Nolan criticises high VAT rate ahead of forthcoming budget
Nolan criticises high VAT rate ahead of forthcoming budgetIndependent TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has said there is an "absolutely compelling and irrefutable case for the reintroduction of the 9% VAT rate for the hospitality, retail, hairdressing and food led-services sectors in the forthcoming Budget." Nolan has been consistently engaging with The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) on the issue, and has previously warned Government that the economy faces the spectre of continuous rolling closures if the lower VAT rate of 9% is not reintroduced. Nolan said: “The latest data I have received from the RAI clearly and persuasively demonstrates the need for a guaranteed reintroduction of the lower VAT rate. “755 of these businesses are in Offaly, with tax debts of €11 million while in Laois there are 775 businesses with €12 million in warehoused debts. “If Government cares at all about offering a light at the end of this particular tax tunnel, then it needs to signal, clearly, immediately, and unequivocally that it will lower the VAT rate to 9%,” concluded Deputy Nolan.
Source:Irish Independent
August 08, 2024 16:04 UTC
Met Éireann forecasts dull and misty day with rain, but weekend temperatures to rise to 25C
While the sun won’t be splitting the rocks today, it will be a very sunny and warm weekend as temperatures soar to 25 degrees. It will be dull and misty today with some heavy bursts of rain possible this afternoon, as temperatures hit a very warm and humid 21 degrees. Tonight will bring rain, mainly affecting areas in the west and northwest as night time temperatures drop to 11 to 14 degrees. Many areas will be dry in the evening, as temperatures hit 22 degrees, dropping to 13 to 16 degrees during what will be a mainly dry night. On early next week, Met Éireann said that overnight rain will clear eastwards early on Monday with an improvement in conditions following.
Source:Irish Independent
August 08, 2024 15:53 UTC
Man charged over firearms incident at retail premises in Dublin
Man charged over firearms incident at retail premises in DublinMichael BoltonA man has been arrested and charged by gardaí after an incident involving a firearm at a retail premises in Terenure, Dublin. Gardaí recovered a firearm following the incident on Friday, August 2nd. A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested on Wednesday and held in a Garda station in Dublin. He has since been charged and will appear before the courts on Thursday morning.
Source:Irish Independent
August 08, 2024 14:50 UTC
Vulnerable renters outside Dublin face serious challenges with severe shortage of HAP properties available, report finds
Vulnerable renters outside of Dublin face serious challenges, with almost no properties available for those who rely on the Housing Assistance Payment. The Simon Communities of Ireland could only find three properties to rent in 15 major areas outside of Dublin in June this year at either the standard or “discretionary” HAP rate.
Source:Irish Independent
August 08, 2024 13:33 UTC
O’Neill: There is no place for racism in Northern Ireland
The Northern Ireland Assembly has been recalled with MLAs returning from summer recess to take part in a special sitting at noon. Ms O’Neill said ministers are “unequivocally collective in our determination to say no to racism, and stand firmly united in terms of what we see unfolding in front of us”. “Today, we are collectively sending a strong and united message against violence, disorder and racism. “That violence is not representative of the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland. Everyone in Northern Ireland needs to do that.
Source:The Herald
August 08, 2024 12:46 UTC
India should soon have its first Olympics sponsor, a sign of the country's growing Games influence
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Source:The Herald
August 08, 2024 07:39 UTC
Northern Ireland Assembly recalled to discuss violent disorder in Belfast
Executive ministers will gather at Stormont Castle on Thursday morning before the Northern Ireland Assembly sitting at noon. There was further disorder on Wednesday night, with police coming under attack in east Belfast. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it has asked for support, submitting a request to National Police Co-ordination Centre for additional officers from across the United Kingdom to support the policing operation. A senior Police Service of Northern Ireland officer earlier this week said a paramilitary element is suspected of co-ordinating violence in Belfast. Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and parliamentary under-secretary of state Fleur Anderson speak to media at a community centre in Belfast on Wednesday (Rebecca Black/PA)On Wednesday, Secretary of State Hilary Benn condemned “racist violence” in Belfast in recent days and stressed that it “does not represent Northern Ireland”.
Source:The Herald
August 08, 2024 05:47 UTC
On-the-run police killer consents to surrender to Northern Ireland
Paul Neilan and Eoin ReynoldsAn on-the-run police killer, who argued that he was facing an "extreme and draconian" sentencing regime if he was sent back to prison in the North, has consented to his surrender, the High Court has heard. However, before allowing Frane's release, the parole board in Northern Ireland must be satisfied that he no longer poses a risk to the community. Ms Quinlivan pointed out that a judge of the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland has described Indefinite Custodial Sentences as "extreme and draconian" and urged lawmakers to reconsider them. He said it is a well-established principle that preventing risk to the public cannot be the only objective of sentencing. A sentence requiring a person to prove they are no longer a risk to society would be unconstitutional in this jurisdiction, she said, and such a regime represents an egregious and fundamental defect in the sentencing regime in Northern Ireland.
