It’s claimed the Government’s two per cent levy on insurance policies may need to rise – to pay for the collapse of Quinn Insurance.

A Central Bank official told the High Court today, that it’s hoped the 1.6 billion euro estimate of what’s required to cover the costs of Quinn Insurance is as bad as it gets.

However, Domhnall Cullinan has warned it’s possible external factors could make the situation worse, which would mean even more money would have to be drawn down from the Insurance Compensation Fund.

And this may lead to an increase in the levy stamped onto insurance policies.

Our Business Editor Ian Guider says we’ll be paying for this for a very long time:

/> The Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to crush the 17-month rebellion against him and to cleanse the country of “terrorists.”

His statment followed a meeting with a senior Iranian envoy Saeed Jalili today.

Assad also appeared on television for the first time in more than two weeks.

Meanwhile fierce fighting rocked the heart of Syria’s commercial capital Aleppo today as troops shelled rebel-held districts in the east of the city.

Rebels say they control around half of the city.

Farwaz Gerges is Director of the Middle East Centre at the London School of Economics expects the situation there to escalate in the coming days…

/> Eurozone finance ministers’ group chief Jean-Claude Juncker says a Greek exit from the eurozone would be “manageable”.

In an interview with the Germany broadcaster, WDR, Mr Juncker said although a manageable process it would not be “desirable”.

But he said there would be considerable risks , particularly for the average person living in Greece.

/> The CEO of the Roscommon Herald has brought an High Court action against Thomas Crosbie Holdings for alleged wrongful dismissal.

Brian Nerney of Carrick Road, Boyle claims he was given 6 hours to leave the office after 27 years working at the newspaper his family once owned.

Newstalk’s Courts Correspondent Francesca Comyn reports:

Curiosity’s first colour pictures of the surface of Mars have been released by NASA.

The craft landed on the red planet yesterday, in one of the most complex space missions ever attempted.

Shortly after it sent back grainy pictures in black-and-white.

Scientists say it may be a long time before Curiosity is able to find out whether conditions were ever right for life to exist.