GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our lead story this morning, Lauren Boland reports from COP23 in Dubai on how while many countries are engaging in crucial negotiations about taking action to thwart climate change, something else is often happening on the side.
Many also use it as an opportunity to sell themselves as climate-friendly, even if their actions at home don’t line up with their words.
Least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDs) come to conferences like COP28 and try to emphasise to the rest of the world that they are suffering the worst impacts of the climate crisis despite contributing the least to causing it.
Among bigger economies with more culpability for climate change, some enter into negotiations in good faith, but others — particularly China and Russia — are known for throwing spanners in the works.
2. Met Éireann has issued weather warnings for today as Storm Fergus is set to make landfall.
It comes directly after Storm Elin, and will see orange weather warnings for the west coast, in Galway, Mayo, and Clare, with strong on and offshore winds, and potential for flooding.
3. A hostage held by Hamas in Gaza was killed amid a failed rescue attempt.
Sahar Baruch, 25, is the latest confirmed fatality and was among scores of Israelis and foreigners taken captive during Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel.
Separate statements from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Hamas confirmed that a hostage rescue operation took place without success.
The news came as Israeli forces continued to push into southern Gaza.
4. A man has died in a road crash in County Cavan.
Shortly before midnight, Gardaí were alerted to a single vehicle collision on the R194 at Finaway, between Ballyjamesduff and Killyfassy Cross.
A male aged in his thirties was fatally injured after the van he was driving left the road and struck a wall.
He was pronounced deceased at the scene and his body has since been removed to Cavan General Hospital. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
5. The news that Justice Minister Helen McEntee is to expand controversial legislation for garda use of facial recognition technology (FRT) was met with disquiet from politicians and social justice campaigners.
McEntee has told legal officials in her department to include riot and violent disorder offences in the new legislation.
Draft FRT law will be ready to be approved by Government within weeks but the legislation will need to go through pre-legislative scrutiny before being finalised, which means it could be next year at the earliest before it comes into effect.
This piece examines how the technology will work and the impact it is likely to have on policing in Ireland.
6. After years of surging corporate tax revenues, with each year yielding more billions than the last, the tax take went down in August, writes Paul O’Donoghue.
“Then again in September. Then again in October,” before it shot back up again for November, as results this week confirmed.
Why is that? And why did the tax go down between August and October?
7. Family, friends and comrades of Private Sean Rooney will gather in Co Donegal tomorrow to remember him one year on from his death.
Sean was killed while on a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon on 14 December 2022.
Private Rooney, who was just 24, was killed when his UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle was attacked. Three others were wounded.
Now almost a year after his death a special wreath-laying ceremony will take place in Newtowncunningham where he is buried.
8. A South African woman who was arrested at Dublin Airport for people smuggling has been remanded in custody.
Shamieda Rania, 46, appeared before Dublin District Court yesterday. She is accused of assisting another unnamed person’s unlawful entry into, transit across or presence in the State, under section six of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Act, at Dublin Airport on 8 December, 2023.
9. Hundreds of migrants who cross into the United States from Mexico each day are being herded into open-air camps, where they have no access to food or water.
And some are left to sleep on the open ground in a desert riddled with scorpions and snakes, activists say.
Campaigners say many will be there for days, waiting to be processed by an immigration system that is overwhelmed by – and under-prepared for – the sheer number of people.
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