LAST UPDATE | 21 Aug 2023
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our lead story this morning, Mairead Maguire reports that plans for a new development on George’s Dock have ground to a halt, as Dublin City Council struggles to decide on how the site should be used.
The space had previously been earmarked for a controversial white water rafting facility, which was quickly shot down by the public and politicians.
Other mooted developments included a public lido and then a general water sports facility.
2. A 25% increase in student grants and a reduction in third-level fees are among the measures being considered by the Department of Higher Education as part of the budget.
The annual options paper on reducing the cost of higher education will be published today by Higher Education Minister Simon Harris.
3. A 50-year-old man is due in court in Coleraine after he was charged with possessing documents following a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data breach.
Personal data on all serving members of the PSNI was published earlier this month following an error by a junior member of staff in response to a Freedom of Information request.
4. In the US, Tropical Storm Hilary has hit California after it inundated streets across Mexico’s arid Baja California peninsula with deadly floodwaters on Sunday.
The storm swamped roads and downed trees across the state as concerns grew that flash floods could strike in places as far north as Idaho.
5. Staying in the US, former US president Donald Trump has confirmed he will be skipping Wednesday’s first Republican presidential primary debate — and potentially later debates.
Writing on his Truth Social media platform, he said: “The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”
6. Back home, a man remains in custody as Gardaí continue to investigate an assault on Dublin’s Grafton Street, which occurred yesterday morning.
A man, aged in his 30s, was taken to St James Hospital to be treated for serious injuries following the assault, which is understood to have been a stabbing.
7. In the UK, Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced today.
The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire between 2015 and 2016.
8. Two participants from overseas died in separate incidents yesterday during the Ironman competition in Youghal, Co Cork.
One of the men who died is Irish but had been living in the UK whilst the other is a native of Canada.
9. Kyiv’s deputy defence minister has said that Ukrainian forces have recaptured a clutch of territory around the eastern war-battered town of Bakhmut but made no major advances on the southern front.
Ukraine launched a counteroffensive against Russian troops in June after stockpiling Western weapons and building up offensive infantry units but has conceded that progress has been slow.
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