LAST UPDATE | 9 hrs ago
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
1. An explosion outside Brazil’s Supreme Court has killed one person in Brasilia, local police and firefighters said.
A police statement said an item exploded outside the court without providing more details. Local firefighters confirmed that one person died at the scene, but did not identify the victim.
2. Need a catch up? Want a preview of the day? Read everything you need to know about the seventh day on the general election campaign here.
Manifesto launches, policy announcements, climate, farmers and… the FAI feature on today’s timetable.
3. In this morning’s lead story, David MacRedmond fact checks Fine Gael’s previous stances on drugs as any of their criticisms of other parties’ stances could just be smoke and mirrors.
Take a trip down memory lane and see what has the party previously said itself about decriminalisation, heath-led approaches and other legislation.
4. In the first major sit-down interview of the general election, Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris was quizzed on the cost-of-living concerns around the country, his party’s proposals ahead of polling day, immigration and scoliosis care.
He told viewers that they can expect lower energy bills if his party were to be re-elected into government again and defended his party’s record in power.
5. How did a politician who was previously the butt of Donald Trump’s jokes become appointed the leading figure of international policy in the US President-elect’s new cabinet?
His journey mirrors that of the US Republican party over the past decade, from first resisting Trump to eventually bowing to the business tycoon’s takeover of the party and becoming a full-throated supporter.
6. Spain’s eastern Valencia region is braced for more torrential rain, two weeks after the country’s worst floods in generations killed more than 200 people there.
Other parts of Spain are also on high alert this morning and have evacuated thousands of residents and closed schools as another storm lashed the country. Up to 180 mms of rain is expected to fall in 12 hours.
7. The US Republican party were declared the majority party in the US House of Representatives yesterday, completing a clean sweep of Congress and the White House and handing incoming president Donald Trump vast legislative power.
After more than a week of vote counting, CNN and NBC projected that Trump’s party had reached the 218 seats needed to retain their majority in the 435-seat lower chamber, having already seized the Senate from the Democrats.
8. It will be a cloudy drizzly day in most areas, with temperatures remaining mild, but it is expected to get significantly colder at the beginning of next week.
According to Met Éireann there will be some mist and fog this morning that will clear to a mostly cloudy day with patches of drizzle. Highest temperatures will be 11 to 14 degrees.
9. Controversial Republican representative Matt Gaetz resigned from the US Congress yesterday, almost immediately after incoming US president Donald Trump nominated him to become Attorney General of his new administration.
His resignation launched an eight-week timeline to fill his seat, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson. Yesterday, Republicans secured a majority in the House, completing a clean sweep against the Democrats. But the majority is on a knife-edge.
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