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The 9 at 9 Good morning! Nine things to know this Saturday…

EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.

1. #SUSPICIOUS: Gardaí have upgraded an investigation into the death of a 58-year-old father-of-two in Killorglin whose body was found following a fire in his home in the early hours of Thursday morning. His death is being treated as suspicious after a post mortem revealed injuries not consistent with a fire.

2. #BAHRAIN: Tomorrow’s Formula 1 race is set to go ahead in Bahrain despite a violent crackdown on thousands of anti-government protesters. Al Jazeera notes that demonstrations were dispersed after clashes with security forces intensified.

3. #AT LARGE: Three prisoners serving sentences for homicide offences, including dangerous driving causing death and manslaughter, are currently unlawfully at large after absconding from open jails, Justice Minister Alan Shatter has revealed.

4. #SMOKING BAN: Health Minister James Reilly wants Ireland to follow New York City’s lead in denormalising smoking by banning it in public parks, beaches and sportsgrounds. According to the Irish Times, he intends to pursue the idea at Cabinet level.

5. #BREIVIK: Anders Breivik told the Oslo court yesterday that he had studied a number of revolutionary organisations, including the IRA and FARC, ahead of his killing spree that left 77 dead last July. Of all the groups he compared, the self-confessed murderer said he believed al-Qaeda was the most successful.

6. #JOBSWATCH: According to the Irish Examiner, up to 225 jobs are at risk in Cork as timber suppliers Brooks Haughton was placed into liquidation by the High Court yesterday.

7. #ECONOMY: Christine Lagarde hopes that new funding of €325 billion received from the world’s largest economies to boost the IMF’s resources will help ease concerns that the global debt crisis. “We have the necessary tools in the toolbox and we will use this wisely,” she said.

8. #WILDE: A rare copy of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, complete with a handwritten note to the author’s first gay lover, has been sold at Sotheby’s New York for $362,500 – more than three times over the auctioneer’s expected price.

9. #HOP OFF: Unfortunately, the rumours aren’t true – HB’s deliciously green Fat Frog will not be returning to freezers near you this summer. A recent Internet campaign has convinced the ice lolly makers to look into a possible comeback but nothing will happen this year. Awwww!

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    Mute Roger Green
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:07 AM

    The health service in this country is in meltdown and the Minister for Health has time to concern himself with this trivial issue? His priorities would appear to be somewhat confused.

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    Mute Damien Gallagher
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:15 AM

    It’s related to some extent – passive smoking is just as bad (so the experts say) and clamping down on smoking in public means less passive smokers, which means less people in hospital due to the effects.
    But I still think it’s a tactic employed by politicians in this country where they try and do something small to keep the people off their backs while they continue to do nothing about the bigger issues.

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    Mute Jackie Culligan
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    Apr 21st 2012, 10:16 AM

    Minister for Health what a tool, I’d be more worried about the amount of carbon monoxide and other toxic chemicals released by motor vehicles than someone somking

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    Mute Doc Benway
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:35 PM

    @Damian, what experts say passive smoking is bad. I would be very interested as there have been no studies done on the effects of passive smoking.

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    Mute Damien Gallagher
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 1:26 PM

    @Doc – Google is handy, if you punch in a few words and hit enter, results will pop up, you should try it some time: http://www.tobacco.org/news/96539.html
    http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/smokingandtobacco/howdoweknow/tobacco-smoking-and-cancer-the-evidence

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    Mute Doc Benway
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 1:55 PM

    @ Damian. I have read these papers and none of them are studies taken specifically on the effects of passive smoke. They are however extrapolations taken from statistical data and from study reviews. Perhaps instead of just googling something you could read and research some facts before patronising someone with nothing more than your own glib opinion.

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    Mute Damien Gallagher
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 2:04 PM

    @Doc – My own glib opinion is that cancer kills, directly related to smoking in a lot of cases. My own glib opinion is that I don’t want to inhale the poison from other people’s cigarettes. My own glib opinion is that the Cancer Research UK might just know a little bit more about this stuff than you. My own glib opinion is that you should have more sense than to be trawling the Journal looking to impart your wonderful knowledge in the hopes of starting a keyboard fight. Wise up.

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    Mute Doc Benway
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 2:19 PM

    Yes Damian, they are all your glib opinions. Smoking can cause cancer, so don’t smoke it’s your choice. If you don’t want to breathe in a smokers exhalations, leave the room it’s your choice. As for the articles you quoted, they concluded in the article you quoted that there was NO statistical risk in childhood cancers due to exposure from second hand smoke. Apparently cancer research uk know more about it than you too. As for trying to start a keyboard row, I’ve only been asking questions regarding facts and not my own glib opinion. Why don’t you wise up and get your facts right instead of quoting reports that you haven’t read or understood.

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    Mute Julie Christopher
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    Apr 21st 2012, 8:59 AM

    Re: the smoking ban…

    When they do the same with alcohol in this country I will see the sense of it!!

