LAST UPDATE | 9 Feb 2023

GOOD MORNING.

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

Earthquake

1. The death toll from the catastrophic earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria rose to more than 15,000 as more bodies were pulled from the rubble of collapsed homes in the stricken zone, Turkey’s disaster management agency said.

The agency said 12,391 people had been confirmed killed in Turkey after Monday’s early morning earthquake and series of aftershocks, which brought down thousands of buildings in south-eastern Turkey.

Cyber Attack

2. Munster Technological University Cork has confirmed that hackers have encrypted data and demanded a ransom.

Tonight the college, in a statement, said that they were working closely with State agencies including gardaí, National Cyber Security Centre and the Data Protection Commissioner.

Summit

3. Almost a year since Russia launched its war on Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to arrive in Brussels later today for high-level talks with European leaders.

A summit of European leaders – the European Council – is due to take place over the next two days in the Belgian capital, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar set to make his first appearance since he was re-appointed in December.

Spying

4. The Chinese balloon shot down off the South Carolina coast was part of a large surveillance programme that China has been conducting for “several years”, the Pentagon said.

Protests

5. Dublin TD Paul Murphy writes in our Voices section about the current wave of anti-refugee protests happening across the country.

Execution 

6. The US state of Texas has executed a man sentenced to death for a triple murder despite claims by his lawyers that his trial was tainted by racial bias.

Andrew Allen

7. Gardaí have issued a renewed appeal for information ahead of the 11th anniversary of the murder of Andrew Allen.

24-year-old Andrew was murdered by a group of individuals in his home at Links View Park, Buncrana, County Donegal on 9 February, 2012.

Weather

8. Mostly dry and sunny today with light winds, it’ll be cloudier in the north and west with the chance of an isolated shower there. Highest temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees in mostly light to moderate west to southwest winds, fresher in the north.

Full forecast here. 

Eco Eye

9. RTÉ has praised presenter Duncan Stewart as a “tireless advocate” for the planet as the show ‘Eco Eye’ on RTÉ One is to air its final episode tonight after twenty one seasons.