LAST UPDATE | 19 Sep 2025

GOOD MORNING.

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

Defence Forces at UK arms fair

1. A large number of Irish military officers and civil service personnel travelled to a major arms fair in London last week as work continues on the purchase of new equipment for the Defence Forces – including, potentially, new vehicles, ships and aircraft.

Niall O’Connor reports that more than a dozen people made the journey to the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) event, which is a British Government-backed showcase of military hardware.

New Troubles legacy framework

2. The Irish and UK governments are to publish their long-awaited framework to deal with the legacy of the Northern Ireland’s Troubles today.

The new framework, which will include commitments to fundamentally reform the mechanisms established in the 2023 Legacy Act, will raise expectations that the Irish Government is moving closer to dropping its interstate legal case against the UK.

US vetoes Gaza ceasefire

3. The US has again wielded its veto and thwarted a UN Security Council call for a ceasefire in Gaza, shielding its ally Israel from meaningful diplomatic pressure.

Contactless payments

4. If you’re still tapping your bank card, you’re in the minority – most contactless payments in shops, restaurants and other outlets were made using phones and smartwatches in the first half of this year.

Trump versus TV

5. US President Donald Trump has suggested that broadcasters should lose their licences if they air programmes critical of him, following the suspension of talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

Culture Night

6. Over 1,700 free events will be held across the country tonight to celebrate Ireland’s 20th Culture Night.

The annual event, held by the Art’s Council and Local Authorities, is designed to celebrate and showcase arts and culture in Ireland – with over one million people taking part this year.

Dublin city arson

7. A cocktail bar in Dublin city centre remains cordoned off this morning following an overnight burglary and arson attack.

France protests

7. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in France yesterday to protest in a show of anger against President Emmanuel Macron’s government and its proposals to cut funding for public services.

AI weather forecast

8. Met Éireann and University College Dublin have teamed up to launch a new AI centre that aims to transform weather forecasting amid the growing risks posed by climate change.