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The 9 at 9 Good morning! Here’s the nine things you need to know as you kick off your weekend.

EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know as you kick off your day.

1. #BUDGET 2013: The Department of Finance has published its estimates of government income and expenditure for next year – and revealed that Ireland’s tax take for this year is likely to be slightly less than expected, down by €210 million. The documents reveal a likely hike in income tax on Wednesday’s Budget – with income tax receipts expected to be up by 4.5 per cent on last year.

The Irish Independent this morning says the rollout of the new property tax could offer some relief based on the cost of home improvements, while the Irish Times also says mortgage holders could be allowed to defer their monthly payments if their loan payments are at certain levels. Meanwhile, here’s our guide to this year’s Budget kite-flying so far.

2. #SEVERANCE: Former junior minister Roisin Shortall has waived her entitlement to severance pay of some €33,100 after quitting her ministerial post two months ago. Shortall told TheJournal.ie that while she had asked her staff to return any severance payments made to her. Shortall is entitled to severance pay because her tenure did not exceed two years – so she does not get a ministerial pension.

3. #AMBASSADOR?: Bill and Hillary Clinton could be among the next people to take up residence in the Phoenix Park. Having previously joked about the possibility of running for the Irish presidency, Bill Clinton is now being tipped as a possible US ambassador to Ireland, according to the Chicago Sun Times – meaning he’d be moving into the residence across the road from Michael D Higgins. The paper says the job could offer Bill the chance to catch up on golf, and Hillary – who is to step down as Secretary of State for Barack Obama’s second term – a chance to take some downtime before a possible Presidential run in 2016.

4. #CONVENTION: The long-awaited Constitutional Convention finally kicks off in Dublin today. The 100-member body, two-thirds of which is made up of ‘civilians’ identified by a polling company, will consider matters like same-sex marriage, votes for Irish people living abroad, and reducing the Presidential term of office.

5. #FRACKING: The debate over the viability and safety of gas extraction by ‘fracking’ is likely to come to Co Clare, after a British exploration firm announced the discovery of at least 5.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in the west of the county. The discovery could dwarf the size of the Corrib offshore gas field which has prompted controversy in Co Mayo.

6. #DOWNGRADED: The Eurozone’s new bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism, has lost its AAA rating. Moody’s has downgraded the fund to AA1 – a move which had been expected since France, one of the main contributors, also lost its Triple-A status. The EFSF, which co-ordinates loans for Ireland’s bailout package, also went down to AA1, which could mean slightly more expensive bailout loans for us in future.

7. #NORTH KOREA: North Korea has said it will launch a long-range rocket this month – almost directly clashing with a presidential election in South Korea in just over a fortnight. Pyongyang says it will test between December 10 and December 22 – just as South Koreans go to the polls, and marking the anniversary of the death of Northern leader Kim Jong-Il.

8. #AUSTRALIA: A law banning designed cigarette packaging, and replacing it with generic boxes including graphic images of tobacco-related diseases, has come into effect in Australia. Cigarettes in the country will now only be sold in olive green boxes including photographs of various body parts with the ill-effects of tobacco use.

9. #LUCK OF THE IRISH: A couple who took half of the largest lottery jackpot in US history have claimed Irish roots, and say they’re going to spend some of the money visiting Ireland. Mark and Cindy Hill, who took half of the $587 million (€451 million) jackpot, said they would spend some of the money travelling – and that Ireland would be top of their list. And just in time for the Budget! How handy…

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17 Comments
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    Mute Ciarán Howley
    Favourite Ciarán Howley
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    Dec 1st 2012, 9:15 AM

    Wow. An American claiming Irish roots. That’s a new one! :)

    57
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    Mute OU812
    Favourite OU812
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    Dec 1st 2012, 10:44 AM

    Clintons in the park would be great for Ireland.

    31
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    Mute Gary Vaughan
    Favourite Gary Vaughan
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    Dec 1st 2012, 10:55 AM

    no it wont, Clintons out!!

