LAST UPDATE | 23 Nov 2023
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our main story this morning, Cormac Fitzgerald reports that demand for food bank parcels in Northern Ireland has increased by 23% this year compared with last and is outstripping supply from donations.
Trussel Trust’s Northern Ireland manager warned that the “cost of living crisis has pushed more and more people to food banks who never thought they would have to darken [their] doors”.
The charity, which operates food banks across the United Kingdom, handed out 39,344 food parcels for adults and children in the North between the start of April and the end of September.
2. Israel has said a four-day Gaza truce and hostage release will not start until at least tomorrow, stalling a breakthrough deal to pause the war with Hamas.
Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi indicated the release of at least 50 Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas was still on track, but would not happen today as expected.
“The start of the release will take place according to the original agreement between the sides, and not before Friday,” he said in a statement.
3. A car erupted into a fireball at a US-Canada checkpoint near Niagara Falls yesterday, killing the two occupants, triggering border closures and sparking a massive security alert on the eve of a major holiday.
Much remained unclear about the incident at the Rainbow Bridge, which prompted concerns on both sides of the border as the US headed into the Thanksgiving holiday.
Overnight, the FBI’s Buffalo office said that it had concluded its investigation: “A search of the scene revealed no explosive materials, and no terrorism nexus was identified,” it said in a statement.
4. Tánaiste Micheál Martin has announced that government plans to bring forward legislation to get rid of the triple lock for Irish military involvement in operations abroad.
The “triple lock” is a mechanism whereby troops can only be deployed by Ireland if there is a United Nations mandate, clearance from the Government and a vote in the Dáil.
5. An international report says that oil and gas producers are facing a “moment of truth” to embrace a shift to clean energy or continue to deepen the climate crisis.
The global energy watchdog, the International Energy Agency (IEA), released a report on the future of fossil fuels and said oil and gas producers need to make “pivotal choices about their role in the global energy system”.
6. The far-right, anti-Islam party of firebrand politician Geert Wilders has won the Dutch election, exit polls have suggested.
The PVV (Freedom Party) won 35 seats in parliament, according to the Ipsos exit poll, comfortably winning the election, with the centre-right bloc on 23 seats and a left-wing bloc on 26.
7. Christmas festivities get underway around Dublin this weekend as Dublin City Council begin the first of their 27 tree-lighting ceremonies in local communities tomorrow.
From Ballyfermot to Ballymun, and Dolphins Barn to Darndale, the festive spirit will soon be ramping up right across the city, the council said
8. Stephen Kenny’s time as Republic of Ireland manager has come to an end, the FAI has announced.
A statement released last night reads that the decision was taken not to renew Kenny’s contract following a meeting and a presentation to the FAI Board by CEO Jonathan Hill and Director of Football Marc Canham.
9. The government’s plan to remove the Triple Lock was labelled as “particularly dangerous” this morning by Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy.
Carthy said the Triple Lock is the “foundation on which our current military neutrality is based”.
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