The Front Pages
The Irish Independent is up to its usual, incredibly depressing tricks this morning, with their front-page headline reading ‘Force banks to lend or face ‘decade of misery’. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) have urged the government to force banks to lend towards businesses, as further joblessness and crippling debt face the country if credit does not flow.
The economic think-tank have also pleaded that Finance Minister consider a tougher budget for next year, even though €3bn in cuts are already promised. The one man who apparently had seen it all ahead of time, who warned us of further catastrophe, David McWilliams weighs in with his views on the ESRI’s recommendation also.
Elsewhere, The Irish Times picks up on the ESRI’s report with a more positive spin, running a front-page article that suggests unemployment could fall to pre-recession level by 2014. It is important to note, however, that such a scenario is only possible to the ESRI if the aforementioned recommendations are to be taken.
The main headline in the Times today reads ‘Gilmore rules out coalition deal with Fianna Fáil’, after Labour leader Eamon Gilmore categorically told the paper he would not consider a coalition between his party and Fianna Fáil after the next election. Gilmore also states that he believes a Labour/Fine Gael coalition is the most likely outcome after the next election.
Tales from the Tabs
“Bucks Bunny! Dwarf rabbit with a giant tooth undergoes surgery to get rid of overgrown ‘fang’â€
With headlines like that, it’s no wonder the Daily Mail sells so well. Today the British tabloid shines a light on the unfortunate plight of Skater, a fluffy pet from Croydon that suffers from malocclusion, or in other words – a giant tusk-like tooth.
Skater has a misaligned jaw, which allows his teeth to grow without being worn down through chewing, as his teeth do not meet correctly. If untreated, malocclusion can lead to starvation, due to jaw complications or extreme difficulty eating.
Sadly, we’re none the wiser of the success of Skater’s surgery, but if we hear anything we’ll keep you informed. Unfortunately for the buck-toothed bunny, the vet treatment for malocclusion usually involves spaying or neutering – a cruel curse for any rabbit.
The Sports Pages
Big-spending Manchester City are in talks to add another signing to another signing to their ever-growing ranks, with the Eastlands club targeting £30m-rated Brazilian midfielder Ramires (Daily Mirror). Ramires, who is believed to be rated at around £30m by his Portuguese club, is sought as a second-choice after negotiations have Aston Villa over midfielder James Milner have stalled.
In additional Man City news, the club are apparently on the verge of signing Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli for £23m (Daily Mail), though Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will apparently rule out any possibility of leaving Spanish champs Barcelona to join him (The Sun)
Meanwhile, Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is ready for a season-long loan move to Portuguese.side Sporting Lisbon (Daily Mail), with Real Madrid striker Raul seen as an ideal replacement (The Sun). Madrid legend Raul is available on a free transfer and has caught Spurs boss Harry Redknapp’s attention after Seville striker Luis Fabiano had rejected a move to London.
Finally, Jose Mourinho is apparently looking to complete a move for Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho (Daily Mirror), who the Portugese boss has managed under both Chelsea and Porto. With persisting rumours of an Ashley Cole bid, it appears Mourinho is prioritising Real Madrid’s defence, and not looking too far in doing so.
