A round up of today's other stories in brief...
Airline ceases Knock service to Gatwick
UK carrier XL Airways is to cease flights between Ireland West Airport, Knock, Co Mayo and Gatwick airport, England, from September 2nd.
Robert Grealis, chief executive of the Mayo airport, said the decision was disappointing and he predicted the rest of the year will be difficult because of high fuel costs and falling consumer confidence. The XL Gatwick-Knock service operated four times weekly.
Two in court over drug seizures
Two men were charged yesterday in Dublin District Court in connection with a drugs seizure worth an estimated €600,000.
The men, aged 32 and 20, with addresses in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, were remanded in custody with consent to bail. They were charged following the seizure of cannabis resin on Saturday afternoon. The drugs were recovered from a car on the Nephin Road in Cabra, Dublin.
'Times' protest by Falun Gong
Falun Gong practitioners held a protest at The Irish Timesbuilding on Tara Street, Dublin yesterday over an article that quoted a Chinese official making disparaging remarks about the practice. The protesters said the comments demonised those who engage in the spiritual practice, which involves exercise and meditation.
The report, published on July 31st, dealt with the issue of restrictions on internet access for foreign journalists covering the Olympic Games.
In the next day's edition, the paper published a letter from Gerald O'Connor, an Irishman practising Falun Gong, who expressed his sense of deep hurt at the use of the quote. "Falun Gong stands for truth, compassion and tolerance," he wrote.
In a letter handed in to the paper yesterday, one of the protesters, Ming Zhao, said he was concerned that by reading the quote Irish people "will be given very wrong and negative information about Falun Gong".
Driver fined over baby safety seat
A driver who removed his 18-month-old baby daughter from her rear safety seat after she had vomited, was yesterday fined £175 (€220) and had three penalty points imposed at a court in Derry.
Roy McConnellogue, from Woodbrook, Derry, pleaded guilty to driving without a seat belt and failing to ensure his daughter was properly secured in her safety seat.