LAST UPDATE | 7 May

GOOD MORNING. 

Here’s all the news you need to know to start the day. 

Britain

1. Labour is expected to take a hammering in today’s elections across England, Scotland and Wales, with some pollsters predicting Keir Starmer’s party will lose 75% of the council seats they’re defending.

MV Hondius

2. The evacuation of passengers from a cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak will start from Monday, 11 May.

Jeffrey Epstein

3. A US judge has released a suicide note purportedly written by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein weeks before his death in a New York jail.

Loans

4. Irish people took out a record-breaking €2.9 billion in personal activity loans last year.

Northern Ireland

5. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has vowed to continue working towards reconciliation and mutual trust as he heads to Belfast to meet Stormont leaders.

Recruitment pause

6. The HSE is to pause recruitment for some non-frontline roles in three of its six health regions as it grapples with a significant €250 million overspend across the health service.

Gaza

7. Doctors Without Borders has accused Israel of having deliberately restricted food and aid in Gaza, creating a “manufactured malnutrition crisis” with particularly devastating impacts on infants and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Scoping exercise

8. The first Dáil debate following the launching of a scoping exercise into the abuse perpetrated by paedophile surgeon Michael Shine heard of the impact of his abuse on survivors.

Dublin Central

9. Special education campaigners challenged Dublin Central byelection candidates at a packed public meeting in the constituency last night, pressing them to commit to stronger supports for children with additional needs.