The Front Pages
Someone give Ivor Callely a reality TV show, because as expected, the embattled senator is all over the headlines again this morning, after Taoiseach Brian Cowen piled further pressure ahead of today’s Seanad committee meeting to consider Callely’s future. The Irish Times headline this is morning is ‘Taoiseach says Callely should consider his position’ after Mr Cowen told the Times from Tullamore yesterday that he cannot force the senator to resign, but that ‘it is a matter for him to consider now’.
Mr Cowen also stated that he has made his position clear as party leader and that he is glad to see the Seanad ‘moving quickly’ on Callely’s expenses issue. In a statement released Saturday, the troubled senator acknowledged ‘very serious allegations’ had been made regarding Callely’s mobile phone expenses, The Seanad committee will meet today at 2pm.
Similar to the Times headline, today’s Irish Independent front page reads ‘Taoiseach ramps up pressure on Callely’, as the broadsheet acknowledges that the senator faces a ‘public grilling’ on his alleged scandal. Taking a forward-looking approach to the issue, the Independent speculates on the potential rough days ahead for Callely, with sources claiming the senator may be called in before the end of the week by the Seanad committee itself to explain his actions.
The Independent also claimed that five members of the 90-plus Fianna Fail national executive are to also meet today this investigate the issue, which may eventually result in Callely being expelled from the party altogether.
Tales from the Tabs
‘Osama twin Laden: Scan’s double surprise for surrogate mother’. No hold on, this Daily Mail story gets crazier in the second line, which reveals that a British surrogate mother ‘who agreed to have Osama Bin Laden’s grandchild is expecting twins’. Wait… what?
Louise Pollard poses happily this morning with her positive pregnancy test, after an eight-week scan that has revealed that the 24-year-old is expecting twins conceived via IVF from the sperm of Bin Laden’s son Omar, who lives in Qatar and is not allowed to enter Britain.
Pollard’s treatment has been paid privately and taken places outside the UK and its jurisdiction, with the consent of Omar and his wife Zaina, who recently split from her husband after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Not that Miss Pollard sounds too fussed:
‘Omar is really chuffed. He and Zaina have been speaking every day. Now that it (her scan) is done, she will be visiting him next week. It’s almost certain they will get back together.’
The Sports Pages
With less than a week until their tough opening game against Liverpool, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has had enough licking his wounds from an apparent bid for the Anfield side’s shot stopper Pepe Reina – and is hoping to sign our own Shay Given from Manchester City instead.
Despite the hugely unlikely odds of City selling their possible first-choice keeper to one of their biggest rivals for the coming season, the Daily Mirror is today reporting that Wenger is hoping to swoop for the Irish keeper – having been warned to keep their hands off fellow City keeper Joe Hart.
With Martin O’Neill looking increasingly resigned to losing Aston Villa midfielder James Milner to Manchester City – and unsettled Eastlands star Stephen Ireland moving his way – the Villa boss could be looking to invest from the transfer immediately. The Daily Mail is today reporting that O’Neill is closely monitoring Everton’s Steven Pienaar and hoping to lure the South African to Villa Park.
Finally, the Daily Mail, amongst many British tabloids, is today covering the farcical fallout of Fabio Capello’s England selection for their mid-week international friendly against Hungary. Hoping to recruit fresh blood after their English side’s disastrous World Cup campaign, two of boss Capello’s selections – Wes Brown and Paul Robinson – hastily retired from international football, whilst Manchester United’s ‘injured’ Michael Carrick was fit and healthy for yesterday’s Community Shield tie, presumably unbeknownst to the FA’s main man.
