Teen attacks drunken man

A youth who assaulted a drunk man and kicked him after he fell to the ground in an unprovoked street attack has received a 28-day deferred sentence.

Aaron Brophy (now 18), of South Circular Road, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Children's Court to assaulting the man (33), on Dublin's Chancery Street, on October 14, 2008.

The victim suffered cuts and bruises to his face and was not known to the defendant, who is in custody serving a sentence and is due to be released in May.

14 tons of drug found in lorry

A Southern California man has pleaded guilty to transporting 14 tons of marijuana with the intent to distribute it.

Angel Guillen Raya (51), of Ontario, in San Bernardino County, was driving a lorry in August when he was pulled over for making an unsafe lane change.

Court records say a drug-sniffing dog alerted deputies to the presence of drugs.

Deputies opened the trailer and found pallets of marijuana stacked to the lorry ceiling. Sentencing has been set for April 12.

Revenue up for Starbucks

STARBUCKS has served up a double-shot of optimism.

It announced an increase in sales in shops open at least a year -- its first such rise since early 2008 -- and a tripling in quarterly profit.

After a three-prong strategy of closing hundreds of locations, laying off thousands of workers and labouring to tweak its menu, the world's largest coffee company's revenue edged up too.

eBay reveals rise in earnings

eBay has announced a rise in earnings in its fourth-quarter statement.

The incorporation's PayPal payments business has grown and holiday shoppers have gravitated to its online auctions and Buy It Now offerings.

The company, which runs online auctions and e-commerce sites, also logged a large gain from the November sale of its Skype telecommunications business.

eBay, which is based in San Jose, said revenue rose 16pc to $2.37bn (€1.68bn).