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EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you should know with your morning coffee…
1.#NORTH AND SOUTH: Taoiseach Enda Kenny will chair a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council at Farmleigh House today during which banking reform, the ongoing eurozone crisis, and other economic issues will be discussed. The Northern delegation is being led by First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.
2. #CHILD ABUSE: Speaking yesterday at the International Eucharistic Congress, Primate of All-Ireland Cardinal Seán Brady expressed “deep shame” in an apology to victims of clerical child abuse on behalf of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
However, Brady stopped short of offering a specific apology for his own controversial role in the investigation of abuse by Fr Brendan Smyth.
3. #JOBSWATCH: The parent firm of electricity supplier Airtricity is to invest almost half a billion euro in purchasing several power stations in Ireland. The Taoiseach Enda Kenny is due to make what a statement described as a “major” jobs announcement in connection with the news this afternoon.
4.#SYMPHYSIOTOMY: The Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has offered “unreserved sympathy” to women who have suffered after undergoing the controversial procedure symphysiotomy, reports the Irish Times. Survivors of symphysiotomy – a surgical procedure used to widen the pelvis for childbirth – gave powerful first-hand testimony at an Oireachtas committee meeting yesterday, explaining the life-long chronic pain and other medical problems they suffered as a result of the operation.
5. #WEATHER: It may be June – and technically summer – but it’s still a very good idea to bring an umbrella along today, as we’re in for more wind, rain, and possible flooding. This satellite image from Met Éireann shows why we won’t be seeing the sun for a while.
6. #GREECE: The final day of campaigning ahead of Sunday’s crucial parliamentary elections is taking place in Greece today. This weekend’s vote, the second in one month, is being closely observed internationally amid fears the results could spark a deepening of the eurozone crisis – or even the country’s exit from the euro.
7. #JAPAN: The final fugitive suspect linked to a deadly sarin gas attack in the Tokyo underground has been arrested by police in Japan, AFP reports. Katsuya Takahashi is suspected of being involved in a doomsday cult that killed 13 people and injured 6,000 others in 1995.
8. #EGYPT: Demonstrators have gathered in Egypt’s Tahrir Square today after the country’s Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that last year’s parliamentary elections were not valid. The Muslim Brotherhood has warned of “dangerous” days ahead, reports the BBC.
9. #GAME OF THRONES: Both HBO and the creators of the hit TV show Game of Thrones have apologised for using a prosthetic head in the likeness of George W Bush as a prop in a beheading scene during filming, the Washington Post reports.
“George Bush’s head appears in a couple of beheading scenes. It’s not a choice, it’s not a political statement. We just had to use whatever heads we had lying around…” said creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
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I am slowly beginning to genuinely not care anymore… These ministers are raping my enthusiasm for a better country, I assure you and this may sound extremely mad but the atrocities in Norway could happen in any western country where the government is just as blasé as ours.. Someone on our beautiful little island is going to crack, let’s just hope he/she/ them are not as organised as anders Behring breivik… 47,000 to refurbish offices in our financial climate is just simply wrong…. Oh I am fed up
How can a Minister responsible for cutting public service costs be taken seriously if he spends this amount on refurbishing his office. No wonder we have a low opinion of politicians.
This is not the first didn’t Mary Coughlan spend a similar amount on her personal Dail bathroom. The whole fucking lot of them need a good shake up. Is Enda so ball less that he dare not do anything to sort out these freeloading bastards.
I’m sure Enda would fire him but as he’s Labour he needs Eamon to deal with it.
Enda need Eamon to deal with this; Howlin must resign or be fired as a result of this.
We are the ones who are ‘gan liathroidi’ we keep on accepting the unacceptable. We could start a revolution if we hadn’t all become so apathetic. Including me. How has all the passion been beaten out of us?
Government ministers already have giant toilet called “Ireland” which they shit and piss on at will,and toilet paper called “The Constitution”,so it was unnecessary to refurbish another one.
Unbelievable, Mr Howlin has to resign or Mr Gilmore needs to sack him from the Cabinet. Totally undermines the work the government are doing. What an idiot, well, actually what an arrogant “so in so”.
Yet another example of the contempt that politicians have for the people in this country howlin should first be made to pay back the money from his own pocket, then he should be fired. But the usual will happen this will be forgotten about by the time the bastards get back from their very long holidays, and he like all the other shit-heads will get away with insulting the people of Ireland.
RIP Amy
Interesting articles as ever but I think we should maintain a constant focus on what is going on in Somalia as well. I understand that a lot of people have something like Africa-fatique (and I don’t mean that as an insult) from much of the news of the terrible state of much of the continent. However it is typical of TV-news to ‘move on’ etc for that is the demands of constant news with new events occuring every day, yet social media/web based news (like this) have the freedom to keep certain topics in constant focus.
Perhaps the journal.ie could consider doing this to ensure that the famine and nightmare of human suffering is kept in people’s mind. Perhaps this will help some form of movement to pressure our governments to take some moves to help to reduce the suffering of these people in some way.
I understand the dangerous situation on the ground but as usual some form of assistance will get through (there are thousands who have fled across the borders of this failed state). And yes I am aware that I sound like a sterotypical person who sees this and demands all kinds of action but this is not the case.
…but back to my actual point, articles!
typical of the contempt our politicians past and present have for the people of Ireland
I wish ‘The Taxpayer’ would foot the bill to have my house painted, inside and outside. I can’t afford to have it done, so will just have to put up with it. The politicians don’t Inhabit the same world as Us Ordinary Mortals. They, with their Big Salaries, Expenses and Perks, havent got a clue what it’s like, in the Real world.
Howlin should be flushed out for the Shit he causing
When the Sun shines from the Ministers Arsehole one would expect the Jacks to match the Ego.
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