    4
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    Mute Gary Vaughan
    Favourite Gary Vaughan
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    Dec 1st 2012, 11:01 AM

    do some research in the wikileaks files if you dont believe me. The yanks ambassadors interfere in every countries internal affairs for the yanky elite and thats no conspiracy anymore either!! It’s disgusting the level of interference our “government” and the previous one allows from the terrorist nation of America!! See if this comment stays up, somehow i doubt, sure we couldn’t say a bad word against hilary,bill or america eh, salt of the earth lovely people really!!

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    Mute Gary Vaughan
    Favourite Gary Vaughan
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    Dec 1st 2012, 11:07 AM

    Bradley Manning and Julian Assange have suffered loss of freedom to bring us 250,000 to show what america are really up to behind closed doors!! To deny the truths in wikileaks is a sign of downright ignorance!! America is a failing nation who will someday run out of road, or chinese investment more like haha

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    Mute OU812
    Favourite OU812
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    Dec 1st 2012, 12:02 PM

    To accept wiki leaks as 100% truth is far more foolish than to ignore it.

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    Mute Pedantic Paddy
    Favourite Pedantic Paddy
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    Dec 1st 2012, 1:27 PM

    What an excellent idea by the Aussies, but why stop there?
    Why not put images of oil spills and tar sands on petrol pumps,
    Deforested wastelands on wooden products,
    Brain tumors on mobile phones,
    Morbidly obese people on junk/fast food,
    Starving people on all legal tender,
    etc. etc. etc…..

    9
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    Mute Gary Vaughan
    Favourite Gary Vaughan
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    Dec 1st 2012, 1:39 PM

    why not? If the ultimate outcome of using the product is damaging then why should it be hidden from us by shiny wrappers or logos? This whole planet needs a good dose of truth for a change.

    9
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    Mute Gary Vaughan
    Favourite Gary Vaughan
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    Dec 1st 2012, 11:23 AM

    how can my “ramblings” be conspiracys when the evidence is all there. All anyone has to do is open their eyes, google whatever they want to find out about and it’s there. Take your attempts at ridicule somewhere else matey cos everything i said here and more can be proven correct so fast it’s not even funny anymore!!

    5
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    Mute OU812
    Favourite OU812
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    Dec 1st 2012, 11:59 AM

    So Google’s not lying to me but Facebook is?

    On your bike, don’t forget your tinfoil helmet on the way.

    Every country has its faults, some more than others, but the simple fact is we need America to be our friend far more than we need Julian Assange to be

    7
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    Mute Gary Vaughan
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    Dec 1st 2012, 11:14 AM

    and hilary has been proven to be a c u next tuesday by continuing to take and complete orders from her superiors that most normal human beings would refuse!! Nobody had a gun to her head, or maybe they did?? In my opinion she never cared that what she was doing is not straight up but instead she always looked proud to be doing it. This woman and the administration is more dangerous than larry murphy or even 1000 larry murphys yet people will trip over themselves to welcome them to good old ireland!! Sick.ie

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    Mute OU812
    Favourite OU812
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    Dec 1st 2012, 11:18 AM

    So you’re not a fan then Gary?

    Unfortunately, your ramblings put you straight in the tinfoil hat brigade as far as I’m concerned.

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    Mute Gerard Quigley
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    Dec 1st 2012, 3:29 PM

    Fair play to Roisin Shorthall for waiving her severence pay. Hopefully some of our retired TD’s and certain former Taoisaigh might take a leaf out of her book.

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    Mute Ian Walsh
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    Dec 1st 2012, 12:51 PM

    Trolling anyone? Anyone? Trolling?

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    Mute Gary Vaughan
    Favourite Gary Vaughan
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    Dec 1st 2012, 12:37 PM

    serious censorship going on here this morning!!

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    Mute marie turk
    Favourite marie turk
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    Dec 1st 2012, 3:52 PM

    i think roisin is a bit silly. ok make a point but i would rather she take it and give it to a worthy cause like crumlin. the money is just going to disappear into the black hole and make no significant difference to anyone. is it just a vote seeking tact. hate to be cynical about it but could be true

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    Mute Derek Richardson
    Favourite Derek Richardson
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    Dec 1st 2012, 2:06 PM

    might as well let bill in he will be at home with al lthe other lieing effers we put up on pedestals in this country

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