style="font-weight: bold;">Ryanair says it will re-bid for Aer Lingus in January following the outcome of a European Commission investigation.

In a statement the Commission said its preliminary investigation into the proposed takeover indicates potential competition concerns.

Both airlines are the main operators out of Dublin Airport and on a large number of European routes.

It says many of these routes are currently only served by the two airlines and that the takeover could therefore lead to the elimination of actual and potential competition on a large number of these routes.

The two carriers are each others closest competitors and it says barriers to entry appear to be high.

Aer Lingus has already recommended its shareholders reject the Ryanair offer.

The Commission will now investigate the proposed merger in-depth to determine whether these initial concerns are confirmed or not.

It adds that this inquiry does not prejudge the result of the investigation.

Steffen Schulz of the EU Office in Dublin says the outcome of this investigation should be known by early January next.

“The Commission has now 90 working days to investigate the issue – the takeover of Aer Lingus by Ryanair” he said.

“So we will know by January 2013 whether there are certain issues in this takeover or not” he added.

Gardaí are treating the death of a woman in Co. Louth as suspicious.

The body of the woman in her 30s was found at a house in the College Manor area of Dundalk.

The discovery was made at around 3am this morning.

The Deputy State Pathologist Dr. Michael Curtis has been called to the scene.

It has been sealed off for forensic investigation.

In the US homes near New Orleans have flooded after huge waves flowed over a levee in Louisiana.

Hurricane Isaac is bearing down on the city 7 years after the destruction caused by Katrina.

Winds are reaching around 80 miles per hour.

Permanent TSB (PTSB) has made a record loss for the first 6 months of the year.

The interim results from the State-owned bank show a surge in its after taxes losses to €566 million compared to a profit of €413 million at the same time last year.

More than 14% of the residential mortgages by the lender are now in arrears for more than 90 days.

That is a 2% rise on the first half of 2011.

The PTSB Chief Executive Jeremy Masding says that while the figures are no surprise they do highlight the challenge ahead.

New figures show average weekly earnings in the public sector have increased in the last year.

The CSO says they are up 2.8% compared to a drop of 0.5% in the private sector.

Newstalk’s Jack Quann has more.