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

Cost of living

1. In advance of Budget 2024, our GOING TO BED HUNGRY project finds food poverty is a growing problem in Ireland, with experts telling Noteworthy that more State action is urgently needed. 

Eating disorder services

2. The HSE has said that it “greatly regrets” that it is not in a position to reopen an 11-bed ward at the Linn Dara Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) inpatient unit, a year and five months on from its closure due to a lack of staff.

Eating disorder support service Bodywhys said that there has been a rise in the prevalence of eating disorder cases in Ireland, and that Linn Dara needs to have its full bed capacity restored as a matter of urgency. 

Presenter targeted
3.A 36-year-old man is being questioned by detectives about an alleged plot to kidnap Holly Willoughby.

The This Morning presenter (42) pulled out of the ITV show yesterday and her London home is reportedly being guarded by police.

Evictions
4.Just two properties have been acquired since April under a scheme designed to keep people facing evictions in their homes.

The cost rental tenant in situ scheme was introduced by the Government earlier this year after it lifted the temporary ban on evictions that had been in place. 

Creeslough 

5. Almost €1.9 MILLION has been raised to date for the Creeslough Community Support Fund.

Ten people, including three children, were killed in the blast at the Applegreen service station in Creeslough on 7 October, 2022. 

Dispatch from Groza village in Ukraine

6. Ukrainians in a tiny village  in northeastern Kharkiv have been left devastated after a Russian missile strike yesterday killed 51 people who had gathered for a soldier’s wake and funeral. 

“Sergiy, his face frozen in pain, crouched motionless beside a bag still on the ground. His right hand rested on the top of the white plastic.

“His wife Svetlana had been cooking for the wake at the cafe when the missile hit.” 

National Lottery

7. Both of the National Lottery’s latest jackpot winners bought their tickets in Dublin, it has been confirmed. 

Wednesday’s €7.7 million draw was won by two ticket holders after 15 straight rollovers dating back to August. 

Border poll in NI

8. UK Labour leader Keir Starmer has said the prospect of a referendum on Irish unification is “absolutely hypothetical” and “not even on the horizon”.

Starmer, who could be the UK’s next prime minister, strongly rejected the idea of a border poll when questioned about political matters in the North.

Hit and run

9. A female pedestrian who was killed in a hit-and-run incident in north Dublin last night has been named as Carol Seery.

She was pronounced dead at the scene and the case has been referred to the Garda Ombudsman.

Mrs Seery was hit in the Cross Guns Bridge area of Phibsborough at around 9.10pm last night.