5 Things you need to know today

1. Kenny warns Independent Ministers over abortion vote

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has warned Independent Alliance Ministers they will not be allowed to avoid Cabinet collective responsibility again after yesterday's failure to reach a consensus on abortion. The Government was unable to take a collective position on a Bill put forward by Independent TD Mick Wallace to allow for abortions in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities. The decision represented a blow to the Government's authority which Mr Kenny has sought to limit by insisting he will not allow collective responsibility to be circumvented again. The Taoiseach agreed reluctantly to allow the Independent Ministers a free vote, but it is understood he robustly insisted this was a once-off and would not be facilitated on a regular basis.

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2. Console faces criminal investigation

The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement has launched a criminal investigation into the suicide prevention charity Console. The office has wide-ranging powers to search for and seize documents where breaches of company law are suspected. Criminal prosecutions are undertaken in the District Court by the office's staff, while more serious cases are referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions for potential prosecution on indictment. A spokesman said it was not the policy of the office to comment on ongoing enforcement activities. It has also emerged the Health Service Executive has given Console more than €320,000 so far this year – after its own internal audit raised serious issues with spending and governance at the charity.

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3. Chilcot report is set to determine Tony Blair’s credibility

Thirteen years after the start of a war which left Iraq in ruins, the region destabilised and tens of thousands dead, Britain will today learn the answers to lingering questions about its worst foreign policy disaster since the 1956 Suez crisis. Sir John Chilcot's 12-volume, 2.6 million-word report has been seven years in the making but the consequences of Tony Blair's decision to join in the invasion of Iraq are being felt acutely in British politics today. The lack of trust in the political establishment which found expression in last month's EU referendum has many causes, including scandals surrounding MPs' expenses. But the decision to go to war in 2003 on the basis of souped-up claims about faulty intelligence dealt the biggest blow to politicians' credibility. The phrase "dodgy dossier", first used to describe the bogus claims made by Blair's government to justify the march to war, was thrown at prime minister David Cameron when his government warned about the likely economic impact of Brexit.

4. The BBC and the hunger strikes

Bobby Sands died on May 5th, 1981, 66 days into a gruelling and highly publicised hunger strike. In Belfast, close to 100,000 people attended his funeral, an event that was televised by dozens of news crews from around the world. Republicans carefully choreographed a uniformed honour guard firing a defiant salute over the grave of their comrade. Coverage of these seminal events caused tremendous consternation for the Thatcher government and its allies, who were convinced these images glorified the IRA. In London, senior BBC managers and editors huddled to discuss coverage of the hunger strikes and the outrage it provoked. The conversation quickly turned to the slightly blurred photograph of Sands that had become ubiquitous around the globe. One senior editor noted that the grainy image of a boyish, smiling Sands and the fact that he was known internationally as "Bobby" helped catapult him to fame as an iconic martyr.

5. All eyes on Bale and Ronaldo as history calls

For those who like a good showdown story, the first semi-final could scarcely have been better set up had it involved two guys standing with Smith & Wessons at opposite ends of one of those wild-west main streets. That, in any case, is how it is being portrayed in large swathes of the media with the world, it seems, being encouraged to tune in for the shootout between Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo. Make your own call on who's wearing the white hat. Ronaldo is obviously more gripped by his rivalry with Lionel Messi, who routinely eclipses him in lists of the world's best players. So propelling this Portugal side to a major title after being around for so many failed attempts would make for another credit on the Madrid star's side of the ledger. There is a fair bit of work to be done still, though, for whichever team wins in Lyon is likely to start Sunday's final at the Stade de France with the tag of "underdog" attached.

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