LAST UPDATE | 18 Oct 2022

GOOD MORNING.

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

Hutch trial
1. The trial of Gerard ‘The Monk’ Hutch, who is accused of the murder of Kinahan gang member David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016, is set to open before the Special Criminal Court today.

Two weeks ago, lawyers for Hutch told the three-judge court that they had been forced to carry out a “fundamental reappraisal” of their trial strategy after being served with significant new evidence.

David Byrne was shot dead at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 after five men, three disguised as armed gardaí, stormed the building, which was hosting a boxing weigh-in at the time.

War in Ukraine

2. Russia has stepped up attacks across Ukraine, cutting electricity and killing eight people, including in kamikaze drone strikes on the capital.

Moscow is thought to be trying to counter battlefield losses in its eight-month war in Ukraine by waging a punitive policy of striking energy facilities before winter in a move that President Vladimir Putin hopes will weaken resistance.

Ukraine said four people were killed in Kyiv, including a married couple expecting a baby, and another four in the northeast region of Sumy.

Liz Truss

3. UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has apologised for her “mistakes” and pledged to lead the Tories into the next general election, as pressure mounted on her to face consequences for the turmoil her policies have brought.

Truss said she has “adjusted” the government’s approach after fiscal policies shook the markets.

British newspapers have blasted Truss, with the Sun dubbing her “ghost PM” on its front page, and calling for the Tories to consider replacing her with Rishi Sunak or Ben Wallace in an editorial.

Irish foreign aid

4. Conflict-stricken African states, the humanitarian impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change have been key drivers of foreign funding by the Irish Government, a new Irish aid report has found.

The Irish Aid Annual Report will today reveal that the State aid programme focused on global access to vaccines and more than doubling the climate finance programme.

Junior cert results

5. Junior Certificate exam results will be issued to students on 23 November, the State Examinations Commission has said.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant that formal Junior Cert examinations did not take place in the previous two years but in 2019 the results were issued on 4 October.

This year’s exams went ahead but the SEC did not confirm until today when the results would be released to students.

Eviction ban

6. A plan to bring in a ban on evictions is to go before the Cabinet today.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has said the ban will be time-limited and will have to avoid unintended consequences that could see more landlords leaving the market.

Australia shifts stance

7. Australia has said it will no longer recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, a policy reversal that prompted a curt rebuke from the Jewish state.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the city’s status should be decided through Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, unwinding a contentious declaration by the previous conservative government.

Venezuela

8. Intense rain in northern Venezuela has caused a landslide killing at least three people, following more than 50 deaths in similar circumstances last week.

Video footage on Venezuelan television showed mudslides devastating everything in their path, sweeping away vehicles, trees and huge boulders.

President Nicolas Maduro said “all this is climate change.”

Rod Stewart

9. Rod Stewart says he is using his “power” as a knight to help others, after renting a home for a family of seven Ukrainian refugees.

The singer said he usually keeps “all my charitable efforts nice and quiet,” but hoped that by making his actions public, they might inspire others to help too.