Steve The Cat is on hand with the festive 9 at 9 (Michael Freeman/TheJournal.ie)
EVERY MORNING – AND this Christmas morning - TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know as you kick off your day…
1. #CHRISTMAS Thousands have gathered to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem, where it’s believed Jesus Christ was born. Meanwhile in his Christmas Eve address the Pope has called for peace in the Middle East and asked Christians to “find time and room for God in their fast-paced lives”.
2. #FUNERAL The funeral of 50-year-old Margaret Doyle from Hacketstown in Carlow, who was killed in a house fire, will be held today. She was pulled from the house by her 20-year-old son but did not survive.
3. #AMBUSH Two New York firefighters shot dead in Rochester yesterday were ambushed. The BBC reports that the two were killed after responding to an emergency call. The gunman was also found dead at the scene.
4. #DOMESTIC ABUSE The charity Amen is warning that male victims of domestic abuse can be vulnerable at Christmas. A spokesperson for Amen said the festive period can be “emotive and stressful” as many fathers are being denied access to their children over the holidays.
5. #CHRISTMAS INJURIES Did you know that 27 December is one of the busiest days in Ireland for treating accidents and injuries? The Vhi says the volume of people presenting at its clinics increases by 40 per cent the day after St Stephens’ Day.
6. #INSTAGRAM Instagram has been hit with a lawsuit in California over the changes to its terms of service, according to Mashable. Facebook, which now owns the photo sharing service, has responded by saying it believes the class action suit is “without merit”, reports Reuters.
7. #RIP Tributes are being paid to Odd Couple star Jack Klugman who has died in New York at the age of 90. Klugman played Oscar Madison in the seventies hit, and went on to star in Quincy ME. He had also played Juror No. 5 in 12 Angry Men.
8. #EGYPT The result of Egypt’s referendum on a new constitution is expected today, after being delayed amid allegations of fraud. The opposition says the text of the constitution is flawed and will lead to more trouble in the region.
9. #BUSKING In case you missed it, here’s a lovely Christmas video of Glen Hansard and Lisa Hannigan leading a singalong on Grafton Street yesterday evening, raising money for homeless charities. They were also joined by Bono:
YouTube/Nehpetts5555
Over on DailyEdge.ie we’ve been catching up on what the celebs are up to this festive season, including Kim Kardashian’s film choice, Miley Cyrus’ sex doll, and did Brian and Vogue make it home? It’s The Festive Dredge.
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