August 18: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Tubridy

RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst has said he stands by his decision to end negotiations with Ryan Tubridy over his return to his Radio 1 programme. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Bakhurst described Mr Tubridy as a “hugely talented broadcaster”, but said he “knew well from talking to staff in RTÉ that opinions [on his return] were strongly divided”.

RTÉ

"I feel there was an issue throughout about the need to accept your role in what has been a hugely damaging scandal for everybody involved," says RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst | Read more: https://t.co/BdnIYpiCjN pic.twitter.com/H37kOdW0Rv

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) August 18, 2023

Upfront rent payments

Housing charity Threshold has claimed that a law that banned up-front rent payments is “challenging” and “opens the door for potential coercion of tenants by landlords for advance payments.” The charity argues that the wording of the Residential Tenancies (No.2) Act, along the with the lack of available accommodation within the private market, allows for “an illusion of choice” when it comes to paying more than one month’s rent upfront.

thejournal.ie

Father Ted writer performs outside Scottish parliament

After two venues in Edinburgh refused to host him, Father Ted writer Graham Linehan has performed a comedy routine outside the Scottish Parliament. He spoke to crowds from a podium outside Holyrood after the original venue for his planned show, Leith Arches, and a second unnamed venue cancelled the show he was due to appear in.

Breaking News

Weather warnings

A status yellow wind warning has been issued by Met Éireann, taking the total number of weather alerts in place to three. There’ll be heavy rain and winds potentially causing the collapse of temporary structures and indeed spot flooding in places. The first two weather warnings relate to rain and come into place throughout the afternoon.

Irish Examiner