Source:The Herald
August 08, 2024 02:21 UTC
‘World’s oldest calendar’ found carved onto ancient monument in Turkey
The world’s oldest calendar, carved onto an ancient pillar around 12,000 years ago, has been discovered by archaeologists. The timekeeping system, unearthed at the Gobekli Tepe site in mountains of Anatolia in Turkey, suggests people were accurately recording dates 10,000 years before it was documented in Greece in 150 BC. This calendar also shows 12 lunar months with 11 additional days, the researchers said. “Possibly, their attempts to record what they saw are the first steps towards the development of writing millennia later.”The Gobekli Tepe site, which features the oldest-known man-made structures, was built by hunter-gatherers between 9,600 and 8,200 BC, predating Stonehenge by more than 6,000 years. The markings also appear to show both solar and lunar cycles, which the researchers said could represent the world’s earliest calendar, combining the motions of the sun and moon.
Source:Irish Examiner
August 08, 2024 01:24 UTC
Bernard O'Shea: I stopped talking for 24 hours — here's what I learned
For me, it was a forced respite, an opportunity to reflect on the power of silence. Could I go 24 hours without speaking? Moreover, silence can increase the production of new cells in the hippocampus, the brain region associated with memory and learning. My 24-hour silence experiment taught me the value of pausing and reflecting before speaking. So, the next time you feel the urge to fill a gap with words, consider the power of silence.
Source:Irish Examiner
August 08, 2024 00:24 UTC
Europe’s Stoxx 600 index posts biggest one-day gain since November
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange where gains in mega-cap stocks boosted indices. Signalling a continued pickup in investor sentiment, the “fear gauge” volatility index fell for a second day, having hit its highest level since March 2022 earlier in the week. READ MORELondonThe blue-chip FTSE 100 index ended 1.8 per cent higher in its best showing in more than four months, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 index closed 1 per cent higher. Bottler Coca-Cola HBC fell 1.5 per cent despite boosting its annual operating profit and revenue forecast and a higher first-half revenue. EuropeThe pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 1.5 per cent higher but remained below the key 500-point mark following the recent sell-off sparked by US recession fears.
Source:The Irish Times
August 07, 2024 23:33 UTC
Disney hits streaming profit but warns of slowing theme park demand
Quarterly operating profit for Disney’s parks business unit fell 3 per cent compared with a year ago, to $2.2 billion (€2 billion). READ MORE“The lower income consumer is feeling a bit of stress, the higher income consumer is travelling internationally a bit more,” Disney chief executive Bob Iger told investors on a call. Mr Iger praised the progress in the entertainment businesses, which had been suffering from a dearth of box office hits and losses at its streaming services. After a scarcity of breakout hits at the box office in 2022 and 2023 – including by Pixar and Marvel – Mr Iger last year called for a focus on quality over quantity. Marvel’s Deadpool and Wolverine, released on July 26th, has been a breakout hit with nearly $900 million in box office revenues ahead of its third weekend.
Source:The Irish Times
August 07, 2024 22:29 UTC
Government approves Bill to allow judge-recommended minimum jail terms
Government approves Bill to allow judge-recommended minimum jail termsBy Gráinne Ní Aodha, PAThe Government has approved proposals to give judges the discretion to recommend minimum jail terms for those sentenced to life imprisonment. Treason and murder are subject to mandatory life sentences in Ireland. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee published the general scheme of the draft laws, called the Life Sentences Bill 2024 on Wednesday. “Judges will be able to recommend minimum terms of 25, 30 years or even longer where that is warranted,” she said. But at the moment, the only people eligible for parole are those on life sentences.
Source:Irish Independent
August 07, 2024 19:58 UTC
New hotel hosting recruitment days as it seeks to fill 150 roles
Radisson RED Galway will be the first ever Radisson RED in Ireland, bringing this upscale brand that presents a playful twist on the conventional to its new home in Crown Square. Radisson RED Galway is an eight-storey building with stunning views from the rooftop bar and terrace, and a lavish ground floor restaurant and bar. Minutes from the motorways to Dublin and Limerick, Radisson RED Galway has 177 rooms in the signature and vibrant Radisson RED style, and over 560 square metres of meeting and event space. Radisson RED hotels are to be found in major cities throughout the world, from Vienna, Brussels and Madrid to Dubai and Capetown, with properties in the UK including the multi award-winning Radisson RED Glasgow, and the flagship Radisson RED Liverpool. * Radisson RED Galway is located at Crown Square, Joyce’s Road, Galway H91 H5PX, Info.galway@radissonred.com Instagram: @radissonredgalway, Facebook, Radisson RED Galway https://www.radissonhotels.com/redgalway
Source:The Herald
August 07, 2024 19:51 UTC
World-record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw wins Poland’s first gold of the Paris Games in speed climbing
Poland's world-record holder Aleksandra Miroslaw won the women's speed climbing on Wednesday to claim her country's first gold medal at the Paris Games in the sport's Olympic debut as a stand-alone event. At the Le Bourget venue on Wednesday, she did the vertical run in 6.10 seconds, beating China's Deng Lijuan in a photo finish. "It's the first time for speed climbing and ... Her compatriot Aleksandra Kalucka won the bronze medal with a time of 6.53s. Earlier, the men's lead semi-finals determined the final eight athletes to vie for gold in the combined boulder and lead competition on Friday.
Source:Irish Independent
August 07, 2024 19:17 UTC