LAST UPDATE | 2 Sep 2022
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
1. Tens of thousands of students across the country will this morning find out their Leaving Cert results as teachers urge their pupils not to obsess over their final points tally.
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) congratulated the more than 60,000 people getting their grades today and highlighted “the wide breadth of options open to school-leavers”.
The results are due for release to candidates through the Candidate Self Service Portal at 10am.
The CAO offers will come on 8 September, six days after the publication of exam results. Round two offers will follow on 19 September.
2. Waterford City and County Council has said it will review its use of chlorine as a ‘disinfectant’ on streams near some of its popular beaches, following outcry over the practice, Eoghan Dalton writes in today’s lead story.
It has also claimed that it has not carried out any environmental assessments of the use of bleach, because it is taking place outside of the Waterford Estuary’s special conservation area and therefore “would not pose significant effects” on wildlife.
The council’s use of sodium hypochlorite – a bleaching chemical – on streams was met with fierce criticism by environmental activists following reporting by The Journal last week.
3. A Cabinet Minister and a senior No 10 aide in Boris Johnson’s Government are facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
Sky News has reported the allegations of two women detailing how they were allegedly assaulted and groped by figures within the Government.
The accusations come as Johnson prepares to end his tenure as Prime Minister, which was brought to a halt after the Chris Pincher scandal.
4. In the latest part of Noteworthy’s Trade Off investigation, Niall Sargent reports that calves are left without milk for long periods on journey to Europe with a Department audit finding some operators are not complying with feeding intervals.
The report also notes that unweaned male calves are sent to veal and fattening farms in Europe due to a dairy industry calf ‘explosion’.
Exporters and farmers have stressed the need for exports for price competition and to provide alternative markets, but an NGO spokesperson said: “We know how much these newborns suffer, and still there is no plan to do anything about this.”
5. Online and mobile banking hit record highs in Q2 2022, growing to 36 million payments, according to the latest Payments Monitor from Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI).
The report also shows that contactless payments continue to surge with €49 million worth of contactless payments per day in Q2 2022, the highest daily spend in any quarter since the data series began.
Gillian Byrne, Head of Payments at BPFI, said: “Our latest figures show online and mobile banking payments continued to grow strongly in Q2 2022 with volumes growing by 11.7% year on year to 36 million payments. This was the highest level recorded since BPFI began collecting this data in 2016.”
6. US President Joe Biden warned that “equality and democracy are under assault” in the US as he sounded an alarm about his predecessor, Donald Trump.
The President labelled “MAGA Republican” adherents an extremist threat to America and its future.
Biden used his prime-time speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to argue that Trump and ‘Make America Great Again’ allies are a challenge to the nation’s system of government, its standing abroad and its citizens’ way of life.
“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic,” Biden declared.
7. A Myanmar junta court sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to three years in jail today for ‘electoral fraud’ over 2020 polls which her party won in a landslide.
Suu Kyi was “sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour”, a source with knowledge of the case said, adding that the Nobel laureate (77) appeared to be in good health.
Detained since a putsch last year, Suu Kyi has already been convicted of corruption and a clutch of other charges by a closed junta court and sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Journalists have been barred from proceedings in the military-built capital Naypyidaw and her lawyers have been prevented from speaking to the press.
8. The Republic of Ireland women’s national team’s World Cup dream hit new heights at a sold-out Tallaght Stadium last night, as Vera Pauw’s side secured a historic playoff spot.
The Girls In Green have never reached a major tournament – the closest they’ve come is the Euro 2009 play-off defeat – but a second-half header from super-sub Lily Agg moved them further down the road on a famous night.
A record crowd of 6,952 watched on, the atmosphere electric and the outpour of emotion visible as history was confirmed at the final whistle, Emma Duffy reports.
9. And finally, the weather.
Met Eireann says it will be cloudy today with some hazy sunny spells. There will be scattered showers, some heavy in the east and northeast.
During the afternoon, more persistent rain will develop in Atlantic coastal areas, spreading eastwards in the evening. Highest temperatures will range from 17 to 22 degrees Celsius, dipping to six to 14 degrees overnight.
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