LAST UPDATE | 28 Jun 2023

GOOD MORNING.

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

RTÉ

1. RTÉ released a 9-page statement yesterday evening in which it outlined its understanding of how Tubridy received the undisclosed payments.

It excused Tubridy of any wrongdoing and said, based on the Grant Thornton findings, “there was no illegality and payments were made pursuant to an agreed contract”.

The review also found that part of the issue related to payments to the RTÉ Barter Account, which deals with payments through an intermediary company.

Investigation

2. Gardaí are investigating a potential murder as part of an ongoing operation at the Sliabh Liag sea cliffs in Donegal.

The cliffs remain closed to the public following a missing persons search which began on Monday. The search has involved gardaí and the Irish Coast Guard’s Rescue 118 helicopter.

The Journal understands that gardaí are investigating a potential murder but that the coastal location has created logistical challenges.

Olympics

3. The Irish Rugby Men’s Sevens team has qualified for the Paris Olympics next year after winning the final at the European Games in Poland.

Ireland defeated Great Britain 26-12, with Jordan Conroy (two) Billy Dardis and Terry Kennedy bagging the tries en route to glory.

With the sides going head-to-head for an Olympic ticket, Dardis and Kennedy crossed for Ireland to lead 14-7 at the break. Kennedy’s converted try, just before the mid-point, was a huge boost.

Septic tanks

4. Half of septic tanks failed inspection in 2022, while 20% were identified as a risk to human health or the environment, a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows.

According to the agency, there is inconsistency in the local authorities’ approaches to failed septic tanks.

The Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems report found that there were proportionately fewer septic tank failures fixed in counties Roscommon, Waterford, Leitrim and Tipperary.

Ukraine

5. The death toll from a Russian missile strike on a restaurant in eastern Ukraine has risen to eight today as Kyiv played down the effect of a brief mutiny by the head of the Wagner mercenary group on the conflict.

The blast at the Ria Pizza restaurant also killed three children and wounded at least 56 at the eatery, popular with both soldiers and journalists in the town of Kramatorsk, one of the largest still under Ukrainian control in the east.

Days after the aborted rebellion of Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin, widely seen as the biggest threat to Kremlin authority in decades, Kyiv said the mutiny’s influence on fighting was minimal.

Residence permit fee

6. A group representing migrants in Ireland is calling for the cost of non-EU residence permits to be reduced in line with other state registration fees.

The fair fees campaign by the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) said the “extortionate” annual cost of the Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card needs to drop in line with other European countries’ fees.

The group said it was recently confirmed that although an IRP card costs €‎300 for the resident, it only costs the state €‎20.44 to produce and deliver each card. 

Kevin Spacey

7. Actor Kevin Spacey will stand trial today accused of sex offences against four men.

Spacey, 63, pleaded not guilty in January to three counts of indecent assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

Nanterre

8. French police killed a teenager who attempted to flee a traffic check outside Paris, prompting shock and questions over the readiness of security forces to resort to violence.

The 17-year-old was driving in a rental car in the western Paris suburb of Nanterre early yesterday when police pulled him over for breaking several road rules, prosecutors said.

A video circulating on social media, authenticated by AFP, shows two police officers trying to stop the vehicle, with one pointing his weapon at the driver through the window and firing at point blank when he drives off.

Julian Sands

9. Human remains in the San Gabriel mountains in southern California have been confirmed to be those of Julian Sands, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

The British actor, 65, had been missing for more than five months, after failing to return from a hike in the Mount Baldy area on 13 January.

The actor’s remains were found in the same area on Saturday by civilian hikers, with a coroner later confirming them to be those of Sands.