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GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. Israeli forces have intercepted the latest civilian aid flotilla sailing for Gaza near the Greek island of Crete. Dr Margaret Connolly, a Sligo-based GP and the sister of President Catherine Connolly, is on board one of the boats. She gave an update last night in a video posted online and her vessel had not been boarded at that stage.
2. A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a woman in Waterford city. Tomas Marvenek (39), with an address at Grange Heights, Co Waterford is accused of killing Yveta Donovalova on Monday. The mother of three, aged in her 40s, was discovered with serious injuries at the same address in Grange Heights. The man appeared in court last night and was remanded in custody to appear again on Tuesday next.
3. A fifth male has been arrested as part of the investigation into the double murder of a four-year-old boy and his great-aunt in Edenderry in December. Tadgh Farrell and Mary Holt died in a fire that was caused by a petrol bomb in December. Gardaí have confirmed a fifth arrest after four people were detained earlier this week – three men in their 20s and 30s and one teenager.
4. A man suspected of stabbing two Jewish men in London has a “history” of violence and mental health issues, police have said. The victims, one aged in his 70s and the other in his 30s, are in a stable condition in hospital after the attack, which happened yesterday morning. It happened in Golders Green, home to a large Jewish community.
5. Universal energy credits have cost hundreds of millions of euro more than targeted measures that could have genuinely lifted vulnerable households out of energy poverty, the ESRI has said. The research institute’s findings are published just one day after Minister for Finance Simon Harris indicated he’s not ruling out the reintroduction of universal credits in the next budget.
6. The head of the Irish Prison Officers Association (POA) has said that overcrowding in prisons is a “national scandal” and that dire conditions are allowing gangs and “bullies” to “thrive”. Speaking at the POA annual delegate conference in Kilkenny last night, Peter Redmond said that there are now a record 5,909 prisoners in custody, despite the fact that Ireland’s prisons only hold capacity for 4,736.
7. Britain’s King Charles has been continuing his state visit to the US. After a warm welcome in Washingon earlier this week, things were a little frostier in New York yesterday. The city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, said he wouldn’t meet the monarch privately but called for Britain to return a 106-carat diamond taken from the Indian subcontinent in the 1800s.
8. Spotify is increasing its prices again – this time across almost all subscription packages. The hike, which will see the price of the individual premium package go from €11.99 per month to €12.99, will come into effect in May.
9. If the sun is shining where you are this morning, enjoy it while it lasts. There’s a change in conditions on the way with rain and showers expected over the weekend and the temperatures set to turn cooler. A Status Yellow rain warning is currently in effect in Cork and Waterford.
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