LAST UPDATE | 27 Feb

GOOD MORNING.

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

Gaza

1. US President Joe Biden has said Israel would be willing to halt its war on Hamas in Gaza during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some of the hostages being held.

Negotiators from the US, Egypt and Qatar are working on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting.

During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages.

Media committee

2. Minister for Media Catherine Martin is set to appear before an Oireachtas Committee today to discuss the latest in the ongoing RTÉ controversies.

The minister has come under fire since last week for a series of events that led up to former Chair of the RTÉ Board Siún Ní Raghallaigh tendering her resignation.

The reason behind the latest debacle is RTÉ’s handling of exit packages for executives who have left the organisation.

Child welfare

3. 41% of parents have said they had to skip meals or reduce portion sizes last year so that their children would have enough to eat, according to the latest Food Insecurity Research launched today by children’s charity Barnardos.

The research found that 24% of parents said they had to borrow money to feed their child last year, up 8% on the 16% figure in 2022.

12% of parents used a food bank last year and 26% felt they didn’t have enough food to feed their children.

Vigil in Dublin

4. A vigil took place in Dublin to pay tribute to a homeless woman who died in the city centre on Sunday.

The woman has been named locally as Ann Delaney, who was 47-years-old and originally from Co Laois. She is said to have been sleeping rough in Dublin for the last several years, most recently on Aungier Street.

She was well known to locals in the area, who left tributes throughout the day to mark her passing.

Nature Restoration Law

5. The European Parliament is set to vote today on whether to approve the final version of the Nature Restoration Law to protect and restore biodiversity.

The legislation seeks to set specific targets for the first time on restoring nature in urban, forest, agricultural and marine ecosystems.

This stage of voting on legislation in the EU is usually a formality, but the European People’s Party, the largest political grouping in the EU, has said it will not back the law. 

School transport scheme

6. Changes to the school transport scheme are to be phased in over the next six years.

Education Minister Norma Foley is bringing a memo to Cabinet today to secure approval for the publication of a review of the scheme, which recommends a number of key changes.

For many years, parents have struggled with difficulties with the school transport scheme due to capacity issues. There has been an effort to increase capacity by increasing the number of school buses and drivers.

Horseracing

7. New data shows the number of horses dying within a month of a race in the multimillion-euro racing industry reached more than 240 last year.

However, fewer than half of the death toll is counted by the industry as a race day death, due to current industry policy which requires an animal to die within 48 hours of participating in a race, prompting concern from animal welfare campaigners.

It comes as the industry regulator says it’s engaging with two racecourses over deaths at their tracks last year.

ATM robberies

8. Four men have been sentenced in Antrim for taking part in a series of ATM robberies between late October 2018 and early December 2019.

The spate of robberies included the theft of two cash machines at a supermarket on Castle Way in Antrim.

The four offenders, all aged in their 30s, received a range of different sentences from the Antrim Crown Court.

Alec Baldwin

9. Alec Baldwin will stand trial in July over the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set three years ago, a New Mexico judge has ruled.

The US actor pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter earlier this month over the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie Rust in 2021.

Baldwin was holding a Colt .45 when it discharged, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.