EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you really ought to know with your morning coffee.
1. #SUPERQUINN: There’s some major jobs relief this morning, with the news that the Superquinn supermarket chain – which only went into receivership last night – has been bought by the Musgrave chain. The deal is subject to approval by the Competition Authority but if it’s concluded, the 2,800 jobs at Superquinn should all be secure.
2. #HACKING: It’s going to be another massive day in the News of the World affair. Rupert and James Murdoch, Rebekah Brooks, Sir Paul Stephenson and John Yates will ALL face questions from parliamentary committees, the day after Sean Hoare – the NotW journalist who originally blew the whistle on the phone-hacking – was found dead in his apartment. Here’s our guide to the ongoing scandal.
3. #MICHAELA: The two main suspects in the murder of Michaela McAreavey are almost certain to face full trial, after a magistrate ruled there was enough evidence against them to proceed. The ruling is likely to have a major sway on whether the DPP orders a full trial.
4. #TRAGEDY: More details have emerged of the awful death of a 5-year-old in Co Kerry yesterday. Various tabloids today report that Tadhg Fannin, from Ballymun, was at a hotel swimming pool with his father when he slipped from a toddler poll into the deep end of a larger one. His mother was in the family bedroom with his 1-year-old brother.
5. #THIRSTY WORK: The Oireachtas has sternly denied reports suggesting that the public would have to foot the bill for TDs and Senators who haven’t paid their tabs at the Dáil bar. While members have thousands in unpaid bills, these are routinely paid off at the end of the month – and former members only have a few hundred euro worth of unpaid bar bills.
6. #ROADS: Ireland’s motorists could be facing yet more tolls on the roads, as the National Roads Authority published a report claiming it could raise an extra €62m a year if it introduced new tolling locations.
7. #LIBYA: Last Friday the United States said it would only recognise the Libyan Transitional Council as the legitimate government of Libya. On Saturday, it sent senior officials to the country for a meeting with… Muammar Gaddafi. Unsurprisingly, the topic up for discussion was whether Mr Gaddafi would be leaving Libya any time soon.
8. #ANGLO v QUINN: Lawyers for Anglo Irish Bank have begun a High Court action trying to stop the Quinn family from breaking up its Swedish operation – which owes it over €2bn. Anglo says that if the Quinns are permitted to break up their company – with proceedings already underway in Cyprus – it could take up to five years to get its money back.
9. #CHILD’S PLAY?: A controversial doll that mimics the effects of breastfeeding – with the not-so-cryptic name ‘Breast Milk Baby’ – is to go on sale in the United States, after its manufacturer said its Spanish sales were encouraging. The doll caused a storm when it went on sale online four months ago, so the fallout should be something to watch…
Thanks to Jenny Osborne for sending in today’s ’9 at 9′ photograph. If you have a photograph you’d like us to use in the ’9 at 9′ or the ‘Take 5′, feel free to send it in! Our email is tips@thejournal.ie.
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