UK emigrants urged to speak out about shutdown of RTÉ's LW radio service
Minister for the Diaspora Jimmy Deenihan has urged emigrants in the UK to speak out about the planned shutdown of RTÉ's longwave radio service.
Mr Deenihan said Government-funded research into the use of the service, particularly by older Irish people in the UK, would help determine a decision on its future.
"I am pleased that this research is now being rolled out and I would encourage the Irish community in the UK to engage with this process as it seeks to deliver a better picture of need, to inform a solution acceptable to all," he said.
Last year, RTÉ postponed plans to axe the longwave 252 signal after an angry response from the Irish community in Britain.
It is now aiming to wind down the service before closing it altogether in May 2017.
Pope begins South American visit
Pope Francis flew into Ecuador yesterday to start a "homecoming" tour of South America, where he will champion the rights of the poor and the planet.
His visit to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay - three of the region's poorest and smallest countries - is Francis' first one abroad since his landmark encyclical urging an end to man's degradation of the global environment.
"I thank God for having allowed me to return to Latin America and to be here with you today in this beautiful land of Ecuador," the Argentine-born pontiff said in a speech on the runway after his 13-hour flight from Rome.
Tens of thousands lined the streets as Francis' motorcade drove into Quito, some pushing through a police line. Well-wishers threw gifts at the pope mobile, including two live white doves.
Philippines confirms second case of MERS
The Philippines confirmed a second case of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus in a 36-year-old foreigner who showed symptoms of the disease after arriving in Manila on 19 June from Dubai.
The man was admitted to a government hospital on Saturday and is under observation a Health Ministry spokesman said.
The man had also travelled to Saudi Arabia. His condition is improving and there was no known transmission to the community.
The first case of MERS discovered in the Philippines was in January, a Filipino nurse working in Saudi Arabia who survived the disease.
Seven dead in series of Chicago shootings
Seven people were killed in 33 shootings across Chicago over the Independence Day holiday weekend.
Among the dead was a seven-year-old boy who was shot in the chest after returning from a 4 July celebration, US media said.
The series of shootings took place between Friday and 3pm local time yesterday, police said.
The warm weather and the fact that it was a holiday weekend was believed to partly explain the spike in gun crime.
Iraq warplane accidentally bombs Baghdad, killing 7: officials
A bomb fell from an Iraqi Sukhoi warplane and exploded in eastern Baghdad on Monday because of a "technical problem", killing at least seven people, security and medical officials said.
"One of the bombs became stuck because of a technical problem, and during its (the aircraft's) return to base it fell on three houses in Baghdad Jadida," security spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said in a statement.
The jet was coming back from a bombing run when the accident occurred, Brigadier General Maan said.
Officials said that the blast, which occurred near the Rasheed air base, also wounded at least 11 people.
Iraq received Sukhoi Su-25 jets from Russia and Iran last year as it sought to bolster its fledgling air force to combat the Islamic State jihadist group, which overran large parts of the country.
The Su-25s are robust aircraft designed for ground attack missions, but Iraq's Sukhoi fleet is made up of ageing planes that have seen heavy use as Baghdad's forces battle to push the jihadists back.
The US agreed to sell Iraq 36 F-16 warplanes, but none have been delivered so far.
The first batch of the jets has instead been sent to Arizona, where Iraqi F-16 pilots are training.
One of the pilots, Brigadier Rasid Mohammed Sadiq, was killed in a crash during an aerial refuelling exercise at the end of June.
Philippines braced for tropical storm Linfa
Storm warnings have been issued in at least 14 areas of the main Philippine island of Luzon as tropical storm Linfa moved slowly across the north of the southeast Asian archipelago.
It was carrying maximum wind gusts of 100km/h.
All shipping was ordered to remain in harbour and some flights were cancelled in the northern Philippines, while schools were closed in the capital, Manila.
Army units have been placed on standby to evacuate people to temporary shelters if needed.
