In Short

A round-up of today's news stories in brief

A round-up of today's news stories in brief

Man 'critical' after rescue from River Lee

Gardaí in Cork last night were investigating an incident which led to a man being placed on a life support machine after he was rescued from the River Lee yesterday evening, writes Barry Roche.

The man in his late 40s from the south side of the city had been drinking with other people near the south channel of the River Lee when a row broke out.

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Gardaí were last night trying to establish if he had been pushed into the river. He was removed unconscious from the water by the fire brigade and taken to Cork University Hospital where he was last night placed on a ventilator. His condition was described as "critical".

A man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s were arrested near the scene.

Witness sought to Dublin assault

Gardaí in Dublin have appealed for witnesses to a serious assault in the city centre on Friday night which has left an eastern European man in a critical condition in hospital.

The man, who was the victim of the assault at Harbourmaster Place in the Irish Financial Services Centre at 10pm on Friday, is thought to be in his mid-40s and to be Lithuanian or Latvian. Gardaí at Store Street believe his name may be Dimitri.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone with information to contact Store Street or to ring the Garda confidential number 1800 666 111.

€5.5m left to Edinburgh festival

A Dublin woman who travelled to the Edinburgh International Festival every year has bequeathed to it €5.5 million, representing the single biggest donation in its history.

Public relations specialist, Lean Scully who died last year at the age of 72, left the sale price of two houses in Leeson Park, Ranelagh, to the festival.

Ms Scully stipulated that the money should be invested in a trust which will yield up to €223,000 per annum and help support the careers of young artists.

Several homes attacked in North

A number of homes were targeted in attacks in the North over the weekend. In Ballymena, Co Antrim, a Catholic family escaped injury after their house was petrol-bombed in a suspected sectarian attack yesterday morning.

In east Belfast, a 24-year- old man is expected in court this morning charged with arson endangering life following an attack on the home of Polish immigrants.

Six people were treated in hospital for the effects of smoke inhalation.

In Bushmills, Co Antrim, windows were smashed in a suspected racial attack. Graffiti was painted on the walls of the property. A police spokesman said a number of different nationalities were thought to live in the house.

Cross-Border travel disrupted

Disruption to the cross- Border travel network worsened over the weekend as the PSNI closed a major road following a security alert. The Newry bypass was closed between the Fiveways Roundabout and the Forkhill roundabout but was expected to reopen at 9pm last night.

A security alert on the Belfast-Dublin train line outside Newry also continued yesterday, with passengers being bused between Newry and Dundalk. The Real IRA said on Friday it left two devices on the train line.