LAST UPDATE | 15 Dec 2022
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
Lebanon
1. A member of the Irish Defence Forces serving as part of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has died after his convoy came under attack.
A convoy in which the soldier was travelling came under fire as members of 121st Infantry Battalion were travelling to Beirut.
President Michael D Higgins said that as Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces it was “with a heavy heart, and conscious of the great loss it will represent to them, that I offer my deepest condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of the member of the Defence Forces who has lost their life”.
Offaly
2. A man has been arrested following the suspected fatal assault of a woman in Co Laois yesterday evening.
The woman, aged in her 30s, was discovered with serious injuries at a residence in Mountmellick shortly before five yesterday, a Garda statement said.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The economy
3. A new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has forecast core inflation in 2023 to be almost as high as this year and has warned of disruptions to Ireland’s exports.
In its quarterly economic commentary for Winter 2022, the think tank warned of recession risks amongst Ireland’s main trading partners, persistent cost-of-living pressures and core inflation of 7.1% for next year.
St John of Gods
4. A Dublin psychiatric hospital has completed a U-turn and said it will be able to pay pre-Christmas wages to its staff.
St John of God’s in Stillorgan said it had “resolved” an issue affecting salary payments and that its workforce will be paid next week on December 22.
One member of staff who contacted The Journal said “no further explanation” was given to workers.
Pet theft
5. The government has agreed not to oppose a private member’s Bill that would introduce a separate offence for pet theft along with a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than 10 months’ imprisonment.
The Bill, put forward by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, and co-signed by Regional Group TDs Verona Murphy and Seán Canny, will come before the Dáil today for its second reading.
UK lake tragedy
6. A six-year-old boy has become the fourth child to die after falling into an icy lake in Solihull.
The young boy had been fighting for his life in hospital since the incident at Babbs Mill Lake, Solihull, near Birmingham, on Sunday.
Not top dog
7. Elon Musk has been replaced as the richest person in the world.
He has been overtaken by French billionaire Bernard Arnault, the chief executive of LVMH, the world’s leading luxury retail group which owns 75 premium brands including Louis Vuitton and Moët & Chandon.
Airport security
8. Rules around taking liquids and laptops through airport security in the UK will be eased from June 2024.
Passengers at most major UK airports will be able to carry liquids in containers holding up to two litres in what will be the biggest relaxation of aviation security regulations in decades.
The current limit is 100ml.
The outlook
9. The weather is set to turn milder from Saturday onwards after a lowest temperature of -10.8 degrees was recorded in Co Cavan last night and lows of -5 to -8 degrees are expected locally tonight.
However, it will become cooler again from next Tuesday.
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