Rdited by Pat Leahy

Speculation abounds in Leinster House (and various public houses) about the expected reshuffle in the cabinet after the local and European elections.

Various smoke signals have been sent up, but in truth, nobody knows.This is the type of thing that Bertie always, always keeps in pectore until the very last moment. Anything before then is shadowboxing.

Any new appointments to the cabinet must be made before Friday July 9, the last day that the Dáil sits until October. A reshuffle among existing members does not require the approval of the Dáil, but any new appointments are the subject of a vote among TDs. So July it is.

But don't be surprised if there's more movement in the junior ministerial ranks. Liam Aylward has got the nod for Europe, freeing up one spot.

Willie O'Dea and Mary Hanafin are expecting elevation, freeing up more spaces. Ambitious backbenchers will spend the next few months trying to impress their master.

The real way to Bertie's heart is to pull in big votes in the locals - nothing impresses him more than that.

Remember that libel action between government press secretary Mandy Johnston and the Star? It's been fixed to come to hearing in the High Court on Friday.

Johnston,the first woman to hold the position, initiated an action against the Star for damages over a newspaper article backin1996when she joined the party's press office.

The newspaper was amazed to get the writ from Johnston, as it thought the piece was entirely innocuous, although she obviously took grave offence at its contents. Previous attempts to settle the case have proved unsuccessful.The High Court action enables Johnston to seek damages of more than €40,000 from the paper.

Should it go to trial, the bills will be multiples of that figure.

Relations between the Star and the government have been less than harmonious - that is, utterly poisonous - since the general election, but the smart money is still on a settlement on the steps. The costs will be not insubstantial, as m'learned friends say.

Staying with Ireland's brightest daily, one couldn't but admire its forthrightness in denouncing the appalling fact that teenagers were circulating pornographic images via their mobile telephones.

"Is there no end to this sleazy assault on the bodies and minds of our children?" the paper's editorial thundered. Sleazy indeed. On the opposite page was a full page ad for partymob.ie, a service that sends pictures of Pamela, Jodie, Jordan and other beauties in various states of undress to one's mobile phone.

It was one of four full-page ads for such services in that edition of the paper, one of which features the popular "Babe of the Day - have a picture of a fabulous babe sent to your phone every day".

Another of the services advertised offers to send "xxx rated picture messages" to your phone.

Detailed research has confirmed a wide array of erotic art is indeed available, with ambiguous titles such as Mr Horny and Mr Wanky. One wonders where these kids the Star is so keen to protect get their ideas.

It would surely be churlish to point out here that the Star - admittedly through no fault of its own - is 50 per cent owned by Richard Desmond, English publisher of such edifying periodicals as Asian Babes and Horny Housewives.