EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know as you kick off your day.
1. #TRAGEDY: There have been renewed calls for the government to legislate for the X Case following the death of a 31-year-old woman who was reportedly denied an abortion at University Hospital Galway last month. Savita Praveen Halappanavar died after developing septicaemia from a miscarriage that lasted more than two days.
2. #AUSTERITY: Flights across Europe will be disrupted today as protests against austerity and work stoppages take place in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, France and the UK as part of the Day of Action and Solidarity.
3. #ROW: Passengers may face even more disruptions next week as Aer Lingus workers plan a work stoppage for Monday. Siptu shop stewards are due to meet airline representatives later today for last ditch talks to avert the action, reports RTÉ.
4. #GRANTS: Following Minister Ruairí Quinn’s apology to students for the late payment of grants, the agency in charge of the online application system has put additional staff in place to deal with the backlog. SUSI told an Oireachtas Committee that more than 30,000 awards will be made by the end of the year.
5. #SYMPHYSIOTOMY: A group of survivors of symphysiotomy met in Dublin yesterday for the screening of a documentary film which examines the barbaric practice, comparing it to methods used in Kenya today. The women reiterated calls for the statute of limitations to be lifted so they can seek redress in the courts.
6. #IT’S WHO YOU KNOW: An Institute of Directors survey of company directors in Ireland has revealed that the appointment process to sit on a board is still tainted by a ‘who you know’ culture.
7. #ELMO: A man who accused Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of having sex with him when he was a teenage boy has recanted his allegations, stating the relationship actually happened when they were both consenting adults.
8. #FOREVER PERFECT: It is the size of a large strawberry, weighs 76.02 carats, is of “perfect colour” and “flawless clarity” — and the Archduke Joseph Diamond sold for a whopping €16.9 million at a Christie’s auction yesterday.
9. #TOTAL ECLIPSE: Australians were treated to a rare and spectacular sight overnight as the sun, moon and Earth aligned, plunging north Australia into daytime darkness for two minutes. The Daily Telegraph captured it all on video:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say