February 27: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Proposals to increase sentences for assaults on gardaí
Minister for Justice Simon Harris will bring proposals to Government in the next few weeks to amend laws to increase sentences for assaults causing harm to members of An Garda Síochána and other emergency service workers. He said he will introduce a maximum sentence of 12 years for such assaults against an on duty garda or emergency service worker, such as hospital staff, prison officers, members of the fire brigade, ambulance personnel or members of the Defence Forces. This would also cover the ramming of a garda vehicle or other emergency vehicles. Gardaí have been attacked in recent months in Ballyfermot in Dublin and other areas.
RTÉ

Irish concerns after Cork student declared ‘security threat’ in Australia
Revelations that an Irish citizen of Russian ethnicity, who worked in Ireland’s space industry, has been accused of being a security threat in Australia highlights the “long-standing failure” of Irish governments to take national security seriously, a top expert has said. It follows reports in Australian media that Marina Sologub, a consultant in the Australian space industry, has been declared a potential national security threat by the country’s spy agency. Ms Sologub, born in Kazakhstan, grew up in Glanmire in Cork and studied in University College Cork.
The Irish Examiner

NI Protocol: Final talks on Brexit deal due – No 10
Rishi Sunak and the European Commission president are due to hold “final talks” on a new post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland on Monday, Downing Street says. The prime minister and Ursula von der Leyen will meet in Berkshire in the afternoon to discuss “complex challenges” around the protocol. The UK wants to change the current agreement – which sees some goods checked when entering Northern Ireland from the rest of Great Britain. A new deal has been expected for days. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab earlier said the UK and EU were “on the cusp” of a deal and that the EU had “moved” on some issues. Downing Street released more details about the talks between Mr Sunak and Ms von der Leyen, which is set to take place around late lunchtime.
BBC News

Scouting Ireland faces more than 50 legal cases over past sexual abuse
Scouting Ireland is facing more than 50 legal cases from alleged victims and survivors of past child sexual abuse in the youth organisation’s former legacy bodies. The youth organisation has faced a growing number of civil cases seeking compensation since revelations four years ago that hundreds of children were sexually abused by scout leaders, mostly between the 1960s and 1990s. In total, 52 people are currently taking legal cases against the voluntary organisation over alleged historical child sex abuse, with that number expected to continue to increase. The majority of the cases have been lodged in the High Court in the last three years, court records show. The abuse primarily took place in predecessor bodies, the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland and Scout Association of Ireland, which merged to form Scouting Ireland in 2004.
The Irish Times

‘Still a long way to go’ in removing stigma around menopause in Ireland
There is still “a long way to go” to remove the stigma around menopause in Ireland, according to the clinical lead of the Rotunda Hospital’s menopause clinic. Dr Caoimhe Hartley told The Journal that while progress has been made in providing better treatment options for women experiencing menopause, we are “not where we need to be” with women’s health in Ireland and the existing misinformation surrounding healthcare for women needs to be tackled. The Rotunda Hospital’s menopause clinic was opened by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly in October last year. Five similar clinics have also been established around the country, including in Galway and Limerick.
The Journal

Enda Kenny ‘on the road to recovery’ after undergoing operation to remove cancer
Former taoiseach Enda Kenny is dealing with a cancer diagnosis. But he expects to make a full recovery. Mr Kenny, who turns 72 in April, underwent a recent operation in St James’s Hospital in Dublin. He told close friends he had tissue removed from under the arm but is confident the malignancy has been caught early.
Independent.ie

Screen Actors Guild awards 2023: Everything Everywhere All at Once breaks record for wins
Everything Everywhere All at Once reigned supreme at this year’s Screen Actors Guild awards, winning four major awards and breaking the record for most wins for a single film. The multiverse fantasy film picked up the night’s biggest award for ensemble in a motion picture, female actor for Michelle Yeoh and both supporting actor awards, for Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Quan. “I think if I speak, my heart will explode,” Yeoh said at the start of her emotional speech. She said she was up against “titans”, referring to competition from Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Viola Davis. “This is not just for me, this is for every girl who looks like me,” she said. “Thank you for giving me a seat at the table.” In a tearful acceptance speech, Quan spoke about being the first Asian man to win an individual award in any film category in the history of the SAG awards. He said the moment no longer belonged to him, but to everyone who “asked for change”.
The Guardian

Today’s forecast
Cloudy this morning but it will start to break up later allowing in some good sunny spells. It will stay mainly dry too. Highest temperatures of 7 to 9 degrees in light to moderate easterly breezes. Staying dry in most areas. Just a few isolated showers, mainly confined to Leinster. Temperatures will fall to between -1 and +3 degrees, coolest inland with some patches of frost expected. Winds very light and variable.
Met Éireann