Queen's condition
Britain's royal family rushed to be with Queen Elizabeth after doctors said they were concerned about the health of the 96-year-old monarch on Thursday and said she should remain under medical supervision.
Her eldest son and heir Prince Charles and his wife Camilla have travelled to her Scottish home, Balmoral Castle, where she is staying, along with his eldest son Prince William, officials said. Her other children – Anne, Andrew and Edward – were also on their way to the castle.
A spokesperson said Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, in Britain for a number of events, would also travel to Scotland.
Such a family gathering, outside of holiday events such as Christmas or Easter or major public events, is extremely rare.
Record interest rates
The European Central Bank has raised its key interest rates by an unprecedented 0.75 per cent on Thursday and signalled further hikes, prioritising the fight against inflation even as the bloc's economy is heading for a likely winter recession.
With inflation at a half-century high and approaching double-digit territory, policymakers are worried that rapid price growth could become entrenched, eroding the value of household savings and setting off a hard-to-break wage-price spiral.
Following up on its July rate hike, the ECB raised its deposit rate to 0.75 per cent from zero and lifted its main refinancing rate to 1.25 per cent, their highest levels since 2011, with further moves anticipated in October and December.
"This major step frontloads the transition from the prevailing highly accommodative level of policy rates towards levels that will ensurethe timely return of inflation to the ECB’s 2 per cent medium-term target," the ECB said in a statement.
First round offers
Over 57,000 students around the country have received their first round offers from the CAO.
The system offers places in third-level institutions based on the points the student achieved in their Leaving Certificate, the results of which were released last Friday.
The Department of Further and Higher Education confirmed 82 per cent of applicants received one of their top three preference courses, up from 79 per cent last year. Just over half (54 per cent) received their first choice.
Minister for Higher and Further Education Simon Harris congratulated those who have received an offer shortly after they were released at 2pm.
Rat-infested station
A plan to demolish and replace a rat-infested Garda station in Newcastle West, Co Limerick has been announced by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.
Ms McEntee visited the town on Thursday to announce a planning application by the Office of Public Works for a new District Garda Headquarters to replace the current station which was rat-infested in 2015 and described as “not fit for purpose” by the Garda Representative Association (GRA).
Having campaigned for years for a new building, ardaí eventually left the bungalow station two years ago, and it has been lying idle ever since.
In June 2015, at the behest of the GRA, an engineers' inspection found the station was home to rats, was too small, and that prisoners had to be brought through the front public office due to a lack of custody facilities.
Steve Bannon charges
Former US president Donald Trump’s longtime ally Steve Bannon has surrendered to face state money-laundering and conspiracy charges in New York alleging he duped donors who gave money to build a wall on the US/Mexico border.
Mr Bannon was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday afternoon.
Prosecutors say that while Mr Bannon promised donors all the money they gave would go to building the wall, he was involved in funnelling hundreds of thousands of dollars to two other people involved in the scheme.
