A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Jackson in two-day visit to N Ireland
Civil rights activist the Rev Jesse Jackson has completed a two-day visit to Northern Ireland, writes Dan Keenan.
Mr Jackson visited Belfast’s oldest amateur boxing club, St George’s, in the Markets area where he sparred with one of the club’s youngest female members.
Later he attended a meeting hosted by Relatives for Justice, which campaigns for the families of those bereaved by state violence. The meeting involved survivors from both republican and loyalist backgrounds.
He also visited the Bloody Sunday Museum in the Bogside in Derry.
Gardaí rule out foul play after man found dead in Monaghan
Gardaí have ruled out foul play in the death of a man whose body found at his home in Co Monaghan in the early hours of yesterday morning, writes Conor Lally.
The deceased, a 57-year-old separated man, was spotted through a downstairs window on the floor of his home on Main Street, Ballybay, by a local man walking home from the pub at 1.40am. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the house was sealed off by gardaí.
Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis carried out a postmortem at Navan General Hospital yesterday afternoon. It is understood the man had suffered a heart attack and had fallen.
Cork book of condolences for Japan
A book of condolences for the victims and survivors of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami opens in Cork today. The book will be opened at 10am by mayor of Cork Cllr Michael O’Connell at City Hall.
“On behalf of the people of Cork, I would like to express sincere sympathy to the Japanese government and people . . . I would like to offer any assistance that you consider appropriate to help the people affected,” Mr O’Connell said.
Strike begins at two North colleges
Lecturers at Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster begin two days of strike action later today in opposition to academic pension fund plans.
Lecturers belonging to the University and College Union will not work today or on Thursday, with a threat of additional action to follow.
The union said: “The dispute centres around employers’ attempts to force through proposals which would reduce pension benefits and increase costs.”
The general secretary said: “Strike action is always a last resort . . . However, both sides had to be prepared to go that extra mile and the employers clearly weren’t.”