The European Union’s climate change monitoring service has reported that summer 2024 is the hottest ever documented globally, signalling an escalating issue with international warming. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) noted in its recent bulletin that the June to August period this year exceeded previous summers’ temperatures. The extraordinary heat suggests that 2024 may well supersede 2023 as the toastiest year ever recorded.
Turning to Ireland, the government is contemplating setting a time-frame for the inquiry into child abuse in schools. The aim is to fast-track a compensation package for victims. Certain TDs are appealing for a reassessment of the secondary schools’ Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) syllabus following a publisher withdrawing a text with an offensive and crude caricature of a “traditional” Irish family.
Meanwhile, more than 25,000 cases of bicycle theft have been reported to the Garda since 2019. This statistic, however, may well be a substantial underestimation, as it is believed that only one quarter of victims report the crime.
Lastly, an update on today’s weather: Expect a mixture of clouds and lengthy sunny intervals across most regions, though Southern areas may experience occasional showers. The day’s maximum temperatures could reach between 20 and 25 degrees. Night time will be primarily clear, albeit with periods of cloudiness in the South and humidity levels remaining high, as temperatures will not dip below 11 to 15 degrees.
Big Read section presents a critical report on the Grenfell fire that puts Kingspan in the spotlight. Behailu Kebede, a taxi driver and resident of Grenfell Tower for a quarter of a century, recollected the fateful night of June 14, 2017, when at 12:54 am, he was jolted awake by his flat’s fire alarm, only to discover smoke emerging from behind his kitchen’s fridge-freezer.
In the Opinion section, Justine McCarthy humorously reflects on the jokes about the Leinster House bike shelter and ones about loo rolls.
In Sports, James McDermott recounts his experience waiting in a queue with thousands at Lansdowne Road on June 29, 2021, for the anticipated England versus Germany match in a Euro 2020 game – the first competitive match in Ireland in over three decades.
There’s a joyous reaction in Irish political and diplomatic sectors after learning about Michel Barnier becoming the French premier, a friend of Ireland. His journey as a prime minister is predicted to be challenging.
In Life & Style, we introduce Ruby Druce, Ireland’s eldest citizen at an impressive 108 years. She candidly jokes about her age, asserting that “When the time comes, off you go.”
If you’re in need of a challenge, why not attempt our Crosswords & Puzzles that feature in the Podcast Highlights section?