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The Rubberbandits at Oxegen Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

The Daily Fix: Sunday

In today’s Fix: broken election promises, long-lost paintings, the last day of Oxegen and a final hidden message from staff at the News of the World…

EVERY EVENING,TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of the day’s news, as well as the bits and pieces you may have missed.

  • Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he “regrets any confusion” after apparently backtracking on campaign promises to safeguard A&E services at Roscommon hospital. In a statement this evening, Mr Kenny said he was forced to renege on the pledge after a HIQA report raised safety concerns.
  • Rupert Murdoch has flown into Britain to try and contain the fallout from the closure of the News of the World. This afternoon he was reported by Reuters to have appeared publicly with his arm around Rebekah Brooks, who edited the paper at the time of the alleged phone-hacking scandal.
  • Meanwhile, it’s emerged NOTW staffers may have got their own back. The final paper’s crossword contains clues including “criminal enterprise”, “string of recordings” and “woman stares wildly at calamity”, the Huffington Post noticed. And here in Ireland, we saw candid photos of Irish News of the World staff putting their last edition to bed.
  • An art scholar believes he has found a ‘lost’ painting by Michaelangelo at an Oxford college. Last month he claimed to have located one behind a wealthy family’s sofa, according to the Independent on Sunday.
  • The space shuttle Atlantis has successfully docked with the International Space Station on its last ever mission. NASA are still live-streaming stunning video images from the ISS of the shuttle silhouetted against the turning earth, and the astronauts in zero gravity inside.

A photo taken from a passing plane shows the vapour trail left by the shuttle Atlantis as it took off from Florida (via @ChadGraff on Twitpic)

  • There are fears that Italy could be the next European country to topple off the economic cliff. EU leaders have called an emergency meeting for tomorrow after apparently being spooked by record-high interest rates on the nation’s government bonds.
  • It’s emerged that a Dublin couple successfully negotiated a €200,000 reduction on their mortgage – after reportedly being on the verge of simply handing the bank their house keys.
  • Dozens of people are feared dead after a cruise boat sank on Russia’s enormous Volga river. Passing vessels pulled some survivors from the water, but at least 61 people are still missing.
  • As the final day of Oxegen 2011 drew to a close, we collected the best of your pictures from the festival – and learned that Scooby-Doo spent too much money last night.
  • And finally, if you’re working in a city tomorrow, this beautiful time-lapse video might make it seem more bearable:

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22 Comments
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    Mute 'Bull' Mick Daly
    Favourite 'Bull' Mick Daly
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    Feb 16th 2014, 3:48 PM

    How about money for flood defences here first or our homeless

    128
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    Mute Jeremy Usbourne
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    Feb 16th 2014, 3:50 PM

    In before the “look to our own” posts!

    15
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    Mute al shamen
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    Feb 16th 2014, 4:05 PM

    If European countries actually stopped donating aid money(especially already bankrupt Ireland) to Middle Eastern countries,it might actually put the onus on Middle Eastern countries to sort out their Middle Eastern problems instead of expecting outsiders to do it for them.

    101
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    Mute ipsum oleum
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    Feb 16th 2014, 4:24 PM

    Ireland is now top of the fur coat and no knickers league. Like a drunk in a pub buying rounds for all while his wife and kids sit in the cold and dark at home.

    104
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    Mute Marie Duggan
    Favourite Marie Duggan
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    Feb 16th 2014, 5:00 PM

    Bankrupting Europe,America ,is their aim.Then they have free rein,and power.

    20
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    Mute Some Feen
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    Feb 16th 2014, 6:16 PM

    Real meeting of the minds going on here in this thread

    13
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    Mute Stephen McShane
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    Feb 16th 2014, 3:50 PM

    Charity starts at home.

    81
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    Mute mart_n
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    Feb 16th 2014, 4:33 PM

    There’s a difference between charity and crisis relief / foreign development aid. If we want to live in a developed and progressive world then those with the ability and resources have an obligation to help poorer nations become developed.

    I know that not many will agree with or want to hear that, but ask yourselves this. If the money spent of development and relief was cancelled, do you seriously believe it would be spent on helping people here? Not a chance.. it’d be earmarked for paying back national debts instead. I’d sooner see my tax money going towards helping folk abroad, than on lining the pockets of foreign and already wealthy investors.

    45
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    Mute Seanjohn O Connor
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    Feb 16th 2014, 4:51 PM

    I am sick of this government sending cash to other country’s ,this money is better spent in this country …we have umpteen people suffering here, has any other country come to our aid in the last few weeks…..none. Keep this cash in this country and fcuk all other third country’s all they do is buy arms for there needs & yes they spend billions on bullets & bombs .

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    Mute Elaine Donegan
    Favourite Elaine Donegan
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    Feb 17th 2014, 8:42 AM

    Here here!!!

    3
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    Mute Sean Hyland
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    Feb 16th 2014, 5:55 PM

    Quatar, Saudi Arabia and the US are funding this war. Let them fund the humanitarian fall out… Totally 100%.

