EVERY DAY, TheJournal.iebrings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.
1. #COURTS: University College Cork is to sue the ESB for €18 million over damages caused during floods in 2009, according to the Irish Examiner. The college claims the utility was negligent when it released millions of litres of water from Inniscarra Dam on the River Lee, causing damage to 29 UCC buildings.
2. #DOCTORS: The Irish Government has told the European Commission that it will not be able to comply with its ruling on the hours worked by junior doctors for at least another three years. Last year, the Commission warned Ireland that is must cap the working week at 48 hours, reports RTÉ.
3. #LAUNDERING: The number of seizures of illegal fuel from filling stations has increased almost six-fold in the past four years, it has been revealed. Last year alone, 32 stations were shut down and 299,357 litres of fuel confiscated.
4. #SEARCH: A search continues this morning for five fisherman presumed drowned off the coast of Cork. Worsening sea conditions are hampering the operation being led by the Valentia Coast Guard. The five men went missing after their trawler sank on Sunday morning.
5. #ASSETS: Dublin Port, Coillte, Bord Gáis and the State’s stake in Aer Lingus have all been earmarked by the Government as suitable assets for sale to raise revenue as part of the EU/IMF bailout agreement. The companies have been identified by an interdepartmental group and discussed with the Troika, reports the Irish Times.
6. #CHINA: China’s economic growth slowed to its lowest rate in two-and-half-years during the last three months of 2011 – but the world’s second largest economy still boasted an 8.9 per cent expansion.
7. #ROADS: An Irishman has died following a car crash in the French Alps. The 40-year-old, named as Ian Corcoran from County Clare had taken on seasonal work in the Lake Geneva area. He was pronounced dead at the scene on Sunday, while another Irishman – a passenger in the vehicle – sustained serious injuries. He is said to be recovering in a nearby hospital.
8. #BARBIE BAN: In its latest bid to ensure western culture does not erode Islamic values, Iran has taken Barbie off its shelves. So-called morality police are starting to enforce the ban after an approved Sara doll wearing traditional dress proved unpopular with children and did not dampen the demand for the US blonde bombshell. Some rebellious shopkeepers say they will continue to sell the toy covertly.
9. #BATTLE OF THE BANDS: It’s been a tough year for the guitar as rock albums proved less popular than pop records for the first time in seven years. The likes of Adele and Jessie J gave pop the edge, with the genre grabbing 33.6 per cent of the market share. According to the UK’s Official Chart Company, guitar bands had their worst year since 2003 despite big releases from Coldplay and Noel Gallagher.
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