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EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things we really think you ought to know with your morning cup of coffee.
1. #DOWNGRADED The United States has lost its AAA credit rating for the first time ever following a tumultuous week on the global stock markets. A deal to avoid default on its debt was agreed at the start of the week but that wasn’t enough to prevent global markets falling and Standard & Poor’s from slashing America’s credit rating to AA+ over night.
2. #HERO The security guard who foiled an armed robbery at a Bank of Ireland branch in Cork yesterday has been hailed as a hero. The G4S security man was delivering cash to the bank in Glanmire when he was forced to fight off two masked raiders, who were armed with a shotgun and a sledge hammer, before the pair fled, the Irish Examiner reports.
3. #GAYBO TV legend Gay Byrne has told the Irish Daily Mail that if the interest in him running for president continued to grow he might well consider a run for the Áras although he admitted that it was “extremely unlikely” at present. He told the Tubridy Show on 2fm yesterday that it would take some “considerable persuasion” for him to enter the race but didn’t rule it out.
4. #TRAVELLERS Plans to evict some 300 Irish travellers from one of Europe’s biggest Traveller sites in Essex in the UK could be in breach of their human rights according to UN experts. The Irish Times reports that UN experts on housing and minority rights are extremely concerned by the plans by the local council.
5. #ROADS Gardaí have appealed for witnesses after a man was left in a critical condition after being hit by a car in Ballymun yesterday evening. The 23-year-old is in the Mater hospital where his condition is described as critical but stable.
6. #POLAR BEAR The teenage boy who was mauled to death by a polar bear in Norway yesterday has been named as 17-year-old Horatio Chapple. He was killed while camping with an expedition group in Norway. Four others were injured in the attack.
7. #SYRIA Amid a growing crisis in Syria, the US has now urged all Americans in the country to leave, AP reports. A violent crackdown on protesters by forces loyal to the government of Bashar Assad saw 24 people killed in unrest across the country yesterday, according to BBC News.
8. #FACEBOOK SPAMMER A man who has admitted to sending more than 27 million spam messages to Facebook users has been charged by the FBI after turning himself in. Sanford Wallace aka the Spam King is alleged to have developed a program that breached spam filters and lured users to submit account details, BBC News reports.
9. #PAKISTAN JAZZ Finally, check out this fantastic version of the jazz hit ‘Take Five’ from an unlikely source – a group of veteran Pakistani musicians who, as the Guardian explains, are storming western charts with their unique and innovative jazz album which has prompted comparisons with the Buena Vista Social Club in Cuba. Check it out:
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Scrap it. Abysmal show.
Very disappointed as a senior citizen I’m not interested in watching tonight..
What a pointless article. Numerous examples of good chat shows with many fans. The reason RTE and the Late Late Show is so dreadful is largely because of RTE’s cozy collusion with the government of the day. They have an agenda which dictates the guests, the content and the message. It’s 2 hours of fluff and essentially a form of propaganda. And to think they used to pay Tubridy €700,000 a year, it tells you all you need to know. Also keep in mind your government recently allocated E250 million a year to RTE for the next 3 years, despite the recent scandals, again, alleging corruption and cronyism at RTE. They are giving your tax euros and TV licence fee to an organisation that then attempts to brainwash you!
@Paddy Short: while I don’t disagree with the show not being great to put in perspective – Graham Norton gets 3million a year with the bbc… brainwashing and propaganda point is a bit tinfoil hat-ish. They try a variety show but doesn’t work on the format. You need a charismatic host (Patrick Kielty is awkward and not charismatic) and you need good acts that are relevant. Act booking is a pretty bad when they have no names and non interesting stories (and can be depressing). It should be fun and easy and chill like the Graham Norton show which proves that type of show is successful. Nobody wants to hear about another child abuse survivor on a Friday evening when they are trying to chill.
Does anyone know why the comments are closed here in relation to both of the articles covering Meehole Martin’s unwarranted, comments in the case of the death of Sophie Tuscan du Plantier? I have long regarded Meehole as a dope but he has reached new lows of dope hood with this one. He has impugned the integrity of the Garda investigation, cut across the independence of the DPP and implicitly found a man who was not charged with her murder guilty of the same. In any functioning democracy this idiot would be chastised by the Head of Government and asked to resign for such a transgression. But this is Meehole so it’s alright.
@Minnie Mouse: so true
@Minnie Mouse: Totally agree with you, the man has reached a new low regarding this.
@Minnie Mouse: Your last sentence says it all. You are talking through it.
Unless you’re able to attract/pay for actual celebrities you’re left with bottom of the barrel types, which is what we’ve had the last number of years. It’s stale. Rte are right not to pay big bucks to land the same standard of guests as Graham Norton, but then you’re left with a show that has very little else to offer. It should be scrapped apart from the toy show.
@ecrowley ecrowley: I don’t think Daniel O Donnell would appreciate you calling him the bottom of the barrel.
@Dave Barrett: daniel is not even in the barrel he is the barrel,,,
@Dave Barrett: But he is!
It’s never been the same since Gaybo!
@ Minnie Mouse. Couldn’t agree more. He is exposing himself as a spoofer and a liar.
The “investigation” of the murder of Sophie Du Plantier was a f up a la the Kerry Babies and rather than posthumously taking a cheap shot at Ian Bailey he should call out the Gardai involved.
D O’D. Sweet sufferin Succotash! I’ll stay in the kitchen and watch the tumble dryer!
Surface level interviews of people seem redundant in the internet age when the same people are posting on social media and half a dozen youtubers have probably interviewed them asking the same questions already.
It’s a nice reminder of what old television was and people will miss it when it’s gone but it’s definitely hard to call it relevant anymore.
A sure some people like it, I think the older stay at home folks tune and enjoy it.
@Ned: I’m of that older generation having been around on this earth for last 65 years I certainly haven’t watched the late late in years I’ve no intention of going outa my way to waste my Fri night on it we have been warned and it gave me time to did out my add free telly 4 the night with loads a sports to enjoy 4 the weekend other than rtes rubbish been passed off as quality entertainment
@Ned: as one of the older generation I haven’t watched it in years. Tuned out during the Pat Kenny era
@liam ward: be god lad looks like you don’t like it or rte but some people do wat h I hear.
@Rebekah Corbett: ya I hear ya, haven’t watched it myself in years so didn’t know it was that bad yikes,
@Ned: No Ned we dont. Well at least I dont. I cant stand the Late Late show
Thank God I’ve prerecorded Jools Holland, can’t stomach the Late Late
I’d prefer inhale the farts out of the cinema seats than subject myself to watching that
@Johnny King: or have your Micky bitten off, as in your avatar. Painful! But not as painful as watching the late late
This is the 3rd article today on this completely 5H1Te show ,
Nobody what’s to watch this total rubbish from rte
Time for it to go. Hold a toy show once year with different hosts. Only time people watch it.
have your say