GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know to start the day.
Waterford vigil
1. Pink and blue balloons were released into the sky outside the home of the English family, where members of their community hugged and wiped tears as they absorbed the finality of their loss.
Anne English, the ex-wife of the late Philip English, was among those gathered in the Birchwood estate.
Donaldson sentencing
2. Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson will be sentenced later for a string of historical sex offences against two women when they were children.
Donaldson will appear in the dock at Newry Crown Court where he will learn from Judge Paul Ramsey how long he will spend in prison.
Judge Ramsey has previously told the ex-MP that he faces a “lengthy sentence”.
Ukraine
3. SpaceX boss Elon Musk said Wednesday that any disruptions reported by Ukraine in using the Starshield satellite communications system would be the responsibility of the US government, not his company.
“Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,” Musk said, referring to US President Donald Trump.
Garda accounts hacked
4. An Garda Síochána’s main accounts on the social media platform X appear to have been hacked and are promoting cryptocurrencies in a significant security breach.
The @gardainfo and @gardatraffic accounts on X (formerly Twitter) have both been affected.
Threatening email
5. Gardaí are investigating a threatening email sent to a number of schools across the country on Wednesday.
The email was circulated to dozens of schools as thousands of public sector workers took part in nationwide strike action.
In a statement, gardaí confirmed they were aware that the communication was sent to “a number of educational establishments”.
Tiger attack
6. An inquest into the death of a man who was killed by a tiger after entering its enclosure at a wildlife park is set to open on Thursday.
William Chapman (23) was mauled to death by the animal at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, in Doncaster, on Saturday.
A hearing is scheduled at Doncaster Coroner’s Court at 10am on Thursday.
Your stories
7. Earlier this week, we asked you, our readers, to let us know whether the incoming changes to citizenship rules will affect you.
We received a huge number of responses. People wrote to us about their plans for their future, their love of Ireland and their desire to build their lives here.
Many people said all of this has been thrown into uncertainty since the new legislation was announced by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan.
Cancer and insurance
8. New laws preventing insurance companies from using cancer survivors’ medical history against them have come into effect.
The legislation means insurers will be required to disregard cancer-related medical history when a person applying for mortgage protection insurance has completed active cancer treatment for five years and been in complete remission for five years.
Campaigners have long sought the ‘right to be forgotten’.
Media training
9. Uisce Éireann has been spending €4,000 on media training for its senior staff before every Oireachtas committee appearance.
The figure was revealed in a response to a question from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which leaders of utility will face today.
Since 2021, Uisce Éireann has made 16 appearances before Oireachtas committees, and has hired Gibney Communication to help them prepare each time.