IN THE PAPERS
In The Papers 18 January
18-01-2011
by Sylvia Leatham
Vodafone restructures Irish board | Apple's Jobs takes another leave of absence
The Irish Times reports that Irish women are accessing abortion pills over the internet without the benefit of medical support because of Ireland's failure to face up to the reality of unplanned pregnancies, according to Dr Mary Favier of Doctors for Choice. Favier was speaking at a meeting of the UCC Philosophical Society in Cork, opposing the motion "That this house would not legalise abortion". She said: "There are very strict guidelines that you should not take abortion pills after nine weeks. The concern we would have is that Irish women can be desperate. They can break the rules and take it later than that."
The paper also says that the Advisory Council for Science, Technology and Innovation has said Ireland must continue to support research and innovation as key priorities for maintaining employment and growth. More co-operation between industry and the country's universities is also needed, according to an end-of-year statement from the agency. The council argued for more measures to assist the mobility of Irish researchers wishing to work abroad and backed efforts to bring in "top-class" researchers.
The paper also notes that a former Swiss banker facing prosecution in Zurich for breaching Switzerland's banking laws has passed information to WikiLeaks alleging tax evasion by up to 2,000 wealthy people, including politicians. The computer files alleged to contain the information were handed over by former Julius Baer banking executive Rudolf Elmer to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Frontline Club in London on Monday.
The same paper says that Vodafone has restructured the board of its Irish subsidiary by eliminating three non-executive directorships. Chairman Brian Patterson, former Eircom boss Alfie Kane, and Don Maher all stepped down from the board of Vodafone Ireland last October. This board now comprises six company employees. Vodafone said the changes were "part of a streamlining and simplification of the internal governance processes" within the Irish company. Vodafone said the move to a "simpler governance structure was discussed with those involved and the three non-executive directors voluntarily retired". As a result of the changes, Vodafone Ireland chief executive Jeroen Hoencamp has taken on the role of chairman.
The Irish Examiner reports that Cork Institute of Technology and Waterford Institute of Technology have been in discussions about a merger to become a technological university. WIT bosses confirmed that its upgrading to a technological university was likely to happen in conjunction with CIT and that "exploratory talks" have taken place between the two colleges. It also emerged that Institute of Technology Tralee may feature in the possible amalgamation.
The paper also notes that depression support group Aware is highlighting its new online support service. The online support group service offers a safe, supportive environment where people with depression, or their relatives, can talk through their particular concerns and explore the options available to them. The organisation is hoping the new confidential and anonymous service will help overcome some of the barriers to people seeking help, especially among the young and men.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple's Steve Jobs, who has battled pancreatic cancer and received a liver transplant, is taking another unexpected leave of absence. In a Monday morning e-mail to Apple employees, Jobs wrote that the company's board of directors "has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health." The 55-year-old chief executive did not specify what the health issue was or when he might return. He said he hoped to be back at Apple as soon as possible. The move raises uncertainty over Jobs's health and the future of the world's most valuable technology company.
The Financial Times reports that Nokia is to stop offering free music downloads with its mobile phones in most markets. The service, originally called "Comes with Music", allowed subscribers to download unlimited music through certain Nokia phones. However, the service failed to meet expectations from the outset and Nokia announced on Monday it was pulling the plug in 27 of the 33 markets where it operates.
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