LAST UPDATE | 1 Mar

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.

MEP legal action

1. In our main story this morning, Muiris O Cearbhaill reports that up to eight former MEPs from Ireland may be involved in legal proceedings against the European Parliament over a decision it made to halve pension payments from a special voluntary scheme that they had signed up for. 

More than 400 MEPs in total have now moved to take legal action against the EU’s Parliament after the decision was made to cut their pension payments in order to reduce a huge deficit that had built up in the defined-benefit pension fund. 

Snow, snow, snow 

2. It’s a cold morning out there with snow being reported across the country. 

Met Éireann is warning of the potential for icy stretches, poor visibility and hazardous travelling conditions in the areas where snow is falling. 

Gaza deaths

3. More than 100 people have been shot dead after a crowd rushed towards aid trucks in Gaza, the region’s health ministry has said. 

Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said hundreds were killed and wounded from “bullets of the occupation forces that targeted a gathering of citizens” at Gaza City’s Nabulsi roundabout.

President in hosptial

4. President Michael D Higgins has spent the night in hospital after being admitted for precautionary tests after feeling unwell.

The President, aged 82, was admitted to hospital yesterday evening.

The decision to admit him was taken on the back of advice from professionals who saw him at his home in the Phoenix Park earlier.

Spot fixing

5. The League of Ireland has said it is aware of a Garda investigation into an alleged incident of a player being approached to take place in spot fixing. 

In a statement today, the League said the player rejected the offer immediately. 

Prescriptions

6. The maximum legal validity of prescriptions has been extended from six to 12 months.

This means that doctors can now write prescriptions for patients that are valid for up to 12 months.

From September, patients can ask their pharmacists to extend prescriptions from six months up to a maximum of 12 months, if they have a prescription dated 1 March, 2024, or later.

Drone deliveries

7. A number of local councillors have recieved complaints from residents of Dublin 15 over the noise of a new drone delivery service that has begun in the Blanchardstown area.

The company behind the high-flying food, Manna, is an Irish start up from entrepreneur Bobby Healy. It began trials of its services in Blanchardstown this month and is due to begin its full operation next week.

Navalny funeral

8. The funeral of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is scheduled to be held in Moscow today, with mourners braving the risk of arrest to come and pay their respects.

The ceremony will take place two weeks after Navalny died in an Arctic prison, amid pressures denounced by his team who accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of murdering his top critic.

By-election

9. George Galloway has won a seat in Westminster for Rochdale after securing a large 6,000 vote majority over his nearest rival in one of Britain’s most chaotic by-elections in recent years.

Galloway was standing for the Workers Party of Britain and ran a heavily pro-Palestinian campaign in hopes to secure votes from Rochdale’s strong Muslim population. He declared “this is for Gaza” in his victory speech this morning.