Normal visiting resumes at Mercy hospital
Normal visiting arrangements have resumed at Cork's Mercy University Hospital.
In a statement, hospital management praised staff for dealing effectively with the recent cases of flu and the winter vomiting bug.
People with flu-like symptoms are still being advised to telephone or visit their GPs, rather than presenting at the hospital's emergency department.
Navan hospital to treat patients over-16 only
The Health Service Executive has said that from 9 March only children and young people over 16 years of age will be treated in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, including the emergency department.
It said this will bring the hospital into line with paediatric age limits in other acute hospitals around the country that do not provide full paediatric services.
Up to now, the hospital has treated children aged 14 and over.
The HSE said that paediatrics has been redefined as under 16 years of age.
Stormont redundancy scheme opens
On the opening day of a redundancy scheme in Northern Ireland's Civil Service, 730 workers have expressed an interest in the offer.
One of the provisions is that those who take up the offer will receive one month's salary per year of service, up to a maximum of 21 months.
The power-sharing administration wants to cut over 20,000 public sector jobs, over 10% of the workforce, over the next three years.
The first phase of the voluntary redundancy and early retirement programmes opened this morning for the five Stormont Departments where 27,000 people are employed.
Minister meets anti-wind farm protesters in Offaly
Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Alex White has met anti-wind farm protesters in Co Offaly and has been urged to abandon the Government policy on wind energy.
Mr White discussed the opposition to the turbines with a group of over 50 protesters for over ten minutes at the Mount Lucas site near Daingean.
Minister White said he is trying to identify large tracks of land around the country in state ownership that would be suitable for the development of wind farms.
He said local residents had to be consulted with and listened to but said renewable energy had to be grown and he favoured projects on least contentious sites.
Nurses and midwives protest over fee increases
Nurses and midwives held a series of protests across the country today.
They demonstrated against the proposed 50% rise in the annual retention fee being sought by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.
The protests took place in Dublin, Cork, Sligo and Drogheda but those demonstrating said hospital services would not be affected.
Accused Boston Marathon bomber due in court
Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is due in court today for a hearing in which defence lawyers and federal prosecutors will tussle over a few remaining logistical matters before opening statements later this week.
Mr Tsarnaev, 21, is accused of killing three people and injuring 264 with two homemade pressure-cooker bombs at the race's crowded finish line on 15 April 2013.
He is also accused of fatally shooting a police officer three days later as he tried to flee the city.
FF launches Irish towns policy paper
Fianna Fáil's environment spokesperson Barry Cowen has said if his party was in government, it would "look at every possible means" to keep rural buses running.
His comments come as Bus Éireann was criticised last week for changing some services in the south and southeast of Ireland.
Mr Cowen was speaking ahead of the launch of Fianna Fáil's new policy paper on reviving Irish towns.
The party says it sets out the case for a "fresh, holistic approach in tackling the rising vacancy rates, crippling commercial rate levels, anti-social behaviour and unemployment issues that are scarring towns."
11-year-old boy injured in Dublin shooting
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses after an 11-year-old boy was shot in the arm at his home in Tallaght.
The incident happened at his house on the Belgard Road in the early hours of Saturday.
The boy was taken to Tallaght Hospital where his injuries are believed to be non-life threatening.
IAEA says Iran inquiry cannot go on forever
The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said its investigation into Iran's atomic programme could not continue indefinitely and Iran had still not provided key information.
"Iran has yet to provide explanations that enable the agency to clarify two outstanding practical measures," IAEA chief Yukiya Amano told the body's Board of Governors in Vienna.
The United States and five other powers are seeking to negotiate an agreement with Iran to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.
Mr Amano added that he remained seriously concerned about North Korea's nuclear programme.
Japan men sickened after eating poisonous puffer fish
Five Japanese men became sick after eating poisonous puffer fish, the latest victims of a delicacy seen as sophisticated by fans and crazy by others.
The men, all in their 40s and 50s, dined at a restaurant in western Wakayama city on Friday night, the city's health official said.
They were taken ill early the next day, experiencing breathing difficulties and vomiting, the official said.
The livers, ovaries and skin, among other parts, of the puffer fish - also known as the blowfish or "fugu" in Japanese - contain toxins powerful enough to kill an adult, in the worst case scenario.
