Almost two-thirds of prisoners are unable to write or do sums properly, a report revealed.
The Prison Service needs to take action to better deliver education and skills, inspectors said.
Chief inspector Michael Maguire urged the Executive to help make improvements.
Link (submitted by Lauren)
The 2011 census results shows the number of Irish residents who were born outside the country has reached a new high of just over 750,000, a 25 per cent increase since 2006.
Whilst it was thought that many immigrants left Ireland in recent years, the number of non-Irish nationals increased by 124,604 between 2006 and 2011, with the Polish, Indian, Romanian and Brazilian populations doubling in size.
Overall, Ireland's population has continued to grow strongly with the population reaching 4.58 million, the highest in 150 years.
Link (submitted by Lauren)
Roma children who beg and steal in Switzerland are not offenders but rather victims of human trafficking who need better protection, says a report.
Putting these recommendations into practice, Bern has rid its streets of underage foreign beggars and now other Swiss cities are looking into following the capital’s example.
Link (submitted by Leo)
UK native Suhail Din sparked a heated debate among The Local's readers with his reflections on why Swedes refused to talk to him and his family during a recent visit to Stockholm. Contributor Ruben Brunsveld examines why.
On August 15th, The Local published an opinion article called: ‘We never had a single conversation with a Swede’.
Two weeks later the article has received more than 300 comments and has been shared on Facebook almost 600 times. So now that the dust has settled it is time for a more nuanced look at why this contribution sparked so many emotional reactions.
Link (submitted by Richard)
RIO DE JANEIRO — It was supposed to be a triumphant moment for Brazil.
Gearing up for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held here, officials celebrated plans for a futuristic “Olympic Park,” replete with a waterside park and athlete villages, promoting it as “a new piece of the city.”
There was just one problem: the 4,000 people who already live in that part of Rio de Janeiro, in a decades-old squatter settlement that the city wants to tear down. Refusing to go quietly and taking their fight to the courts and the streets, they have been a thorn in the side of the government for months.
Link (submitted by Kara)
THE IRISH Hotels Federation has described as “outrageous” yesterday’s ruling from the European Court of Justice that hotels should pay royalties for the broadcast of recordings on TVs and radios in hotel bedrooms. It would result in extra costs being imposed where many premises are already struggling to survive, the federation said in a statement.
EU law provides for remuneration for those who produce recordings for commercial purposes, but allows for exemptions for “private use”. The court considered whether such broadcasts in hotel bedrooms were private or public use.
Link (submitted by Lauren)
Canada's “insular” tech startup firms can learn one key thing from Swedish firms: openness, says the Ambassador of Sweden to Canada.
Sweden's small size and geographic positioning on the fringe of Europe foster an open attitude when it comes to receiving ideas from the rest of the world, said Teppo Tauriainen during a visit to Toronto's MaRS Discovery District. Meanwhile Canada's large presence in North America and sole border shared with a friendly superpower to the south might leave our startups with a more inward-looking mentality.
“I think that could be one area maybe Canadian companies aren't as brave as Swedish companies are,” he says.
Link (submitted by Richard)
Ireland is on target to meet most EU waste and recycling targets, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's National Waste Report 2010 published today.
Under EU legislation, Ireland is required to meet a number of waste management and recycling targets.
Link (submitted by Lauren)
Mountains, lakes, cathedrals. Visitors to Switzerland are being encouraged to discover sites of spiritual significance alongside other attractions.
The Swiss churches have joined forces with Switzerland Tourism to launch “Switzerland’s Religious Landscape”, aimed at providing Swiss and foreign visitors with an overview of the country’s religious heritage.
Link (submitted by Leo)
The display of calorie information on menus is set to become widespread in fast-food outlets and cafés across Ireland as part of a new initiative to combat obesity.
Minister for Health Dr James Reilly today opened a consultation process on the issue, which will canvass opinions on the best way of putting calorie information on menus. And restaurants will have to comply with the recommendations whether they want to or not.
Link (submitted by Lauren)
"In the Global Creativity Index by Martin Prosperity Institute, Sweden was ranked in top. USA, Finland, Denmark and Australia was placed 2-5.
The study by the Martin Prosperity Institute ranks 82 countries on their creativity. It turns out that creativity is a driving force in the economy: the study found great correlations between creativity and economic progress, human development, and happiness, among other factors."
Link (submitted by Richard)
"Before it got permanently labelled as among the most expensive places to live on the planet, Hong Kong took a dramatic fall in global rankings — from 33rd in 2010 to 45th last year. This is according to a study made by the human resources consultancy ECA International.
The global chart showed Tokyo as the most priciest places to live, followed by Oslo. Soaring inflation didn’t matter much as Hong Kong fell from sixth to seventh in Asia after Tokyo, Nagoya, Yokohama, Kobe and Singapore."
Link (submitted by Johannes)
"It is, says the president, an issue that threatens Taiwan's very existence. Authorities are mustering every weapon to see the problem off: from money to Chinese astrology and blind dates for its citizens. The island's plummeting birth rate is one of the lowest in the world, experts say, prompting a warning from the president himself, Ma Ying-jeou, that it is 'a serious national security threat'."
Link (submitted by Anna)
"Husbands are allowed to beat their wives and children - as long as they don’t leave any physical marks, an Islamic court in the United Arab Emirates has ruled.
The astonishing legal ruling gives all husbands and fathers in the ultra-rich Gulf state the 'right to discipline' female family members if they have first attempted reconciliation."
Link (submitted by Jordan)
"The economic value of mountainbiking in Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest has been estimated at five times its annual timber revenue and looks set to increase as promotions raise awareness of what is on offer.
A study by Crown Research Institute Scion shows the median annual recreational value of mountainbikers using the forest is $10.2 million - well above the $4.6 million earned through export revenues."
Link (submitted by Trent)
"Sweden is to take the biggest energy step of any advanced western economy by trying to wean itself off oil completely within 15 years - without building a new generation of nuclear power stations.
The attempt by the country of 9 million people to become the world's first practically oil-free economy is being planned by a committee of industrialists, academics, farmers, car makers, civil servants and others, who will report to parliament in several months."
Link (submitted by Richard)
Beer must be sold at all venues hosting matches in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, football's world governing body, Fifa, has insisted.
Fifa General Secretary Jerome Valcke said the right to sell beer must be enshrined in a World Cup law the Brazilian Congress is considering.
Alcoholic drinks are currently banned at Brazilian stadiums and the country's health minister has urged Congress to maintain the ban in the new law.
Brewer Budweiser is a big Fifa sponsor.
Link (submitted by Kara)
"BASF, the last firm still developing genetically modified crops in Germany is stopping its work, admitting defeat in the face of widespread European opposition to to the idea."
Link (submitted by Japhet)
