EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.
1. #EUROZONE: As fears of a Greek default mount and pressure from the IMF increases, European Governments are expected to provide further financial support to their banks this weekend. The Irish Times reports this morning that up to 20 European banks need additional funds. Meanwhile, the IMF has called for countries to “act together” to keep the world on the path to economic recovery.
2. #RACE FOR THE ÁRAS: Fine Gael presidential candidate Gay Mitchell has told the Irish Independent that he intends to “make an issue” of the IRA past of Sinn Féin’s candidate Martin McGuinness. As the race hots up, Justice Minister Alan Shatter also questioned McGuinness’s fitness to hold office, saying he would not be an appropriate person to be the next President.
3. #PHEW: The six-ton, dead NASA satellite which has been on a speedy descent to Earth has eventually fallen and no injuries to humans have been reported. Although the space explorers are awaiting official confirmation, it seems likely that debris from the spacecraft fell over Canada and vast areas of the Earth’s oceans.
4. #CANNABIS: The Government is looking at how a drug made using cannabis can be prescribed legally as pain relief for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Irish Times says that Health Minister Dr. James Reilly is examining the issues associated with licensing medication derived from substances ordinarily associated with illicit drugs.
5. #DISSIDENTS: Three men suspected of engaging in dissident Republican activities are to appear at the Special Criminal Court this morning. The men were arrested after Gardaí carried out 15 separate raids across four counties on Thursday. Six other suspects remain in custody.
6. #SUICIDE: According to the Irish Examiner, only one TD and one Senator turned up for a suicide awareness course in Leinster House yesterday. Organised by an Oireachtas cross-party group on Mental Health following requests by politicians, at least30 TDs had originally signed up for the half-day training programme.
7. #MIDDLE EAST: The so-called Quartet of Middle East negotiators – the EU, UN, US and Russia – has urged Israel and the Palestinians to re-start peace talks in the next four weeks with an aim to reach agreement by the end of 2012. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the peace mediators have set out a “concrete proposal” that should be seized without delay, reports Reuters.
8. #INDIAN SUMMER: Don’t break out the winter coats just yet. According to various reports this morning, there may be an Indian summer on the way next week with Met Éireann and Irish Weather Online predicting temperatures as high as 24 degrees.
9. #JEDWARD: Are pop twins Jedward meeting the Pope? Yesterday morning, the pair ‘tweeted’ that they were “so excited” about meeting Pope Benedict, who is visiting Germany at the same time as them. And we thought that interview with Vincent Brown was good.
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