Fallen trees and flooding reported across the west coast including Donegal
There are further reports of spot flooding and fallen trees across Donegal and the west coast this morning following over night winds which gusted over 100km/h in places accompanied by heavy rain.
GALWAY also took a heavy buffeting from the Atlantic storm that blew in on Monday night/Tuesday morning last, but escaped relatively unscathed from the winds that topped 100mph off the coast of Donegal.Electricity supplies were affected to a few hundred houses in the Creagh area of Ballinasloe and in the Woodford/Derrybrien area for a time on Tuesday morning but power was restored later that day.Gardai are advising motorists to exercise caution on the roads. The ESB’s are continuing its efforts to reconnect customers electricity supply today.250 households or businesses are without power as a result of the high winds that have battered the country for several days now.The remaining faults are centred on Counties Cork, Donegal, Wexford, Dublin, Galway and Cavan – but the company’s confident the problems will be resolved shortly.Eircom is still working to repair some 6-thousand faults, reported by customers after severe weather earlier this week.The company says 1-thousand-500 faults were cleared yesterday.Extra staff members have been redeployed to tackle the worst affected areas – in Donegal, Sligo, Galway and Mayo.
Heart attack alert now over illegal diet pills sold over the internet Thursday January 05 2012 17:30
A warning about illegal online slimming products like the above Meridia diet pills can cause heart attack and stroke has come from the Irish Medicines Board.The products contain Sibutramine which was withdrawn from medicines in Ireland and across the EU in early 2010 because of the medical risks.The IMB has now issued a list of slimming products available illegally online which have been found to contain Sibutramine “often fraudulently not declared in the ingredients listed on the pack”.In the past three years there has been a 600pc increase in the number of these products detained by the IMB in conjunction with the Revenue Commissioners.Over 30 illegal products have been detected as part of the IMB’s surveillance operation and they include the following:1. Botanical Slimming 100% Natural Soft Gel (Capsules), also sold as Meizitang;2. Lipro Diet Pills;3. Li Da Capsules/;4. Li Da Daidaihua;5. Reduce Weight Fruta Planta Capsules;6. ZenSlim;7. Chinashow (Capsules);8. Slim body #1 Capsules;9. Slimforte Slimming Coffee;10. Slimforte Slimming Capsules;11. Svelte 30 Capsules;12. Celerite Slimming Tea;13. Celerite Slimming; Capsules; 14. Fat Burner; No. 1 Capsules. 15. Herbal Diet Natural Capsule. 16. Tea Polyphenol Capsules 17. Ultra Effect Capsules. 18. Slim Magic Herbal Capsules. 19. Slim 3 in 1 Slim Formula. 20. Natural Slim Capsules. 21. 2 Day Diet Capsules. 22. Best Life Fat Burning Capsules. 23. Golden Root Formula. 24. Riomont. 25. Capsule 1. 26. Eight Treasure Emperor Capsule 27. Paiyouji Plus28. Slimex. 29. Leisure 18. 30. Jianfei. 31. Royal Viga. 32. Sibutramine HCI Monohydrate Capsules. 33. Slimming Coffee. 34. Super Slim. 35. Zhen de shou. 36. Sibustat-15. 37. Obestat — 15. 38. Obety -15.
There are further reports of spot flooding and fallen trees across Donegal and the west coast this morning following over night winds which gusted over 100km/h in places accompanied by heavy rain.
GALWAY also took a heavy buffeting from the Atlantic storm that blew in on Monday night/Tuesday morning last, but escaped relatively unscathed from the winds that topped 100mph off the coast of Donegal.
Electricity supplies were affected to a few hundred houses in the Creagh area of Ballinasloe and in the Woodford/Derrybrien area for a time on Tuesday morning but power was restored later that day.
Gardai are advising motorists to exercise caution on the roads. The ESB’s are continuing its efforts to reconnect customers electricity supply today.
250 households or businesses are without power as a result of the high winds that have battered the country for several days now.
The remaining faults are centred on Counties Cork, Donegal, Wexford, Dublin, Galway and Cavan – but the company’s confident the problems will be resolved shortly.
Eircom is still working to repair some 6-thousand faults, reported by customers after severe weather earlier this week.
The company says 1-thousand-500 faults were cleared yesterday.
Extra staff members have been redeployed to tackle the worst affected areas – in Donegal, Sligo, Galway and Mayo.
Heart attack alert now over illegal diet pills sold over the internet Thursday January 05 2012 17:30
A warning about illegal online slimming products like the above Meridia diet pills can cause heart attack and stroke has come from the Irish Medicines Board.
The products contain Sibutramine which was withdrawn from medicines in Ireland and across the EU in early 2010 because of the medical risks.
The IMB has now issued a list of slimming products available illegally online which have been found to contain Sibutramine “often fraudulently not declared in the ingredients listed on the pack”.
In the past three years there has been a 600pc increase in the number of these products detained by the IMB in conjunction with the Revenue Commissioners.
