By Sarah Gill
25th Jan 2024
25th Jan 2024
Your speedy summary of today's must-read stories.
Zelensky says Russia ‘playing’ with lives
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russia is “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners” after Moscow accused Kyiv of downing a military plane carrying dozens of its own captured soldiers. Moscow said 74 people died—65 of them Ukrainian prisoners of war being flown to a scheduled exchange—when a military transport plane was shot down in the western Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine early yesterday. “It is obvious that the Russians are playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, with the feelings of their relatives and with the emotions of our society,” Mr Zelensky said.
Report into RTÉ’s Toy Show The Musical to be published
An examination of RTÉ’s Toy Show The Musical, which amassed losses of €2.2 million, is expected to be published later this morning. The investigation, by auditing firm Grant Thornton, found there was no written record of the RTÉ Board ever granting approval for the musical. It also identifies that there was no formal consideration of the project by the board until after a contract was signed with the venue – The Convention Centre in Dublin – for the musical. Minister for Media Catherine Martin confirmed that her department had received a copy of the findings.
Government defeats calls to support South Africa case
The Government has defeated Dáil motions that called on it to apply sanctions to Israel and support South Africa’s case at the ICJ against Israel’s action in Gaza, which has killed 25,000 people since October. A motion originally brought by Government on Tuesday said it would “strongly consider an intervention” in the ICJ case only after the court had made its order on preliminary measures and the filing of South Africa’s main case. It was accepted on Wednesday by 71 votes to 62, after opposition amendments from Labour, Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit were defeated.
Cork University Hospital overcrowding
The President of the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine has warned there is a “massive capacity issue” in hospitals, with the Emergency Department at Cork University Hospital this morning running at over 300% capacity. Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation showed that 654 people were waiting for a bed around the country, of whom 446 were waiting in EDs and 208 were on wards. The worst impacted hospitals were University Hospital Limerick with 110 patients waiting, and Cork University Hospital with 88.
Cork Harbour gas oil spill
Canadian fuels giant Irving Oil has apologised for a gas oil spillage from its Whitegate refinery into Cork Harbour and says it is still working on containment and cleanup operations. This followed the publication of details of the incident on a section of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website. It included confirmation that an EPA probe into the spillage is underway, and a warning to the public to stay away from and not use the shoreline in the vicinity of Irving Oil until the clean-up has been completed. Cllr Dan Boyle said: “It’s worrying that the public is getting to learn about this a number of days after the event. This should be the subject of immediate public notification.”
Doctors arrested for alleged fraud against HSE released
Two male doctors in their mid-40s and late 50s were arrested in Dublin on Wednesday as part of an ongoing investigation for alleged fraud against the HSE, following a complaint of alleged fraud against the exchequer and the HSE between 2017 and 2019. A garda spokesperson said investigating gardaí made the arrests on suspicion of an offence contrary to Section 71 Criminal Justice Act 2006. A garda spokesperson said both men have been released, and a file will now be prepared for the DPP.
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