Every morning, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you really need to know at 9am.
1. #JAPAN: Japanese nuclear officials say that three workers at the stricken Fukushima plant have been exposed to radiation. Work to restore the plant’s cooling system continues today, but officials have said Reactor 3 stopped emitting smoke yesterday evening and work can resume at the unit. The death toll from 11 March’s earthquake and tsunami is expected to rise over 18,000. Rescue teams are still searching through the rubble for survivors and bodies.
2. #SUMMIT: Taoiseach Enda Kenny travels to Brussels today for an EU leaders’ summit on measures for financial growth and recovery. However, Ireland’s bailout interest rate will now not be discussed until after the Irish bank stress tests have been carried out.
3. #PORTUGAL: Portugal looks increasingly likely to require a bailout, Reuters reports. The prime minister resigned yesterday after the parliament refused to approve emergency austerity measures.
4. #SKELETON: A post-mortem examination on human remains found in undergrowth at Tolka Valley Park, Dublin yesterday morning are due to be carried out today. The remains are believed to be that of a woman and could have been there for up to three years.
5. #LIBYA: A fifth night of aerial bombardment by coalition forces hasn’t deterred Gaddafi’s forces, according to reports from Libya today. Al Jazeera reports that the Libyan leaders’ forces continue to shell opposition-held towns.
6. #TRAGIC: An inquest into the death of a toddler has heard evidence from her father, who struck the 1-year-old girl while reversing outside the family’s home in Donegal. The Examiner reports that the child’s aunt also gave evidence about attempts to resuscitate her.
7. #LENDING: Lending restrictions on credit unions could push people towards moneylenders, the Independent says a credit union group has claimed in a letter to the Central Bank.
8. #FIRE: A 41-year-old man has died in a fire at his mobile home in Timahoe, Co Laois, the Irish Times reports.
9. #I HEART WORDS: Among the 45,437 new words and meanings added to the latest revision of the Oxford English Dictionary is the heart symbol. The Telegraph reports that its first record use was on a US bumper sticker saying: “I [heart] my dog’s head”. Among the other new inclusions are ‘wag’, ‘domestic goddess’ and ‘lashed’ (meaning intoxicated).
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