Moving target? The USA’s Seth Kelsey looks on during his match against Estonia’s Nikolai Novosjolov in the men’s individual epee fencing competition at the Olympic Games. Kelsey was defeated in the semi-final. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
THINGS WE LEARNED:
#LIVE REGISTER: The number of people on the live register has fallen – with CSO figures showing the number signing on dropped by 2,300 last month. The figures don’t change the unemployment rate, which remains at 14.8 per cent. The number signing on for over a year is now above 200,000 for the first time.
#INDUSTRIAL ACTION: Trade unions representing staff at Aer Lingus and the Dublin Airport Authority are to pursue industrial action, after employees approved action over reduced pension entitlements. Unions say that they want to send ‘a clear message’ to the two companies.
#RACE ROW: A District Court judge in Co Mayo has apologised after comparing the social welfare system to a charity for Polish people. Judge Mary Devins says her comments were intended as a reference to a particular, separate case, and were not intended to cause offence.
#BRRRR: As if you needed confirmation… Met Éireann says July 2012 was the wettest and coldest July in years. Rainfall was above average across the country, while sunshine levels were well below the average.
#LONDON 2012: Another busy day in London, where it’s been a day of mixed fortunes for the Irish. Annalise Murphy had a day to forget in sailing, coming 8th and 19th in her two races – though she still leads the women’s laser radial contest. A bad day too for kayaker Eoin Rheinisch, who missed a gate in the Men’s K1 semi-final and missed out on the final. Better for John Joe Nevin though: the Mullingar bantamweight beat Kazakhstan’s Kanat Abutalipov and is now one fight away from a medal.
THINGS WE LOVED:
- The notion that Irish moss can be used to clear up a cough. File this one under ‘weird science’…
- The swagger of British cyclist Bradley Wiggins, who thankfully (for his own sake) won the men’s individual time trial in London today – barely a week after winning the Tour de France – having previously described the race as a “piece of p*ss”. Ireland’s David McCann came 27th.
- The “YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!-oh-wait” face on Mammy Phelps after Michael narrowly missed out on gold in the 200m butterfly last night. Also comes in animated GIF format.
A man holding a pole stay on the mound of garbage washed ashore by big waves as others look for recyclable materials along Roxas Boulevard in Manila, Philippines. The slow-moving Typhoon Saola has killed at least 12 people and displaced 154,000. (AP Photo/Pat Roque).
THINGS WE SHARED:
- We shared it, you shared it… everyone who’s seen it probably shared it. But if you didn’t: here’s London mayor Boris Johnson getting stuck on a zip line.
- “Hey, person X. Anything cool happen at your pool party?” “Oh, nothing much. An elephant dropped by, but that was it.“
- You’re an internet user. The chances are that you have not had enough of cats in YouTube videos. Well, in an entirely meta move, this cat is probably less enthusiastic than you are…
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