By Sarah Gill
08th Mar 2024
08th Mar 2024
Your speedy summary of today's must-read stories.
US to build port off Gaza for emergency aid
The US military is set to establish a temporary port off Gaza to bring in emergency aid, President Joe Biden announced last night in his annual State of the Union address. Biden urged Israel to let more assistance into Gaza, though he still defended its military operation against Hamas. “Tonight, I’m directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza that can receive large shipments carrying food, water medicine and temporary shelters,” Biden told the joint session of Congress. “A temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting in Gaza,” he said.
Female rape victims in Ireland almost treble that of EU counterparts
The number of female rape victims in Ireland is almost three times higher than the EU country average, new research by Noteworthy and the European Data Journalism Network (EDJNet) has found. Staggering statistics reveal how in 2022 alone, the average number of women reporting rape in Ireland stood at 34 per 100,000 of the female population – significantly higher than the average of almost 12 per 100,000 across the six countries with data available. From 2012 to 2022, there has been an average of 25 female rape victims per 100,000 women in Ireland per year – the sixth highest in Europe. This equates to 6,683 women in Ireland reporting that they were raped to the gardaí during that period. Reports have risen from over 400 a decade ago to over 800 in recent years. In 2022, 869 women were recorded as victims of rape.
Plans to allow bars and clubs open until 6am unlikely to happen by summer
Plans to allow nightclubs and late bars to remain open until 6am this summer will not happen despite previous promises. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that, despite “pressing” Justice Minister Helen McEntee to progress the laws, it has not yet happened. Mr Varadkar said: “I don’t know if it’ll be done by the summer. It’s something I’ve been pressing Minister McEntee to make progress on. It’s legislation I’d like to see enacted as soon as possible but, as Minister McEntee pointed out, she has many priorities and more important priorities than opening nightclubs late perhaps, but she is working on it.”
Theresa May won’t stand in next UK election
Former British Prime Minister Theresa May has announced she is standing down as an MP at the next election. “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve everyone in the Maidenhead constituency as the Member of Parliament for the last 27 years,” May said in a statement to the Maidenhead Advertiser. May becomes the 63rd Tory MP — and the most senior — to announce they will not be standing again at the 2024 election.
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