Your Friday lunchtime catch-up
IRELAND
Unions and management at Irish Rail say there will not be any further disruption to train services now that their dispute has been referred to the Labour Court. Planned industrial action was called off in the early hours of this morning, at around 4 a.m this morning.
The Ambassador of Egypt, Soha Gendi, has issued a statement to Ireland following the decision taken by authorities to stop Irish airlines from operating to/from Sharem el Sheikh airport.
New decriminalisation proposals would see some 11,000 people who face the prospect every year of a criminal conviction for possessing small amounts of drugs diverted to health authorities for treatment. The proposals would free up to 60,000 hours of Garda time that is currently spent arresting and prosecuting such offenders.
The Army Bomb Disposal team has said an explosive device found in Sallynoggin, Dublin late last night was viable. The Gardaí called in the army after a suspect package was found on the road outside a home in the South Dublin suburb.
WORLD
UK flights are resuming from Sharem el Sheikh amid tightened security, including a ban on carrying hold luggage. The UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin hopes passengers are now reassured. “Today we will well over 20 flights leaving Sharem el Sheikh. The passengers being brought back without their luggage and their luggage will be repatriated to them in the next few weeks.”
Sierra Leone – where British nurse Pauline Cafferkey caught Ebola – is just hours from being declared free of the disease. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is expected to announce tomorrow that Sierra Leone is Ebola free, following 42 days of no new cases of the virus.
SPORT
Serena Williams shared an impressive tale of derring-do on her Facebook page this week - describing how she chased down a man who had snatched her phone from a restaurant. Williams was understandably delighted with herself, saying: “When I got back into the restaurant I received a standing ovation. I was proud. I just showed every man in there I can stand up to bullies and other men. It was a win for the ladies!”
Up to four of Kerry’s front line players will miss the majority of next year’s Allianz Football League after undergoing serious off-season surgery. Paul Geaney, Anthony Maher, Mikey Geaney and Peter Crowley have all had, or are facing, operations, while a decision is yet to be made on James O’Donoghue’s troublesome shoulder problem.
BUSINESS
Aer Lingus have already revealed new flights direct to LA and now WOW Air are starting a new route to San Francisco and LA. The Icelandic carrier first to offer low-cost transatlantic fares from Ireland.
The hotel group that purchased three airport hotels from the the airport authority, the DAA, for around €75m nine years ago last year received €5.42m for two of the hotels. In 2006, the CG Hotel Group bought two hotels at Dublin and Shannon airports, along with a third — the former Great Southern Hotel at Cork Airport — for around €75m.
ANALYSIS
The corridors of power run through Berlin, not Washington, when it comes to solving
the Syrian and Ukrainian conflicts, writes,
LIFESTYLE
Nicole Kidman has gone back to her roots with Strangerland, a tale of parents’ anguish as their kids go missing in the outback, says
VIDEO
Paul O’Connell is well used to plaudits but today he received an honour of a different kind. From now on, it’s ’Dr Paulie’ as the former Ireland and Munster star received his Doctor Of Science from the University of Limerick.
VIRAL
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months you will know Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of the most important movies of all time to fans of Sci-Fi - but none more than Daniel Fleetwood.
In what has to be one of the most random delivery mishaps, a woman in England received 40 individually packaged fish instead of the glass table and chairs she ordered off eBay..
TECHNOW
Black Ops III is now available on last- and current-gen consoles, but a graphics comparison video shows you should get it on current gen if possible.
Ayamé is a new Irish short film from commercials director Conor Maloney which is set in a future dystopia and looks absolutely stunning. And it also features voiceover from acting legend John Hurt.
iOS 9.1 is now out in the wild, but it’s not all smooth sailing, according to Apple’s support forums and Reddit users.
SHOWBIZ
Alan Hughes has slammed comedic Oliver Callan after the funny man slagged off his live TV proposal. The TV3 host, who got down on bended knee to his partner of 22 years live on Ireland AM, was slammed by the mimic who branded the engagement as “self-promotion”.
MOST READ RIGHT NOW
Ireland’s Paul O’Connell is receiving plenty of congratulations, and the few inevitable smart alec remarks, after being conferred with a honorary doctorate by the University of Limerick. Former team-mates Jerry Flannery and Sean O’Brien led the ahem tributes - with O’Brien suggesting Paulie would put the qualification to good use.
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