GOOD MORNING.

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

New Orleans

1. A US Army veteran driving a pickup truck that bore the flag of the Islamic State group wrought carnage on New Orleans’ raucous New Year’s celebration, killing 15 people as he steered around a police blockade and slammed into revellers before being shot dead by police.

Las Vegas

2. Firework mortars and camp fuel canisters were found stuffed into the back of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded outside President-elect Donald Trump’s Las Vegas hotel early yesterday, killing a suspect inside the vehicle and sparking an intense investigation into possible terrorism.

Big Tobacco

3. In our Morning Lead, The Journal Investigates examines the ‘infiltration’ of the vaping industry in Ireland by ‘Big Tobacco’ and how it is looking to vaping to safeguard bumper profits as cigarette sales fall.

Montenegro

4. A gunman who opened fire at a restaurant in southern Montenegro killed a total of 12 people, including two children, according to authorities.

Road deaths

5. A total of 174 people died in 160 fatal collisions last year, according to an analysis from provisional fatal collision reports from An Garda Síochána.

Al Jazeera

6. News channel Al Jazeera said it “deplores” the decision by the Palestinian Authority to close its office in the occupied West Bank and to block the station and its coverage.

Housing

7. Housing prices in Ireland rose by an average of 9% in 2024, according to a new report from property website Daft.ie. 

Public Sector standards

8. Transparancy International Ireland is requesting that essential reforms to improve access to information from public agencies and politicians be prioritised by the incoming government.

Luke Littler

9. Luke Littler advanced to the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship for a second year running as he cruised past Nathan Aspinall 5-2 in their last-eight clash.