LAST UPDATE | 7 Nov 2023

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

Gaza

1. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Israel will take control of “overall security” of besieged Gaza after the war, as the Hamas-run health ministry said the death toll has surged past 10,000.

With international criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war mounting, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Gaza was becoming a “graveyard for children”.

But Netanyahu told ABC News the war would continue until Israel had restored “overall security” control of Gaza.

Dublin City Council

2. An emergency motion calling for the Palestinian flag to be flown above Dublin City Hall in an “act of solidarity with the people of Gaza” fell short of the required votes last night.

A separate vote of Dublin City Council for a so-called ‘peace flag’ to be flown instead ran overtime, leading to much confusion of its result.

The motion in favour of flying the Palestinian flag was brought by the Independent Group of councillors and had the backing of Sinn Féin, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit.

Donegal crash

3. The two teenagers who died in a road crash in Co Donegal have been named locally as Alana Harkin and Thomas Gallagher.

Gardaí said Harkin and Gallagher, in their late teens, died in the collision in the Gleneely area in the early hours of Sunday.

A second male, also in his late teens, was taken to hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening. 

Prison release

4. The Irish Prison Service is using temporary parole services to relieve continued overcrowding in the prison system.

There are currently more than 5,200 people registered in the Irish prison system, even though the system only has capacity for just over 4,500 people.

The figure accounts for all people currently registered in the Irish prison system, including prisoners in custody, on any form of temporary release, those receiving treatment in hospital or those in the Central Mental Hospital.

Sexual consent education

5. University of Galway researchers will today urge TDs to ensure adequate sexual consent education is provided in secondary schools.

Among their recommendations is that SPHE become a leaving certificate subject with a specific module on consensual behaviour as recommended by a 2022 Joint Committee report on leaving certificate reform.

Representatives from the Active Consent Programme at the University of Galway will appear before the Oireachtas committee on education at 11am this morning to discuss consent education in Ireland.

Flooding scheme

6. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue will today seek Cabinet sign-off on a scheme for farmers impacted by flooding on the Shannon Callows.

The scheme comes following extremely challenging weather conditions this summer which has resulted in some farmers being unable to save fodder crops for this coming winter.

The problem has been compounded by the continuing wet conditions throughout September and October.

Garda attacks

7. More than 646 gardaí have been subjected to violence and assault while on duty so far this year, according to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

The 646 incidents of violence and assault have taken place during the period January 1 – September 30.

Harris is due to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Justice Committee later today where he will engage with TDs and senators on policing matters.

SAG strike

8. The union representing striking actors has said it could not agree to studios’ “last, best and final offer” issued over the weekend in a bid to end a months-long stalemate that has crippled Hollywood.

Negotiators for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) have been mulling the proposal since Saturday, as studios seek to halt a damaging stoppage that has brought TV and movie production to a standstill for four months.

In a statement to members posted on social media yesterday, the committee said they were determined to bring the 116-day strike to an end “responsibly”, but had not yet found common ground with the body representing Disney, Netflix, Warner, Universal, Paramount and Sony.

WeWork

9. Office sharing company WeWork has formally filed for bankruptcy protection.

The company said it had entered into a restructuring support agreement with stakeholders to “drastically reduce” the company’s debt while further evaluating its commercial office lease portfolio.

WeWork is requesting the “ability to reject the leases of certain locations”, which the company says are largely non-operational, as part of the filing.