We live in a fearful world. At our most fanciful, we might, in the past, have imagined a cure for cancer or life found on Mars being our global “where were you when” moment, writes Alison O'Connor.

Nations and health officials are working to protect everyone, but too many people see conspiracy.

I brokered a drug transaction this week. It involved two school mums.

More people than would normally after an election are wondering what the politicians will do with the challenge they have been set by the voters, with no party having anything like a majority.

It's been a “change” election in so many ways, but one certainty we cling to is that we’re stuck in the same old territory when it comes to the election of women to the Dáil.

Alison O'Connor joins the canvass.

TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Turlough Duffy raised an eyebrow ever so slightly at his teacher’s suggestion that he be on the debating team opposing the motion: “We need a change of government.”

There is strong evidence that the overcrowding that currently exists in our hospitals and emergency rooms results in people dying, writes Alison O'Connor

Here’s a new year wish: May our politicians remain clothed while there are cameras around.

Mary Robinson spoke of the movement to divest from fossil fuels and how the wealthy fossil fuel industry had learnt ‘a lot of bad tricks’, writes Alison O'Connor.

We still live with the scars of that time and those traumatic memories [of the horrendous austerity] will live on, writes Alison O'Connor.

A male acquaintance who is self-employed says women don’t value their own time in business.

The Taoiseach canvassing alongside a woman who has made the remarks Verona Murphy has gives a certain imprimatur to her, writes Alison O'Connor

The last sex education programme was introduced in 1999, before the advent of smartphones. A Dáil committee has been looking at updating it, writes Alison O'Connor

Decentralisation and a greater focus on towns and villages need to be the cornerstone of future policies, according to speakers at the Cork County on the Rise Event.

Speakers at the Cork County on the Rise event have criticised the lack of broadband infrastructure in rural areas of Cork.

Being appointed minister of state in June 2017 meant that an already busy job became crazy, writes Alison O'Connor

Richard Bruton appeared to be wondering why on earth he should get involved in RTÉ’s survival, writes Alison O'Connor

So that’s nearly Friday wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Norton is an Irishman, but he is also one of the best-known faces in Britain, where he lives. It would be interesting to hear his take on Brexit. He delivered it with his usual frankness and humour, says Alison O'Connor.

So that’s nearly Friday wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Eamon Ryan has an excellent way of communicating to people what needs to be done on climate action, be it at the corporate and Government level, or the personal one, writes Alison O'Connor

Here are all the latest headlines this lunchtime...

Here's your morning bulletin.

Here's your lunchtime bulletin.

Here's your morning bulletin.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had a good abortion referendum campaign, but a bad presidential election, writes Alison O'Connor

Your morning bulletin.

The best analysis and comment from our top writers.

How would any right-thinking person make this comparison, a week after five people were shot dead at the offices of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, writes Alison O'Connor

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Tolerance for listening to someone who holds the opposite view to your own on abortion depends, I find, on the day, the hour and the speaker, writes Alison O'Connor.

A politician I know told me the other day he gave up smoking following a concerted campaign from his seven-year-old daughter, writes Alison O'Connor.

Here are all the latest headlines this lunchtime.

Here's your morning news bulletin...

Irish women should be grateful to Kevin Myers for highlighting the misogynistic crap that has passed off for so long as legitimate commentary, writes Alison O'Connor.