1. #NOTW Former Downing Street spokesman Andy Coulson is expected to be arrested this morning in the wake of the hacking scandal which has forced the closure of The News of the World. Police in the UK now say that there may be 4,000 potential hacking victims, including families of the victims of the Omagh bombing. Twenty-two staff were employed by the News of the World in Ireland. It’s reported that Rebekah Brooks, who was editor of the paper at the time of the hacking, was escorted from the London newsroom by security staff.
2. #END OF THE WORLD ‘Apocalypse NOTW’….’World’s End’….How have the British and Irish papers been covering the news of the demise of the Sunday paper?
3. #DOG A woman in Limerick died after having sex with a dog. The mother of four died three years ago from anaphylaxis after she suffered am allergic reaction to the Alsatian dog’s semen. It’s understood that she had made contact with the dog’s owner online. A 57-year-old man has appeared in court in relation to the act.
4. #MICHIGAN A gunman who shot dead seven people, including his own daughter in Grand Rapids, Michigan has taken his own life. Rodrick S. Dantzler had earlier shot five adults and two children. He had taken three people hostage in a house following the shootings and was involved in a standoff with police when he took his own life.
5. #BERLIN The Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore is in Berlin today to talk to his German counterpart Guido Westerwelle about the debt crisis which has engulfed Europe. Gilmore says he’ll be looking to focus on Ireland’s economy, while he’ll also meet with representatives of the Irish business community in Germany.
6. #HEALTH FEARS There have been concerns about significant risks at ten hospitals in Ireland, according to the HSE which received the information in reports following inspections by the Health Information and Quality. The HSE says that some of the facilities have already addressed the issues but there are four hospitals where concerns still need to be addressed; Portlaoise, Loughlinstown, Bantry and St. John’s in Limerick.
7. #LIFT OFF It seems that the space shuttle Atlantis may blast off from Cape Canaveral this afternoon, despite reports that stormy weather was going to hamper the launch. NASA have begun fuelling Atlantis and engineers say they will reassess the weather situation. Atlantis is the last shuttle of the NASA space programme.
8. #DRESS CODE TDs will now have to wear a suit and a shirt with long sleeves after the Dáil committee on procedure and privileges approved a measure tackling the dress code in the chamber. Mick Wallace, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Richard Boyd Barrett are known for their relaxed attitude to Dáil attire.
9. #WALK IN THE WOODS Looking for a job with Facebook? Then you had better invest in some hiking boots. It’s reported that founder Mark Zuckerberg takes some select interviewees for a walk in the woods in the hills above Silicon Valley. Zuckerberg has to really want you to work there to get the outdoors treatment. He apparently sends personal emails to people he really wants to recruit.
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