LAST UPDATE | 4 May 2023
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our lead story this morning, Lauren Boland reports that a committee of TDs and Senators has advised the government that a new automatic-enrolment pension system should not allow funds to invest in fossil fuels.
The Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection has published a report scrutinising Government plans to develop an auto-enrolment scheme for pensions that would apply to around 750,000 workers between the ages of 23 and 60 who are employed but not signed up to an occupational pension scheme.
2. A cost-of-construction review that is set to go to Cabinet today will show that construction costs of the same type of houses built in Birmingham are 21% to 29% lower than a typical house built in Dublin.
The review, which was carried out by construction economics consultant Mitchell McDermott, compares the cost of construction across a number of countries.
3. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the Conservatives are moving away from “box-set drama” politics – but warned they were in for a “hard night” at England’s local elections.
Voters will head to the polls across England today as Sunak faces his first major electoral test since becoming Prime Minister just over six months ago.
4. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport late last night for an unannounced visit to the Netherlands, with a trip to the International Criminal Court on his agenda, local media reported.
Dutch news agency ANP said Zelenskyy, making his first visit to the Netherlands, landed at Schiphol after attending a Nordic summit in Helsinki.
5.Russia has launched up to 24 attack drones against Ukraine overnight, 18 of which were shot down, Ukraine’s air force said this morning, a day after Russia accused Ukraine of a drone attack on the Kremlin.
“The invaders launched up to 24 Shahed-136/131 attack drones … The Air Force of Ukraine, in co-operation with other air defence units, shot down 18 attack drones,” the air force said on Telegram.
6. Former US President Donald Trump has said Ireland has done a good job “luring” US companies to the country.
He was speaking to reporters after his arrival at his golf course outside the town of Doonbeg in Co Clare.
7. Trump has called a writer’s claims that he raped her at a Manhattan department store “the most ridiculous, disgusting story”, testifying in a deposition shown in court that the allegations were “made up” and that the assault never happened.
Lawyers for accuser E Jean Carroll played about 30 minutes of excerpts from the former president’s deposition, including his emphatic denial of the longtime advice columnist’s accusation that he attacked her in the mid-1990s in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room.
8. A British security expert has said that protesters planning unannounced action at King Charles’s coronation could be mistaken for plotters who wish to cause harm.
The procession route will be lined by thousands of police officers watching the crowd, with plain clothes colleagues also mixing with members of the public.
9.Oil giant Shell made nearly $1.7 billion (€1.59 billion) more in profit than experts had expected in the first three months of the year, the company said today.
The business joined its rival BP in reporting expectations-beating results this week.
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