Lisa Smith and her baby in custody of Turkish officials
Irish woman Lisa Smith and her baby are in the custody of Turkish officials.
The Dundalk woman travelled to Syria three years ago to join the so-called 'Islamic State' group.
Last week, it was reported that the Department of Foreign Affairs was in the process of finalising identity papers and travel documents for the mother and child, who are both Irish citizens.
New direct provision centres will not house "anywhere near" 5,500 people
The Department of Justice has said it is not seeking "anywhere near" 5,500 additional accommodation places in direct provision centres.
An earlier report in the Irish Times suggested nearly 5,500 asylum seekers were to be housed in new direct provision centres across the country.
However the department said the number of additional bed spaces any potential new centres will bring "will only become clear" once all tenders are completed and any new offers are assessed for suitability.
RTÉ staff call on management to slash "indefensible" salaries
A number of RTÉ staff members have called on the State broadcaster to cut the salaries of its top presenters and managers immediately.
Members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) working there have called on management to slash fees and salaries.
It is part of a resolution backed overwhelming at an on-campus NUJ meeting held on Thursday.
Mother whose son was smuggled into Ireland says choice was “life and death”
A mother whose young son was smuggled into Ireland in recent weeks has said it was a matter of "life and death."
The woman has been in direct provision since arriving in Ireland from Zimbabwe just over a year ago.
In an exclusive interview with Newstalk reporter Barry Whyte, she said living without her six-year-old son in the months since has been extremely difficult.
Light pollution is driving an 'insect apocalypse', study finds
The use of artificial light at night is a major driver in declining insect populations.
That is according to an international study, which examined the rapidly declining numbers.
It is a joint venture by researchers from Tufts University, McDaniel College and Washington University in the US, Canada's Université Laval and the University of Melbourne.
