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GOOD MORNING
The 9 at 9
Earthquake death toll passes 8,000, assaults on healthcare workers and crack cocaine use in Limerick.
LAST UPDATE | Feb 8th 2023, 8:51 AM
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
Earthquake Latest
1. Scenes of a newborn plucked alive from the rubble and a broken father clutching his dead daughter’s hand have laid bare the human cost of violent earthquakes in Syria and Turkey that by this morning had claimed 8,300 lives.
For two days and nights since the 7.8 magnitude quake an impromptu army of rescuers have worked in freezing temperatures to find those still entombed among ruins that pockmark several cities either side of the border.
Protocol
2. The UK’s Supreme Court will later rule on the lawfulness of Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol.
The legality of the contentious trading arrangements has been challenged by a collective of unionists and Brexiteers.
Assaults on Healhcare Workers
3. Politicians will be told today that at least ten assaults take place in hospitals every single day on nurses and midwives.
The Oireachtas Health Committee will also be told how workers in the healthcare system who are assaulted in the same incident get differential treatment and benefits depending on their job grade.
Crack Cocaine
4. The powerful drug has taken a hold of many addicts in the Limeick region.
Our reporter Eoghan Dalton investigates the use of the highly addictive drug in Munster.
Graffiti
5. Gardaí are investigating graffiti found on a famous standing stone in Co Meath.
The Lia Fáil standing stone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, sits on the Hill of Tara, a popular heritage site.
Spy Balloon
6. The US Navy has used underwater drones, warships and inflatable vessels to gather all of the pieces of the massive Chinese spy balloon a fighter jet shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
In the newest images released by the Navy, sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 are seen leaning over a rigid hull inflatable boat and pulling in pieces of the balloon’s white outer fabric and shell structure.
State of the Union
7. Joe Biden called for unity and tried to emphasise conciliation over conflict in his State of the Union address.
The 80-year-old almost defiantly ignored the bitter divisions between Republicans and Democrats and his own low standing with the public in his speech.
Food Banks
8. A new survey today found that one in five (19%) of parents stated that at some point in the last year they did not have enough food to feed their children.
The new survey, conducted by Coyne Research on behalf of Barnardos and partner ALDI Ireland, explores both the prevalence and impact of food poverty in Ireland.
Renewed Appeal
9. Gardaí have renewed their appeal for information on the 25th anniversary of the disappearance and murder of Fiona Sinnott.
In a statement issued today, gardaí in Wexford said they are continuing to actively investigate the case.
