By Sarah Gill
29th Jun 2023
29th Jun 2023
Your speedy summary of today's must-read stories.
France protest arrests
150 people have been arrested in France in a second night of violence after the killing of a 17-year-old delivery driver by police. French President Emmanuel Macron called the shooting “inexcusable” and pleaded for calm while justice takes its course. Though the government heightened police presence in the capital, fires could be seen burning at some intersections in the suburb and protesters shot fireworks at police.
Teenager ‘unable to breathe’ during surgery wait
A 17-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who had to wait for five years for spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis saw her spinal curvature deteriorate from 30 to over 135 degrees in that time. According to an investigation into the case by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office, the girl could not meet her friends, go to school or even breathe at times as the curvature worsened.
Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy’s future in RTÉ is in doubt as the scandal around his secret payments widens. It has emerged that Tubridy is out of contract, talks on a new deal are suspended and it’s not clear if he will return at all. It has been indicated that he won’t be back on air this side of the summer as an investigation into his payments continues. The broadcaster disclosed it made a €1.2m settlement with Revenue over bogus self-employment.
New Zealand first to ban thin plastic bags from supermarkets
New Zealand will become the first country to ban the thin plastic bags that supermarket customers use to collect their fruit and vegetables. The new ban will extend to plastic straws and cutlery as the government expands a campaign against single-use plastics it started in 2019 when it banned the thicker plastic carrier bags used to carry shopping home.
Ukraine arrests man accused of directing missile strike
Ukraine’s counterintelligence service has arrested a man accused of helping Russia direct a missile strike at a popular pizza restaurant, which killed at least 11 people, including three teenagers, and wounded 61 others. It was the latest bombardment of a Ukrainian city, a tactic Russia has used heavily in the 16-month-old war.