EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.
1. #ROAD DEATHS: Five people have died on Irish roads over the weekend. Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority have urged motorists to drive safely today as the roads remain busy after this particularly hazardous Bank Holiday weekend. Last night, a 22-year-old woman was killed in an accident during a charity tractor run in Nobber, county Meath.
2. #NIGERIA: Three days of mourning are being observed in Nigeria for the more than 153 victims of a passenger plane crash over Lagos, BBC News reports. Everybody on board the Boeing MD-83 died and there were more casualties on the ground but an exact death toll is not yet known.
3. #EGYPT: Tahrir Square is once more the scene of protests in Cairo as Egyptians show their anger over the acquittal of a number of Hosni Mubarak’s officials, according to Al Jazeera. Six police commanders are due to be released from prison after being found not guilty for the killings of more than 800 people during a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations last year. Mubarak’s sons Gamal and Alaa were also acquitted of corruption charges.
4. #SYRIA: European leaders are to urge Vladimir Putin to harden his stance toward Syria’s Bashar Assad during today’s EU-Russia Summit in St Petersburg. The situation in Syria is likely to dominate the meetings, says CNN International.
5. #WATER AT THE READY: Ireland’s two biggest cities will see thousands of runners and walkers take to their roads today as the Cork City Marathon and Dublin’s Flora Women’s Mini Marathon get underway. AA Roadwatch has traffic details for all motorists in the area. Good luck to everyone taking part.
6. #LABOUR: Eamon Gilmore has acknowledged that his party is facing popularity problems after entering the coalition government but has insisted that resolving the economic crisis takes precedence over Labour’s own issues.
7. #ECONOMISTS FOR IRELAND: The front page of the Irish Times reveals that the public service moratorium has been lifted to create a new unit at the Department of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform. The department will get its first batch of highly-qualified economists this week in order to improve quality of policymaking.
8. #HOUSEHOLD CHARGE: Those homes not yet registered to pay the new €100 household charge will start receiving notice letters in the coming weeks, according to the Irish Independent. No money has been received from about 650,000 properties liable for the charge.
9. #JUMP ON THE BAND HAT: With less than a week to go before Ireland’s first game in Euro 2012, it’s time to dig out the plastic hammers. Not familiar with the team yet? Today’s your last chance to check them out before Sunday’s opener against Croatia as Trap’s starting XI take on Hungary in a friendly at 7.30pm.
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