HSE probe into hospital deaths

Health chiefs have launched an investigation after the deaths of two patients at separate hospitals.

A patient at the acute mental health unit of Tallaght Hospital, Dublin, died yesterday.

Another patient died at Kerry General Hospital, in Tralee. This patient had also been receiving psychiatric treatment.

The Health Service Executive is to carry out a review following the deaths.

It said the incidents were completely separate.

Woman sues

online 'pest'

A business consultant who pieced together information from Google to learn about a man she says was fixating on her online has sued him in a New York court.

Carla Franklin filed the lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Manhattan.

The former model and actress wants unspecified damages and an order requiring the man to stay away from her.

The lawsuit says she obtained the court order because he had built online "shrines" to menace, scare and harass her. His lawyer says the lawsuit has no merit.

Driverless cars on way in LA

California governor Jerry Brown travelled to Google headquarters in a self-driving Toyota Prius - then signed state legislation that will pave the way for driverless cars.

The bill by Democratic senator Alex Padilla will establish safety and performance regulations to test and operate autonomous vehicles on the state's roads and highways. "Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality - the self-driving car," Mr Brown said. "Anyone who gets inside a car and finds out the car is driving will be a little skittish but they'll get over it."

Journalist on graffiti charge

An Egyptian-born US columnist has been arrested for spray-painting an advertisement equating Muslim radicals with savages at a New York subway station. Mona Eltahawy (45), from New York, was arrested on charges including criminal mischief and making graffiti.