GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.

COP 29

1. Tens of thousands of people are gathering for the largest global climate conference this week – but the leaders of some of the world’s biggest polluters are skipping it.

The 29th annual COP, which is being hosted by Azerbaijan, needs to bring countries together to agree on a new target for financing climate action.

War in Ukraine

2. US president-elect Donald Trump spoke to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine, The Washington Post reported on Sunday.

Trump held the call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, just days after his stunning election victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris, the report said.

Fine Gael 

3. Fine Gael will today launch their party’s housing policy which includes ring fencing cost-rental units for frontline workers and boosting the Rent Tax Credit to €1,500.

Fianna Fáil

4. Fianna Fáil’s manifesto pledges to increase the State pension by €12 per year until it reaches €350 per week. 

The manifesto, which is due to be published today, states that if the party is returned to government, it will also maintain the retirement age at 66.

Social Democrats 

5. The Social Democrats will later today announce a new policy that includes proposals to establish a new Government Accountability Office and an Anti-Corruption Agency. 

Fatal crash

6. A man has died in a sinngle vehicle crash in Strabane, Co Tyrone.

Irish military

7. Irish military representative groups will next week travel to Brussels to meet MEPs and other officials to ask them to campaign for better conditions for Irish Defence Forces members.

Fine Gael v Fianna Fáil

8. Micheál Martin has raised concerns about Fine Gael’s plan to reduce the VAT rate for the food and hospitality sector to 11% stating that “the problem with going to 11% is gas and electricity prices would have to be brought to 11% as well”. 

Michael O’Leary 

9. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has doubled down on this criticism of the number of former teachers in the Dáil.