EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.
1. #MARKETS European stocks have rallied by about one per cent on opening, after share values on Asian markets fell for a second day amid fears that the world may be heading for another recession. US stocks also fell sharply yesterday. This latest slump was driven by a weak outlook warning from the US Federal Reserve.
2. #BABY BOOM The Central Statistics Office has revealed that there were more babies born in the first three months of the year than during any other quarter since records began in1960. Nearly 20,000 babies were born in January, February and March, a 7.6 per cent in creased on the same time last year.
3. #PALESTINE Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas is gearing up to launch an historic official bid for statehood at the United Nations today. The US has said that it will veto any such move, with Barack Obama urging Palestine and Israel to re-enter peace talks.
4. #SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION An inquest into the death of a pensioner in Galway last December has found that the man died as a result of spontaneous combustion. The Irish Daily Star reports that Gardaí first suspected foul play, but that no accelerant was found, and there was no sign that anyone had entered the house.
5. #RACE FOR THE ÁRAS In case you missed it yesterday evening, Senator David Norris now has 17 of the 20 signatures he needs in order to get his name on the ballot for the presidential election in October. Two Oireachtas members still have to make up their minds, but even if they do go for Norris, he still needs one more name. A number of local councils will meet in the coming days to discuss nominating Norris or fellow hopeful Dana Rosemary Scallon.
6. #SUICIDE AWARENESS TDs and Senators will take part in a course this morning aimed an educating them about suicide awareness. The training teaches people to identify those who may be having suicidal thoughts, and to put them in touch with relevant resources.
7. #NASA NASA has said that it’s still too early to predict the time and location of the re-entry into the atmosphere of an old research satellite, weighing six tonnes. The latest update says that re-entry is ‘possible later this evening. NASA has said that the risk to public safety or property is extremely small, and that nobody has ever been injured by one of these objects.
8. #SPEED OF LIGHT Scientists at CERN in Switzerland are said to be baffled after they appeared to observe subatomic particles moving faster than the speed of light. The group of physicists have said that they’re very cautious about their claims, reports the BBC. If they’re right though, much of modern physics will be turned on its head.
9. #CULTURE NIGHT Fancy a nosey around Leinster House? Maybe catch a film in Ireland’s tallest cinema in Cork? Or take a tour of Windmill Lane studios, a piece of U2 history. That’s all on offer as part of Culture Night, which is taking place across the country this evening. To find out what free entertainment is available in your area, visit the Culture Night website.
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