GOOD MORNING.

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

Garda assault

1. A man remains in custody in connection with the assault and robbery of two off-duty gardaí who were attacked in the Temple Bar area of Dublin on Friday night, with one in critical condition with serious head injuries following the assault.

It is believed the incident happened as the gardaí were making their way home from socialising in the city.

US ambassador

2. US president-elect Donald Trump has announced that Edward Walsh, president of the construction services business the Walsh Company, will serve as Ambassador to Ireland.

Announcing the news on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the new US ambassador to Ireland as a “great philanthropist in his local community”.

PSNI investigation

3. Police in Northern Ireland have said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of a woman in Co Down.

The PSNI and paramedics were called to the incident in the Laurel Heights area of Banbridge shortly after 6pm on Saturday evening.

Syria talks

4. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that the US government had made contact with Syria’s victorious Hayat Tahrir al-Sham rebels, as Western and Arab states voiced joint support for a united, peaceful Syria.

Blinken’s comment on “direct contact” with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebels came despite the United States having designated the group as terrorists in 2018.

Fossil fuel use

5. A small Co Kerry community group which saved its main road from being lost to the sea has urged the State to speed up decarbonisation.

Maharees Conservation Association (MCA) has warned that unless the government prioritises efforts to switch to a low carbon economy, vulnerable coastal areas are in danger of being wiped out.

Athlone IPAS centre

6. A centre for families in international protection in Athlone had its emergency exit deliberately sealed shut by an anti-migrant group in recent weeks, amid heightened tensions over expansions to asylum services in the town.

The barrier on the rear exit was only removed when an ambulance needed to access the centre last Sunday to bring a resident to hospital.

Irish army officer

7. An Irish army officer has become the latest to be honoured by the Ukrainian Government for the work of Irish soldiers helping Ukrainian troops prepare for the frontline.

The army officer was, along with a team of enlisted personnel, worked in Germany training Ukrainian soldiers in a raft of skills including infantry tactics and battlefield medicine.

All-Ireland final

8. Kilkerrin-Clonberne held off a strong challenge from Kilmacud Crokes to claim their fourth consecutive AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Championship title.

The Galway and Connacht champions completed their four in a row against the first-time women’s club football finalists.

Dancing With the Stars

9. Meteorologist Joanna Donnelly has been revealed as the final contestant for January’s Dancing with the Stars.

The series returns to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday January 5 at 6:30pm, and will include a celebrity line up including  Olympian Rhys McClenaghan and singer Mickey Joe Harte.