LAST UPDATE | 16 May 2025

GOOD MORNING.

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

Eurovision

1. Ireland have exited the Eurovision at the semi-final stage. 

Chris Brown

2. R&B singer Chris Brown has been arrested and charged in Manchester over an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago.

Russia-Ukraine talks

3. Delegations from Ukraine and Russia will be in Istanbul today for what could be their first direct meeting on the conflict in Ukraine since 2022, but the absence of Russian President Vladimir Putin leaves little hope for progress in ending the war.

Garda Kevin Flatley 

4. The funeral mass of the late Garda Kevin Flatley will take place this afternoon in Balbriggan, Co Dublin. 

ICE

5. Two Irish aircraft leasing companies are leasing planes to operators running deportation flights for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Harvey Weinstein

6. Harvey Weinstein’s assistant kept a list of female “friends of Harvey” to invite to events and sometimes considered them a special category for guest lists, an ex-aide has said at the former film mogul’s sex crimes retrial.

Boos for Israel

7. For the first time since rehearsals began in Basel for the Eurovision Song Contest, Israeli singer Yuval Raphael was met with boos and pro-Palestinian protests during a performance, while singing at a practice round for the semi-final.

Golf

8. Masters champion Rory McIlroy faces an uphill battle to claim back-to-back major titles after an error-strewn opening round in the 107th US PGA Championship.

Taoiseach in Albania

9. Taoiseach Micheál Martin is among European leaders meeting today for a summit in Albania.