The 9 at 9: Wednesday

Updated Dec 18th 2019, 8:50 AM

Source: Shutterstock/KucherAV

EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you all the news you need to know as you start the day.

1. #CLIMATE CHANGE: Australia has experienced its hottest day on record after hitting 40.9 degrees – and the heatwave is expected to worsen.

2. #WATERFORD ROAD: Gardaí are investigating the sudden death of a man in his 40s, whose body was found in a house in Kilkenny.

3. #NON-STOP RISE: The average price to rent a home in Ireland is now €1,243, according to the latest quarterly index from the Residential Tenancies Board.

4. #ME TOO: A Japanese court awarded 3.3 million yen (€27,000) in damages to journalist Shiori Ito, who accused a former TV reporter of rape in a high-profile case.

5. #CERVICALCHECK: Hospital colposcopy services are still “under pressure” due to increased referrals and the requirement for increased consultation time, the Oireachtas health committee will hear today.

6. #US: Donald Trump faces becoming the third US leader ever to be impeached today, as the House of Representatives is set for a vote that would trigger his Senate trial.

7. #PATROLS: Gardaí have said there will be “increased visibility” on the streets in and around the Grand Canal near Inchicore, Bluebell and Drimnagh in the run up to Christmas after a number of recent assaults and instances of anti-social behaviour.

8. #UPGRADE: The Central Statistics Office is set to spend an estimated €1.2 million on smartphones, routers and other equipment as it goes digital for Census 2021.

9. #POST-MATCH ANALYSIS: Sports Ireland are to appear before the Oireachtas sports committee today; the Irish Times reports that they will say they relied on “clean” audits when approving grants for the FAI.

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