By Sarah Gill
12th Jul 2023
12th Jul 2023
Your speedy summary of today's must-read stories.
RTÉ director general
RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst has said that Ryan Tubridy is wrong to say he could be “out of a job by Friday,” saying that a decision on his future would not be made this week. “There’ll be no decision this week about Ryan. I need to properly consider it,” he said. “It’s a big decision for ourselves, for Ryan. I need to talk to some members of staff about it, to talk to the new leadership team.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk has posted a series of explicit tweets about Mark Zuckerberg, after the Facebook founder launched Threads. He tweeted that “Zuck is a cuck,” and followed it up with a post in which he proposed a “literal dick measuring contest” alongside a ruler emoji. It is just the latest in Musk’s often intense responses to the launch of Threads, a Twitter competitor launched by Zuckerberg’s company, Meta.
Leaving Cert sex ed
Older post-primary students will learn about the importance of consent, the influence pornography can have on behaviours and expectations, and how to recognise an abusive relationship under a new Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) syllabus that is being published today in draft form. Public consultation on the senior cycle proposals is under way, with the aim to have a new programme in place in schools by September of 2024. The mandatory curriculum will be taught across both fifth and sixth year.
Sexual Offence trials
Under a proposed new law, a person who provides a character reference for someone convicted of a sexual offence such as rape can be cross examined in court. This is one of a number of changes in the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023, which aims to strengthen the law around sexual offences and improve protection for victims of human trafficking. Justice Minister Helen McEntee brought a memo to Cabinet on Tuesday detailing the proposed Bill, which outlines that for someone who gives a character reference at a sentencing hearing, the reference must be given on oath or via affidavit.
Increased pressure for BBC
The BBC is facing increased pressure after fresh claims emerged about an unnamed presenter who has been facing allegations over payments for sexually explicit photos. The Sun reported that a 23-year-old person has claimed the BBC presenter broke lockdown rules to meet them during the pandemic in February 2021. Separately, BBC News reported yesterday that a person in their early 20s has alleged that they were sent threatening messages by the unnamed man.
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