VW recalling 100,000 EVs over battery issuesMichael McAleerVolkswagen is recalling nearly 100,000 electric vehicles, citing problems linked to battery modules. The recall notices affect nearly 75,000 vehicles from Volkswagen’s ID. To date, VW has recorded 18,403 Irish sales of its ID range of electric cars, while Cupra registered 1,578 Borns here since its launch. A software update will be run on the vehicles brought in, the high voltage battery will be inspected, and if needed, individual modules of the battery will be replaced. Customers will be contacted in the coming days to arrange the necessary steps and schedule an appointment with their service centre, the company said.

Married At First Sight (Mafs) relationship coach Mel Schilling has died aged 54, weeks after announcing that doctors could no longer treat her cancer. Schilling – known for offering relationship advice on the hit Channel 4 reality dating show – died on Tuesday “surrounded by love”, according to a family statement. A statement from her husband Gareth said: “Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love. “To most of you, she was Mel Schilling — matriarch of Mafs and queen of reality TV. Channel 4 paid tribute to the relationship coach, in a statement shared on Instagram, describing Schilling as someone who “radiated joy, warmth and optimism”.

Smyths Toys assured parents that the overall risk is low, however the manufacturer is recalling the affected items as a precaution. Smyths Toys has said trace levels of asbestos have been detected in a range of dig toys made with blocks of sand containing gem stones, pirates’ treasure and dinosaur eggs that it has been selling. The toys come as blocks of sand and include excavation tools that children can use to dig out the toys buried in the boxes. “Testing has shown that the material inside some products may contain trace levels of asbestos,” the recall notice said. They are the Dino Dig Sensory Bin; a Gold Dig It Kit; a 10 piece Dig It Out Dinosaur Eggs kit, a Dig It Up Pirates Treasure Set; a Gem Dig Kit 8 Pack; a Pocket Play Gold Treasure Chest Dig It kit and a Gem Dig Kit 12 Gem Pack.

Passenger data of people flying in and out of Ireland from the EU will be collected by the Government under a plan agreed at Cabinet. The changes concern the statutory framework for processing passenger name record (PNR) data by the Irish passenger information unit within the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration. The regulations require airlines to transfer PNR data for flights entering or leaving Ireland from non-EU countries to the Irish passenger information unit. The EU directive also provided the option for member states to extend the requirements to airlines in respect of “intra-EU flights” — flights operating within the EU. Mr O’Callaghan said that currently “PNR data only extends to those flying to and from Ireland from outside the EU”.

In March, 1998, Ireland lost 2-1 to the Czech Republic in a friendly so insignificant neither country televised it. Czech Republic manager Miroslav Koubek is set for his first match in international football management against Ireland in Thursday's World Cup qualifier semi-final in Prague. Photograph: Paolo Bruno/Getty ImagesThe Czech Republic debutant in Thursday’s World Cup qualifier semi-final against Ireland will be considerably older than all the others mentioned. Should Koubek guide the Czechs to the World Cup, he will become the oldest manager in World Cup finals history. At Euro 2004, the Czech Republic lost their semi-final against Greece to the only silver goal scored in an international.

Alex Murphy is aware that being a Premier League player in name is a different beast to being one in practice. Ireland’s sole representative in the Champions League at an English club is appreciative of the opportunities afforded by Eddie Howe. The Newcastle United manager opted against recruiting cover for Lewis Hall because he has the Galway native. “That’s massive for any young player at the start, being just grateful to be there, but the longer it goes on, you just want to break into the team eventually. “It’s good to say that you’re a Premier League player and be in the squads every week but as a player you want to play in games.

Mike Nesbitt said some health trusts have been piloting the use of body-worn cameras for staff in their emergency departments. His department committed to working to address violence and aggression in the workplace with a framework published in December 2023. He described measures to protect frontline staff, including trained security staff, CCTV and the use of body-worn cameras. “They act as a potential deterrent, and they allow staff to capture video footage of instances of violence and aggression,” he said. “It would be my hope that we will end up with body-worn cameras being available to all HSE (health and social care) staff who are working in areas where there is that engagement with patients/service users,” he said.

ESB profits down by 10% due to impact of Storm ÉowynBy Cillian Sherlock, Press AssociationThe ESB Group saw a 10 per cent drop in profit after tax last year due to “unplanned costs” relating to Storm Éowyn, the Cabinet heard on Tuesday. Storm Éowyn in January 2025 is recognised as one of the most dangerous and destructive storms in living memory in Ireland. The impacts of Storm Éowyn were particularly severe and prolonged in remote and rural communities across the western seaboard, the north-west and midlands of the country. It saw a million customers of ESB and NIE without electricity supply across the island of Ireland, with a week long interruption to power and water supplies in parts. ESB had previously said it incurred additional operating costs of the order of an aggregate €100 million in reconnecting customers and remediating the damage to networks’ infrastructure following Storm Éowyn.

