1. €1,000 State employee payment may be accelerated
Bringing forward the payment of €1,000 due to most State employees next September by a number of months is understood to be one of the options being discussed in contacts between union leaders and Government representatives in a bid to ease growing tensions over pay in the public service.
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2. Gold Circle members brassed off by Aer Lingus changes
Members of the Aer Lingus Gold Circle frequent flyer programme have taken to social media to express anger at major changes to the programme due to take effect this week. “Terrible”, “hopeless”, and “you’ve shafted us” are among the printable terms being used by angered members.
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3. Obama urged not to send representative to Castro funeral
Republican opponents of president Barack Obama’s historic rapprochement with Cuba have urged the US administration not to send any representatives to the funeral of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.
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4. Ireland’s rugby warriors make it a November to remember
So Ireland topped off the greatest of Novembers in the grandest of manners to become the first side since England’s World Cup vintage of 2003 to beat the three southern hemisphere superpowers in the same calendar year. History-makers from the beginning of the month to the end.
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5. Only 3% of convicted drug dealers given mandatory 10-year sentence
Judges are ignoring legislation stipulating criminals convicted of commercial-scale drug dealing must be jailed for a minimum of 10 years unless there are exceptional circumstances.
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And finally. . . Cyber Monday: How to make the most of the madness
Conor Pope advises on all things Cyber Monday.
It took a few years for the concept to cross the Atlantic, but this year Irish shoppers are set to spend close to €50 million online in just 24 hours