LAST UPDATE | 16 Feb 2023

GOOD MORNING.

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

Special advisors

1. The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body has called on the Irish government to tighten up the employment of special advisors to ministers.

Post-employment restrictions for the advisors also need to reformed, says a report by the Group of States against Corruption, known as GRECO, and these should be coupled with appropriate checks by the Standards in Public Office commission (Sipo).

It wants to see “integrity checks” implemented prior to a special advisor being hired and has urged laying down similar rules requiring the same of government ministers and department heads. 

Drug arrests on Long Mile Road

2. Four people who were arrested following the seizure of €2.8 milion worth of cocaine in Dublin have been formally charged.

Gardaí searched a business premises in the Long Mile Road area of Dublin and seized 40 kilos of cocaine with a street value of around €2.8 million.

Three men and one woman are due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin this morning.

MTU cyber attack

3. Global warnings about a weakness in a virtual computer system used by Munster Technological University were issued just weeks before it was targeted by a Russian hacker group.

ESXi VMWare, a virtual desktop programme, offers a way for people working on individual computers and laptops to log in through an online cloud – as if they were on campus.

Although no link between the hack and the warnings has been confirmed, alarms were raised globally on 31 January and 6 February after hackers had found a way into the system. 

Accommodation

4. The Department of Integration will warn today that there is a limited timeframe for consultation with communities over asylum seeker housing due to the “sheer shortage” of accommodation.

The Secretary General of the Department, Kevin McCarthy, will is set to tell the Public Accounts Committee that acquiring bed spaces for asylum seekers arriving remains “extremely difficult”, particularly for single males.

In his opening statement to the committee, McCarthy will tell TDs that, at present, all accommodation within the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is being used.

Baby formula

5. A study has found that the majority of health claims used to advertise baby formula worldwide are not supported by rigorous scientific evidence.

Daniel Munblit, a senior lecturer at Imperial College London and an author of the new study, said researchers were not on a “crusade” against infant formula, which should remain an option for mothers who cannot or choose not to breastfeed.

“But we are very much against inappropriate infant formula marketing, which provides misleading claims not backed up by solid evidence,” he said.

The most common claims were that formula supports brain development, strengthens immune systems and more broadly helps growth. 

Joe Biden

6. The FBI has searched the University of Delaware in recent weeks for classified documents as part of its investigation into the potential mishandling of sensitive government records by President Joe Biden.

The search, first reported by CNN, was confirmed to the Associated Press by a person familiar with the matter who was not authorised to discuss it publicly. They would not say whether anything was found.

A Justice Department special counsel is investigating how classified documents from Biden’s time as vice president and senator ended up in his home and former office — and whether any mishandling involved criminal intent or was unintentional.

Philippines

7. A 6.1 magnitude earthquake has rocked the central Philippines, though there were no reports of casualties or significant damage.

The strong and shallow quake struck just off the coast of Masbate province in the centre of the archipelago nation shortly after 2am (6pm Irish time).

The Philippine seismological agency said it had recorded more than 80 aftershocks.

Raquel Welch

8. Reese Witherspoon has led tributes to Hollywood actress Raquel Welch, describing her as “elegant, professional and glamorous beyond belief”.

Famous faces who knew and collaborated with the US actress shared fond memories of her after the announcement of her death last night.

Welch died after a brief illness, her manager and family confirmed.

Fatal crash

9. A man in his 40s has died following a single-vehicle crash that occurred after midnight on the N60 in Claremorris, Co Mayo.

A technical examination of the scene has been completed by Garda Forensic Collision investigators.