Your top stories on Friday: Baby died while being carried in a sling; rain warnings issued with risk of flooding

Five-week-old baby boy died while being carried in sling, inquest hears

A five-week-old baby died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) while being carried in a sling, an inquest has heard.

The coroner in the case, which came before Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Thursday, said she will write to the HSE to ensure parents are aware of the risks associated with the use of the baby carriers.

News in Ireland

Asylum seekers cleared from Grand Canal by gardaí within minutes of arriving: Some 20 asylum seekers with tents, some of whom arrived to Ireland on Thursday morning, were cleared from the Grand Canal in Dublin within minutes of arriving on Thursday night.
‘Ludicrous, irritating and very wrong’: E-Scooter users on public transport ban: Electric scooter users who will be forced to leave their personal vehicles at home from next week due to a ban on them on public transport are “really annoyed” and pondering how to adjust their commutes.
Ireland weather: Met Éireann issues orange rain warning for two counties this weekend: Heavy rain has been forecast for seven counties in the south and west of the country this weekend.
Boris Johnson says Joe Biden told him his family origins ‘were not really Irish at all’: Boris Johnson has claimed US president Joe Biden, who publicly plays up his Irish roots, privately told him that his family origins were not really Irish at all, but English.
‘We got it wrong’: Irish Rail to revert to old Dublin Connolly timetable: Irish Rail is to scrap new Dublin commuter train timetables, which were introduced last August, due to punctuality issues which resulted in stinging Government and public criticism.
Chambers and Donohoe privately raised concerns around scale of child benefit payments: The finance and public expenditure Ministers raised concerns privately about the nature of some expenditure elements of Tuesday’s Budget 2025 in advance of it being signed off, The Irish Times has learned.
Weather forecast: Friday will be mostly cloudy and damp with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. Highest temperatures of 14 to 17 degrees. Tonight, rain will become persistent in the west. It will spread eastwards over Munster and Connacht turning heavy at times with flooding likely, especially in the southwest. Drier in Leinster and Ulster with patchy rain. Lowest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees.
Check out today’s Most Read stories
Join The Irish Times WhatsApp channel for breaking news straight to your phone.

The Big Read

How multibillion budget was hammered out over tea, coffee and custard creams: In the depths of the budget-making process ahead of budget day last Tuesday, one senior Coalition figure complained about ministerial kite-flying as Cabinet members filed in to seek more and more money. But even then, it was clear there was a scope to do more.

Opinion

John McManus: Days of remote working start to look increasingly numbered for Ireland’s workers

Business

‘It will never be for sale’: French billionaire vows never to hang up on Eir: Xavier Niel, the French telecoms magnate, made the most of the Olympics in his home city this summer, attending the opening ceremony, beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower, equestrian events at Versailles and skateboarding at Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris.

Sports

Ireland sitting ahead of Springboks shows rugby world rankings are ‘a load of nonsense’: Never since the introduction of the official World Rugby men’s rankings 21 years ago has any side made quite such a mockery of the rating system than South Africa right now.

World

Fresh Israeli attacks in Beirut target new Hizbullah leader as 18 killed in strike on West Bank cafe: Israel has launched a fresh round of air strikes on Beirut overnight, with witnesses describing them as more powerful than the massive strike that killed Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah almost a week ago.
Country music star Garth Brooks accused of sexual assault in civil lawsuit: A hair and make-up artist has accused the country singer Garth Brooks of sexual assault and battery in a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, claims the musician has strongly denied.

Life & Style

I feel like I’ve hit the lottery with my partner: I make the money, he makes me lunches: I’ve come to realise that having a stay-at-home partner is the ultimate life hack. When we moved to Australia, I temporarily became the main breadwinner while my partner looked for a job. I went off to work every day while he assumed the running of the household.