EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know as you kick off your day.
1. #BUDGET 2013: Children’s groups have hit out at the government’s reported plan to cut child benefit by €10 in next Wednesday’s Budget. One Senator said there was “no logic” to the move, which would see the payment cut from €140 per child to €130 per month.
2. #PALESTINE: There have been scenes of celebration in the West Bank after the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to accept Palestine as a non-member state. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas described the move as conferring a “birth certificate” for a Palestinian state.
3. #FINED: Patients who don’t turn up for a hospital outpatient appointments could be fined at least €20 under new plans by Minister for Health James Reilly. The Minister told the Oireachtas that patients who receive a reminder for their appointment but still miss it should be charged the money when they eventually attend as a penalty for the disruption they caused.
4. GUNS: A 28-year-old member of republican socialist group Éirigí was one of four people who were brought before an out-of-hours sitting of the Special Criminal Court last night charged with possessing guns and ammunition, the Irish Examiner reports. The four, who all have addresses in Dublin, were arrested in Offaly on Tuesday night.
5. #OUT OF HERE: More than 800 doctors have written to the Minister for Health to warn that they may leave Ireland to work abroad as a result of the Minister’s approach to consultants. A spokesperson for the Irish Medical Organisation said there is “deep unease” among doctors about an agenda to portray the medical profession “as though they are driven by greed”.
6. #RYANAIR: Ryanair is bringing in new charges for people booking flights with the airline – but says that the increase is not its fault. Customers will now pay a 2 per cent credit card fee on each ticket, which the airline says is because of a decision by the UK’s Office of Fair Trade, which has made it illegal to add card charges at the end of a booking process.
7. #EGYPT: Egypt has approved a draft constitution drawn up by Islamists, despite criticism from human rights groups, secularists and international experts who say that the document restricts freedom of speech and limits women’s rights.
8. #RABBIT: A 20-year-old man has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and torture in connection with a case where a homeless man’s pet rabbit was thrown into the Liffey in Dublin city centre in July 2011, the Irish Times reports.
9. #TOY SHOW: You know what today is, right? Yes, it’s time to don your best Christmas jumper and pretend that you’re 9 years old again as the Late Late Toy Show hits the small screens tonight. More than 200 performers and toy helpers will be taking part in this year’s show, which will be based loosely around the film Shrek. SPOILER ALERT: Here’s what Ryan Tubridy’s jumper may look like later. Look away now if you want to be surprised:
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