Ireland will take bail-out and restructure banks

After weeks of speculation, it has been confirmed that Ireland will definitely be receiving a bail-out package.

On Sunday, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said formal negotiations would soon begin between the country, the EU and the IMF. He also defended the government, which is being pressured to resign.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Brian Cowen stated that loans could also be sought from individual countries like Britain and Sweden. “The second key element of the agreement will be a programme to reduce our budget deficit. Put simply, the government has to increase our taxes and reduce our spending to levels we can afford. In order to help Ireland complete these essential tasks, and to safeguard the stability of the euro area, we will receive funding which we will repay over time,” said Cowen.

Cowen also announced that the government would be publishing a four year plan to restructure the banks and make them smaller.

It is believed the financial package could be between 45 and 90 billion euros, depending on whether additional funds are needed to manage public debt.

Robot to be used to locate trapped miners 

As the relatives of 29 trapped miners in New Zealand wait for a much delayed rescue operation to begin, officials are preparing to use a robot to help them locate the men.

High levels of flammable methane gas are preventing a more orthodox rescue bid so the latest technology is being called on to help.It will be sent into the coal mine to transmit pictures while assessing toxic gas levels.

Supt. Gary Knowles of the New Zealand Police is overseeing the rescue operation.

“The rescue team is still on standby.They’re currently planning to go into the tunnel if the opportunity arises.They’re looking at which section they will enter first. We’ve also been this morning in close contact with the defence department and we will be utilising, if possible, a robot on site to go into the tunnel,” he said.

The Robot will enter the mine and transmit pictures while assessing toxic gas levels.

Crews have so far been drilling a ventilation shaft but there’s has been no communication with the miners since the blast three days ago.

China miners rescued from flooded pit

22 coal miners in China have been rescued along with seven emergency workers who had been trapped with them.

Wearing sunglasses or blindfolds to protect them from the glare, they were brought out one by one on stretchers to applause, as Chinese TV broadcast the scene live.

They had been caught in a pit for over 24 hours by a flood.

At least 35 men were working underground at the mine near Neijiang city in Sichuan province in southern China.

13 managed to escape when the water came in, but more than 20 were trapped. The rescuers then also became stuck themselves when they went in to try to save the men.

The rescue represents good news in a Chinese mining industry often hit by disasters. Last year alone 2,631 people were killed in mining accidents, according to official figures.

The pit in Sichuan was reportedly a small, private affair and relatively well regulated. It is thought the mine was being upgraded for safety work.

China depends on coal for most of its energy needs.

Africa react to pope's message on condoms

Church goers in Kenya have joined liberal Catholics in the West in welcoming the apparent softening of the Vatican’s stance on the use of condoms.
The African country is one of several facing a major battle against rates of HIV infection and persuading people to use condoms is central to that fight.
One local resident said he thought people, especially Catholic leaders, were coming to realise that times were changing and one cannot confront today’s problems with yesterday’s solutions. “AIDS is real,” he said “ and the pope and the entire Catholic leadership has realised that it needs to be faced.”
Catholic teaching has long opposed the use of condoms on the grounds they are a form of artificial birth control.
Pope Benedict’s comments (quoted by the Vatican newspaper from a new book) that they may sometimes be justified to stop the spread of disease have stunned many.

Nuremberg trial exhibition marks 65th anniversary

The German town of Nuremberg is marking the 65th anniversary of the trials held there against Nazi leaders at the end of the second world war.

Representatives from all the former allied countries attended an official ceremony opening an exhibition in the historic courtroom.

The legal proceedings became the model for international trials of the future.

The exhibition is largely media based with video footage from the original trials. It also gives background on the 21 high-ranking Nazis who were in the dock.

Back in 1945 the Nuremberg trials broke new ground in holding government leaders individually responsible for their aggression. They also established new offences such as crimes against humanity.

From: Euronews