LAST UPDATE | 9 Nov 2023

GOOD MORNING. 

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

Jason Corbett trial

1. Molly Martens and Thomas Martens will serve additional time in prison on top of the 44 months they served over the 2015 killing of Jason Corbett, a judge said in a sentencing hearing yesterday.

Judge David Hall of Davidson Superior Court sentenced both defendants to 51 to 74 months in prison on voluntary manslaughter charges minus time served. Each gets credit for 44 months already served from sentences after their 2017 convictions.

The sentencing works out to 7 to 30 months of remaining active prison time for each defendant.

Hostages

2. In our main story this morning, Niall O’Connor reports that a small team of Irish officials spread across the Middle East and in Dublin are working quietly and secretly through diplomatic channels as they attempt to find a way to rescue Irish-Israeli hostage Emily Hand.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has refused to comment on the situation but sources familiar with the case have said that the efforts to confirm that 8-year-old Emily is alive in Gaza are under way.

It is believed that no physical proof of life has been offered by Hamas but that news of Emily possibly being a hostage was from assessment and intelligence gathered by the Israeli military.

Gaza

3. It comes as Israeli air strikes continue to pound Gaza City, with soldiers battling street-by-street with Hamas militants and tens of thousands of desperate Palestinians fleeing their homes southwards in the besieged territory.

After more than a month of intense bombardment, hundreds of thousands of people remain trapped in a “dire humanitarian situation” in battle zones without enough food and water, the United Nations said.

According to a number of officials, negotiations are underway to reach a three-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of around 12 hostages held by Hamas.

Dog fines

4. On-the-spot fines for failing to keep your dog under control will be doubled to €300 under new measures which Minister for Rural and Community Development Heather Humphreys will sign off on today on the back of a series of “worrying dog attacks”.

Under the new measures, dog wardens will also be able to issue multiple fines at once if they encounter an owner who potentially breaches a number of regulations in the Control of Dogs Act 1986.

Back to work

5. Hollywood actors and studios have reached a tentative deal to end a 118-day strike that has crippled the entertainment industry, delayed hundreds of popular shows and films, and cost billions to the US economy.

The Screen Actors Guild called off its strike from midnight (8am Irish time) after finally reaching an agreement with the likes of Disney and Netflix for a new contract including higher pay, and protections against the use of artificial intelligence.

Humanitarian aid

6. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will travel to Paris today to attend a conference on humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza.

Hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, the conference will assess the deteriorating situation and the urgent humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza, particularly in terms of health, food, water and electricity.

Poppy ban

7. The head of an addiction charity has warned that Ireland needs to prepare itself for an increase in the use of fentanyl and other powerful drugs if there is a heroin shortage next year.

A heroin shortage is expected across Europe in 2024 following a ban on poppy cultivation by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The vast majority of heroin consumed in Europe – about 95% – comes from Afghanistan.

Apple tax

8. A decision is due to be handed down from the European Court of Justice on the Apple tax case this morning, where it is to be decided whether Ireland needs keep the €13 billion in allegedly unpaid taxes.

The opinion by the Advocate General on the Apple case is scheduled to be arrived at this morning.

Rainy day

9. It’s set to be a breezy and somewhat rainy day today with weather warnings in place for three counties.

A Status Yellow rain warning is currently in place in Clare and Kerry until 6am tomorrow, while a Status Yellow wind warning is in place for Kerry and west Cork until 10am today.

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