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The Evening Fix: Friday
Things we learned, loved and shared today.
THINGS WE LEARNED:
#COLORADO: The mother of the chief suspect in this morning’s cinema shooting in Colorado – in which 12 people were killed, and 38 others injured – has said police “have the right person”. James Holmes, 24, was arrested by police this morning. Police and SWAT teams have been searching his apartment today after Holmes said he had left explosives there. Among the shooting victims is a three-month-old baby.
#E.COLI: Clare County Council was forced today to prohibit swimming and watersports at three of the county’s popular beaches after traces of e-coli were found in the water. The decision to close the beaches at Lahinch, Kilkee and Spanish Point was taken in consultation with the Health Service Executive.
#QUINNS: Gardaí are this evening continuing their search for Peter Darragh Quinn, the nephew of bankrupt former billionaire Seán Quinn, after he was jailed for three months for contempt of court today. Seán Quinn Junior was also imprisoned, though Quinn Sr escaped a prison term. The sentence follows last month’s conviction when all there were found to have breached court orders relating to their international assets.
#SOCIAL WELFARE: A new report has shown that almost half of the Irish population – 2.2 million people – benefit from some kind of social welfare payment each week. The Department of Social Protection’s annual report outlined that spending on state pensions cost just over €6 billion last year, with over 522,000 people receiving the payment.
#RYANAIR: Ryanair has apologised to a woman who claims she was “humiliated” after being refused permission to bring a change of colostomy bag with her on a flight. The airline says Frances Duff was required to call its special assistance line in advance of the flight, and apologised to Duff who said she had tried unsuccessfully to do so three times.
THINGS WE LOVED:
- The insistence of one Texan sports bar owner, who has bought an abandoned town – and renamed it after his bar. Doug Guller’s has decided that Bankersmith is now called Bikinis.
- The calm-as-you-like approach to hurdling of Michelle Jenneke. The 19-year-old Australian has been making waves online after her enthusiastic pre-race dance in Barcelona earlier this week. Don’t worry: she won the race… easily.
- This dog. Here’s 3-year-old English Mastiff ‘Leon’ taking a break along the Liffey earlier today. (Photo: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)
- Someone tried to steal the Olympic torch this morning. They failed. Security runners stepped in after the torchbearer was accosted in Gravesend – ensuring no interruption to the relay whatsoever.
- This inspirational story from the UK. Mark Ellis developed ‘locked-in syndrome’ – basically, total bodily paralysis – after a stroke at 22. But Ellis has managed to revive his ability to move and walk – by mimicking he actions of his infant daughter.
- Finally this evening, this advert – calling on the owners of the chain store Woolworths to limit the amount that gamblers can bet at slot machines – has been banned in Australia. It’s from GetUp, the same group that came up with this viral ad last year.
(Dusti Romano/Youtube)
