GOOD MORNING.

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

Garda Commissioner

1. In today’s lead story, Michelle Hennessy reports that the Policing Authority was “not satisfied” with comments made by the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris about a recent research report on Travellers’ experiences in the justice system.

An investigation by Noteworthy, The Journal’s investigative platform, outlines how Harris told the Policing Authority that he does not believe profiling is taking place in An Garda Síochána, despite the Irish Travellers’ Access to Justice (ITAJ) report publishing damning findings about the interactions Travellers have with gardaí, including that ethnic profiling is taking place.

The chief executive of the Policing Authority told Noteworthy: “If you look back at that meeting and the reaction when the Commissioner responded, I don’t think the authority was entirely satisfied with it.”

South Korea

2. South Korea is mourning the deaths of at least 151 people who were trapped and crushed after a huge Halloween party crowd surged into a narrow alley in the capital Seoul.

Many of the deceased were in their teens and 20s.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared a national mourning period today. 

Shooting

3. A man was taken to hospital last night after a shooting in Dundalk, Co Louth.

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to the incident, which occurred around 8.10pm in the Woodbury Gardens area of Dundalk, to come forward.

The man was brought to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Katie Taylor

4. Katie Taylor may fight in Croke Park next, according to her promoter.

The boxing champion defended her WBA, IBF, WBO, WBC and Ring Magazine lightweight belts at the Wembley Arena last night against opponent Elizabeth Carabajal.

After the match, promoter Eddie Hearn said: “We feel Croke Park is filled for any fight but I still think we want to take a super fight there… It is happening and it is next. Whoever it is, it will be in Ireland.”

Pylons

5. The ESB has taken High Court action over an order to release a transcript of negotiations for compensation over the building of electricity pylons on landowners’ property.

It has filed papers against the office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information, which granted the release of the transcript of a property arbitration hearing to transparency campaigners Right to Know.

The ESB argued that there was a risk of monetary loss and loss of future business opportunities connected with release of the transcript. 

Russia

6. The Russian army accused the UK of being involved in explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines, with the UK rejecting the accusation.

Russia did not provide evidence for the claim, which concerned the blasts that damaged the blasts in September that were believed to have been an act of sabotage.

US midterms

7. With the US midterm elections approaching, The Journal columnist Larry Donnelly has shared his insight into the factors that will dictate the outcome.

“What had looked like an absolute landslide for the GOP morphed into a potentially historic strong showing for their adversaries, yet my impression this weekend is that the Republicans once again hold the better hand,” Donnelly writes.

“The House of Representatives is all but gone. When it is put to them, Democratic operatives, on condition of anonymity, admit that it is merely a question of how big the new conservative majority will be.” 

Marathon

8. 25,000 people are expected to take part in the Dublin city marathon today.

It’s the first time since 2019 that the marathon is taking place in the capital due to Covid-19.

The route, which is approximately 42.2 kilometres long, will be making its way through a variety of residential areas in Dublin.

Daylight Savings

9. The clocks went back an hour at 2am this morning, meaning sunrise and sunset will each be an hour earlier.

Most smart devices automatically take Daylight Savings Time into account but you’ll probably need to change your analogue or digital clocks manually.

The clocks are set to go forward again at 1am on 26 March 2023.