An estimated 50 Cork-based jobs are to be cut at newly merged technology giant Dell-EMC, it emerged yesterday.

Munster 28 Edinburgh 14: “The performance was really, really average”. 

Computer giant Dell has formally completed its multi-billion dollar takeover of cloud computing and IT security group EMC, positioning the company to use its size to invest in new areas and fend off competition from the cloud and other rivals.

Staff at Dell and EMC’s Cork offices were yesterday brought up to speed with the ongoing merger of their two businesses, as Michael Dell flew in to address them.

Edinburgh 23 Connacht 28: Connacht survived a huge examination from Edinburgh in Murrayfield last evening to stay top of the Guinness Pro 12 with their fifth win on the trot.

Are You Sitting Comfortably byLeigh Hodgkinson

With the majority of young amateurs nowadays turning professional as soon as they make any kind of mark in the championship arena, the days of course specialists have more or less dwindled away to nothing. 

Welcome to your Thursday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

Ulster 30 Edinburgh 0

The European Parliament has voted in favour of a report from a Sinn Féin MEP that calls for greater access to an EU fund for people who lost their jobs as a result of the economic crisis.

Canada

Michael Dell won support from Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) for the $24.4bn (€19bn) buyout of his company, a surprise endorsement from an influential shareholder adviser.

Michael Dell, the founder of Dell, this week took the company private after seeing its share price plummet in recent years. Ireland, where the company employs about 2,000 people, will be watching on, hoping Dell’s fortunes can be revived, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

Computer giant Dell is to be bought back by its founder in a $24.4bn deal that sees it leave the stock market after 25 years.

COMPUTER company boss Michael Dell yesterday gave a morale-boosting talk to workers at a Limerick plant which shed 1,900 workers in 2009.

A LIMERICK man who has become something of a celebrity over his frank participation in a fly-on-the-wall RTÉ documentary made about four families affected by the Dell pullout from Limerick, said yesterday he tried unsuccessfully to “tame” some of his comments.

THE past week may prove to be a defining moment for the Greens in Government. Before the dawn comes the darkest hour. They learned however much they wish to avoid a general election, Fianna Fáil are even more eager to evade the electorate.

THE Government is willing to “bend over backwards” to secure 300 jobs from Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary after Tánaiste Mary Coughlan agreed to meet him today in a humiliating climbdown.

Irish MEPs stepped up pressure on the European Commission today to explain why Brussels approved funding of more than €50m to help US computer giant Dell close its Limerick plant and move to Poland.

LIKE most people, I am annoyed by the expenses claimed by our public representatives.

IT seems Craig Barrett might be the man to give us a state of the nation address.

DELL’S top executive in Europe said the computer giant intends to remain one of Limerick’s largest employers, retaining 1,000 R&D and other high-value jobs at its Raheen facility.

MORE than 300 jobs were lost yesterday in Cork, Limerick and Dublin in the latest blow to workers caused by the recession.

YOU report (February 3) that it cost us an astounding 164,000 to send Willie O’Dea and Mary Coughlan on the Government jet to Texas to plead with Michael Dell not to abandon Limerick.

IN his letter headlined ‘Was anti-Americanism part of Dell’s problem?’ (January 15), Brendan Cafferty shows he is either very poorly informed or just likes to throw mud at causes he doesn’t like regardless of facts.

FINE Gael would support the principle of tough but fair decisions regarding public sector pay cuts, party leader Enda Kenny said yesterday.

IT was mildly amusing to hear a Dell spokesman maintain that the 1,900 job losses were only decided on last weekend. I guess he would say that, wouldn’t he?

THE Government let down Dell workers by failing to properly prepare the mid-west for the computer giant’s long-expected partial pullout, opposition parties last night claimed.

THE knock-on effect of the Dell lay-offs, in terms of unemployment and economic fallout, could be almost incalculable, according to Labour TD for Limerick East, Jan O’Sullivan.

DEFENCE Minister Willie O’Dea expects an announcement from Dell “over the next day or two” on the future of the company’s Limerick plant.

GOVERNMENT ministers Willie O’Dea and Peter Power have been urged to throw their full support behind Dell’s workforce and Aer Lingus staff in Shannon.

One of the country’s largest employers, computer giant Dell, is to cut its Irish workforce by 250 as it strives to drive down costs and increase profits, it was revealed tonight.

Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty was replaced by a fan from the audience on Thursday night after failing to turn up to his own gig.

FOR a second successive day, the mid-west yesterday took another serious hit on the jobs front.

Zimbabwe state media increased its attacks on Western diplomats accused of supporting government opponents today with an apparent death threat against British embassy political officer Gillian Dare.

Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe is fighting for his political life in a behind-the-scenes power struggle within his own party, analysts said today.

The US ambassador to Zimbabwe said opposition to President Robert Mugabe had reached a tipping point because the people no longer feared the regime and believed they had nothing left to lose.

The leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party and about 50 other democracy activists – many of them bandaged and bruised – were taken to hospitals following a court appearance today, two days after they were arrested and reportedly beaten for trying to attend an opposition meeting.

EARNING $1 million per hour, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has shot to number three on the latest Forbes magazine American rich list, the first on which all 400 members were billionaires.