WHAT’S THE STORY?

1. SOME good-looking figures first: pharmaceutical company Alexion will spend €75m creating 200 jobs in Blanchardstown in Dublin over the next two years, while Ryanair will also create 200. (Here, have some fireworks.)

fireworks fireworks

2. THE US military is coming to terms with another traumatic shooting on the Fort Hood base where a 2009 shooting rampage took place. Yesterday, an Iraq veteran who was possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder killed three people and wounded 16 before turning the gun on himself.

Tamir Kalifa / AP/Press Association Images Tamir Kalifa / AP/Press Association Images / AP/Press Association Images

3. ANGELA Kerins, the newly retired CEO of the Rehab group, hasn’t finished with her trips to Leinster House yet – the Public Accounts Committee said that she and the CEO who came before her, Frank Flannery, are “absolutely” expected to appear in front of them – and will be sent a “stiff reminder”. So there.

Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

4. WHAT’S that in the air? Ireland is on watch for air quality issues – caused by a mix of that pesky Saharan dust and other emissions – which have elevated air pollution in the UK in the last few days.

Forecast.uoa.gr Forecast.uoa.gr

5. ENDA Kenny already regrets his ‘call me anytime’ remark – made during the jolly, St Patrick’s Day festivities in the US. Today, he rolled back on the open invitation:

“Christ, I’m getting phone calls from Adelaide and New Zealand and everywhere,” he said to much laughter. “Some of them are not what you might expect. They are not all about industry.”

Catch up on the rest of today’s stories>