John Connolly (38), of Termon Road, Boyle, Oisín McCann (28), of Abbeytown, Boyle, Nathan McCann (24), of Park Court, Strokestown, and John McDonnell (27), of Knockrush, Boyle all appeared before Judge Kenneth Connolly at Roscommon Circuit Court. The four were initially charged with violent disorder, with additional charges against Mr McDonnell of section 3 assault causing harm and criminal damage. All of the accused gave voluntary caution statements and acknowledged their presence in some capacity, with Mr McDonnell admitting to pushing Mr McCann, but denying any more serious assault. Nathan McCann, Judge Connolly stated, was “least complicit” in these matters. John Connolly, who is 38 years old, “should know better than to involve himself in this kind of carry on”, Judge Connolly said.

Myleene Klass proved she's still got it as she recreated her iconic I'm A Celebrity white bikini moment 20 years later for Instagram snaps on Tuesday. Myleene looked ageless in the stunning photoshoot as she teased an exciting project from the unknown sunny destination. It's not the first time Myleene has recreated her iconic I'm A Celebrity moment where she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure. Sharing snaps in a different white bikini last year, Myleene penned on Instagram: 'The OG (Although you can't turn this waterfall off). While Windsor has been convicted, Myleene previously told ITV News that the ordeal had left an effect on her.

Had you been paying attention to the Government's announcement of fuel supports, you will have heard the hits. The Government reacted on Tuesday to runaway prices at the petrol pumps with a suite of measures. To recap: excise on petrol will fall by 15c per litre, with diesel excise cut by 20c. It is very easy to begin a package of supports; it's a lot harder politically to unwind them. The political manoeuvring out of supports will be difficult to unwind, even in the face of opposition criticism that they don't go far enough.

A controlled delivery of the package was arranged to the address on the label — Marconi House, the headquarters of Bauer Media, in Dublin city centre. National radio stations Newstalk and Today FM are broadcast from Marconi House and Dublin station 98FM and music station Spin FM also operate from the premises. When the package was accepted by the man at the broadcaster's offices, gardaí attached to Dublin South Central Division arrested the man and customs officers seized the drugs. Revenue officers seized approximately 5.5kg of herbal cannabis at a business premises in south Dublin City Centre. While the sale of cannabis is legal at a federal level in Canada, its export is mostly illegal.

The Criminal Assets Bureau has been unable to realise the value of 6,000 seized bitcoins which are worth just under €370m because the access codes to digital wallets have been lost. CAB has, though, seized and sold cryptocurrency worth almost €6.5m in the past 10 years, according to new figures from the Department of Justice. CAB became the first law enforcement agency in the world to seize Ethereum in 2016, which it subsequently sold through a cryptocurrency exchange for €22,656. He had hidden the access codes to 12 digital wallets inside the aluminium cap of a fishing rod case in his rented house in Connemara, Co Galway. Last week, justice minister Jim O’Callaghan confirmed the digital wallets seized by the State remain inaccessible and the assets cannot be sold.

Mohamed Salah statement in full as Liverpool star reveals he is quitting clubMohamed Salah will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after the Egypt star confirmed to fans in an emotional video that his time at Anfield is upView Image Mohamed Salah has announced this will be his final season as a Liverpool player (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA)Mohamed Salah has released a statement confirming that this will be his final season as a Liverpool player. But all good things come to an end and Salah has confirmed that he plans to move on in the summer, with the club confirming an agreement has been reached for the player to leave. ‌An emotional video confirming Salah's exit quickly went viral on social media. This is the first part of my farewell: I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. Mohamed Salah announces he is LEAVING Liverpool in bombshell statement READ MORE :"I wanted to start by saying that I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people, would become part of my life.

One Russian drone struck the Bernardine monastery, a 16th-century church in Lviv’s Unesco-listed medieval centre, causing damage, local authorities said. After enduring a winter of widespread power and heating cuts, Ukraine is braced for a renewed Russian push. Russian troops have continued a slow advance in the eastern Donetsk region during the winter, edging closer to the key city of Sloviansk from the north and east. It is telling that while our negotiators were reporting, Russia launched a new wave of ‘shahed’ drones against Ukraine. It is telling that while our negotiators were reporting, Russia launched a new wave of “shahed” drones against Ukraine.