GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our lead story this morning, Christina Finn gives an hour-by-hour look at how the day will play out as Tánaiste Leo Varadkar takes over as Taoiseach.
Micheál Martin will travel to Áras an Uachtaráin this morning to submit his resignation as Taoiseach to President Michael D Higgins.
Later today, Varadkar will take over the role of Taoiseach for the final two years of the coalition Government.
2. The housing director for Waterford has suggested he would “be loathe” to introduce a policy whereby emergency beds could be provided to anyone from outside the county who is homeless.
Ivan Grimes told a public meeting of councillors for Waterford City and County Council last week that if the ‘local connections’ policy were to be suspended, then it could see “word spread very quickly” and the city’s “homeless numbers would shoot up”.
Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has previously said he has issued “clear directions” to local authorities that they are not to implement the policy for people seeking an emergency bed for somewhere to stay.
3. Ukraine is working to restore electricity to hospitals, heating systems and other critical infrastructure in major cities after Russia’s latest wave of attacks on the power grid prompted accusations of “war crimes”.
The volley of missiles unleashed yesterday pitched multiple cities into darkness, cutting water and heat and forcing people to endure below-freezing temperatures.
In Kyiv, where the mayor said only a third of residents had heat or water, people wrapped in winter coats crammed into underground metro stations after air raid sirens rang out in the morning.
4. Elon Musk has reinstated the Twitter accounts of several journalists who were suspended after he accused them of endangering his family.
Musk had drawn anger and warnings from the EU and UN after suspending the accounts of more than half a dozen prominent journalists from the New York Times, CNN and the Washington Post.
5. An elderly pedestrian has died after being struck by a van in Co Wexford.
The collision occurred on the N25 at Killinick, Co Wexford shortly after 5pm yesterday evening.
6. In the US, the House panel investigating the attack on the US Capitol in Washington DC is considering recommending the Justice Department pursue three criminal charges against former president Donald Trump, including insurrection.
The 6 January panel is also considering recommending prosecutors pursue charges for obstructing an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud the United States, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
7. Back at home, ex-Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall yesterday claimed that his former co-accused Gerard ‘The Monk’ Hutch is “terrorising” his family and, pointing towards the Special Criminal Court dock, said he has been hit with “a barrage of more threats and more threats”.
Dowdall also told the non-jury court that his 62-year-old mother and his children have received death threats since he decided to turn State’s witness and give evidence against Hutch.
8. In Germany, a giant aquarium containing around 1,500 tropical fish burst in Berlin yesterday, flooding a hotel lobby and a nearby street and leaving two people injured.
It remains unclear what caused the incident at the 14-metre high AquaDom aquarium at around 5.50am (4.50am Irish time), police said.
9. The sixth and final episode of Redacted Lives, a six-part documentary series by The Journal about mother and baby homes, is out now.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say