Over 30 illegal products have been detected as part of the IMB’s surveillance operation and they include the following:
1. Botanical Slimming 100% Natural Soft Gel (Capsules), also sold as Meizitang;
2. Lipro Diet Pills;
3. Li Da Capsules/;
4. Li Da Daidaihua;
5. Reduce Weight Fruta Planta Capsules;
6. ZenSlim;
7. Chinashow (Capsules);
8. Slim body #1 Capsules;
9. Slimforte Slimming Coffee;
10. Slimforte Slimming Capsules;
11. Svelte 30 Capsules;
12. Celerite Slimming Tea;
13. Celerite Slimming; Capsules; 14. Fat Burner; No. 1 Capsules. 15. Herbal Diet Natural Capsule. 16. Tea Polyphenol Capsules 17. Ultra Effect Capsules. 18. Slim Magic Herbal Capsules. 19. Slim 3 in 1 Slim Formula. 20. Natural Slim Capsules. 21. 2 Day Diet Capsules. 22. Best Life Fat Burning Capsules. 23. Golden Root Formula. 24. Riomont. 25. Capsule 1. 26. Eight Treasure Emperor Capsule 27. Paiyouji Plus28. Slimex. 29. Leisure 18. 30. Jianfei. 31. Royal Viga. 32. Sibutramine HCI Monohydrate Capsules. 33. Slimming Coffee. 34. Super Slim. 35. Zhen de shou. 36. Sibustat-15. 37. Obestat — 15. 38. Obety -15.
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB)
Warn Slimmers over on-line slimming drugs
Above is Two of the potentially dangerous slimming products,
Slimmers have been warned to destroy medicines bought online that contain illegal ingredients.
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) revealed there has been a 600% increase in the number of slimming products seized in recent years that contain the substance Sibutramine.The drug has been withdrawn across Europe and around the world due to the increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The IMB has issued a list of 38 online slimming products which still contain Sibutramine – some which fraudulently do not declare it among ingredients on the pack.
It advised customers to stop taking them immediately and seek medical advice with any concerns.
John Lynch, director of compliance at the IMB, said: “We are identifying Sibutramine containing products that, in some cases, are labelled as containing only natural ingredients.
“In addition, the packaging is often quite sophisticated and is intended to convince purchasers they are buying legal and safe products.
“The products are often presented as natural slimming aids but many do not refer to Sibutramine in their packaging and are deliberately misleading consumers.
“Medicines containing Sibutramine have been removed from the worldwide market due to safety concerns.”
The list of illegal Sibutramine containing products include Botanical Slimming 100% Natural Soft Gel (Capsules), which is also sold as Meizitang, Lipro Diet Pills, and Slimforte Slimming Coffee and Capsules.
Mr Lynch said the public have no way of knowing whether medicines available on the internet contain what their labels claim.
“Some of these medicines have been shown to contain too little or too much of the active ingredient while others contain the wrong active ingredient altogether or contain an additional active ingredient not listed on the packaging,” he added.
“This is of particular concern in relation to Sibutramine because of its significant side effects.
“Because the manufacture of these products is unregulated and does not comply with EU and Irish safety standards, there is absolutely no way for consumers to know how much Sibutramine is actually in the products or what other substances they may contain.
“This poses serious health risks to those who use them.”
New car registrations for 2011 up 1.6% on year 2010 to 89,900
Toyota Avensis Ford Focus
NEW CAR registrations for last year totalled 89,900, an increase of 1.6 per cent on 2010.
With the Government due to overhaul the current emissions-based motor tax regime in the next budget, concerns over the significant drop in tax income from the motor sector are highlighted by the fact that more than 90 per cent of new cars registered last year qualified for the two lowest tax brackets.
According to figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, only 375 new cars were registered in December, down from 434 for the same month in 2010. While sales in the initial months of 2011 were quite strong, they fell off significantly in the second half of the year after the Government’s scrappage scheme ended in June.
Toyota remains the best-selling car brand, with 13 per cent market share and sales of 11,812, but Volkswagen has overtaken Ford to take second place. The German brand had a 12.5 per cent market share with sales of 11,247, compared to 11.7 per cent for the US firm on sales of 10,511.
Ford can take some solace in the fact its Focus remains the best-selling model on the Irish market with sales of 4,242, ahead of the VW Golf and Toyota Avensis.
Dublin remains the largest new car market, with 34,373 new registrations in 2011, representing 38 per cent of the new car market, well ahead of all other counties. Dublin registrations rose by 9.8 per cent compared with 2010.
Cork was second with 12.6 per cent of all registrations in 2011 and Galway third with 4.3 per cent.
In a cut-throat battle in the premium segment, Audi, with sales of 3,464, saw off stiff competition from arch-rival BMW, which was just 31 new car registrations behind it. Sales for both brands were up significantly, with BMW recording a 30.5 per cent increase on its 2010 sales, and Audi a 19 per cent rise. Both brands were also significantly ahead of Mercedes, which sold 1,951 new cars last year.
