February 19: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Cillian Murphy wins best actor BAFTA as Oppenheimer cleans up the top awards
Cillian Murphy has won the leading actor Bafta for the blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer, which scooped 7 awards in total. Christopher Nolan also picked up his own award, winning best director, while Oppenheimer itself won best film. Robert Downey Jr won for best supporting actor in the film. Accepting the trophy Murphy said: “Oh boy, holy moly, thank you very, very much Bafta.”
The Journal

Amnesty calls on Israel to end ‘brutal occupation’ as public hearings begin
International human rights organisation Amnesty International has called for Israel to end its “brutal occupation” of Gaza and the West Bank ahead of the beginning of public hearings at the International Court of Justice regarding the occupation. The organisation’s secretary general Agnes Callamard said that the occupation has “entrenched” a system of “apartheid” placed on Palestinian citizens, and that it has been characterised by “widespread and systematic human rights violations against Palestinians”.
The Irish Examiner

Minister requests meeting with RTÉ DG and Chair over executive payments
Minister for Media Catherine Martin has requested RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst and Chair of the Board Siún Ní Raghallaigh meet her at department headquarters this morning. The request followed a weekend of mounting political pressure on RTÉ to make public the details of payments to top executives who have left the organisation. The minister is expected to emphasise again to RTÉ bosses that transparency is essential in rebuilding trust amongst staff and the public.
RTÉ

Gardaí search property for cash linked to Sinaloa cartel after €33m crystal meth haul
Searches were carried out at a Kerry property over the weekend where gardaí suspect drug money linked to a Mexican cartel’s European operation is buried. Detectives have recovered significant amounts of CCTV footage as part of the investigation, as they were granted more time to question two suspects in custody. It comes after almost €33m of crystal meth was seized in Cork Port last Friday, which was believed to be destined for Australia. The operation is targeting what is suspected to be the Irish wing of the Sinaloa cartel’s European operation, which is headed by Kerryman Morris O’Shea Salazar.
Independent.ie

Problems with goods and services leave Irish consumers out of pocket by €1bn a year
Faulty goods or services cost Irish consumers almost €1 billion a year while about 1.6 million adults have problems with something they bought over the last 12 months, a new study finds. According to State watchdog the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), 39 per cent of people told a survey they had complaints about something they bought, costing them money, time or stress.
The Irish Times

Israel indicates March deadline for Gaza ground offensive in Rafah
Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz has warned that unless Hamas frees all hostages held in Gaza by 10 March an offensive will be launched in Rafah. It is the first time Israel has said when its troops might enter Gaza’s overcrowded southern city. Global opposition is growing to such an attack in Rafah, where some 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering.
BBC News

Ursula von der Leyen to seek second term as head of European Commission
Ursula von der Leyen will announce she plans to seek a second term as president of the European Commission at a meeting of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Berlin on Monday. The head of the most powerful institution in Brussels, von der Leyen, 65, has been cautiously guarding her intentions for the past year, deflecting all questions on the subject. But announcing her candidacy for another five years will mark the first step in a four-month battle for election that could involve a wider field, with some speculating Estonia’s prime minister, Kaja Kallas, could be a candidate for the job in the summer when the final choice will be made.
The Guardian

‘Grotesque’ Donald Trump giving Republicans ‘green light’ to stop funding Ukraine, Nancy Pelosi claims
Donald Trump is giving a “green light” to Republicans in Congress to block extra US funding for Ukraine, Nancy Pelosi has claimed. Describing Mr Trump as “grotesque”, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives also said he is “chummy” with Vladimir Putin, who she described as “just a very evil person”.
Sky News

Today’s forecast
Today will be mainly dry with sunny spells, clouding in during the afternoon with patches of light rain or drizzle developing in the north later. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in light to moderate westerly winds, becoming southerly and freshening later. Dry for much of tonight, rain will develop in the west by morning. Lowest temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees will be early in the night rising overnight. Winds will be fresh to strong southwesterly.
Met Éireann