A round-up to today's other stories in brief
Cruise ships may need new laws - Ahern
New international laws may be needed to regulate cruise ships, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said last night.
The Minister was commenting on a further tragic incident in the Caribbean, following the death in early January of Irish teenager Lynsey O'Brien (15).
The latest incident involves a ship belonging to a subsidiary of the same Miami-based corporation.
One unnamed passenger died from a heart attack and 11 other passengers were injured in a fire which broke out in the early hours of yesterday morning on the Star Princess, a US-owned and Bermudan-flagged vessel which is part of Princess Cruises, a subsidiary of the giant Carnival Corporation.
The Costa Magica, the vessel on which Ms O'Brien had been travelling, is also owned by a Carnival subsidiary.
The Star Princess fire was put out and the ship, carrying 2,690 passengers, was able to dock at Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Man sues over injury to finger
A man who had to have part of his little finger amputated after it was allegedly caught in the cell door of a Dublin Garda station has taken an action for damages in the High Court.
Abdel Madjid Belala (39), a native of Algeria, told the court he shouted in Lucan Garda station after the incident but nobody came.
The court heard Mr Belala had been arrested in March 2001 after he missed his stop on the way to Lucan and had a row with the bus driver.
Mr Belala (39), a construction worker, Bohermore, Galway, has sued the Garda Commissioner, the Minister for Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General for damages as a result of the injuries he claims he sustained when he was put into a cell in Lucan.
Opening the case, senior counsel Bernard Madden, for Mr Belala, said on March 24th, 2001, his client was arrested, taken to Lucan Garda station and put in a cell. He pushed against the cell door as gardaí closed it and his finger was caught.
Mr Belala was transferred to hospital. The finger was partially amputated as it had become gangrenous.
The defendants deny the claims.
The hearing continues.
Pest controller awarded €8,000
A pest controller, who was kicked by a horse while laying poison, has been awarded €8,000 damages against the Northern Area Health Board.
Alan Doyle (33), Long Lane, Dublin, said while employed as a general operative by the board in September 2001, he had been directed to lay poison in a field at St Oliver's Park, Clondalkin, behind Wheatfield Prison.
Cork soprano to sing in Dublin
Cork-born soprano Cara O'Sullivan, who sang in the Sydney Opera House on St Patrick's Night, will perform at the National Concert Hall in Dublin tomorrow.