Ever morning, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know before 9am…
1. #CHILD BENEFIT The Sunday Times reports this morning that child benefit is going to be cut by €10 a month in the forthcoming budget, and that the cut will apply across the board. The news comes despite promises not to cut welfare rates, although information contained in the leaked budget documents seen by TheJournal.ie indicates that the government will heavily target social welfare to achieve savings.
2. #UNIVERSAL SOCIAL CHARGE Meanwhile it’s also reported today that the universal social charge is to be reduced for lower earners. The Sunday Business Post also reports that tax exiles will be targeted while there will be in increase in pupil-teacher ratios in fee-paying schools. You can take a look at more of the government’s plans in TheJournal.ie’s coverage of the leaked budget documents.
3. #ROAD DEATHS Memorial services will be held across the country today to remember those who have died on the roads. The services form part of the World Day of Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims. Nearly 3,500 people die on the roads around the world each day, according to the UN. One hundred and sixty eight have died in road collisions in Ireland so far this year.
4. #SYRIA A key Syrian opposition group says a major building belonging to the ruling Baath party in Damascus has been hit by at least two rocket-propelled grenades. The attack, which has been reported by the Local Coordination Activist Network, marks the first significant attack on a government building in the capital.
5. #SPAIN Spanish people go to the polls today, expecting to vote in a new government. Bloomberg reports that the opposition leader Mariano Rajoy may win the biggest majority in almost 30 years. He’s pledged to create jobs and implement policy changes. Ireland, Italy, Greece and Portugal have already seen changes in government as a result of the debt crisis.
6. #OBAMA A newspaper in Australia has found a booklet containing classified details of President Barack Obama’s visit to the country in a gutter in Canberra. A reporter from The Age found the booklet near the entrance to the parliament buildings. It contained information about Obama’s security detail and mobile phone numbers of officials.
7.#JAPAN There are no immediate reports of damage after a 5.5 quake in Northern Japan which was felt in Tokyo. No damage has been reported at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Japan was devastated by a 9 magnitude quake in March.
8. #BEHIND THE WHEEL A mother in Delaware in the US was arrested after she allowed her nine-year-old son to drive her car to school, with her in the passenger seat. After he arrived at the school, she got into the driver’s seat and headed for home. Concerned witnesses contacted school officials, who called the police according to the Delaware News Journal.
9. #TYRE-SOME Finally, a massive collected of dumped tyres in South Carolina in the US has been found to be visible from space. Yahoo reports that one person has been charged with dumping 250,000 old tyres, which cover more than 50 acres and can be seen in satellite images.
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