Man charged with theft of ATM in Co Sligo

The trial of a man charged with stealing an ATM from the Bank of Ireland in Tubbercurry, Co Sligo on 29 January 2014 has begun at Sligo Circuit Court.

Bernard Quigley, 43, is also charged with possession of a Komatsu digger and criminal damage to the wall of the bank and the housing of the ATM on the same date.

Mr Quigley, who the court heard has addresses at Branchfield, Drumfin, Co Sligo; Teeling St, Tubbercurry, Co Sligo and Main St., Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh has denied the charges.

Gardaí say they can not accept one man patrols

The association representing middle-ranking officers has accused the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner of failing them, claiming gardaí are being asked to drive up to 30 miles on their own to answer a call.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has warned it requires immediate action on a number of outstanding issues or it will withdraw support for the Garda transformation agenda.

The AGSI has  said it is also concerned about the lack of progress on welfare and bullying issues and the establishment of a promised 24-hour counselling service

Gleeson family receive posthumous pardon

The family of a man, wrongfully convicted of murdering his neighbour more than 70 years ago, has received a posthumous pardon from the State.

Harry Gleeson was arrested in connection with the death of his neighbour, Mary McCarthy, after he discovered her body in a field in Co Tipperary in November 1940.

A year later, he was sentenced to death by hanging, after being convicted of her murder. His family has long maintained his innocence, and campaigned for an official pardon.

Last month, President Higgins signed a posthumous pardon which was placed before the Houses of the Oireachtas today, with a copy of the document presented to his family. It is the first time the State has ever granted a posthumous pardon.

Political group calling for major reform ahead of next Dáil

A group of political scientists has proposed a raft of political reforms that they want implements before the commencement on the next Dáil.

The 100 Days Campaign wants a Dáil Management Committee to determine the business of the house and whether legislation should be guillotined or not. 

It also wants to change the way the Ceann Comhairle is elected.

12 dead in Cameroon mosque suicide blast

A suicide bomber killed 12 people at a mosque in northern Cameroon today, security officials said, in an area regularly targeted by Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists.

The blast struck the mosque in the village of Kouyape, in Cameroon's far north near the Nigerian border, at morning prayers, a security source said.

Belgium police 'identify' three safehouses used by Paris attacks suspects - prosecutor

Belgian police have found two apartments and a house used by suspects before they carried out the terror attacks in Paris, prosecutors said today.

"The investigators were able to identify three premises that have been used by the conspiring perpetrators of the attacks of 13th November 2015," a spokesman for federal prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt said in a statement in English.

The premises included a flat in the city of Charleroi where investigators found fingerprints of suspected ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud and of Bilal Hadfi, who blew himself up outside the Stade de France on the night of the attacks.