September 25: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Private hospitals’ group casts doubt on HSE overcrowding plan
The HSE’s emergency department winter overcrowding plan is in doubt, after a private hospitals umbrella group said its members may not be able to provide help set to be sought by the public system. At its meeting last Monday, the Health Service Executive’s emergency department taskforce agreed to ask private hospitals to help ease public hospital overcrowding this winter.
RTÉ

Gardaí monitoring Islamic State-linked group with violent intent operating in Ireland
Garda security services are monitoring a small group of individuals in Ireland associated with an Islamic State offshoot that is causing “growing” concern across Europe over its violent intent. An Garda Síochána’s intelligence chief also told the Irish Examiner that his officers are investigating around 60 cases of suspected financing of terrorism every year, most relating to monies destined for IS-type terror groups.
The Irish Examiner

RTÉ pays for Fair City staff’s €200-a-night stay in hotel
RTÉ paid for Fair City producers and scriptwriters to stay overnight at a €200-a-night four-star hotel just 20 minutes’ drive from its Montrose campus for a “residential story conference” earlier this month.
Independent.ie

Air pollution in Ireland linked to premature deaths at ‘concerning’ level in urban areas, report finds
Air quality in Ireland is generally good but there are persistent “concerning localised issues” threatening public health due to highly damaging fine particulate pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ireland met European Union legal air quality limits in 2022 but did not meet more stringent health-based World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for pollutants including particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide and ozone due mainly to burning of solid fuel and heavy road traffic in cities.
The Irish Times

Met Éireann tracking potential storm that will move ‘close to Ireland’ on Wednesday
Met Éireann is warning about the potential for stormy conditions on Wednesday but has said there is still uncertainty about the precise forecast. A deep Atlantic depression gathering off the south west of the country that is said to be tracking “close to or over Ireland”. Should it hit the country there is the potential for a “very windy or stormy day with damaging winds, heavy rain and flooding”. Should the system turn into a storm and move towards Ireland it would be called Agnes as the first named storm of the season.
The Journal

Gymnastics Ireland fails to apologise despite row over medal snub for black girl
Gymnastics Ireland suppressed a personal apology letter to a young gymnast whose treatment at a medal ceremony sparked international outrage, and have refused to acknowledge or tackle systemic racism in the sport, her family say. Video of the event in March 2022 shows a judge handing out participation medals to a line of young gymnasts, but ignoring the only black girl. A photographer, coach and other officials look on without intervening, with an audience of hundreds in the stands. Despite the official setting, Gymnastics Ireland officials declined to attend mediation, effectively casting the incident from March 2022 as a purely personal dispute between the family and one woman, the gymnast’s family said.
The Guardian

Hollywood writers in deal to end US studio strike
Screenwriters in the US say they have reached a tentative deal with studio bosses that could see them end a strike that has lasted nearly five months. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) said it was “exceptional – with meaningful gains and protections for writers”. WGA members must still have a final say. It is the longest strike to affect Hollywood in decades and has halted most film and TV production. A separate dispute involves actors, who are also on strike.
BBC News

Tomb older than the pyramids moved to new home in Northern Ireland
A Neolithic tomb that predates the pyramids of Ancient Egypt has been put on permanent display at a museum in Northern Ireland. It dates back more than 6,000 years and was discovered in Ballintaggart in Co Armagh.
Sky News

Today’s forecast
This morning will be breezy with sunny spells and showers, these mainly in Ulster, Connacht and Munster. It will be drier in the east and southeast. Showers will become isolated this afternoon. Highest temperatures of 16 to 18 degrees with moderate to fresh, gusty south to southwest winds. Tonight will start off mainly dry. Rain will develop in the west around midnight and will spread eastwards overnight. It will be heavy at times. Lowest temperatures 11 to 13 degrees with moderate southerly winds increasing fresh and gusty.
Met Éireann