EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you really need to know as you start your day.
1. #RONAN KERR: A war of words has broken out between Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister Martin McGuinness and the PSNI over investigations into the death of Ronan Kerr. The Belfast Telegraph reports how one of the five men arrested was apparently totally unconnected to Kerr’s death – forcing the PSNI to defend its pursuit of Kerr’s killers. The Irish News says the particular man, who was freed yesterday, is considering legal action.
2. #CLOYNE: A Co Louth priest says he regrets using the headline ‘Heil Herr Kenny’ in his parish newsletter last weekend. Fr Thonas Daly of Togher had used the headline above a piece comparing Enda Kenny to Adolf Hitler – saying Kenny’s attack on the Vatican was the biggest attack on the Church by a European leader since the era of the Fuhrer.
3. #ABDUCTION: Gardaí have arrested a man in his 40s in connection with the attempted abduction of a teenage girl in Ferbane last week. The man was arrested near Tramore and is being held in Tullamore.
4. #EIRGRID: The proposed break-up of the ESB is being pared back, according to reports in the Irish Times and Irish Independent this morning. Communications minister Pat Rabbitte has advised that the benefits of transferring ownership of the electricity grid are lower than the cost of moving the grid from ESB to EirGrid in the first place.
5. #FAMINE: Goal chief executive John O’Shea has accused the United Nations of sitting on its hands and refusing to counter militant groups which are blocking the distribution of humanitarian aid. This morning he demands more affirmative action to counter the devastating famine.
6. #NORWAY: Details are emerging of the moment Anders Behring Breivik was apprehended by police on Utoya Island. It is reported that Breivik did not resist arrest, holding his hands up – and it’s also emerged that police were delayed en route to the island because their boat broke down.
7. #UNICEF: The management of UNICEF Ireland have disputed suggestions that a planned TV3 fundraising telethon has been scrapped following the dismissal of Melanie Verwoerd as CEO. In a statement the charity said the idea was dropped because of time pressures. UNICEF has also apologised for the “public nature of the controversy” surrounding Verwoerd’s departure.
8. #TEE-SHOCK: The Irish Open has begun in Killarney this morning with US Open champ Rory McIlroy the bookies’ favourite. Yesterday McIlroy paired off with Enda Kenny for the traditional pro-am round. The Irish Times reports that Kenny managed to put one slice into the water – but the Irish Daily Star (print only) reports how one of McIlroy’s drives managed to hit a young boy in the head. The lad was unharmed, though, and left with a golf ball and glove signed by the Holywood star.
9. #EMPIRE STRUCK DOWN: Star Wars creator George Lucas has lost a legal bid to stop the original designer of the Star Wars Droid helmets from selling replica merchandise. The Guardian reports that although Lucas has won a similar case in California, the UK supreme court has allowed Andrew Ainsworth to continue selling the Droid likenesses – because the design copyright expires after 15 years. In short, this was not the result Lucas was looking for. (Sorry.)
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