Every morning, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you really need to know by 9am.
1. #MENTAL HEALTH: Inspectors have expressed concern over the high use of sedatives in psychiatric hospitals, the Irish Times reports. Up to 80 per cent of patients are being prescribed benzodiazepines.
2. #FINE GAEL: The Fine Gael website is going to be taken down and replaced with an Obama-style video message from Enda Kenny, Harry McGee reports in the Irish Times. The party is describing the initiative as a genuine attempt “to change the way politics in Ireland works”, using methods modelled on those of former British prime minister Tony Blair and of Barack Obama.
3. #SEANAD: Divisions have emerged within Fine Gael over the abolition of the Seanad, after Senator Jerry Buttimer said he would not support it. According to the Independent, Fine Gael’s policy was only endorsed by six of its 15 senators, while just three out of Labour’s six senators could confirm that they were rowing in with their party’s stance on the issue.
4. #ECLIPSE: A partial solar eclipse will be visible in the northeastern horizon between 8.30am and 9.30am this morning. It’ll be your last chance to see one for 4 years – but don’t look at it for too long. Please send your pictures to tips@thejournal.ie.
5. #SWINE FLU: The HSE has ordered additional stocks of the flu vaccine in an effort to combat swine flu. 30,000 new vaccines are being shipped after 91 new cases were reported during Christmas week.
6. #CALIFORNIA: Jerry Brown has taken over as governor of California from Arnold Schwarznegger.
7. #USA: A ten year old Ohio boy has been charged with killing his mother, after he turned up in a neighbour’s house and confessed to shooting her in the head.
8. #ARK STATE: Arkansas, the state which is still reeling from the sight of thousands of dead birds dropping from the sky, is now grappling with 100,000 fish that washed up on a 20 mile stretch of Arkansas river.
9. #BRAVE MAN: Newlywed Russell Brand has committed a stunt that would earn him instant divorce round these parts. He took a photo of his wife, Katy Perry, as she woke up on Saturday morning, looking less than entirely glamourous – and posted it on Twitter for the amusement of his 1.7 million followers. The picture has since been taken down – but you can see it here. Shh.
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