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EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know as you kick off your day.
1. #SHOOTINGS: Two people have been found shot dead in Co Roscommon. The man, 44, and woman, 30, are thought to have been shot last night, though Gardaí were not alerted to the incidents at Cloonfad until around midnight.
2. #REFERENDUM: Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has formally conceded that Ireland did seek to amend the terms of the EU’s fiscal compact deal in order to minimise the need for a referendum. In a parliamentary question, he said Ireland had asked for the ‘debt brake’ to be “preferably Constitutional” in order to offer “flexibility”.
3. #MISSING: Gardaí have confirmed that a body found on a beach in Liverpool eleven years ago is that of a missing Dubliner. John Crawford, then 28, went missing in October 2000, while a body was found in December 200o in England. Officers were able to construct a DNA profile for John from his personal possessions a few months ago.
4. #HALVED: The man who increased the number of junior ministries and political wages has said he thinks the Dáil should be halved in size. Bertie Ahern told an academic study commissioned by the Oireachtas that Ireland should have “70 or 80 single seat constituencies”.
5. #VOTING AGE: The National Youth Council of Ireland will today hold an event calling on the government to consider lowering the voting age to 16. The council says people who can work, pay taxes or join the army should be able to have a say in choosing their leaders.
6. #LUCK OF THE IRISH: An Irish emigrant has scooped a $10m prize in a New York Lottery – guaranteeing at least $337,000 (after tax) each year for the next 20 years. Brendan bought his ticket with the cash he would ordinarily have spent on cigarettes – he quit recently.
7. #GREECE: Greek prime minister Lucas Papademos has won cabinet approval for the latest round of austerity cuts – but has warned the parliament that it must approve them tomorrow or the country will face default. A number of ministers are set to defect from the national coalition in protest at the austere new terms, aimed at securing a second bailout.
8. #FALKLANDS: Argentina has further fanned the flames in its dispute with the UK over control of the Falkland Islands, accusing the UK of sending nuclear submarines to the area, to try and weaponise it. Britain declined to comment, merely saying its seacraft have remained in international waters.
9. #BLUE IVY: She already has a recording credit to her name – and now her name has been trademarked. Blue Ivy Carter, the daughter of Beyonce and Jay-Z, has had her name trademarked by her parents in order to stave off the threat of illicit commercialising. The family have also released the first pics of the baby.
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Bertie who?
oh, i remember wee Bertie all too well!
this is a “man” who sold our country out to scumbag thieving property developers who promptly put the next 2 generations of irish citizens in hock to foreign banks just so’s he could remain on as Taoiseach for a few more years.
that he has the gall to be commenting from the sidelines would be amazing, but for the fact that the chap is TOTALLY delusional, and has been for a long number of years now.
the sooner he takes himself off to Traitor’s Gate, and avails himself of some of the medicine he advised others to take in years gone by the happier i’ll be.
Bertie Bassett?
best thing to do with bertie is never mention him again. that would be his worst nightmare.
Bertie Bassett…oh he was so sweet :-)) Hmmmm, I am craving for a liquorice right now…
Luck of the Irish…
Good for him but why spread it over 20 years? OK, I can see the logic some people cannot handle money but I would prefer the $10 million up front.
The American lottery system is set up to pay out annually for 20 years so they can collect accumulating interest on money sitting in their accounts.
Also, $10 million isn’t $10 million. About 32.5% comes off the top in taxes and THEN the winner can start collecting annual payments. At $337,000 x 20 years is only $6.74 million.
Still, I wouldn’t pass up $337K a year for the next 20 years. I’d put at least $250K of it into account annually and not touch it, but also accruing interest of my own. :-)
Thank you for that tax lecture…duh! I am a Tax Accountant by the way. I just don’t practise anymore. Got fed up of City life and the rat race.
However, I am surprised that the US lottery winnings are taxed. Most other countries, especially in Europe, let you have the money free of taxes. And in some lotteries if you pay the tax when buying the ticket (peanuts compared to what you may win) that’s the end of your obligations.
I don’t think two lines account for a lecture, Dan. And unless you go around with a sign on your head that says Dan the Accountant, who’s to know?!
I’m not surprised the US lottery winnings are taxed. America taxes everything. They even have the right to tax American’s living and working in Ireland if their annual income covers over a certain limit. But I don’t have to tell you that. You know everything! ;-)
Hahahahahahahaha! Bloody ha!!!!!!
Happy Valentine’s Day, Dan! :-D
9.; Who gives a flying toss, I don’t. Are ‘celebrities’ really news? Who decides?
We always try to make the 9th item in the 9 at 9 something a little off-beat and less serious – sorry if it’s not to your tastes… 8 out of 9 ain’t bad?
Oh! Didn’t realise that! Fair enough I suppose, to distract us from all the bad news. Point taken!
PS – given your reasoning, maybe you should rename it the 8 1/2 at 9 :-)
Shootings , shootings and more shootings… great to see how effective our criminal justice system is!
have your say