Ratcliffe release
The UK foreign secretary must “be brave” in order to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, her husband has said.
Richard Ratcliffe met with Liz Truss on Thursday to discuss further strategy around attempts to free his wife from prison in Iran.
Mr Ratcliffe admitted that he and his team had been left “frustrated” by the outcome of the meeting, but said Ms Truss had been “open to things”.
The meeting came amid a hunger strike which Mr Ratcliffe has been staging outside the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office since Sunday.
Clondakin shooting
A 37-year-old man who was known to gardaí was shot dead as he spoke to his mother on the phone at the front door of his home, a Central Criminal Court trial has heard.
Roisin Lacey SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions on Thursday opened the trial of 25-year-old Lorcan Merriman from Lealand Close in Clondalkin, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Thomas Farnham at Kilcronan Close Clondalkin on April 25th or 26th, 2016.
Ms Lacey told the jury of nine men and three women that the deceased was at home speaking to his mother on the phone on the evening of April 25th.
Halloween socialisng
The Government has received no specific advice from public health officials on children limiting their activities, according to the Taoiseach.
On Wednesday evening, the country’s deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn advised parents to reduce their children's activities over the remainder of the Halloween midterm.
It comes amid a rise in Covid-19 cases among primary school children, with a total of 4,393 cases reported in children aged 5 to 12 in the two weeks to last Monday, compared to 2,930 over a similar period earlier this month.
Vaccine issues
The uptake rate of Covid-19 vaccines in Ireland among adults from central and eastern Europe is less than half the rate of inoculation among Irish nationals, new figures show.
Vaccine uptake rates for Irish nationals stood at 90 per cent, compared to 44 per cent among central and eastern European immigrant communities, according to Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures published on Thursday.
Among 18-24 year olds from central and eastern Europe, Covid-19 vaccination rates were only 36 per cent.
Transatlantic flights return
Aer Lingus has announced that it will resume transatlantic flights from Shannon Airport to New York and Boston next year.
They also announced the continuation of its service to Heathrow Airport.
Speaking about the news, Shannon Group chief executive Mary Considine said: “Today is a great day for the West of Ireland economy. It is great to get these strategic routes back which support thousands of jobs across the tourism and industry sectors.
"Shannon to JFK and Boston are key services so to see Aer Lingus recommence these routes next year is hugely positive.
Sexton's 100th cap
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has described his captain Johnny Sexton as “a one-in-a-generation-type player”.
Leinster fly-half Sexton is expected to win his 100th international cap in Ireland’s opening Autumn Nations Series fixture against Japan at the Aviva Stadium a week on Saturday.
The 36-year-old, who made his Ireland debut in a 41-6 win against Fiji in 2009, has recovered from a recent hip injury.
High Court order
The HSE has secured a High Court order requiring a psychiatrically ill man to wear a tamperproof GPS tracking device.
The order was among several made in the interests of the man’s safety and welfare by High Court president Ms Justice Mary Irvine in the context of intended wardship proceedings.
The man’s psychiatric illness involves delusions and a compulsion to go to isolated and remote environments, including a mountain, sometimes leaving his location immediately and staying out overnight without food, suitable clothing or a phone.
The court was told the tracking device would assist gardaí in locating him and returning him to his community high support unit.
