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GOOD MORNING

The 9 at 9 Man arrested after body found in Castlebar, new state agency to tackle domestic abuse and the battle for Bakhmut.

LAST UPDATE | Mar 6th 2023, 9:00 AM

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know this morning as you start your day.

Mayo

1. A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the discovery of the body of a man at a house in Castlebar, Co. Mayo last night. 

The man’s body was discovered when emergency services were called after reports of a fire at a house on Pheasanthill in Castlebar.

The man’s body was found inside the residence. Evidence indicates that he was shot.

Anti-migrant protests

2. Community groups that have voiced their support for refugees and asylum seekers in their localities are receiving frequent abusive and threatening messages online in the wake of recent anti-migrant protests.

People Before Profit activist Conor Reddy, who helped to plan events in Ballymun to inform the community in the wake of protests in the area, told The Journal that the negative online messages he receives are “relentless”.

“I’ve gotten quite a lot of messages personally directed at me, DMs on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, where people will make all sorts of allegations,” he said, adding that this was mostly “intimidation and just outright lies”.

Bakhmut

3. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the country’s soldiers are fighting in a “painful and difficult” battle for the country’s frontline eastern Donbas region.

Ukraine has vowed to defend “fortress Bakhmut” which Russian troops seem determined to take. Analysts say the city, which has been virtually destroyed in the fighting, has little real strategic value.

Zelenskyy said the country’s troops had “repelled assaults, destroyed the occupier, undermined enemy positions and logistics, and protected our borders and cities”.

Domestic abuse accommodation

4. Minister for Justice Simon Harris has secured Government approval for the drafting of legislation to create a statutory agency dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

It follows the government’s decision last June that an agency should be established under the remit of the Department of Justice to deliver on commitments under Zero Tolerance, the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV).

The minister has said that the agency will be up and running by next January.

Cost-of-living crisis

5. A new survey from property website MyHome.ie has found that the cost of living crisis is having a “significant effect” on the domestic property market, with 64% of renters saying rising costs has affected or delayed their ability to purchase a property.

The survey, which was conducted in late February and involved 2,509 respondents, found that 55% of prospective homebuyers also said rising costs were a stumbling block to finding a property.

63% of homebuyers and 70% of renters have had to look beyond their top location choice because of price concerns.

Social media

6. 87% OF LGBTQ+ young people have seen or experienced anti-LGBTQ+ hate and harassment on social media in the past year, according to a survey of over 1,200 LGBTQ+ students in Ireland.

The survey, carried out by the national organisation Belong To, also found that only 21% of LGBTQ+ youth who reported abusive or harmful content online saw action from a social media platform.

In cases where social media companies took action against the content, it was removed in 12% of cases, 4% saw the offending user temporarily suspended, and 5% of reports resulted in the offending account being banned.

Brexit

7. Brexit has resulted in a number of challenges with cross-border travel between Ireland and Northern Ireland for some migrants on the island, according to new research published by the ESRI.

The research examines how migrants are faring in employment and education, as well as attitudes towards migration in Ireland and Northern Ireland and migrants’ experiences of cross-border travel since Brexit.

While both Ireland and Northern Ireland have seen an increase in inward migration in recent decades, a larger share of the working-age population in Ireland was born abroad (20%) than in Northern Ireland (9%), with the majority of migrants in both jurisdictions born in Europe.

Wexford General Hospital

8. Radiology and outpatient services are set to resume at Wexford General Hospital today, while builders will be carrying out repairs after last week’s fire. 

The Ireland East Hospital Group said yesterday that there are currently 37 patients being treated in the hospital with 84 beds potentially available after a small number of patients were brought back to Wexford over the weekend.

More than 200 patients had to be evacuated from the building on Wednesday in a major response from emergency services.

Status Yellow

9. An ice warning is due to come into effect this evening as temperatures drop below freezing overnight.

Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow ice warning for the entire country, cautioning the public about “hazardous conditions due to freezing temperatures including icy stretches on roads and paths”.

The warning is set to last from 6pm today until 10am tomorrow.