In the News... (here)

- EU foreign ministers are divided over the question of boycotting the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. The ministers began two days of talks in Slovenia today and are discussing sending a strong message to China over Tibet.

- Millions of tourists may have kissed the wrong Blarney Stone in an effort to get the gift of the gab, according to a new study. The authenticity of the Blarney Stone, kissed by about 400,000 tourists each year, has been questioned by Mark Samuel, an archaeologist and architectural historian, and Kate Hamlyn in a new book. According to legend, kissing the stone at Blarney Castle, Co Cork, endows the person with the gift of gab, but the authors say the present stone only came into use in 1888 for health and safety reasons. Up until then, visitors wishing to kiss the stone had to be dangled from the castle by two people holding their ankles. Today visitors lie on their back, holding on to an iron railing and lean backwards to kiss the stone.

- Dr. Diarmuid Martin, The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, has announced that Dublin is now a 'mission territory' for the Roman Catholic Church. "A few years ago, many would have thought that type of affirmation somewhat exaggerated, but today, so many of those who were baptised as Christians no longer really know Jesus and their way of living demonstrates that the message of Jesus touches their lives only in a marginal way... our consumerist world needs an injection of idealism and generosity. Our world needs God" he said.



- The weather forecast for Ireland:
Rain will spread to all areas early tomorrow, turning heavy and persistent. Brighter weather with showers will follow. Continuing windy, with highest temperatures of 46 to 52 degrees F.







Source: http://www.rte.ie/