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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Feb 16th 2014, 9:03 PM

    Where’s Quatar?

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    Mute Declan Noonan
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    Feb 16th 2014, 9:34 PM

    Sean, the US has provided $1.7 billion so far!
    http://www.usaid.gov/crisis/syria

    4
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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Feb 16th 2014, 8:04 PM

    Absolute disgrace handing out millions. This goverment does not represent the majority.

    29
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    Mute John Hartigan
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    Feb 16th 2014, 6:27 PM

    People need to protest. Fat cats giving our money away while we suffer with austerity handed out by them

    28
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    Mute Fearg Macd
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    Feb 16th 2014, 5:52 PM

    What a waste of government finds. The worst part of all is that it will end up in The pockets of some dictator and the people at large lack the education to realise that the West isn’t their enemy despite all of our charity.

    21
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    Mute Some Feen
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    Feb 16th 2014, 6:22 PM

    Haha, you actually think anyone else in the world knows we exist? Not the mention see us as part of the big bad western empire trying to take over the world?…. Back down the pub with you.

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    Mute Fearg Macd
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    Feb 16th 2014, 6:55 PM

    I live and work in Dubai and let me tell you something sunshine, the Irish presence here is formidable. One of the most influential in fact. We’re well known and respected across the region for our business acumen and achievement.
    I pity you for feeling so inferior…Now, back down the pub with YOU.

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    Mute john ferguson
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    Feb 16th 2014, 8:54 PM

    Stay where you are Frog Macd. Dubai will obviously collapse without your presence.

    11
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    Mute Fearg Macd
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    Feb 16th 2014, 9:19 PM

    Dubai has already collapsed once and been bailed out but you’re right, without expats, this place would still be an empty desert with no future.

    12
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    Mute Elaine Donegan
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    Feb 17th 2014, 8:46 AM

    No without Dubai’s enormous oil reserve it would be dust and sand.
    Nothing to do with the expats, who can’t even hold hands with there partner because they aren’t married..
    Oil and religious laws is what has Dubai the way it is.

    1
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    Mute Fearg Macd
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    Feb 17th 2014, 9:21 AM

    The money comes from the oil but the expertise to build the amazing skyline came by employing foreign, mainly western, engineers and architects. The locals often make a point of saying this themselves.

    We can hold hands,kiss and hug in public here in Dubai. Over 80% expats here and no sharia police. Where are you getting your information from may I ask?

    2
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    Mute Some Feen
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    Feb 17th 2014, 1:03 PM

    Horrid place,,, built by slaves, full of brassers. An unsustainable, half built monstrosity of a town that will cease to exist in 20 years…

    See ya in the village Friday buddy!

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    Mute Fearg Macd
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    Feb 17th 2014, 2:05 PM

    True, true…Everyone sees it except the locals and the poor Bangladeshi labourers working in the mid day sun for 5$ a day ;-)

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    Mute Miss Filed
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    Feb 16th 2014, 4:47 PM

    They jerk the strings; the puppets jump!

    20
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    Mute Jay-D
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    Feb 17th 2014, 12:07 AM

    Its an absolute disgrace that you would begrudge these people the aid that they need. They’ve been driven from their homes by war. If you have a place to live and food to eat you are 1000 times better off than these people. Its not a matter of it “not being Ireland’s problem” its a matter of it being humanity’s problem, if the roles were reversed you’d be grateful of the aid. Its hard to believe that most people would want us to turn our back on fellow human beings in their hour of need.

    17
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    Mute Scorpionvenomm
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    Feb 17th 2014, 11:14 AM

    This is the problem with our country people like u the do gooders we have our own stuff to deal with you obviously
    Haven’t fallen on hard times I hope u never experience it, you might have a different opinion then

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    Mute Scorpionvenomm
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    Feb 16th 2014, 10:43 PM

    Not our problem in the end of the day we have enough problems here to be looking after like yes flood defences looking after the homeless pensioners if the shoe was on the other foot Id like to see if they would help us not a chance

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    Mute mart_n
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    Feb 16th 2014, 11:47 PM

    What do you want.. a shipment of commas?

    5
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    Mute Karina Browne
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    Feb 17th 2014, 1:08 AM

    shocking to see what people have to say about this. We are a million times better off than these people even if we don’t have much and the fact that some would begrudge money being sent to help women, children and men that didn’t choose to end up like this is sick.

    7
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    Mute Elaine Donegan
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    Feb 17th 2014, 8:40 AM

    I’m sorry did I miss something here!!!!
    Are there not irish people still homeless in Ireland after the banks took there homes and the government are giving charity abroad???
    Are we thick in the head letting this happen..

    6
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    Mute Gaz DurkS
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    Feb 17th 2014, 4:34 AM

    Charity starts at home. .. give to the irish

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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Feb 18th 2014, 8:57 PM

    Leave it to the Gulf and Middle East…plenty of rich nations eg Qatar UAE that could donate! stop depending on the broken EU !

    1
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