The Chief Medical Officer has warned against what he described as “a really concerning practice” of parents sending children back to school if they are symptomatic based on a ‘not detected’ antigen test result. Dr Holohan reiterated his position that antigen tests are not as accurate as PCR tests, and that concerns remain about people self-administering these tests. 

Nightclubs and most music venues will effectively be able to operate at full capacity when they reopen tonight after 585 days of enforced closure with the Government last night making major concessions to the hospitality sector. 

In a bizarre turn of events, a 61-year-old former council employee has been jailed for six months after he admitted trapping two rats and releasing them into the offices of his former employer because he had a grievance with a member of the local management team.

And Donald Trump’s media company has announced plans to launch a new social network named TRUTH Social.

In the world of finance, Bank of Ireland is set to acquire almost all of KBC Bank Ireland’s performing loan assets and liabilities in a deal worth €5 billion. KBC Bank Ireland says the transaction would ultimately result in KBC Group’s withdrawal from the Irish market

Meanwhile, The HSE has released new guidance which would allow partners of pregnant women to be present for longer periods during pregnancy. Previously, certain hospitals had implemented rules whereby partners had to return to their vehicle once the woman was checked into the hospital. The new measures kick into effect on 1st November.

And the Transport Minister has said the issue of legal costs imposed on the families of the victims of the Irish Coast Guard helicopter R116 crash “will be resolved very quickly”. Eamon Ryan denied that the Government objected to the awarding of legal costs to the families arising from a Department of Transport review into the 2017 incident, which claimed four lives.

Overseas, more than 2,000 Amazon warehouse workers in New York City hope to hold a vote to unionise, in the latest labour push at the firm. It's the second organising effort at the online shopping giant this year, and comes amid a pick-up in union activity across the US.

And finally, we wrap up this week with a happy little coincidence - a busker in the US had a chance encounter with John Legend - while singing his hit song All Of Me. The Grammy winner was visiting Boston with his family before his concert on Sunday night when he stopped to watch street performer Radha Rao, who didn’t recognise him at first as he was wearing a mask. Not the most common occurrence to be singing someone’s song and they just happen to pass by! 

Have a good weekend everyone.