannonball. However, Galway legends The Saw Doctors have claimed the iTunes top placing for Christmas week with Downtown. The song is also at number two in the main charts.
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