December 08: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Staff shortages

Yesterday, at an incorporeal Cabinet meeting, a proposal to alter the career break entitlements for teachers in order to cope with staff shortages in schools around the country was up for discussion. It is understood that Education Minister Norma Foley received approval for a number of measures to deal with ongoing problems around teacher shortages.

thejournal.ie

Strep A

After it was confirmed that an invasive form of Strep A was linked to the death of a four-year-old child, health authorities have moved to reassure parents. The chief medical officer (CMO) Prof Breda Smyth and health authorities have stressed that while it is a worrying time for parents, most children who get ill from a Strep A infection will have a mild illness which can be treated with antibiotics.

BreakingNews.ie

Iran carry out an execution over Amini protests

In the aftermath of Mahsa Amini’s death following arrest by the morality police in Tehran for an alleged breach of the country’s female dress code, demonstrations and protests have been taking place across Iran, and a man named Mohsen Shekari, who was convicted of blocking a street and wounding a paramilitary member, has been executed. Arrested after striking a member of the Basij paramilitary force with a machete, he was convicted of “moharebeh” — waging “war against God” — under Iran’s Islamic sharia law and sentenced to death.

RTÉ

Status Yellow weather warning

Met Éireann has issued two nationwide Status Yellow warnings for low temperatures, ice and hazardous conditions. The first — for ice — ran from midnight last night to this afternoon, and the second — for low temperatures and ice — runs from 10pm tonight to 10am on Friday. “Hazardous conditions. A sharp to severe frost with icy surfaces, as temperatures widely fall to – 4C,” Met Éireann said.

independent.ie

Plans for tighter dog ownership control

Following an attack by a pitbull cross on a 9-year-old, who was left with serious injuries, the Government is examining how to tighten control on dogs as well as microchipping, licensing, and enforcement, following an attack by a pitbull cross on a young boy. Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has written to Minister for Social Protection, Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, whose department is in charge of the Control of Dogs Act.

Irish Examiner