LAST UPDATE | 12 May

GOOD MORNING. 

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

Strike

1. The HSE has warned that National Ambulance services will be “significantly impacted” this morning as workers begin a 24-hour strike. 

Energy crisis

2. Finance Minister Simon Harris has signalled that the government is not in favour of a domestic windfall tax on energy companies making exceptional profits, and that it prefers a coordinated EU-wide approach.

Mutiny

3. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a crunch Cabinet meeting this morning after a number of his ministers reportedly urged him to consider his position, with 80 Labour MPs openly calling for him to go.

Defence

4. Recruitment in the Irish Defence Forces has stayed static as the military struggles to overcome years of underinvestment, one of the country’s military representative groups has said.

Fianna Fáil

5. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has rejected the idea that his leadership style doesn’t continue to evolve after 15 years as Fianna Fáil party leader.

Social media

6. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU should explore limiting children’s access to social media, with possible new rules proposed as early as this summer.

Grief

7. In this piece, human rights lawyer and barrister Caoilfhionn Gallagher writes about the death of her father. 

Middle East 

8. Donald Trump has claimed that the US-Iran ceasefire was on “massive life support” as the two sides failed to agree terms to start talks on ending their war.

Awkward

9. Rod Stewart appeared to congratulate Britain’s King Charles for putting “that little ratbag in his place”, in reference to his recent state visit to the US, during an event at the Royal Albert Hall in London.