Tokyo stabbing
A man with a knife has been arrested after stabbing at least 10 passengers on a commuter train in Tokyo.
NHK public television reported that one passenger was seriously injured.
It said the suspect left the knife behind as he fled and was later arrested in Tokyo where the Olympics Games will close on Sunday.
The Tokyo Fire Department said nine of the 10 injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals while the 10th was able to walk away.
Uncertain trajectory
The Government has confirmed that 1,782 new cases of Covid-19 have been recorded as of midnight on Thursday.
In a statement issued on Friday, officials warned the incidence of the disease remains high and is “continuing to increase, particularly in younger age cohorts”.
The seven-day average of case numbers is now approximately 1,300, while there are 193 people with the virus in hospital, 28 of whom are being treated in intensive care.
“The trajectory remains very uncertain,” the statement said, adding: “Disease profile varies across counties, with Donegal, Louth and Galway showing high incidence rates."
Live music
Legal expert, Dr Laura Cahillane has called for the law about Covid-19 guidelines to be made clearer as very few people actually knew exactly what the law is in relation to such restrictions.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s News at One, Dr Cahillane, a senior lecturer of law at the University of Limerick, said the Government had been “very poor” about clarifying its messaging about Covid-19.
Her comments come after updated Covid guidelines for the hospitality sectors were published by Fáilte Ireland earlier today.
Under the new guidance, outdoor events with gatherings of up to 200 people, along with live music and other performances, are permitted.
Communions and Confirmations
The Government is planning on the return of Communions and Confirmations by September, according to the Irish Examiner.
The move follows a meeting between the Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 and HSE chief executive Paul Reid, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan and Dr Brian McCraith, chair of the High Level Task Force on Covid-19 Vaccination.
Church leaders have voiced increased frustration over the public health guidance on communions and confirmations, which are currently banned under public health advice.
The Government “has noted those concerns”, according to a senior Government source.
Scratch card winner
A lucky scratch card has won €500,000 for a player from Co Clare.
The €20 All Cash Extravaganza scratch card was purchased at Spar Shop and Save at Portroe Cross in Nenagh, Co Tipperary when the person, whose name was not revealed, was passing through the town.
Speaking about the win, they said: "When I first scratched off the panels, I thought that I had won €5,000 which I was absolutely delighted with, and then I looked at it again and thought it was €50,000.
“It wasn’t until I looked at it for a third time shortly after that I realised it was €500,000 – I was in total shock and probably sat there looking at the scratch card in disbelief for about five minutes.”
Munster abuse trial
Five family members accused of sexually abusing small children have been found guilty by a jury following a 10-week Central Criminal Court trial.
The children's mother, father, aunt, her husband and uncle were found guilty of all but one of the 78 counts against them on Friday.
The final verdicts came in after a total of 19 hours and 54 minutes of deliberations. The jury started their deliberations on Thursday, July 29th.
Earlier on Friday morning, the jury returned 40 guilty counts in respect of four of the accused and one not guilty verdict in relation to the 27-year-old uncle. They returned a further 37 guilty counts – almost all majority verdicts – against the five accused on Friday afternoon.
Animal cruelty
A veterinarian, the owner of a Dublin dog pound and three staff members are to face trial on animal cruelty charges.
The prosecution follows a Garda investigation into the treatment and deaths of dogs at Ashton pound, River Road, Castleknock, Dublin 15 in July 2020.
It had operated a dog warden service for the greater Dublin area.
Five people were charged at the Bridewell Garda station in recent weeks and were granted bail. Their cases were listed for the first time at separate sittings of Dublin District Court on Friday.
