GOOD MORNING.

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

Refugees

1. Coalition leaders will meet on Monday to discuss the accommodation shortage for housing refugees in Ireland. It comes as 33 Ukrainian refugees that arrived in Ireland were unable to be accommodated by the state on Friday night.

Speaking yesterday, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended the government’s response to the refugee crisis, saying that the state had been quick to respond in unprecedented circumstances. 

“We certainly will do everything we can to speed things up and get more accommodation into play,” he added.

President Xi

2. Xi Jinping has secured a historic third term as China’s leader and promoted some of his closest Communist Party allies, cementing his position as the nation’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party elected Xi as its general secretary for another five-year term, tilting the country decisively back towards one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among its elite.

Tory leadership contest

3. Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak were said to be locked in talks late into the evening yesterday as speculation mounted over whether the pair could strike a deal to lay the foundations for a unified Conservative government.

Johnson was lagging behind his former chancellor in public support from MPs, with backers of the ex-PM challenged over claims he had reached the number required to secure a spot on the Tory ballot paper.

Dublin policing

4. A former Garda Inspector has said that Operation Citizen – the Garda operation aimed at preventing anti-social behaviour and violence on the streets of Dublin city centre – is failing to meet its aims because it is not adequately staffed, a former Garda Inspector has said.  

Tony Gallagher said that the Dublin city centre operation was inadequately resourced – adding that many officers who are assigned to it had been drafted in from other areas.

Thunder and Rain

5. A Status Yellow warning has been issued for Counties Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford, Wicklow from 8am this morning until 11am, with heavy showers and thunderstorms expected.

There will be spot flooding and hazardous driving conditions, according to Met Éireann. 

United States Mid-terms

6. Our reporter Rónán Duffy reports from the campaign trail in Easton, Pennsylvania, the venue for one of the latest stops in Senator Doug Mastriano’s bid to become the Republican governor of the Keystone State. 

Mastriano is a Trump supporting so-called MAGA Republican, fighting an uphill battle for the Governorship. 

Election preparation 

7. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin has told Fianna Fáil that preparation for the 2024 local elections “starts now”, as the party prepares to launch a new plan for canvassing and campaigning.

Speaking at his party’s Cáirde Fáil dinner yesterday evening, Martin said that campaigning efforts for the local elections will be “earlier and more comprehensive than ever before”, with selection conventions beginning immediately.

Powersharing 

8. Micheál Martin has called on the DUP to “honour” the mandate of the people of Northern Ireland by contributing to the restoration of the Stormont institutions as the election deadline looms.

Micheal Martin said it does not appear that devolved government at Stormont will be restored by Friday’s deadline.

The Taoiseach added that it is “not satisfactory” that the powersharing institutions are not functioning.

Unexplained death 

9. Gardaí are still looking for information after a man died in unexplained circumstances early yesterday morning.

At about 2.50am on Saturday, gardaí in Blanchardstown were alerted to reports of a man with unexplained injuries on the Old Navan Road, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15.

The man died from his injuries. Gardaí have appealed for anyone who may information to come forward.