Despite the recession, both Audi and BMW also featured in the top 10 best-selling marques in Ireland last year, in ninth and 10th place respectively.
Diesel remains the favourite fuel for new car buyers, making up 71.2 per cent of sales, followed by 26.6 per cent which are petrol. Just 552 hybrid cars were registered here last year and only 46 electric cars, less than 10 per cent of what was predicted this time last year.
Nissan then had predicted it would sell 500 of its Leaf electric models in 2011. Meanwhile the ESB had set a target of 2,000 electric cars on the road by the end of 2011 and 6,000 electric cars by the end of 2012.
Hatchbacks remain the favoured format for Irish buyers, making up 45,126 of the new cars sold, followed by saloons with 26,463. However SUVs were a growth segment of the market, comprising 4.5 per cent of the market last year, compared with 2.6 per cent of sales in 2010.
This was partly due to the popularity of small crossover models such as the Nissan Qashqai, but also new premium variants such as the Range Rover Evoque, Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Silver remains the favourite colour, followed by black and grey.
While there are no official figures for the first two days of sales this year, reports from dealers and distributors suggest strong orders, ahead of last year. Part of this is due to customers pre-ordering their 2012-registered cars to avoid the January 1st VAT increases, along with a significant dip in sales in the early days of January last year due to the snowstorms.
Despite the expected strong sales in these first few weeks, many in the trade are predicting the new car market for 2012 will drop below 80,000 this year, with some suggesting it might fall to 70,000 new registrations.
Top five sellers: What we said
Ford Focus: The new Focus is billed as bristling with gadgetry. What’s more, this technology isn’t about bling, it’s about saving lives.
The new Focus has a premium pedigree that its predecessors never came close to approaching. It’s good enough to see off current rivals with a mix of driving ability, gadgetry, styling and relatively competitive pricing.
VW Golf: From behind the wheel this is your regulation Golf. That means solid, if dull, plastics, decent switchgear and residuals but, in general, nothing to set the world alight. The Focus is a better car to drive.
Toyota Avensis: The Avensis is the motoring equivalent of the warm woolly vest. Not the most fashionable accessory, but eminently practical and coming into its own in more difficult times.
When the economic sun shone, the Avensis seemed too mundane for our new jet-set multihome, multiholiday lifestyle. How the worm has turned. Reality has bitten and in these dark days the old reliables are taking on a new glow.
irishtimes.com/newspaper/ motors/2009/0204/1232923384738.html
Volkswagen Passat: In the world of the corporate car park, it’s hard to overplay the revolution brought about by the Passat. If you set aside the brand snobbery for a second, the Passat is something of a motoring epiphany.
For families looking for the best value for their euro, a mid-range well-specified Passat is a much better buy than scraping into a cramped entry- level model from a premium brand. irishtimes.com/newspaper/ motors/2011/0105/1224286769394.html
Renault Fluence: The Fluence is going to be bought by people who care more about economy than performance. We’re not crazy about this car’s abilities and in terms of driving, the hatchback Megane is a far more competitive proposition. This is a car for the moment and of the moment, when price and value overshadow everything else.
Mental health awareness Ireland is top of the bill as unique arts festival kicks off in Dublin
THE REPUBLIC’S ONLY ARTS FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS HAS OPENED IN DUBLIN WITH A WIDE RANGE OF MUSIC, FILM, THEATRE AND MORE PROMISED OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
A number of specially commissioned art works have been created to coincide with the start of First Fortnight 2012, which takes place in and around Temple Bar.
The festival is being staged in association with See Change, a Government-backed initiative that seeks to challenge discrimination on mental health issues.
Among the highlights of the festival programme is a concert with bands Cashier No 9, Le Galaxie and Royseven, whose song We Should Be Lovers was the most played Irish single on radio here last year.
Other highlights include a series of new short films from directors such as Hugh O’Connor and Mary Redmond, a number of visual art and photography exhibitions and two performances of 565+, a play that tells the story of how one woman sought solace in the theatre when struggling with depression.
The two-week festival programme got under way last night with the first of three “Therapy Sessions” which feature a mix of poetry and spoken word performances accompanied by live music from acts including the Delorentos and We Cut Corners.
First Fortnight is a volunteer-based project which began with a one-day event in 2010.
The project is so named because the first two weeks of the year is a period generally perceived as particularly difficult for those suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts.
See Change campaign manager Kahlil Thompson-Coyle said yesterday she was hopeful the First Fortnight festival would become a regular event.
“We’re hoping that we can make the first two weeks of the year synonymous with breaking down the stigma associated with mental health problems and show that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes.”
A showing of the acclaimed documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston will take place at the IFI on Saturday as part of the festival.
Johnston, a musician and artist, who has had an ongoing struggle with manic depression, has shown his support for the event by making one of his artworks available for use as a limited edition festival T-shirt.
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