A 19-year-old man is to be tried in a criminal court in Japan in connection with the death of Nicola Furlong.

3 judges at a hearing in Tokyo today decided to send the case back to the prosecutors.

This means the man who is described as a professional musician will now be tried as an adult.

A person under the age of 20 is usually a juvenile under Japanese law.

AIB has announced its raising its standard variable mortgage interest rate 0.5%.

For owner-occupiers the rate will now be 3.5%.

The news is contained in the half year results of the bank which were released this morning.

In a further update on its cost cutting plans, the bank has also announced 45 sub-office closures and 6 branch amalgamations will take place from October across the country.

While there will also be a further 16 branch closures next year.

Sean Quinn says he is afraid to go to prison but he will if he has to.

Last week a High Court judge jailed the son and nephew of the bankrupt businessman for three months, after finding failures to adequately comply with court orders aimed at reversing measures stripping multi-million euro assets from the Quinn family’s international property group.

Sean Quinn Junior is serving his three month sentence but Peter-Darragh Quinn failed to turn up in court and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

In an interview on the Joe Finnegan Show on Shannonside Northern Sound Sean Quinn Senior said his nephew Peter was ”desperately” afraid to go to prison.

Hear the interview  href="http://www.newstalk.ie/2012/news/sean-quinn-i-will-go-to-prison-if-i-have-to/">here

The Health Minister has named the new Director-General of the Health service.

Tony O’Brien will formally take over when legislation is passed in the autumn.

But he is expected to become acting chief executive of the HSE when Cathal Magee stands down from that position shortly.

Mr. O’Brien has been running the HSE special delivery unit and Minister James Reilly says he has made progress in areas such as trolley numbers and waiting lists.

It is just hours to go until the official opening ceremony for London 2012.

Bells rang out across Britain earlier to mark the official start of the Games.

Newstalk’s Jack Quann looks at how the day is going.