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EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know as you kick off your day.
1. #NICOLA FURLONG: The judges in the trial of Richard Hinds who is accused of killing 21-year-old Wexford student Nicola Furlong in Tokya have retired to deliberate on their verdict. RTE reports that Hinds broke down in court and said that he did not kill the DCU student before the trial concluded.
2. #PENALTY POINTS: Independent TD Mick Wallace has said Luke Ming Flanagan should have accepted the penalty points he was given for using a mobile phone while driving – but said Flanagan’s actions do not undermine the broader campaign by TDs to highlight alleged Garda malpractice over penalty points.
3. #CONCLAVE: A new round of voting to choose the next Pope will begin this morning after the first round failed to reach a decision last night. Black smoke signalling that the first vote had been inconclusive was greeted with cheers by crowds of people in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
4. #MORTGAGES: The government is expected to unveil its plan to tackle the mortgage arrears later today after Finance Minister Michael Noonan gave the details to the Cabinet on Tuesday. Almost 1 in 8 residential mortgages are currently in arrears, according to the latest figures from the Central Bank.
5. #ASLAN: Christy Dignam, the lead singer with Aslan, has been diagnosed with cancer. The band has cancelled a number of concerts and asked for support from fans and privacy for Dignam and his family.
6. #ILLEGAL FUEL: The Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is leading a major search into the profits generated by illegal fuel factories in Cavan this morning in a bid to search and seize evidence relating to criminal activity by an organised crime group. The search operation is being carried out by Gardaí, the Revenue Commissioners and the UK revenue service.
7. #CHARGED: A homeless man who set fire to himself in a Cork Garda station has been charged with causing criminal damage to his cell, the Irish Examiner reports. The 50-year-old man was also charged at Cork District Court for being drunk in public and a source of danger. He was fined a total of €400.
8. #SEXUAL ABUSE: The Los Angeles Archdiocese is to pay $10 million (around €7.7 million) to four people who were abused by a Catholic priest accused of molesting children over the course of three decades, the LA Times reports.
9. #LIFE ON MARS: NASA has said life could potentially have existed on Mars in the past, following an analysis of rock samples collected by the Curiosity Rover on the red planet. The data suggests that a river existed at one time on the planet, NASA scientists have said.
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homeless man, 400€ ,what a stupid judgement, what planet do the guys who drop judgement like this come from and I’d love them to go back to there.
How did he manage to have a lighter/matches in the cell . Someone didn’t do their job. Where will he get €400
Does anyone know how many RTE staff have gone on the election junket to Rome ?
I believe there were 6 there for the resignation !!
From listening to redio and TV, it sounds like there could be 6 out there for the election too.
Such a waste of money.
a sure it is a nice little trip for them.
Wishing Christy Dignam a speedy recovery
lets put a spin to people with mortgage arrears so they think we care and they might pay the property tax..fxxk you enda just stop bailing the banks out.
So much for Christian compassion! Well done, Judge…not!!
Sorry to hijack your comment but number 10 is worth a slot. This is off Tom Darcys Facebook
“The letter below can stop all evictions and debt, please post to every English politician and media, our Irish media and politicians DO NOT WANT THIS REPORTED, PLEASE POST, IT WILL STOP EVERYTHING
To Whom It May Concern, An Irish citizen, directed by an Irish high court Judge, has initiated criminal charges against an Irish bank, AIB. This marked a major turning point in our history, as it was the first time in European history that a citizen initiated legal proceedings against a bank. The statement was recorded and accepted on the 14th of February, 2013, which was almost a month ago, but as of yet nobody from the Irish media, or Irish political class, has reported this event, or made contact with the person involved. The charge is that the legal standing of all Irish Banks, licensed by the central bank from 2006-2009, was at variance with legislative requirements, so the potential ramifications from the wider population are enormous, to say the least. The Medias reluctance to report this matter, regardless of the efforts made by the man involved, Tom Darcy, raises many questions about broadcasting standards in the state, and challenges claims that the media is representative and impartial. Please take the time to speak with Tom, listen to his story and record this historic event, as it is clearly in the national interest and deserves fair coverage. Thank you”
And so the mortgage fiasco trundles on! Noonan allowing the banks to reposess is just to reinstall the fear of loss factor. But it’s too little too late and people who’s arrears and negative equity are so big that walking away becomes viable! This is the banks biggest fear! And not before time!
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