LAST UPDATE | 9 May 2023

GOOD MORNING.

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

1. Cost of living

The Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has said that it is encouraging all energy suppliers to reduce prices “as soon as possible”.

Representatives from the commission will appear before an Oireachtas committee today, where they will say that the regulator remains “very concerned at the impact of high energy prices on households and businesses”.

2. Gaza strikes

Three senior Islamic Jihad commanders have been killed during Israeli airstrikes on targets in the Gaza strip, according to the country’s military.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that the attacks, which Israel claim targeted residences of senior commanders, have killed 12 people.

3. Commission on Defence Forces

Not enough is being done to implement key recommendations twelve months after the landmark Commission on the Defence Forces report was published, a conference will hear today.

4. No-car zone

Private cars will be banned from Dublin’s College Green at all times from the end of the month.

Dublin City Council announced the move yesterday evening, with an enhancement project set to commence at nearby Foster Place from 29 May.

These new traffic management measures will reallocate the road space exclusively to sustainable modes of transport which account for 97% of current journeys through College Green.

5. Russia-Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said at Moscow’s Red Square Victory Day parade that the world is at a “turning point” and claimed a “war” had been unleashed against Russia.

Putin, who has become the target of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, was addressing thousands of troops standing at attention in Moscow’s Red Square amid ramped-up security.

6. Power outages

Hundreds of ESB customers remain without power after thunderstorms hit the south-east of the country last night.

Thousands had their power disrupted due to winds and lightning strikes and the ESB began fixing faults around the country on Monday evening.

More than 500 customers in counties Dublin and Carlow are still affected by the power cuts, with ESB engineers working to fix the outages since last night.

7. Education and skills

Many adults in Ireland are deemed at risk of falling behind as they do not have the right skills to thrive in their current employment and are unprepared for changes in the world of work.

The finding is contained in a new report by the OECD, which will be presented to Cabinet by Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris today.

The report also outlines that participation in lifelong learning to facilitate essential reskilling and upskilling in Ireland while above the EU average falls far behind top EU performers by as much as 40%.

8. Charities

84% of people would support tougher action against charities in the event of wrongdoing, a new survey indicates.

The Charities Regulator has published the results of polling of a representative sample of 2,000 adults on charity donations in the last year, as well as the public’s views as the regulation of charities.

9. Weather

It will be another mixed day throughout the country today, with Met Éireann predicting sunny spells and showers.

The forecaster says that showers will be mostly confined to the west and southwest of the country at first, but that showers will spread eastwards this morning and become widespread, heavy and possibly thundery for a time.

Highest temperatures are expected to be between 13 and 17 degrees.