Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

GOOD MORNING

The 9 at 9 The 9 stories you need to know this morning.

EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know by 9am.

1. #TREATY: Opposition parties have criticised the EU fiscal compact treaty which was agreed upon by eurozone leaders last night, saying it is “too limited to solve the crisis”. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said that the Brussels summit was a disappointment as it contained no new initiatives to fix the current economic crisis.

2. #REFERENDUM: The finalised text of the EU treaty will now be given to the Attorney General who will make a decision on whether a referendum is necessary.  Both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have said they are seeking their own legal advice on whether a referendum will be necessary to enact the treaty in Ireland, with Padraig Mac Lochlainn of SF saying a referendum is a “democratic imperative“.

3. #JOB FAIRY: Good news on the jobs front this morning – Sky is to create 800 new jobs in Dublin over the next two years. Recruitment will begin immediately to fill the positions in a new customer service centre which will open this August.

4. # SHOOTING: A man has died from a gunshot wound to the head after he was stopped by a Garda patrol in Tipperary last night. Two members of the patrol spoke to the man before he produced a firearm and a struggle ensued over the weapon. The Garda Ombudsman is to carry out an investigation into the death.

5. #MURDER: Gardaí are continuing to investigate the murder of a 26-year-old woman whose body was found inside a bag on Blackhorse Avenue in Dublin  and say they are following a definite line of inquiry. It is believed that the bag may have been left on the street on Saturday evening, the night before it was discovered.

6. #BEBO: Social networking site Bebo isn’t dead – it just suffered a major technical error. The website went down yesterday evening leading many users to believe the once-popular site had closed down. However a spokesperson has said that the site was down due to a technical error.

7. #USA 2012: Mitt Romney is expected to tighten his grip on the Republican presidential nomination this evening as Florida holds its primary later today. Associated Press reports that polls have swung in Romney’s favour ahead of opponent Newt Gingrich, who scored an overwhelming victory in South Carolina last week.

8. #OVERCHAGE: The Department of Social Protection has handed back more than €10 million to taxpayers after collecting a health levy they should not have been liable for. Around 26,000 people were refunded an average of €385 each – but the Department said it was “difficult to be precise” about how many people were eligible for a refund.

9. #LET’S TALK ABOUT: Ireland’s first ever sex festival will be held in Dublin at the end of February. The Bliss Festival, which will explore issues around sexual freedom and health, will hold workshops on topics such as Tantra massage and “the metaphysics of sexual energy”.

Your Voice
Readers Comments
7
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.