The Labour Court will recommend in the Aer Lingus case
Later on Wednesday, the Irish Labour Court is due to make a formal recommendation to resolve the pay dispute between Aer Lingus pilots. The conflict has resulted in around 400 flight cancellations and disturbed the travel plans of tens of thousands of travellers.
Pilots initially wanted a 24% wage increase, claiming that their compensation had not kept up with rising inflation levels since their previous pay hike in 2019.
The Labour Court is an independent body that mediates workplace disputes and helps companies, unions, and employees achieve agreements. It is a “court of last resort,” which means that parties to a dispute can only seek its services after exhausting all other possibilities.
Brothers set off on an 800-mile charity bike ride
Two brothers from Surrey are undertaking a charity cycling trip from their home to the Alps. Sam and Josh Harwood-White are cycling 800 miles (1,287 kilometres) from Kingston-Upon-Thames to Val Pellice, northern Italy. The two, aged 21 and 16, hope to raise £8,000 for Cancer Research UK because both of their parents have been treated for cancer. They prefer to play hockey or run rather than cycle, so this is a “huge challenge” for them.
In an interview with BBC Radio Surrey, Sam expressed his excitement and nervousness about the approaching event.We cycled to Newhaven, then took an overnight boat to France before crossing into Italy over a mountain. We enjoy riding and see this as an adventure. We are expecting it will take 12 days and that we will be able to stay on time due to our bookings!”
Australia orders sperm donation purge due to mix-ups
A cleanse of frozen sperm has been ordered in the Australian state of Queensland, following a health watchdog assessment that discovered nearly half of fertility samples were in danger of misidentification. Such mix-ups can deprive parents and donor children of critical genetic information and medical records, raising the risk of accidental incest, according to activists.
Queensland is home to one of the country’s largest IVF industries, but it is self-regulated and has come under fire as some of its top providers face malpractice allegations.
The clean-out adds to a countrywide shortage of donated sperm caused by increasing demand, tighter rules, and pandemic-related disruptions. According to government data, one in every six Australian couples has problems starting a family, and many are increasingly dependent on donors to conceive.
An inquiry into the multi-million-dollar sector in Queensland by the state’s health ombudsman this week found “systemic issues” involving “quality and safety” and “safeguards for consumers, donors, and donor-conceived children”.
The research highlighted how 42% of sperm donations, egg samples, and embryos in Queensland had “identification and traceability” concerns, implying that clinics had lost track of or wrongly labelled samples, or allowed them to degenerate below laboratory standards.
Fears for an Australian toddler missing following a croc assault
A desperate hunt is underway in northern Australia for a toddler believed to have been abducted by a crocodile. The 12-year-old was last seen swimming near the rural town of Palumpa, which is around a 7-hour journey southwest of Darwin in the Northern Territory. According to police, a specialist search and rescue team has been dispatched after “initial reports stated the child had been attacked by a crocodile”.
The Northern Territory is home to an estimated 100,000 saltwater crocodiles, the most in the world, however, assaults are infrequent. Members of the Palumpa hamlet, which has a population of only 364 people, and local police began searching for the youngster immediately after they went missing in Mango Creek at 17:30 local time (08:00 GMT). They have now been joined by more officers and an elite search and rescue team, which is combing both land and water.
Local media reports that an aircraft search may be conducted as well. “Officers are currently searching a large section of the creek via boat, and we thank [the] community for their ongoing assistance,” Senior Sergeant Erica Gibson said in a statement.
