More news in brief
A man facing trial for sexually assaulting a teenage girl has asked the High Court to stop his prosecution because of the State's failure to obtain records of phone calls made to him by the girl. Mr Justice John MacMenamin reserved judgment.
The man, who was in his 20s at the time of the alleged assaults in 2001, claims the records are vital to his defence. He claims the then 13-year-old girl had "a crush" on him and had made allegations of being molested in revenge for being scorned by him.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies the charges against him of sexually assaulting the girl. He claims the trial should be prohibited on grounds of delay and the absence of phone records.
Wilson removal tomorrow
The removal of former tánaiste John Wilson who died on Monday takes place tomorrow evening from his home in Churchtown, Dublin, to the local Church of the Good Shepherd at 5.15pm.
Funeral Mass takes place on Friday at 11.30am after which his remains will be brought to Cavan for burial at Mullaghoran cemetery.
Mr Wilson, who was 84, is survived by his wife Ita, daughters Siobhá, Clare, Lucy and Maria, his son John, brothers Eugene and Aidan, sisters May and Agnes and 14 grandchildren.
Sutherland reappointed
Peter Sutherland has been reappointed as Special Representative for Migration for 2008 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Mr Ki-moon made the announcement at the inaugural meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Belgium.
Inquest on stab death adjourned
A 30-year-old mother of three young children died from multiple stab wounds, an inquest into her death was told yesterday before it was adjourned to allow criminal proceedings go ahead against a man charged with her murder.
Rosarie Patterson, Parkview, Clonakilty, Co Cork, died on the night of April 11/12th last and the cause of death was haemorrhage and shock with collapse of her lungs due to multiple stab wounds, Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the inquest.
Pigeon racing to France banned
Pigeon racing between Ireland and France and the Channel Islands has been banned by Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan but racing between Britain and Ireland and throughout the island will continue to be permitted.
She said she had taken this decision following confirmation of cases of H5N1 avian flu in swans in the Moselle region of eastern France.
Youth rescued from cliffs
A youth was airlifted from the cliff face at Howth, Co Dublin, yesterday evening after hanging on for his life.
The 15-year-old was with a group of friends when he became trapped on the cliffs at Balscadden Bay and cut off by the tide.