April 26: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

War in Sudan: Irish student lives a ‘real life nightmare’
An Irish citizen studying medicine in Sudan said his family has lived through a “real life nightmare”. Mostasier Ismail said he, his brother and mother decided to leave their home outside Khartoum after supplies ran low and fighting began. “There was many clashes in my neighbourhood, even a couple of houses were bombed.” Fighting broke out in Sudan on 15 April between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The 23-year-old said his family survived on rice, after being “lucky enough” to buy some before the worst of the violence erupted.
RTÉ

Taoiseach pledges to immediately address gaps in abortion services around country
The Government will act immediately to address gaps in the provision of abortion services in Ireland, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has pledged. A report by barrister Marie O’Shea into the effectiveness of Ireland’s abortion law, in place since January 2019 following the referendum to Repeal the Eighth Amendment, has recommended a number of changes to the legislation. It has also recommended a number of operational changes in order to increase the level of abortion services available in communities and hospitals.
The Irish Times

Assisted Dying committee to begin public deliberations in June with report expected for March
The newly established Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying will begin public deliberations on 13 June, following its first meeting last week after months of delays. The cross-party panel of TDs and senators will run for 9 months before producing a report with recommendations in March of next year. The committee will examine the legal and ethical implications in a number of modules during the timeframe of the committee. It will also ascertain the viability of how the system of assisted dying would operate in Ireland.
The Journal

Grandmother attacked and sexually assaulted after night out in Waterford
A grandmother who was attacked and sexually assaulted as she walked home on a night out in Waterford has said she was left for dead by her assailants. The incident happened in the early hours of March 30 in the Polederry area of Waterford and gardaí say investigations are ongoing into the allegations. The woman said she was grabbed from behind by a man and woke up on the ground hours later, half naked, with a scarf over her face and covered in mud.
The Irish Examiner

‘A clear violation’ – website takes action against Turkish hospital popular with Irish surgery tourists
Review platform Trustpilot has taken enforcement action against Ekol Hospitals in Turkey for allegedly “abusing the reporting function” on its website. Ekol Hospitals in Izmir, which registered as a company in Ireland two years ago, specialises in cosmetic, weight-loss and dental procedures. Thousands of patients are flown over from the UK and Ireland every year as part of package deals including “mummy makeovers” and bariatric procedures. While it currently has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on review website Trustpilot, the company confirmed it is “currently investigating Ekol and the reviews on its page”.
Independent.ie

Today’s forecast 
Today will be mostly cloudy with a fair amount of dry weather. There will be patchy rain or drizzle, especially in the west and northwest. Some bright or sunny intervals too, the best of these in the east. Highest temperatures will range 9 to 14 degrees with light southeasterly breezes. Tonight will continue mostly cloudy. It will be mainly dry, but there will be some patchy light rain or drizzle and some mist patches. Becoming cold in any clear spells with lowest temperatures of 1 to 5 degrees and light easterly breezes.
Met Éireann