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    Mute richard ferris
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:07 AM

    I am pretty sure you can’t drink in public parks, also you can’t drink while driving. So the laws are in place already. So you fully behind this now .

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    Mute Andrea Rock Massey
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:07 AM

    I think it is already illegal to drink in public places, I know people still do it but I think it is illegal. I have seen Gardai confiscate alcohol from a group of men in the Phoenix Park. But like everything else in this country, there won’t be the necessary resources to enforce it.

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    Mute Jimmy Dunphy
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:08 AM

    James Reilly,,, I think we have more important things to be getting on with !!!!!

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    Mute Marcella Gaffney
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    Apr 21st 2012, 10:13 AM

    Andrea, it is not illegal to drink in public places, a garda will remove your drink only if you are drunk and deemed to be a danger to yourself or others. It is up to each authority to pass their own by laws regarding drinking in public (ever see a sign in a park saying no drinking) but it is not illegal.

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    Mute conor hickey
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:18 AM

    Someone needs to tell Shatter that the whole Island is an open prison.

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    Mute Grant Grieve
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:54 AM

    What a ridiculous suggestion…banning smoking in public places won’t stop it. As a country we are in crisis and this is just smoke and mirrors bullshit! pardon the pun. concentrate on real problems like more ambulance stations, more facilities for sick children, better and cheaper healthcare for all instead of doubling OUR money up against a wall on petty distractive nonsense such as this!

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    Mute Andrea Rock Massey
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:12 AM

    I actually think it would be a good idea, I have brought my children to parks and parades and had people light up directly beside us. Or light up in a queue. It is very unpleasant. Most responsible adults don’t do it but there are those who just don’t care. It is a difficult one and I remember someone posting a comment on a similar story where he mentioned a country (I can’t remember where), where one side of a street was for smokers and one for non smokers. That sounded like a good compromise….

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    Mute Tommy Lynch
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:38 AM

    All indoors are no smoking if u don’t like it move yourself.I don’t smoke near kids or parks but I’m sick of people like you moneing all the time. The government have not banned smoking yet so give people who do the right thing a brake

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    Mute Sean Davids
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:51 AM

    If they’re outside I believe they can smoke where they please (with an obvious exception of queues and such when kids are around), if you don’t like it move on. And this is from an ex-smoker.

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    Mute Andrea Rock Massey
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    Apr 21st 2012, 11:52 AM

    @Tommy. I wasn’t “moaning”, I was simply expressing an opinion. All I said was that it is unpleasant when irresponsible people light up in a confined space (like a queue or squashed in a parade) when you have your children with you. It is much easier for that person to move away from the children than to have to move 4 children. You yourself said you don’t light up around children and if you read my comment carefully, you will notice that was my very point…

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    Mute Doc Benway
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 12:41 PM

    Why should a person smoking in any outdoor environment move away from children?

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    Mute conor hickey
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:12 AM

    Dr. James Reilly can’t even enforce a no smoking policy in our Hospitals.
    And where does he propose to raise the lost revenue obtained from tobacco sales?
    Waffle waffle waffle.
    (Check out the photo of Dr. Reilly on here and tell me: Is this an accurate image of Dr. Reilly as we know him? http://www.dohc.ie/about_us/ministers/ )

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    Mute Paraic Simpson
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:47 AM

    It’s a long time since he looked like that.

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    Mute Kevin Doyle
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    Apr 21st 2012, 9:51 AM

    the minister seems to have lost track of his priorities he would be better employed in making the HSE more
    efficient he has more important issues to be concerned with or are these too much to handle

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    Mute Kev Brady
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    Apr 21st 2012, 10:17 AM

    Let people smoke but charge €20 for a pack of 20 and cream in the taxes.

    Everyone’s a winner.

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    Mute John Kavanagh
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    Apr 21st 2012, 10:09 AM

    is there a smoking area in the Dail James?…….lead by example!!

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Apr 21st 2012, 10:24 AM

    This has to be another of those things the politicians do so they can point at it and say ‘what a clever little minister I am, look at what I did’ (usually banging on about their ‘achievement’ when people are asking about the many many serious things they have botched or ignored)
    Its just P.R. and nothing more

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    Mute Jackie Culligan
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    Apr 21st 2012, 10:20 AM

    Gotta love the IMF, they take billions off emerging economies and give it to rich economies to squander, genius

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    Mute Dermot Howell
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    Apr 21st 2012, 1:04 PM

    The widening of the ban would be good if only to lessen the amounts of filthy disgusting cigarette butts being flicked all over the ground everywhere. When you go to stephens geeen its hard to find a place to sit on the grass in summer without being next to a fag end. Next chewing gum!

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    Mute Con Ó Domhnaill
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    Apr 22nd 2012, 1:26 AM

    Did Dr Reilly get this latest bright idea from his 164 thousand (dollar) man?

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    Mute John Kelly
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    Apr 21st 2012, 2:04 PM

    Test message.

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