New water plant to serve Cork Harbour
Irish Water has begun work on a €91m waste water treatment plant to serve the lower harbour area in Co Cork.
Waste from Cobh, Carrigaline, Passage West, Monkstown and Ringaskiddy will be treated at the new plant.
It will end the discharge of raw sewage into Cork Harbour and improve water quality there.
Application form for gender recognition certificate launched
The Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) has welcomed the launch of the application form for the gender recognition certificate, describing it as an important and fantastic day.
Transgender people over 18 years will now be able to apply to have their preferred gender legally recognised by completing a form. Once they receive a certificate they will be able to obtain a new birth certificate.
The form was launched by Tánaiste Joan Burton, Minister of State Kevin Humphreys, TENI and Dr Lydia Foy.
TENI chief executive Broden Giambrone said Ireland was now among the most progressive countries in the world in the area as he said just five countries have legislation based on self determination.
Final phase of training for Irish troops
The final phase of training of 130 Irish troops ahead of deployment to occupied Golan Heights between Israel and Syria got under way in the Glenn of the Mall in Co Wicklow this morning.
The troops, who will form the 50th infantry group, are due to deploy later this month.
The mission-readiness exercises they are involved in today mimic scenarios they could encounter during their six month deployment.
These include explosive strikes, personnel extraction and anti ambush tactics.
Over 50 Turkish jets bomb targets in N Iraq
Turkish warplanes launched a massive air operation early today against bases of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, killing between 35 and 40 rebels.
The state-run Anatolia news agency said more than 50 Turkish jets were involved in the six hours of raids, killing "35 to 40 terrorists according to preliminary findings",
The overnight operation came after 16 Turkish soldiers were killed in the Kurdish dominated southeast of the country on Sunday in an attack blamed on the PKK.
