Metro Herald - 27/11/2009 digital edition

D Friday, November 27, 2009 METRO Gillian Quinn and her St Bernard dog Molly were at the opening of Magic Ice Kingdom and Fun Fair at the Citywest Hotel yesterday, which is open until January 10 Picture: Brian McEvoy its doggone cold in here legal drug man rips off scrotum POLICE are warning of the dangers of revellers taking a legal drug, which has led to one user ripping off his own scrotum. Mephedrone, sold legally on the internet as plant fertiliser, is one molecule different to ecstasy and, as such, dealers are claiming it is not a controlled substance. But police in the UK warn it can cause hallucinations, paranoia, fits, delusions and death. EU regulators have charged Philips and other companies with fixing the price of cathode ray tubes used in televisions and computer monitors, The European Commission said companies can defend themselves at a hearing before it decides on fines which can run to 10 per cent of the firms annual turnover. Philips is charged by EU over cartel travel tax costs four times what it raises, report saysBY ROSS McDONAGH Job losses worry 40% FORTY per cent of workers live in fear they will be made redundant in the next year. A survey of 1,500 people, conducted between July and September, shows the fear of redundancy is at its highest since 1999. The new Ipsos MORI poll reveals 48 per cent of full-time private sector employees are concerned about losing their job over the 12 months, compared with 24 per cent of public sector workers. The overall economic outlook remains pessimistic, with 64 per cent of respondents saying it will worsen over the next year. THE travel tax introduced in last years budget has cost the Irish economy 4 for every 1 it raised, it was claimed yesterday. A report by Amsterdam Aviation Economics has found that the 10 tax introduced in last years budget has raised 116million, but at a cost of 482million, as well as 3,000 jobs and 1.2million departing passengers. The report was commissioned by Aer Lingus, Cityjet and Ryanair, which between them account for 83 per cent of air passengers to and from Ire- land, and who have opposed the tax since it was brought in. The three airlines have warned of fur- ther losses to the Government as a result of its trav- el tax when reduced income tax, increased unem- ployment benefits, reduced VAT receipts and declining corporate tax are taken into account. This tax is completely counter-productive and costing the country more than it can hope to gener- ate, the trio said in a joint statement yesterday. We have always warned that the direct revenue generated by the travel tax would be significantly less than it would cost the State when the adverse impact on business, tourism, jobs and lost taxation receipts were taken into account. This view has been vindicated by the findings of todays report. The report found the Irish airlines have absorbed most of the tax and have been forced to reduce ca- pacity and move aircraft to bases outside Ireland as a result of its imposition. Jan Veldhuis of Amsterdam Aviation Economics said the travel tax would have a further detrimental impact on the economy and the tourism industry, calling it an impediment to economic recovery. index.html 2.html 3.html 4.html 5.html 6.html 7.html 8.html 9.html 10.html 11.html 12.html 13.html 14.html 15.html 16.html 17.html 18.html 19.html 20.html 21.html 22.html 23.html 24.html 25.html 26.html 27.html 28.html 29.html 30.html 31.html 32.html 33.html 34.html 35.html