LAST UPDATE | 26 Sep 2022

GOOD MORNING.

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

Covid vaccines

1. In our lead story this morning, Diarmuid Pepper explains everything you need to know about the new, adapted Covid-19 vaccines ahead of the winter.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly recently announced that new “adapted bivalent” vaccines are to be rolled out early next month.

And while Professor of Immunology Christine Loscher says the emergency phase of the Covid pandemic is behind us, she’s cautioned that there are still good reasons to get the vaccine and booster jabs.

House prices

2. A new report has revealed that housing prices were largely stable between June and September.

The average listed price nationwide in the third quarter of this year was €311,514, an increase of 0.1% on the average for the second quarter of the year.

The sales report Daft.ie says a lack of supply has been a relatively constant feature in the market over the past five years.

Free school books

3. Primary-school children will receive free schoolbooks as part of measures to be introduced in Budget 2023.

The initiative will commence next September and will not be a once-off measure.

Italian election

4. Far-right candidate Giorgia Meloni has claimed leadership of the next Italian government.

Her Brothers of Italy party has its roots in the post-fascist movement founded by supporters of dictator Benito Mussolini.

The party won between 22 percent and 26 percent of the vote in the two houses, according to national broadcaster RAI.

Pound plummets in value

5. The pound has slumped to its lowest level against the dollar since 1971, after British Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng hinted more tax cuts would follow those he announced last week.

Meanwhile, the euro also hit a fresh 20-year low amid recession and energy security fears.

Iran protests

6. Iranians have defied a warning from the judiciary and took to the streets for a 10th consecutive night to protest the death of young Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in morality police custody.

At least 41 people have died since the unrest began, according to an official toll, but other sources say the real figure is higher.

War in Ukraine

7. The United States has warned Russia privately of “catastrophic” consequences if it uses nuclear weapons as part of the Ukraine invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a thinly veiled threat to use nuclear arms in a speech last week, in which he announced the mobilisation of reservists following Ukrainian gains on the ground.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in an interview broadcast yesterday, confirmed reports that the US has sent private warnings to Russia to steer clear of nuclear war.

Northern Ireland Protocol

8. Ireland’s ambassador to the UK has stressed the need to find a negotiated solution to the problems surrounding Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit arrangements.

Martin Fraser said he was an optimist about the chances of resolving the issues around the Northern Ireland Protocol but the situation was currently in the “words phase” and had to move to the “actions phase”.

The UK government is legislating to effectively tear up parts of the agreement, which sets out how goods flowing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland are treated.

Anchor discovery

9. An anchor discovered during survey works for an offshore wind farm could date from Roman times, an archaeologist has said.

The 100kg wrought iron anchor, which is more than two metres long, was discovered during works for ScottishPower Renewables’ East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm.

It was first discovered in 2018 during marine seabed survey works prior to construction of the wind farm, around 25 miles off the coast of Suffolk.