Head of International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, is in Dublin today

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde is in Dublin today. She will meet with the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste this morning.

She will then deliver a keynote speech at the Institute of European Affairs. Ms. Lagarde arrived in Dublin yesterday as part of her tour of a number of countries in Europe.

The Minister for Finance Michael Noonan will open the event at Dublin Castle later today.

Speaking in October she called for "courageous and cooperative" action to quell economic uncertainty.

 

Father of Nicola Furlong: Defence trying to blacken my daughter

Andrew Furlong said Nicola wouldn't have gone to Japan if I didn't want her to.

The father of Nicola Furlong says it has been difficult hearing the defence in the trial over the death of his daughter in a Japanese court.

19-year-old Richard Hinds who is from Memphis, Tennessee in the US is accused of killing the 21-year-old from Wexford in a Tokyo hotel room last May. His former girlfriend is giving evidence at the trial today.

The doctor who carried out the autopsy on her body gave evidence earlier this week that he believed strangulation was the most likely cause of death. The drugs found in her system have been ruled out as factors in her death.

A friend of Nicola Furlong broke down in court on Wednesday as she re-lived the night she died. The friend who cannot be identified recounted how they both attended a concert in the Japanese capital. Her friend told the court she cannot remember the taxi journey to the hotel where Nicola was found unconscious before she died.

Nicola's parents and sister have been in Tokyo this week for the case.

Her father Andrew Furlong was speaking to Breakfast here on Newstalk. He says it has been tough hearing the defence speak about his daughter and her friend who was there the night Nicola died.

Man remains in critical condition following a shooting in Dublin yesterday evening

The 20-year-old was shot several times in Clondalkin yesterday evening.

Gardai sat the victim was shot several times as he walked along Moorfield Avenue in Clondalkin at around 7pm yesterday evening.

He was rushed to Tallaght Hospital where he's still fighting for his life.

The gunman fled the scene after the shooting and it's believed he made his getaway in a car that was found burnt out nearby.

A forensic examination of the scene took place last night and a post mortem will get underway today.

In the meantime, Gardai are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Facebook revamps News Feed to allow people to organise streams

CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the News Feed is now more like a newspaper tailored to the particular interests of each Facebook user's preferences.

The change also appears to be aimed at carving out more space to show larger ads within the News Feed as the social network seeks to boost its revenue and stock price.

Newstalk's Business Editor Ian Guider says the markets have responded favourably to the changes this morning.

 

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro will be formally sworn in as acting president today

Under the constitution elections have to be held within 30 days.

The government says more than 2 million people have streamed through the military academy where the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez body is lying in state.

Maduro has said he will be embalmed "like Ho Chi Minh, Lenin and Mao" and kept in a glass casket to be seen "for eternity".

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Belarussian strongman Alexander Lukashenko will be among 55 heads of state or government attending next Friday's state funeral.

Chavez was seen by many as a dictator but was both loved and hated throughout the world.